I had never seen him before. But I had heard Ryan speak with him on the phone twice. They seemed to have a life-and-death friendship, and Ryan trusted him and Ian."Alright, do as you wish." I nodded thoughtfully. "We should go and get the divorce certificate the day after tomorrow. Please remember to arrange the time."His dark eyes flickered, and he gave a self-deprecating smile with a hint of bitterness. "Are you counting the days until you're done with me?""Something like that," I answered without hesitation.Ryan's long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line. "Fine, I'll do as you say.""It's not about doing as I say." I corrected him. "Ryan, this is something we've already agreed on. There's no such thing as one side following the other."He looked at me quietly, and after a short pause, he sighed. "Was I always like this in front of you?""Like what? Do you mean indifferent, perfunctory, or hypocritical?" I took a sip of co
Something wasn’t right. I wasn’t going to believe in such coincidences.I grabbed the car keys and was about to leave when Ryan grabbed my wrist. "Where are you going? I'll take you.""To somewhere with a signal."Before I went out, I looked at him. "What's going on with that live broadcast from earlier in the afternoon? Why can't I find any records online?"Ryan's eyes flashed for a moment. "Many live broadcasts won’t be replayed.""Impossible."Previously, when Frank attended a public event, his video was edited and shared by many girls. For this live broadcast, not even a single clip could be found online.It was as if it had never been broadcasted.I suddenly realized something, and my fingertips began trembling. "Ryan, that live broadcast was fake, right? Something really happened to Frank, didn't it?""Charlotte...""Don't call me that. Just answer me!" I backed away, unable to control my voice as I demanded, "Why are you lying to me? Why didn't you tell me if something
Before he could finish speaking, the phone slipped from my hand.My hands were trembling uncontrollably as I stood by the window for a long time, until Ryan left and the Rolls-Royce drove out of the Frost family's residence.I watched until the taillights disappeared from view.After 20 minutes, I finally opened the bedside drawer, took out a fruit knife, and made a cut on my wrist.The blood was warm and glaring.But not deep, so I wouldn't die.I walked out barefoot, twisted open the door, and went downstairs. Albert came over. "Mrs. Frost, Mr. Frost instructed..."He was startled by the blood oozing out of my wrist."Albert, I don't want to make things difficult for you."I seemed to feel no pain, grabbing my car keys. "Let those bodyguards let me out, or else, Ryan will come back and only find a corpse."Albert's eyes were full of concern as he followed me to the car and hurriedly opened the door. "Why are you doing this... Ryan only means well...""Mean well?" I sat dow
Holding the phone, my thoughts were inexplicably drawn back to a time long ago.Some fragments, both unfamiliar and familiar, surged into my memory."Frank! You clearly said you'd come to my house for breakfast today, but you overslept again!""Frank, it hurts so much! Quick, carry me!""Frank, they all say we have an engagement. What is an engagement?""Frank, pick that one, the big orange!""Frank...""Do you even have any sense? Is arriving exactly on time considered late?""Who told you to run so fast? Get on.""It means I will marry you.""I know, I know, little princess.""Lily! Do you have any manners? You should show me, your brother, more respect!"I was sobbing uncontrollably. "Frank, I don't have a grandpa anymore. Grandma said everyone will leave, and no one can stay with Lily forever."He patiently comforted me. "I will, Lily. I'll be with you forever."I blinked my eyes. "Frank, you're like a gentleman today."He arrogantly raised his chin and corrected me
"And actually, I support your staying in Frankes," he said.I pursed my lips slightly. "Why?""I have a friend in Frankes who is a top psychology expert. Charlotte, she can definitely help cure your depression.""Jack, I told you, the medicine belongs to Jane..."I didn't want to admit it.Jack reached out and touched the fresh scar on my wrist. "First you slit your wrists, then you ran into the lake. Clearly, you don't value your life and have no desire to live. You still want to hide this from me?""I..." I turned my head to look out the window. "I don't even know what's going on..."I couldn't control my thoughts.Even my own body was beyond my control.Actually, there had been signs of this a long time ago.It just became more obvious during the month after returning from Jeswood to Jelaston.It was Jane who noticed the problem and forcibly took me to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with severe depression.If it hadn't been for needing to confirm Frank's situation i
Two years later, Jelaston Airport.I stepped out in flat shoes, pushing my suitcase, and was greeted with a big hug from Jane."Ms. Wilson, you’ve finally decided to come back?""Are you trying to strangle me?"I smiled wryly. "I just missed you, so I came back."Jane actually visited me in Frankes whenever she had time. The last time we met was only two weeks ago.On the way home, while driving, she said, "During the period when you first went missing, Ryan was like a madman. He couldn't believe you had just vanished into thin air. He almost wanted to dig up all of Jelaston and drain the lake."I smiled. "You've mentioned this many times.""I'm just saying." Jane sighed. "But Ryan and Jack kept it under wraps. Very few people knew you were in trouble."Aside from Jane and Jack, everyone else thought I was still by Ryan's side, living comfortably as Mrs. Frost.And Megan, not long after Frank's accident, returned to the Smith Group, fighting for power with that illegitimate s
"Yep, guess who?""The popular young star recently?""No, no, think bolder.""Bolder?""Yasmin Jackson!""What?"I was taken aback, "Jane, you've managed to network into that circle now?"Yasmin Jackson, one of the four top actresses in the entertainment industry. She became over 20 years ago. Her family background was quite impressive, but no one has dug up anything substantial over the years. Some say it was either fake news or her background was so extraordinary that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to find anything.After taking a break from acting a few years ago and moving behind the scenes, she had become a significant player in the entertainment industry. Every appearance she made was as talked-about as any top celebrity."This isn't my connections." Jane shook her head, laughing. "It was Yasmin who saw the dress you designed for last month's fashion week and liked it. She had her agent contact me, asking if I could make an exception and reserve a private custom slot f
As I reached out to knock on the car window, a bodyguard quickly stood in front of me."Hello, ma'am! This is a private vehicle.""I know." I pointed inside the car. "I know him."The front passenger window lowered, and another bodyguard said, "I’m sorry, our employer doesn't know you.""He doesn't know me?" I asked."Yes, you might have mistaken him for someone else!"As the bodyguard spoke, the driver followed orders, stepped on the gas, and the black Continental slowly drove away.Other vehicles quickly followed.I stood there, stunned for a while.Frank didn't recognize me anymore...Or was that not Frank?Suppressing my doubts, I turned and went back to Grandma's room to ask the caregiver."Was the Mr. Smith who came earlier here for the first time?""Probably not, but it wasn't my shift," the caregiver replied. "He seemed quite familiar with the ward facilities when he arrived.""What did Grandma call him?" I asked."She just held his hand and wouldn't let go. Late
It was the habit of someone accustomed to a high position."What’s wrong?" the man asked, his deep voice carrying a clear warmth."Look at you, acting so cheap. If you’re happy, just smile. Why pretend?"Frank, after all, was now happily settled.Seeing others in turmoil, he liked to tease them."No wonder you can’t win your wife back."Westley was rendered speechless.Jordan, not wanting to join the topic, quickly ran off.Frank joked, "See? Your wife just ran off again."Westley clenched his molars tightly.One by one, these happy people were taking turns mocking him."If you’re not going to help, at least don’t make things worse."Frank clicked his tongue and said, "Wow, the resentment is strong."Charlotte, holding Frank’s arm, tried to smooth things over. "That’s enough, Mr. Smith. Stop making fun of others."Westley was rendered speechless.‘Thanks. Appreciate that...’Charlotte added, "And stop mentioning Zachary’s pregnancy symptoms—it’s a sign of love."Frank
“These are all the photos of landscapes and animals you’ve taken over the years?”“Yes, I didn’t have anything else to gift, but I thought the baby could experience these through pictures while young and then go see them in person when older.”“You’re so thoughtful! I’ll thank you on behalf of this little embryo, Auntie.”Jane genuinely liked it. After flipping through the album, she instinctively tried to pass it to someone nearby but then remembered that Zachary had gotten out of the car when Jordan got in. He was now riding in the vehicle behind them.She placed the album into the front passenger seat’s storage compartment and then started chatting with Jordan about her recent experiences.Jordan said, “Not much, really. Things went pretty smoothly overall. I gave all the photos to the media. I hope it can raise awareness and help save more girls. That place was hell on earth for them.”Jane nodded. “You did an amazing job.”After her praise, she asked, “What do you want to e
The Collins family’s expressions all changed.Although Madam Collins had spoken so casually, deep down, she was certainly still displeased about Zachary marrying Jane.She had simply seen the deeper truth. Zachary was resolute about Jane.She also understood that Zachary was no longer someone they could control.But when this was bluntly laid bare, her chest still tightened.“What do you mean by that?” Rebecca pressed.Sean merely replied, “That’s all I can say. And that’s because of the bond we share as former master and servant. After all, now I must follow Mr. Collins’s orders.”The room fell into a prolonged silence.Madam Collins broke it with a soft chuckle.She looked at Rebecca and said, “You said he doesn’t acknowledge you as his mother, yet he could have quietly gone off to register the marriage without us knowing, but instead, he let Sean inform us.”Rebecca didn’t immediately react.Madam Collins clarified, “He specifically instructed Sean to pass the news to you
At the hospital.Rebecca listened to Sean's report.When she heard that Zachary had come to the hospital, she immediately panicked. "I knew that woman was bad luck! Ever since Zachary got together with her, he's been plagued with all sorts of misfortune and illness!"Eric hesitated before speaking. "Zachary went to see the doctor because of morning sickness?""What?"Rebecca couldn't believe her ears. "Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?"Sean chimed in, "It’s true."Rebecca was rendered speechless.Sean explained, "I consulted with an expert. This kind of situation is rare but does happen. If a husband deeply loves his wife, seeing her suffer during pregnancy can cause him to experience symptoms like morning sickness."At that moment, Rebecca felt like a beehive had exploded in her ears.All she could hear was a loud buzzing noise.It took her a long moment to recover before she scoffed."He’s such a good husband, isn’t he? I risked my life to give birth to him an
Jane leaned in for a sniff. "Smells so good."Zachary’s worries were unnecessary, she only took a few bites before losing interest.The rest ended up in his stomach.Which then found its way to the toilet, and finally, down the drain.After Zachary rinsed his mouth, Jane peeled an orange for him. "Try this, see if it helps."Zachary ate the orange directly from her hand.It was so sour it made his teeth ache.Still, it seemed to provide some relief.Jane poured him some water."You don’t need to take care of me, I can handle myself.""And I can handle myself too," Jane retorted. "Why are you always doing things for me, then?""It’s different—you’re pregnant."Zachary drank a sip of the water, mostly because she had poured it."I’m just throwing up a little," said Jane.She had experienced it before—constant retching, even with nothing left in her stomach. That kind of discomfort was hard to endure.His voice was hoarse by now, which showed just how bad it had gotten.At
However, the test results showed nothing wrong.Even after being in a coma for those days, his body remained strong thanks to the nutritional IV.As long as he avoided alcohol and irritating foods, his gastritis wouldn't flare up.It certainly wouldn't become severe enough to cause this kind of reaction.Yet Zachary's vomiting was even more intense than her pregnancy nausea.Even though there was nothing left to throw up—not even stomach acid—if he kept going, he might end up vomiting bile.It really didn’t seem like the symptoms of someone perfectly healthy.So Jane contacted Tanner.After hearing her description, Tanner chuckled.Jane felt as though Tanner was gloating."Isn’t this great? He’s throwing up for you, so you can feel a bit better."Jane was taken aback.Over the time she had spent taking Zachary to the doctor, she truly hadn’t felt any discomfort herself.She had thought it was because she hadn’t eaten much, so her symptoms were temporarily subsiding."Dr.
Jane washed her face, took a moment to gather herself, then straightened up and hugged him."Stop reflecting on yourself already, hearing it makes my pregnancy symptoms worse."The tactic worked well, as she didn’t hear any more apologies from him afterward."I feel like eating an orange. Could you peel one for me?"Zachary immediately carried her to the sofa, tucked a blanket over her, and sat beside her to peel the orange.He meticulously removed every single white thread from the orange segments.Resting her chin on her hand, Jane watched him and teased, "You’re treating me even better now that I’m pregnant. Do you love the baby more than me?"Without hesitation, Zachary replied, "It’s because pregnancy is hard on you. If you hadn’t agreed to have the baby, I wouldn’t have kept—"Before he could finish, Jane kicked him, silencing him.He handed her the peeled orange.Jane couldn’t taste her mood anymore, so she focused on eating the orange.Zachary felt his teeth ache jus
"I envy his fiancee so much!""You women are so shallow. Just because he’s buying some raviolis, you think he’s humbled himself for love. Why don’t you think about this—he’s the son of an affluent family. If he hadn’t picked someone from such a poor background, why would he come to this rundown place to buy these commoner foods?"As soon as the man finished speaking, he felt a sharp, cold gaze land on him.The people who had been enthusiastically discussing with him moments earlier suddenly avoided looking at him.But Zachary merely glanced at him.His raviolis were already packed, and he was eager to bring them back for Jane.He didn’t linger long, nor did he feel the need to waste his words on clueless fools like these.Besides, even if he explained, they probably wouldn’t understand—or even care.Meanwhile, Jane had been leaning against the car window, watching Zachary the whole time. When she saw him walking back, she opened the car door for him.“Hurry, get in.”Zachary
They were heading back to their cozy little nest.On the way, her phone rang. When she saw the caller ID, she slapped Zachary’s thigh.“Oh no!”Zachary looked confused.“I forgot about Jordan!”Jordan had mentioned that she would be filming, and Westley had been by her side the entire time to protect her.Jane, preoccupied with her own matters, had assumed that with Westley around, nothing would go wrong.Her return to the country had been a last-minute decision, and she had left in a hurry.She was also dealing with the discomfort of her pregnancy.All the emotions and tasks piling up caused her to completely forget.Sure enough, when she answered the call, Jordan’s voice was full of grievance.“Aren’t we good friends?”“Yes, yes, we are,” Jane replied with an awkward cough. “Something urgent came up, so... I’m sorry.”Jordan, however, was gracious. “I understand your situation is special. Just treat me to a meal to make up for it. I’ll be flying to Jeswood soon.”“Alrig