Hearing this, I was a bit surprised.This time, it wasn't a threat.Rather, he was willing to go with me to get the divorce certificate first and then give me time to think about it.It was a bit unlike Ryan's usual style.Opportunities were rare and fleeting. I agreed gladly and checked the time. "Alright, how about tomorrow? Is he available tomorrow afternoon?"Gary hesitated for a moment and replied, "Yes.""Then please tell him that we'll meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau at two o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow."I found that I didn't have much of an emotional reaction.There was no sense of relief.Nor was there any other emotion.It felt as ordinary as arranging a meal with someone.I even wondered why I had been so deeply entangled in the past, experiencing repeated pain and disappointment.After hanging up, Gary walked into the CEO's office.He took a furtive glance at Ryan's expression and dared not speak.Ryan was sitting in his office chair, lifting his gaze fr
He squinted his eyes slightly. "It's fine. I have money."I was at a loss for words. After all, he was right. I could only nod. "Alright, then I... I'll leave now. I'll send the certificate to the Frost family's residence once it's ready."When I returned to the Charlotte Jewelry, someone was already in the office.Jack looked at me with a helpless expression. "Why did you just run back to the country without saying a word? If I hadn't talked to Dave, I wouldn't have known you were back.""I saw from your social media that you were on a business trip abroad." I smiled. "I was planning to tell you when you got back."As soon as I finished speaking, Jane walked in with a lively stride in high heels and cocked her brows. "Did you get it sorted this time?"I nodded. "Yes, I did.""Really?" Jane didn't believe it. "Show me."I had told her last night that I was going to get the divorce certificate from Ryan today.She was skeptical, thinking something would probably go wrong again.
Her words caused the previously light-hearted atmosphere in the private room to fall silent for a moment.I followed her gaze and saw Frank at a glance.The man held a wine glass with his slender fingers, his dark shirt sleeves casually rolled up, revealing his lean forearms. The watch on his wrist reflected a cold, dim light.At the sound, he cocked his brows slightly and glanced over. That was when we locked gazes.He was indeed alive.I felt both surprised and delighted, and a smile involuntarily spread across my lips, "Frank..."As I was about to say something, I suddenly realized that his gaze towards me was devoid of warmth, as if he were naturally an emotionless and indifferent person.It was no different from looking at a stranger.The man looked at me with a casual demeanor, seemingly waiting for me to speak first, yet also somewhat puzzled.It sent chills down my spine, cutting off all my words.The others in the room also looked at me with some confusion.Among th
He already had a girlfriend, so there was no need to explain too much.Until my figure completely disappeared around the corner, Frank only then shifted his gaze back, his expression indifferent as he looked at Alana."What do you want?""What do I want?"Alana pointed to his phone with a nod. "I'm asking for her number for you, as a friend. How are you planning to thank me?"Frank replied coldly, "Not necessary."Alana smiled. "Then why did you call her name just now?""Who taught you these outdated tricks of pretending to be indifferent to pursue someone? They're long out of style," Alana said disdainfully.Frank dismissed her. "Alana, has anyone ever told you that you're actually quite good-looking when you keep your mouth shut?"Alana didn't like that comment. "You really can't say anything nice. No wonder you've been single for 20 years.""Get lost," cursed Frank."I've accepted your friend request"A new message popped up on WhatsApp. He lowered his gaze, waiting for
Jane curiously leaned over. "What's up? Whose message is it?"I locked the screen. "It's from Frank.""Frank? What does he want? Is he still sulking about how things went down at the restaurant tonight? Does he feel he didn't perform well?""No." I spoke a bit awkwardly, "He’s legs are aching, probably a lingering issue from the explosion. I need to check on him."Jane glared at me in frustration. "Just now, I was asking if you'd prioritize romance over friendship in the future, and now it seems you're prioritizing romance already?"I fawned over her, massaging her shoulders. "Jane, how could I prioritize romance over friendship? I'm just going to check on him. What would you like to eat? I'll bring back some late-night snacks for you.""Well, he has a girlfriend, doesn't he? What's your excuse for visiting him?""It's not his girlfriend."I touched my ear. "She's his cousin.""Alright, alright, go on."Jane sighed in relief and cheerfully pushed me out the door.On the way
The air seemed to fall silent for a moment.Frank stared at me intently. "When did this happen?"I answered honestly, "Yesterday.""So..." He smiled briefly, but with a touch of sarcasm. "You've spent two years with him, found you still couldn't make it work, and now you're thinking of turning to me?"I began using more force, but he seemed to not feel any pain. His gaze filled with scrutiny and questioning.I suddenly withdrew my hand, stood up, and said, "No."Frank's smile took on a roguish edge. "Then what is it?"I avoided his gaze. "Are your legs feeling any better?""Charlotte, aren't you quite adept at making cutting remarks?"He gripped my wrist tightly, pulling me closer and gritting his teeth, "Why are you silent now? Feeling guilty?""Frank..."His grip wasn't very strong, and I managed to pull free with a little effort. I whispered, "If you insist on thinking that way, then I'll just consider myself guilty."Perhaps, I was guilty after all.He smirked. "Do you
Rainwater kept beating against the car windows.Looking out through the window, the outside world seemed like a bizarre, alternate reality.I smiled lightly. "When is the expert you found arriving in Jeswood?"Ryan replied, "The day after tomorrow.""Alright." I nodded and reached for the car door handle. "Then I'll be on my way.""I'll see you off.""No need. My car is just parked nearby.""Still, I'll see you off."I was momentarily taken aback by his insistence. Seeing him reach for the passenger seat's umbrella, I understood his intention.He held the black long-handled umbrella, walked around the car, and opened the door for me, "Let's go."There was a bit of standing water on both sides of the road, making our footsteps particularly clear.As we walked side by side to the car, I opened the door and got in, only then realizing that half of him was wet.But I didn't say much, "Thank you."With that, I firmly closed the car door with a dull thud, started the engine, and
Regret and unwillingness.Tom, however, was unperturbed. "In my opinion, you shouldn't have brought up the divorce. The most important thing between two people is the push and pull; all emotions are drawn out through this dynamic."Ryan was silent for a moment. "Is there still a way to salvage this?"Tom had a sudden idea. "Play the victim.""Play the victim?" Ryan immediately dismissed the idea. "It won't work. She won't fall for that.""If being soft doesn't work, then you have to be tough," said Tom.‘Tough, huh?’Two years ago, he had watched her being pushed to the brink of despair by him.Later, he consulted his own therapist, who suggested that it resembled depression.The serious kind.He swirled his drink, feeling a sense of helplessness he had never experienced before.He couldn't do anything to her.But could he let her be with Frank?He couldn't bring himself to do it.When I got home, Jane was half-lying on the sofa playing a game.She looked surprised to se
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