A familiar voice came from not far away.My father-in-law was wearing colorful sunglasses and a floral shirt. He had clearly just got back from some island getaway, where he had likely been cavorting with women.A typical playboy who never outgrew his frivolous ways, now aging into a lordly figure.Jessica spotted him and burst into tears instantly, "Dad... You're finally back. I've been bullied so badly.""Ryan bullied you?"My father-in-law, John, pushed his sunglasses up to his forehead and looked at Ryan. "I've said it a hundred times, you need to take good care of Jessica. I've only been gone for two days, and she's already at the hospital?"I couldn't help but feel frustrated and wanted to leave during this lull.But John suddenly noticed me and smiled contentedly. "Charlotte? You're here too.""Dad."Out of politeness, I still addressed him as such. Even though in my eyes, he wasn't a qualified father to Ryan.John nodded. "You two should take care of Jessica."I coul
My heart sank.I almost didn't dare to meet his gaze, afraid that the doctor might blurt out something.That would be disastrous.I spoke first. "Doctor, he didn't come with me today. He came for a prenatal check-up with another woman."Ryan's voice was warm and deep. "I didn't specifically come with her.""But you did come, didn't you?"I didn't want the doctor to go into the details.It was like catching a cheater. Nobody would care why your husband would be with another woman. All people cared about was that he betrayed you.Whether it was a drunken mistake or premeditated, did it really make a difference?What happened couldn't be changed. No matter how noble the excuse, a mistake was already made.Ryan had nothing to say, his gaze was firm. "You still haven't told me, why did you come to the hospital today?""Haven't I told you...""Don't stall." He interrupted coldly, seeming determined to get to the bottom of this.The ultrasound doctor hadn't left yet. "Mrs. Frost,
He was slightly stunned. "You... knew about what happened at the company?""Yeah, I just found out today." I tried to shrug nonchalantly, but I found that I had no strength left. "So, you're not going to change your decision, right?"How could he bear to let Jessica stand at the center of attention again?As expected, his face turned slightly cold. "She's having a delicate pregnancy and can't handle stress. But rest assured, once she's better, I won't let you suffer any more grievance."His words made me completely disappointed.I suppressed the sourness in my nose and looked at him disappointedly. "But what if I'm pregnant too? What if my situation is worse than hers?"Every minute and every second I stood there, I could feel the dull ache in my lower abdomen and the dampness below.But my husband told me his sweetheart couldn't handle stress, so I had to handle it.Meaning, my life was expendable, and I should just endure it.Ryan's body stiffened slightly, then he chuckled
I was suddenly taken aback and instinctively glanced at Ryan. He appeared calm and gentle, holding me in his arms, looking nothing like someone who was here for a divorce. The floor of the hall was dry, and I gently freed myself from his grasp, pursing my lips. "No, we're here to get divorced.""Oh..."The staff member seemed regretful. "It's not easy for two people to come together. You seem to have a good relationship. Why do you want a divorce? Getting divorced is not a small matter. Please don't be impulsive. Once there's a crack, it's hard to mend."I lowered my gaze helplessly. "You might have gotten the sequence mixed up. Cracks don't appear because of divorce. Divorce happens because there are cracks."Few couples would want to divorce unless they had no other choice.The staff member stopped trying to dissuade us. "Well, go ahead. There aren't many people here because of the heavy rain. You can go to any available counter.""Okay, thank you."After thanking them, I foun
He was taken aback. "How did you know?"We were getting divorced so there was no point hiding anything. I said, "That day, I overheard you and Grandpa talking in the office. I heard you admit that you no longer have any feelings for me. Actually, this marriage may have been wrong from the beginning.""No."He almost urgently denied, furrowing his brow as he recalled, explaining, "My acknowledgment wasn't about that question. You misunderstood..."I wasn't eager to argue, simply watching him quietly with a faint smile. "So, did you ever love me?"Ryan was briefly stunned, perhaps finding this question particularly difficult. "Charlotte...""Don't explain. It would only make me look pitiful."I smiled lightly, seeming indifferent. "Have Gary send over the agreement I gave him. In the future, when you marry someone else, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto that share..."He suddenly interjected forcefully, every word deliberate, "I won't marry anyone else."My eyelashe
"So afraid that I'll regret it?" His voice was muffled. "But I'm more afraid that you'll treat me like a stranger."The surroundings were cold, but his embrace felt just as warm as it did in the past.His words left me stunned.By the time I collected my thoughts, he had already opened the car door for me. After I got in, he turned away without looking back.Through the rain curtain, I glimpsed his upright figure, soaked halfway through.It felt like a thousand ants were gnawing at my heart, leaving it emptier and emptier.So, this was how easy it was to end a marriage.Just half an hour at the Civil Affairs Bureau, submitting documents, signing papers.One month later, another visit, both parties were still in agreement, and we received our divorce certificates.And just like that, everything was cut off.The days of sharing a bed and pillow, of mutual support, seemed like nothing more than a dream.Of course, this all hinged on whether Ryan would keep his word.When I ret
Albert urgently spoke, "Mrs. Frost! Please come back quickly. Grandpa is furious and wants to beat Mr. Frost. Only you can talk him out of it.""What?" Just hearing the first half of the sentence, I sprang up, grabbed a coat, and headed out.It wasn't so much about worrying for Ryan.Although Grandpa had more than one grandson besides Ryan, he cared for him the most. Even if he were to lay hands on him, there would be degrees of severity, and it wouldn't be life-threatening. But Grandpa's health was important, and it was best not to upset him unnecessarily. Unless absolutely necessary, Albert wouldn't be this anxious.Albert said, "You'll see when you get back!"Regardless of my thoughts, when I arrived at the Frost family's residence, I was still stunned.In the study, Ryan, who had once been dignified and composed, was now kneeling on the floor, unable to straighten up from the beating. His forehead was throbbing with veins, and he could only support himself on the edge of th
Although I hadn't considered continuing this marriage with Ryan.Hearing Grandpa's resolute defense, my heart warmed.Ryan pursed his lips. "I have disappointed Charlotte, but I never intended to marry another.""Never intended? If you never intended, why did Charlotte divorce you? Wasn't it because you completely broke her heart?" Grandpa didn't believe a single word.Supporting himself on the edge of the ebony table, Ryan slowly stood up. "I truly never intended to. But I can't ignore Jessica either, especially since she's pregnant.""You're quite the humanitarian!" Grandpa threw a teacup at him.He didn't dodge it, taking the hit squarely on his forehead, which soon began to bleed. Despite this, his expression remained unchanged as he earnestly said, "I promised Aunt Wen that I would take care of her.""What about Charlotte? There are strong rumors in the company that you brought Jessica closer, making everyone see Charlotte as the homewrecker. Do you think that's fair to her
Jane said, “This is obviously the Winston family trying to control the public opinion. How could they possibly admit it?”Jordan nodded. “Exactly.”Charlotte made a phone call to Frank. After hanging up, she turned to Jane and said, “Luthor’s father was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but his condition isn’t good. He may not survive.”Jordan spoke first, “After all the evil he’s done, I think it’s a miracle he’s still alive. If he dies, it’s just what he deserves.”Jane put her arm around Jordan’s shoulders and shook her head. “Jordan, you’re still too young.”“What do you mean?”“Dead people don’t talk. If Luthor’s father dies, then all the responsibility will fall on him. Luthor is smart, he’ll get out of this unharmed, save the Winston family, and later, when the opportunity arises, he’ll still go after Zachary.”Jordan truly didn’t understand the power struggles of the big shots.She made a cutting gesture across her neck. “With such ruthless people in the W
#Paternity Test Report Proves the Whistleblower is a Mine Disaster Survivor#Luthor clicked on the topic and saw the surname "Stone." He felt his vision go dark.The entire family that died had the surname "Stone.""Zachary is staging an act, of course, it has to be convincing. So it’s normal that he knows these things," said Gregory, his hand trembling uncontrollably as he held the teacup. "We can’t scare ourselves. We need to stay calm and not make any rash moves…"Luthor kicked Gregory.All respect and morals were gone."Didn’t I warn you back then? The mine disaster was risky, and we absolutely couldn’t let small gains lead to big losses!"Gregory’s health had been in decline for many years.Although he had been getting treatment, it wasn’t enough compared to Luthor, who was in his prime.The kick sent Gregory to the ground, where he couldn’t get up for a long time. Weakly, he said, "I… I was just trying… for the Winston family to prosper…"Luthor sneered. "Are you happy
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