Mona scoffed. She looked at the man’s handsome side profile, realizing he was not the man she thought he was. “You really thought that marrying me was a blessing? You just wanted to feel better!” Thaddeus’s lips extended into a profound smile. “Are you stupid, or do you just not understand? Don’t you know what a promise from a man to a woman means?”Mona scoffed once more, finding his words amusing. “I don’t know about other men, but I know about you, Mr. Fontaine. Marriage is a tool for you, not to make a girl happy. Didn’t you just take the wedding photo with Samantha? "Well, I suppose divorcing, whether once or a hundred times, makes no difference to a man like you, who has all the power you could want." Even though Thaddeus’s eyes were on the road, his lips tightened, and his expression was slightly disheartened. A long silence later, he said softly, “I’m sorry.” Mona thought she had heard wrongly. “I’m sorry. I apologize for my recklessness and the secrets I kep
Once Mona and Victor returned to the ward, Millie and Bobby could barely keep their eyes open. Fortunately, Victor had prepared the kids a room beforehand so they could spend the night comfortably. The two put the kids on the bed. When Millie suddenly lost her mother’s warmth, her eyelids twitched and started to feel uncomfortable. Bobby, sensing his sister’s discomfort, hugged the girl into his arms with his eyes still closed.The boy continued to sleep while tapping his sister’s back, offering a hint of comfort. Millie pouted. She snuggled closer to him and somehow placed both her legs on his body before she calmed down. It only took them a few seconds to completely fall asleep. The two adults watched the scene from the side in silence. A warm night lamp was left on, granting a warm and cozy atmosphere. Mona’s heart melted as she watched the kids sleep. Victor’s eyes were glued to Mona, and his thoughts drifted away. He suddenly felt like he had time-traveled b
As long as it was not an absolute rejection, he still had hope! Mona looked at the excited man, and her heart sank. She knew she could no longer convince Victor. “I don’t want to give you hope. There’s no negotiation in this.” “I said it’s okay. It’s my choice to love whoever I want. You can’t stop me from loving you.” Victor was stubborn. Mona pinched the center of her brows, feeling helpless. However, she, too, refused to compromise. “I’ve made myself clear. I can’t interfere with your decisions, but if your mother and other seniors of the Fontaines found out about my kids, what would they do? Would they harm my kids?” Victor was silenced. He suddenly realized he was the only one who could not escape from his past. It felt ridiculous. Mona and her two kids had filled the void in his heart. Frustration built up in his chest as he listened to her words. It was her loss of memory that caused all this! He swore to find out what really happened back then and locate
Mona and the kids stayed in the hospital for the night and were discharged the next day. While packing to leave, Millie threw a tantrum and refused to take her medicines. Ever since Mona adjusted the formula for Millie and decided to use a more conservative approach to the girl’s condition using acupuncture, she no longer needed needles. However, he had to take medicine every day. Miraculously, after some time, Millie’s immunity was boosted, and with it, Mona’s confidence. “Millie, we talked about this. You have to take medicine every day.” Millie shook her head. “I’m fine. I don’t want to take the bitter medicine.” The girl revealed the tiny muscles on her arm, showing off her strength. “We’re not done yet. If we don’t continue, our efforts will go to waste.” “But Mommy, I don’t faint anymore, and I can attend P.E!” The girl tugged her brother’s sleeve. “Bobby, tell Mommy I’m not lying!” Bobby nodded. “Mommy, I’ve noticed Millie is stronger lately and eating a lot
Dr. Hancock praised Mona’s admirable thoughts. “You are a kind person.” Mona smiled. “Someone said something to me recently, and it moves me whenever I think of it. Only when you have experienced being drenched in the rain will you want to hold an umbrella for others. I know it sounds melodramatic, but it’s what I really thought.” “Ms. Ortega, it’s a good thing. Please email me the methods once you’ve compiled them, and I will do my best to help you achieve your dream.” “Thank you, Dr. Hancock. We’ll keep in touch.” As soon as Mona left the doctor’s office, she spotted a towering figure at the mini playground. Victor turned around and walked over. “You consulted the doctor? Was it about Millie?” “Yeah. Millie is getting better.” “That’s great news. Remember the gathering I told you about last night? It’s actually today. Come on. Let’s get going.” “It’s today?” Mona looked at her outfit. It was too casual to attend any social gathering. “I’ll have to change into some
More and more people arrived. Those who came earlier informed the others, so when they arrived, they looked less surprised. Instead, they started to give Mona their blessings. With Susan back from the dead after so many years, they were in no position to ask her what had happened. The gathering somehow proceeded in an odd atmosphere. It had also been a long time since Victor contacted them. Although he looked friendly and welcoming, one could sense his thoughts drifting away. Then, a waiter came in and whispered something to his ears. Victor stood up and told everyone to enjoy themselves while he brought Mona out for a while. After the two left the room, the group started to talk about Susan. “Susan is still so beautiful after so many years. She’s indeed the most beautiful girl of our batch.” “If it were not for her family’s decline back then, she would definitely have been the most successful among us.” “Speaking of which, I just remember a rumor I heard. The gen
It was Thaddeus! Sat in the center, the man’s elegance and frostiness made him the most eye-catching person despite the dim environment. Mona glared at Victor. He must have known Thaddeus would be here and brought her here on purpose. She tried to break free, but Victor clutched onto her tighter. He had to drag Mona into the room with a professional smile on his face. Thaddeus stood up as well. His towering figure looked intimidating. He pocketed his hands and shuttled across the others to reach the two. As he stood in front of them, he sized up Mona coldly. When he spotted Victor’s hand on her waist, his gaze turned frosty. Victor captured the unusual reaction on Thaddeus’s face. He curled his lips into a provocative grin. “Mr. Lewis, Mr. Williams, let me introduce my girlfriend, Susan Mayers.” His voice silenced the men and women in the room, including the music. Everyone shifted their attention to Mona. Master Victor’s girlfriend? What a beauty! Slend
Victor covered his face in pain. He looked at Mona in disbelief. Mona grabbed her purse and got up. She looked down at Victor and said, “That was because you have no respect for me. I’m disappointed in you, Victor.” She then strode out of the room. “Susan!” Victor regained his composure and went chasing after her. The group of friends were left stunned and confused. It took them a while to recover. “What? Never seen a couple quarreling before? Leave them be. Let’s continue to have fun!” “Is it because Susan has two kids? Victor might have studied abroad, but he is still conservative.” “Tsk. I guess you’re right. He found his first love after so many years, but it turned out like this. I understand if he can’t accept her.” The group of friends pondered and guessed. It was then Linda took the liberty and walked out of the room. Mona left the bar. She went out to the street and booked a ride home. While she was typing on her phone, she sensed a strong grip around h
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