That evening, I saw Carol's apology video online. I quickly created an online chat group and forwarded it to Janet and Gregory.Gregory: Haha, no wonder she couldn't make it big in Hollywood after three years. Her acting is so over the top.Me: Trying to squeeze out tears when there aren't any.Janet: Thank you both so much for your help. Let me treat you to dinner this weekend.Gregory: Wait until you get the compensation from Carol first.Janet: The compensation doesn't really matter. I just wanted to clear my name.Me: You're too kind. We can't go easy on people like Carol!After chatting with them for a while, I received a text from Hugh:"You haven't set a time for tomorrow yet.""9 AM," I replied.After sending that message, I turned off my phone and prepared to shower and sleep.I recalled Hugh holding Esther's hand as they returned to the office building at noon. I couldn't remain completely unmoved, but it didn't sting as much as before. Since moving out of the Thorn
At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but after three traffic lights, the car was still right behind us."Did anyone follow you when you drove here today?" I asked Hugh."I didn't notice. Why do you ask?""I suspect someone's following us. Look at that black Volvo in the rearview mirror.""Henry, deliberately slow down. See if they'll overtake us," Hugh said.Sure enough, when Henry slowed down, several cars behind us passed us. But the black Volvo remained behind us. Hugh's face gradually darkened.I took out my phone and secretly photographed the car's license plate in the rearview mirror.When we arrived at the Warner Group's private hospital, the black Volvo didn't stop but drove straight ahead."Henry, you don't need to follow me to see the doctor. Go investigate this car first," Hugh said, showing Henry the photo I took."I guess I'll have to trouble you to accompany me to the doctor," Hugh said, holding onto my arm with his left hand as if clinging to me."Consider
”Shelia, is what Esther said true? We met 5 years ago?" I never expected Esther to bring such news."I knew you, but you didn't know me. I wasn't deliberately hiding it, it's just because... because..." Shelia stammered, reluctant to discuss this."Let me explain for you. Five years ago, you and your friends had a bonfire party in the forest, which caused a fire. Hugh saved you. It was an embarrassing moment, so you've been keeping it from Hugh all this time," Esther interjected."I wanted to tell you once. The day after the fire, when I woke up in the hospital, I went to find you, intending to apologize. But you were still unconscious, with Esther by your side, so I left. I never thought we'd meet again two years later," Shelia explained."You had many chances to come clean with Hugh later, but you never did," Esther pressed."Hugh, I'm sorry," Shelia's voice trembled slightly as she clasped her hands tightly together."Hugh isn't the only one you should apologize to. Do you kno
If there's anything in my life I truly regret, it's agreeing to that bonfire party proposal five years ago.Esther's contemptuous gaze felt like a thousand needles piercing my skin. Hugh didn't scold me, but his silence made me feel even more ashamed.Back then, to protect us from online harassment, the media didn't reveal our real names or photos in any of the news reports. The boy who started the fire was sentenced to one year in prison for arson. The other six of us and I were punished with three months of community service. After the fire, even though we attended the same school, we became strangers, never contacting each other again, all of us too ashamed to recall the incident.After leaving the hospital and returning to the office, I was distracted all afternoon.I searched online for the name of the firefighter called "Jackson". I found some old photos of him. He wasn't particularly tall, but he looked spirited, with a strong square jaw, and when he smiled, he showed eight
After learning about Hugh's car accident, I rushed to the hospital. But when I opened the door and saw Hugh and Shelia chatting intimately, anger welled up inside me.They didn't look like they'd just gotten divorced at all!I struggled to control my emotions, not wanting to lose composure in front of Hugh. Since Travis questioned Hugh and me again last week, Hugh's suspicions of me have deepened. I thought what happened in Dekka would stay buried there forever. But those people aren't planning to let me off the hook.These past few days, I've been trying to fix my relationship with Hugh - having lunch with him, listening to his work problems, actively participating in medical events.Just when things were finally improving between Hugh and me, Shelia shows up to stir up trouble. She's like a queen bee, shaking her butt at a swarm of men, but she's still not satisfied! She has to come and seduce Hugh too!Fine! I've prepared a knife that can wound you as well.I learned about the
I spent the day alone in the hospital. But solitude didn't bring peace to my mind.I asked Henry and Esther to keep the cause of the accident secret. I didn't want my grandmother to worry, nor did I want David and Susan involved. If David knew his son or future daughter-in-law was being followed or targeted for assassination, he'd turn the whole city upside down. That would alert the culprit behind this.Around 3 PM, Henry had found a lead on the black Volvo."The license plate is fake, sold by a gang member who specializes in forged documents. I'm heading there now to question him," Henry said over the phone."What's the exact address?""12 Mango Street.""Come to the hospital to see me first."I didn't want Henry to go alone because that street was notorious for gang activity. Henry was just an office secretary, not skilled in dealing with such people."Didn't the doctor say you need to stay for observation?" Henry hesitated when he arrived and learned I wanted to go with him
The next morning, after a head examination confirmed I was fine, I was discharged from the hospital.Henry and Esther came to pick me up together."It's Grandma's birthday today. Have you prepared a gift?" Esther reminded me in the car."Grandma likes painting. I bought a watercolor by the artist Lian Yang."I remembered Grandma saying at an exhibition that she liked this artist's work, praising her bold use of color that gave watercolors an intensity rivaling oil paintings.Upon returning home, I realized Grandma's birthday celebration was more grand than I'd imagined. The servants had already set up a flower-adorned corridor on the lawn outside the mansion and arranged a nearly ten-meter-long white dining table.I had thought it would just be a family dinner, but some group shareholders and company partners had also come. This was probably David's arrangement, hoping to use this opportunity to improve business relationships.Shelia's entrance caught everyone's attention at the
As Shelia finished speaking, I gradually loosened my grip on her hand.Her expression was serious, which scared me. I feared she had truly let go, that she genuinely didn't care anymore.The party's noise irritated me. I went alone to my study and took out the sketchbook from the drawer. I counted 72 drawings inside. Yes, she had been drawing all along, but I never cared to notice.During those two years of marriage, I seemed to know nothing about what she did every day. I even secretly compared her to Esther in my mind, looking down on her value because she didn't work after marriage. I often felt annoyed by her excessive care.But was it true, as Shelia just said, that I didn't like her?No, she was wrong. I did like her. The ease she gave me was something I rarely felt from others in my 27 years of life.But I did undervalue her. Perhaps because I got used to her admiration and generosity from the start. Things too easily obtained often seem weightless.Flipping through the s