Mona held the tablet in front of Linda. “Here. Choose one.”“Choose what? You were so focused.”Linda looked at the tablet. It was the official sales website of her favorite skiing products.“This brand is like the Hermes of the ski industry. A set can cost up to six figures. I can't afford it. Why are you showing this to me?”“What do you mean you can't afford it?” Mona forbade her best friend to say such unambitious words. “Which one do you like? I'll pay for it.”“Oh My God. Really? Really?!” Linda squealed in surprise. “Suzy, where did you get the money to buy me such expensive things?”Mona took out a supplementary card from her bag and waved it ostentatiously in front of Linda. “See? I didn't just come here by myself. I brought a small vault with me. Just think of it as me paying the rent. Buy whatever you want!”Linda clasped her hands and took the card in Mona's hand with a starry-eyed look. She took a closer look at the words on the card. It was a supplementary card. Th
The man paced back and forth in the office, annoyed by the thought of Mona moving out. The sound of two children giggling and laughing came from outside.Thaddeus walked outside and opened the office door to Millie throwing herself into his arms.“Daddy, this place is huge. Does the whole building belong to you?”“Not yet, but it will be in the future.”He was bound to obtain the position of the head of Fontaine Group. For the sake of his two children and his woman’s future, he had to do whatever it took to get that position.“Wow. Then, I can come here often to play.”“Yes, but you can’t be too noisy. This is an office where adults go to work. You’ll disturb others if you’re too noisy.”“Shh.”Millie covered her mouth with her finger and made a hush gesture. “Be good, and don’t disturb others.”Thaddeus looked at the adorable girl and bent down to pick her up, holding her in his arms.“Millie, do you want Daddy to install a children’s playroom in the office?”His office was
Bobby rubbed his chin and analyzed, “Daddy is the strong lion and Victor...”He clicked his tongue and trailed off.Thaddeus burst out laughing. He liked what his son said.The man was instantly in a good mood. He picked Bobby up and sat him on his lap.“Bobby, I’ll leave the company to you in the future, okay?”“Of course. I’m Daddy’s son.”“That’s right. It’s good that you’re so bold. Even though you’re just a kid, you have the confidence to say such grand and ambitious words.”Bobby rubbed his nose, feeling slightly embarrassed.“Daddy, Millie still has a lot to learn from you.”“Take it slow.”“Okay.”Bobby’s eyes were sparkling. He raised his head to look at Thaddeus and suddenly thought of something, “By the way, I have good news to tell you, Daddy.”“What good news?”“There’s a baby in Mommy’s belly.”Thaddeus realized what Bobby was talking about and reached out to tap Bobby’s nose. “No matter whether your mommy is carrying a younger brother or a younger sister, y
Bobby’s expression suddenly became very serious. “Mommy is a very good-tempered woman, but she ran away from home this time. It must be because she’s sad and disappointed. Daddy, you shouldn’t make Mommy sad.”Thaddeus was exasperated and knocked his head. “I must have owed you all a debt in my past life.”He spoiled that woman endlessly. Even when he was angry, he never took it out on her and would rather suffocate than yell at her. That woman did not know how fortunate she was.Millie praised Bobby, “That’s right. Bobby is right. Daddy, you’re a man. You should give in to Mommy.”Thaddeus spanked the two children. “Don’t just talk and show your real skills to coax your mommy back.”“Yes, sir!”...In the evening, Mona and Linda were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. They were having barbecue that night.At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Bobby and Millie’s voices rang out. The two women looked at each other and confirmed that their ears were not playing tr
Mona threw a grateful look at her son. He really was the one who knew her best and defended her the most.Sometimes, it was sad thinking about that. She was an adult, but she had to be taken care of by a little child. However, that was also a kind of happiness.Mona looked at her two darlings in front of her with a calm smile on her face. She was really content.“Come and eat. We’re having a barbecue today.”Linda put the grill and the ingredients on the table and called everyone over to sit down for dinner.Bobby and Millie’s eyes lit up when they saw the sizzling grill on the table. They had not had a barbecue in so long!Linda could not help but laugh. “What greedy little kittens we have here. All the cutlery is prepared, so let’s start eating. Throw what you want to eat on the grill yourself.”“Okay.” The two little ones were eager to try. They stared at the grill and kept tossing ingredients in, drooling in hunger.Mona took a tissue to wipe their drool. “Isn’t that enou
At that mention, Bobby and Millie finally remembered their father. They were satiated, but their daddy was still downstairs waiting for them to bring their mommy back.Since they could not bring her back, they could just let their daddy see her one more time.“Mommy, there’s already a car downstairs. Just send me and Bobby down.” Millie took Mona’s hand and dragged her outside.“There’s no hurry, Millie. Let me change my clothes.”How could Millie not hurry? She did not finish her task, so she had to at least drag her mommy downstairs. She had made such a proud boast earlier, so she could not eat her own words.“Geez, why are you two in such a hurry to leave? You should stay for a few days.”“No, thank you, Godmom. We’ll leave Mommy in your care. We’ll be going now,” Bobby thanked Linda very politely.“You’re getting better at talking now. I have some leftover barbecue ingredients here. You two can take them back and ask the kitchen to prepare them for you if you want to eat the
“I haven’t thought about it yet.”“What are you thinking? Huh?” Thaddeus asked Mona. “You have a family, but you won’t go home. This isn’t the right thing to do. What do you have to think about?”The man’s tone was impatient and exasperated. He was not trying to solve the problem at all. He just came here to find her to pass the time because he was bored.Mona pursed her lips. “Thaddeus, when you learn to respect me and communicate with me without bringing your emotions into the matter, then we’ll talk.”Thaddeus slammed his fist on the steering wheel. This woman always had ways to make him angry, but she did not allow others to talk about her. She wanted him to respect her and talk to her without bringing emotions into the matter.Did he not do that?What the hell was this woman talking about? His grasp of her world was getting fainter and fainter.“Well, that’s all from me. Hurry up and take the children home. Remember to drive safely. Take care of them,” Mona said and then op
The gift was left on the table all day. Mona read the script during the day, and the kids called her on video at noon.“Mommy, guess where I’m at now. This is a very secret place.”Mona looked carefully at the background behind Millie. Sure enough, she had never seen the place before.“Where are you and Bobby? Don’t run around, or I’ll get worried.”“We didn’t run around, Mommy. Bobby and I are very good. Daddy was the one who brought us here.”“Where are you? What are you doing now?” Mona looked at the unfamiliar background. It looked like someone’s home, and there was even a woman’s voice in the background.“I can’t talk to you much, Mommy. I’m hanging up now. Love you.”Millie’s mysterious appearance made Mona more curious. She wondered where Thaddeus had taken them.Were they at a certain woman’s house? It was bad enough that the man was playing with another woman outside, but Mona could not accept it if he brought the children as well.She took out her phone and called Th
The couple was tired after a time of bonding, and they lay on the wicker chair, closing their eyes before slipping into dreamland. Sometime later, Thaddeus felt a chill and opened his eyes. His T-shirt was wet, and Bobby and Millie were spraying water at him with water guns. The youngest child was nearby too in her stroller. She suckled on a pacifier and watched the bustle. “Where’s your mommy?” Thaddeus shuffled his hair and looked around, searching for Mona. “Freeze, Daddy. We have held Mommy captive. Surrender yourself to us.” Acting like the boss, Millie pointed her massive water gun at her daddy. Thaddeus had indulged his eldest daughter so much that the girl would only have things her way. Nevertheless, Thaddeus played along since it was only a game. He knew his children well. Millie took after Mona and was shrewd. Still, Millie would be on her best behavior when in public. “Hurry up and surrender, Daddy. Put your hands up, and we will release Mommy.” Millie poked
It was a cooling breeze for the Summer as flowers bloomed in the garden of Fontaine Residence. Mona rested on a wicker chair under the wine arbor, holding in hand the latest issue of the weekly design magazine, with her face on the cover. In the photo, she held a trophy up on the stage of a design competition, standing out amidst the radiant background. Since the birth of her youngest, Mona took a month off for rest before picking up her passion again and returning to the world of design. Recently, she won first place in an international design competition and found fame. Mona was happy with her life and enjoyed the rich and peaceful state of things. She had time to herself for once during the weekend, so she found a quiet spot to enjoy time alone while the kids had a nap. The sunlight shone over Mona through the leaves, basking her in warmth. She let out a yawn and closed her eyes for a nap. Thaddeus walked out of the house and saw the woman enjoying the moment of bliss. The t
“Mommy, did the baby kick you today?” Millie wobbled her way over and placed her hand on Mona’s belly. She could feel the baby stirring inside her mommy’s stomach. Millie was pleasantly surprised. “The baby kicked me! Mommy, is the baby swimming inside your belly?” “Yeah. The baby is kicking.” Mona affectionately caressed her belly. The fetus had been kicking and rolling a lot more lately, so she could not get much sleep. The tall and strong man drew near and looked tenderly at Mona. His husky voice lingered in Mona’s ear. “Weren’t you craving strawberries? I placed an order, and the fruit is being airlifted here as we speak. It’ll arrive tonight.” “Yay.” Mona was gleeful. Since the beginning of her pregnancy, she had become quite fussy and craved the strangest food. She wanted caviar from Japan, cookies from France, and strawberries from the highlands. Anything she asked for would be transported fresh to the house the next day.The man had taken good care of her during her en
“No. I won’t let myself go.” The man huffed heavily after finishing his sit-ups. Then, he rolled out of bed and got changed in the walk-in closet. Mona stared at the man’s well-toned back, gasping at his body upkeep. People would probably have a hard time believing he was a father of three. With that in mind, Mona became aware of a potential threat. She got up and drew close to the man. “You’re responsible for taking care of the baby once the child is born.” Thaddeus straightened his tie. “Alright. I can do that. I want to be present in the baby’s life and your pregnancy. You should rest at home once your belly gets bigger. I’ll handle Bobby and Millie’s school run, okay?” The man pinched Mona’s face dotingly. “Now you’re talking. Are you heading out?” Mona got up on her tiptoes to brush off the dust from his shoulders. “Yeah. I need to sort out a lot of paperwork.” “I wrote down notes of the meeting I attended on your behalf a few days ago.” Mona walked out to retrieve a
Thaddeus was in the hospital for a week before he was discharged. The election day for the successor of the Fontaine Group was two weeks later, but Thaddeus had not made a full recovery in his legs. He remained in a wheelchair and persisted in his daily physiotherapy. Mona had a room freed up in Fontaine Residence for Thaddeus’ rehabilitation. A specialized doctor would come around the house every day to help Thaddeus with his recovery. Thaddeus was a strong man to fight through the pain in his physiotherapy sessions. That day, Mona watched as the workers hung a decorative painting on the wall in the hallway. She ordered paintings of her preference and had them shipped from abroad. Mona instructed the workers to put it up, not paying attention to the wobbly painting that had been hung behind her. The painting was about to hit her from the back. Thaddeus was exiting the rehabilitation room when he caught sight of the danger. Getting up from his wheelchair, Thaddeus took large stri
The few pictures of Mona and Victor at the height of a tussle gave the impression that they were having an intimate moment. Thaddeus went through the photos with a look of disdain. “So you stood there and pretended to take pictures of me to show me these? You set my wife up with another man to tell me she was cheating on me?” It was not hard to guess the game the paparazzi were playing, but who was he trying to fool? The man was dumbstruck, as it never occurred to him that Thaddeus could see through him. It had taken the three of them to come up with the idea. However, it had not taken much for Thaddeus to foil their plan. Mona let out a relieved smile. She thought that Thaddeus would be furious at the look of the pictures and had prepared herself to give a long explanation. She was surprised that Thaddeus quickly saw through the attempt to drive them apart. Their relationship was solid, and no one could come between them. Mona thought to herself with glee when she took
Mona stood in front of Thaddeus, blocking his face as she confronted the paparazzi who took their picture. “Hand over the camera!” “There’s nothing in the camera. Besides, it’s my personal property. Why should I give it to you?” “You clearly took a picture of my husband. You have some nerve to say there’s nothing.” Mona grabbed the man by the wrist and lifted her foot to kick. Thaddeus grabbed her wrist to stop her. “You’re pregnant. Think about the child.” Thaddeus pulled Mona back, leaving himself exposed to the paparazzi. “Why do you want to photograph me? Do you want to see me in a wheelchair? Take a picture then.” Thaddeus pulled a straight face. His nonchalant gaze spoke of intimidation. Dumbstruck, the paparazzi looked at Thaddeus’ legs and smiled dryly. “What happened to your legs, Mr. Fontaine?” Thaddeus did not answer. However, his dark eyes flicked chillingly as he looked murderously at the paparazzi. Even in a wheelchair, Thaddeus did not have to say anythi
With the help of the two caretakers, Thaddeus sat in the wheelchair. He had overcome his emotions and pulled himself together. His mind was clear as he sorted out what he should do next. Thaddeus called the assistant into the room and laid out the following plan. “I won’t attend any media interviews before the election, but I won’t disappear from the public eye either. I don’t want to give the press something to talk about. My wife will represent me. Going forward, whatever she says or does will be considered my own. She has the authority to attend all corporate conferences, big or small.” Mona dropped her jaw in shock. She was to attend company meetings and speak on his behalf. It was trying to make the impossible happen. On second thought, Thaddeus must have his reasons to do so. She had the confidence to do a good job anyway. The assistant took note of everything Thaddeus said. The Fontaine Group was about to choose its next leader, and with Thaddeus still in recovery, the
“It’s okay. That’s normal after surgery. The doctor gave me a heads-up. Since it’s a brain operation, you might have damage to the motor nerve. With the help of physiotherapy, you’ll be back to running in no time.” Mona consoled Thaddeus. Thaddeus lifted his hands and gave Mona a gentle push. “Leave.” Mona froze. She looked at the man who was fine a second ago, not knowing what to do. “Can you leave? I need some time alone,” Fixing his gaze on Mona, Thaddeus spoke callously. “Okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” It dawned on Mona why the man was persistent in driving her away. He did not want her to see him at his worst. In a way, he was trying to protect his pride and dignity as a man. However, they were a married couple. Mona would never turn her back on him. Mona could understand the man’s vulnerability and his feelings at the moment. Hence, she said nothing and quietly left the ward to give Thaddeus the time and space to sort his emotions. Instead of doing n