In a daze, I thought of the past.Back then, Ryan and I had only been married for six months. My period was delayed by about 10 days. Even though he always used protection, I still faintly wondered if I might be pregnant each time. When I bought the pregnancy test kit, I was eager to share the news of being pregnant with him.Now that I really was pregnant, thinking about Ryan standing just a door away, I couldn't muster any excitement or joy. All I felt was fear and nervousness about what unexpected changes might come.The worst outcome would be losing this child.The mere two and a half years had turned everything upside down as if we were from different worlds now.My legs felt like lead as I walked to the door, my emotions complex, but I found no sign of Ryan outside! Where was he?All that remained was my handbag, left alone on the metal bench by the door.Had he left?I pulled out my phone from the bag, a message was on the screen."I have some urgent business. After the
I wanted to give him a second chance for the child and for myself.Jane didn't try to dissuade me, she simply asked, "Have you thought about the consequences if it doesn't work out?""Yeah, I've thought about it."If things didn't go as expected, I would disappear completely to avoid any possibility of losing the child.With this decision made, I lost all desire to go home and cook. I casually ate a salad in the neighborhood and then retreated to the sofa at home.While waiting for Ryan to return, I immersed myself in work with my laptop.I waited until the afternoon, but there was still no sign of him at the door.Unable to resist, I sent Ryan a message. "Are you coming back soon?"I waited for a while but didn’t receive any replies.What urgent matter could keep him this busy? I hadn't heard from Jane that anything had gone wrong at the company.With autumn days growing shorter and nights longer, the sun began to set by five o'clock.The orange sunset poured in. Outside th
I don't know how much time had passed before a nurse from the operating room came out calling names."Is Jessica's husband here?"Ryan walked up in big strides. "Doctor! I'm here."Those four words pierced my heart like daggers. The pain caused me to find it difficult to breathe.All the waiting throughout the day and the decision I had finally made became a joke at this moment.Standing there made me feel like I was a clown.We weren’t divorced just yet.My husband had already become someone else's husband.Not far away, he asked desperately, "How is she? Is it serious?""She lost a lot of blood, what do you think? But fortunately, you brought her to the hospital in time, she's fine now." After a short pause, the nurse added as if to reassure him, "The child is fine too."‘Child?’‘Jessica is pregnant?’‘They have a child now?’I couldn’t breathe and looked awkwardly at Ryan.He breathed a sigh of relief, his face finally softened a little. "That's good."Maybe my gaze
He wore a beige casual suit that accentuated his tall and elegant figure, exuding warmth and refinement.He smiled gently. "A friend is hospitalized, so I came to visit.""Oh, I see.""And what about you? Why are you here alone at the hospital?"I raised the medical report in my hand. "I came to pick up my health examination report."Jack's expression became serious. "Everything alright?""Yes."I had just undergone a company health check, and this time, like the last, everything was within normal range.Except that there was a child in my womb now.Jack nodded. "Have you eaten yet? How about we grab a bite together? Tom and Jane will also be joining us."He had probably added the second sentence to avoid suspicion.I rubbed my stomach, feeling a bit hungry, "Sure."I didn't know what to eat if I went home alone.Besides, with more people around, it wouldn't be so easy to get lost in thoughts.Jack handed the car over to his assistant to drive back, then rode with me to t
It seemed that I was destined to not be able to eat properly that day.Back home, I slept through the night in a daze. I felt like I was asleep and awake at the same time.The next day, I slept until noon, feeling lightheaded.I checked the fridge, made myself a tuna sandwich, drank some milk, and finally felt a little better.The concert was in the evening, still early now, instead of sinking into negative emotions, I decided to open my computer and prepare to work.First, I checked my social media as usual.Seeing a message from the official MS Group account, I couldn't help but perk up.Just as I was about to read it in detail, Jane's call came in. "Darling, are you okay?"I didn't want her to worry. "I'm fine.""Did Ryan go back home?"I hesitated for a moment. "No.""In that case, let's forget about him." Jane changed the subject. "I called to ask you, have you seen the news that MS is planning a collaborative collection?""I just saw it."In the past, these collabora
Seeing the incoming call on my phone, I felt I was imagining things. After a moment's pause, I answered, "Hello.""Are you at home?"He sounded like he was in a vast, empty space, his voice low and tinged with weariness.I stood up and walked to the balcony, stretching my neck to relieve the stiffness, enduring the discomfort, and deliberately asked, "Hmm, are you still busy?"Thinking about it, Jessica had lost so much blood. How could he be at ease?"I'm almost done."For some reason, his voice cleared up a little. "The ticket is on the console by the entrance. Remember to take it when you leave."Although it was expected, hearing it from him still left a bitter taste in my mouth. "You're not coming?""What are you talking about? Let's meet at the entrance of the stadium..." He chuckled softly.But just as he was speaking, a weak yet desperate question interrupted him suddenly, "Ryan, who are you calling? Didn't you promise me..."The voice abruptly stopped.It wasn't Ryan
Perhaps the person I was waiting for would never come.The girl was clever, smiling brightly as she asked, "Are you waiting for someone, Miss?""Yes.""Your friend must be stuck in traffic, it's really jammed around the stadium right now."Maybe sensing my disappointment, she walked over with a comforting smile, tilting her head slightly. "I'll wait with you.""Aren't you going in?""I didn't get a ticket."She shrugged, her mouth turning down in disappointment and helplessness.I chuckled lightly. "Then stay with me."He wasn't going to come. I wasn't waiting for him to come.I was waiting for me to be totally disappointed.Another whole hour passed, until the crowd in the square thinned out and people gradually dispersed. My hand holding the phone was almost numb from the cold.The announcement came over the broadcast that entry was about to close."Charlotte."A warm voice suddenly sounded from behind.I turned around in pleasant surprise, seeing Jack in the same brow
"It's okay, I won't make fun of you." I patted his shoulder and changed the subject with a smile. "So you like Eason as well, but you never mentioned it before."Jack looked towards the stage, his voice tinged with melancholy. "It's natural to love something because of association.""She liked him?""Yeah, she was really into him back in university.""What a coincidence."I smiled. "I used to love listening to Eason's songs back in university too."He smiled knowingly. "Quite a coincidence."We were in VIP seats, with a perfect view of the performance, and no blind spots anywhere. With the familiar intro, the singer appeared on stage, instantly lifting the atmosphere in the entire arena, and causing countless fans to scream and sing along. Jack and I were like two outliers, quietly listening.Scenes from the past years flashed through my mind like a movie playing, frame after frame.Ten years agoI didn't know youYou didn't belong to meWe were still the sameKeeping compan
The weather was still a bit chilly right after the start of spring. It was the weekend, and there was light rain.In the morning, most of the people on holiday were in bed, playing with their phones.— #Lirad Mine Disaster#This hashtag surged to the top of trending topics at that moment.Luthor could manipulate public opinion, and Zachary could do the same.The former wanted to remove the hashtag from trending, while the latter spent money to keep it at number one.The video from Jasper, on the other hand, didn’t attract much attention anymore.All the focus was on the mine disaster hashtag, and the topic quickly surpassed ten million in views.And it was still growing.Luthor began to feel anxious and called Tim for an update.Tim said that no one had approached the place where the bodies were buried.But Luthor’s tense nerves did not relax because of that.He called a few trusted people.They all said they hadn’t seen anyone from Zachary’s side near the village."Even
"The living could no longer speak, and the only option is to start with the dead. If the autopsy confirms it was an unnatural death, then we can start the investigation. Luthor couldn’t hide everything."Zachary nodded. "You handle it. Solve problems that you come across by yourself.""Yes, Mr. Collins."Meanwhile, Westley overheard and said, "The Winston family is ruthless, and Luthor, as the one in power, is even worse. But his father was useless. Luthor had to clean up his mess many times.""During the mine disaster, Luthor was busy. He was in such a hurry, so it definitely wasn't handled properly."Zachary just hummed in response, sat down on the sofa, and started typing on his phone.Westley thought he was dealing with something, but when he got up to pour some water, he glanced over and realized he was chatting with Jane."What are you doing?" asked Zachary.Jane sent a picture. "Watching TV."Zachary opened it and smiled faintly. "What, learning the indomitable spirit f
Before Rick arrived, he had been briefed by Zachary.He had already anticipated the Greyson family’s reaction.So, he only delivered the message and didn’t say another word before leaving.Brandon and Amanda chased after him.Of course, they weren’t regretting their decision, it was more of a warning.“We had a chance to cooperate, it would’ve been a perfect match. The Greyson family has no blemishes that could harm Mr. Collins’s future. But it’s a pity, Mr. Collins chose a woman like that. Not only that, he’s hurt our daughter as well. It’s too late now for him to come to us for help.”Rick left, expressionless, and got into the car.It was an insult to his intelligence to say even one more word to such fools.With nothing to do at home, Jane suggested they play cards.But Jordan was more concerned, saying that in such a crisis, how could they entertain themselves?So the three of them stared at each other for a long while.Charlotte tried to lighten the mood. “How about I
Jane analyzed for her. "Let things escalate . We can clarify things afterwards, and it will be more convincing."Jordan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You have another video that can turn the situation around?"The videos Jane had were all given to Zachary.The video he posted yesterday was almost everything.How he would handle it afterward, she had no idea."I trust Zachary.""He won’t let me get hurt."Jordan burped and said, "I shouldn’t be eating, just watching the both of you feed each other dog food is enough to fill me up."Jane and Charlotte exchanged a smile.The video posted by Luthor stayed hot on the trending list all night.Westley saw that Zachary had been standing by the French windows, smoking one cigarette after another.He asked, "Do you need any help?"The response was simple. "No need."Westley couldn’t quite understand.The video circulating online wasn’t very beneficial towards Jane.When parents beat their children, there was no legal standard to j
Charlotte was about to say something when she heard him speak in a meaningful tone. "It’s very dangerous outside. The safest place is to go home with me."She knew he was never serious for even a day.Charlotte shot him a glance.Frank raised his hand and gently pressed her head."What I said earlier was serious. When a beast is cornered, it might do anything, uncontrollable things. For the next few days, just stay at home."Charlotte glanced toward the living room and asked, "What about Zachary?"Frank understood immediately. "He’s fine."Charlotte nodded. "Thanks again. Go do what you have to. We’re about to eat."Frank raised his eyebrows, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Do I just get a verbal thank you? We haven’t..."Charlotte quickly covered his mouth and pushed him toward the door.She was about to shut the door.Frank blocked it with his foot and quickly kissed her lips."I like this thank you gift."Before Charlotte could react, the man shut the door beh
At the same time, Zachary received a message."Mr. Collins, Luthor has gone to Lirad."He curved his lips."Reveal the evidence gradually."Raymond replied, "Got it."A lot of things happened on the internet every day.Celebrity gossip always ranked in the top ten.News about people like Jane, the "ungrateful daughter," would usually fade in a day.But because Luthor had paid for publicity, it stayed in the top ten.So, when the evidence was released, netizens were already watching."Plot twist, everyone!""Wow! This isn’t about disciplining a child, this is clearly domestic abuse!""The young lady almost got beaten to death. If it were me, I wouldn’t support such a wicked father either."Only part of the video showing Jane being abused was released as evidence.The rest would wait for the internet to stir up more heat for a while."What are you doing by the window?"Having gotten thirsty from drinking, Westley got up to get some water and was startled by Zachary.He w
In the end, Zachary was escorted out of the bar by Frank and Westley.When they noticed someone taking pictures, they pretended not to see.Once they got into the car, Zachary’s eyes instantly cleared.Frank patted Westley on the shoulder. "The task of taking him home is on you."He had to go back to see his precious daughter. Charlotte definitely wouldn't be coming home tonight.Westley got into the car, and the vehicle slowly pulled away.He rolled down the window and glanced through the rearview mirror.He said to Zachary, "It's already early morning, and they're still watching you. That's some determination."Zachary sneered. "I’m afraid Luthor hasn’t been able to sleep a wink lately."Westley didn’t comment.This was a battle where the entire family was at stake.They followed Zachary all the way to his home, and only then did those people retreat.When they got out of the car, Zachary stopped Westley."You don’t need to come up."But Westley replied, "I’m staying at
Jane didn’t dare to.Zachary was a madman. In this situation, if she caused any trouble, everything would fall apart."But..." Jane continued, "When Zachary ignored me during my pursuit, it was actually normal. After all, he had the right to reject me."Jordan furrowed her brows, clutching the pillow and striking it as if it were Westley. "I hate him. He’s just an old fool."Charlotte went to grab some wine and glasses. There was also the marinated food that Zachary had made in the fridge.She brought them over."If you can’t make sense of it, don’t dwell on it. We hardly get a chance like this. Let’s have a drink."Jordan perked up immediately.Jane put on a movie as background noise.Meanwhile, the people watching outside reported to Luthor."Zachary’s men have left. Only Frank and Westley’s men are with Jane.""We couldn’t see much inside, and with the curtains drawn, we couldn’t catch anything. It’s hard to tell if it's real or fake."Luthor was deep in thought, and Gre
Jane hurriedly stepped forward.She wasn’t doing it to help Westley.It was because Jordan was acting this way because of her.But she wasn’t really breaking up with Zachary.If there were serious problems between them because of her, she would be the one to blame."Well, Mr. Howard, it’s not convenient for you to come up to my place. Jordan will stay with me tonight. If there’s anything, you can talk about it tomorrow."As she spoke, she secretly gave Westley a look behind Jordan’s back.Westley understood.But he didn’t think Jane would say anything kind to help him repair his relationship with Jordan.After a moment of silence, he turned and left.Because even if he explained things to Jordan, she might not believe him.The reason for this breakup drama needed to come from the people involved.It would be better for him to talk about it later.Once they entered the house, Jane kicked off her shoes, not even bothering to put on slippers, and rushed to draw the curtains i