He finally showed a bit of emotion, and at that moment, I saw deep compassion in his eyes.I still mattered to him. Even if he did not have romantic feelings for me, we had a bond from growing up together. He glanced at me and quickly turned away. His hair moved and sparkled like the leaves on the tall tree outside.He did not speak, but I could tell what the matter was.Surprisingly, I felt very calm and composed.“How long do I have left? Is it late-stage?”“It’s not as bad as you think,” he answered quickly but did not turn to me. “Just rest. The doctor has suggested conservative treatment. You need to focus on taking care of your stomach.”His voice was tense. I knew that my condition was bad, probably worse than Cecilia’s.“So, we—”Before I could finish, he cut me off. “Just focus on getting better. Don’t worry about anything else.”Once my IV was finished, he said, “I’ll get the doctor.”He could have used the call button, but maybe he was too upset and did not know
Zach stayed the night in my room. He had a morning meeting at his office the next day, so he had already left when I woke up. It was Hayden’s turn to do the rounds today, so a group of young doctors and nurses were following him. Hayden himself was also very young. At twenty-five years old, he was already one of the surgical unit’s top talents. Sophie and I had privately discussed the reason for his success; it was a combination of his own hard work and his father’s role as the hospital dean. We would always make fun of him, but he was a good sport who never got mad over it.He solidified his status as a truly capable doctor after he completed a famous surgery perfectly. He had just graduated and started working at the hospital when it happened.Hayden stood before my bed. He could not directly examine my gastritis, so he glanced at my wound. “The wound from your surgery is very small. You won’t get a scar from it.” “Understood.” “Do take care of your diet. Take lighter mea
I was prepared to take out my IV drip to hold him back. At the same time, Zach suddenly dashed into my ward and saved Cecilia from Oliver’s wrath.His timing was impeccable. He only saw the scene of us “bullying” Cecilia, but he missed the part where she had been extremely mean to me. Cecilia was coughing intensely as if she was going to throw a lung up. She had to be exaggerating. She then leaned into Zach’s embrace weakly. I could already predict what she was going to say, and I ended up being right. She said, “Don’t blame Oliver. He’s just a child.” Her voice was hoarse, and her breaths were shallow. Forget Zach, she seemed so pitiful even to me. Oliver was still extremely pissed. “Zach, you b*stard! You’re blind! Cecilia is such a vicious woman…” Zach hugged Cecilia tightly and glanced at Oliver. He then helped her out of my hospital ward. I lay down on my bed with a dejected sigh. Oliver was standing before my bed with his chest huffing and puffing. It was as if his
He was still staring at me in silence. His eyes were emotionless. After a while, he rejected my request, “No. You need treatment now.” “I’ll still die with treatment. The one thing I want to do the most now is to have our honeymoon. Otherwise, I’ll have regrets. You don’t want me to die with regrets, do you?” “Cassia…” he said my name and fell silent. From his grimace, I could tell that he was more annoyed than sad. Cecilia was sick, and it was absolutely disastrous news to him. However, he probably just felt a bit guilty after he learned that I was sick. He knew that I had loved him for many years, and it was very tough on me. I could not force him to love me, so I could only use his guilt to my advantage. In the end, I insisted on what I wanted. “Zach, you know that the treatments are useless with my current condition. This is my only request. I’ll discharge myself tomorrow.” He looked at me but still did not utter a word. He had rejected my request partially becaus
I was close to Zach, so I could hear Cecilia talking.She spoke gently and with understanding on the phone. “Make sure to take good care of Cassia. She can be quite careless. Check if she has all her medicine. Since she’s just had surgery, don’t let her do any heavy exercises…”When Zach turned around, I was rolling my eyes. He looked at me and gently replied to Cecilia, “Got it. You take care too.”Compared to Cecilia’s “magnanimity,” I seemed ridiculously petty.I was worried that she might fake an episode, like faint at a crucial moment. So, I asked Sophie to keep an eye on her to make sure that everything went smoothly.With Sophie watching her, Cecilia did not try anything funny. In the end, Zach and I boarded the plane without any problems.Before I turned off my phone, I received a short message from Cecilia. [Take care and have fun.]I thought about blocking her but decided not to. While Zach was not paying attention, I took a selfie with him and sent it to Cecilia.I e
I was stunned, and I thought that I must have heard wrong.“What?” I asked.“I need to go back. Cecilia vomited blood.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Stay here and enjoy yourself. I’ll get someone to book a plane ticket.”He then told Jon, “Take the boat back. I’m going to the airport.”I felt dizzy. Zach had suddenly pulled me back to reality in this beautiful, dream-like place.I gulped and asked, “What’s Cecilia suffering from?”“Breast cancer.”“Breast cancer? Why did she vomit blood, then?” I was doubtful. It was definitely fake. I thought that Cecilia would not do anything, but I was wrong. Instead of making a move before we left yesterday, she waited until we were already in Iceland. She wanted Zach to leave me here alone.She was truly ruthless.Jon looked troubled, and Zach told him, “Take the boat back now!”I did not say anything more in front of Jon. On the way back, I sat curled up in a corner of the deck. The beautiful aurora was still above me.I had alwa
When we were young, Zach, Sophie, Cecilia, Austin, and I were close friends.We were all about the same age, with similar backgrounds, and our families were friends. Since we lived near each other, we naturally got close and spent almost every day together.We remained very close up until we were ten. Sophie and I were straightforward and got along well with everyone. But after I broke my leg, Cecilia started to pull away from us.Things got more complicated when I developed feelings for Zach.Friendships between boys and girls often did not last. Cecilia and I had feelings for Zach, and Sophie seemed to have a secret crush on Austin, though nothing came of it.Everyone knew that Zach loved Cecilia. We all had our own secrets, and we knew each other’s. Austin was the only one who kept his secrets to himself. As we grew older, Austin went abroad for school and only came back during vacations, which caused our group to drift apart.Rosie made some coffee for Austin and complimented
Just then, Austin knocked on my door. I went to open it as I held the phone.He leaned against the door in a white bathrobe and looked relaxed. “The underfloor heating in my room isn’t working. I’ll stay in your room tonight.”I stepped aside to let him in. He was carrying his pillow.He had a pillowcase with a little bear print, and he took it wherever he went. Sophie and I used to tease him about being so attached to it.He placed his pillow on the bed and saw the phone in my hand. “Zach?”Before I could reply, he took the phone from me and put it to his ear. “Zach, since you’re with Cecilia, I’ll stay here with Cassia,” he said.Then, he hung up and tossed the phone onto the couch. Under the light, I could see the fine hair on his face.“Do you think this will make Zach angry? He doesn’t care.”“Even if he doesn’t care about you, he still cares about his reputation. After all, you’re his wife.” Austin’s words stung. He always had a knack for pointing out the painful truth.
After a while, Kingston came downstairs. He looked upset, so Sophie asked, “What’s wrong?”“Two people visited the company today to discuss a deal. They offered a high price,” Kingston said.“Isn’t that good?”“At first, I thought so too. But as we talked, something felt off. They brought some tech for the collaboration, but I realized that another company had just created it. They might have stolen it.”“How can they steal someone else’s stuff?”“There are lots of ways.” Kingston peeled an orange and gave half to Sophie before eating the rest himself. “I turned them down, but they kept trying to rope me in.”“Would that tech be useful to you?” I asked.“Of course. It would save us at least a month of work.”Sophie’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. Just then, Ellie brought over a plate of fruit and teased, “Kingston’s too stubborn. If he were a bit more flexible, he’d be super successful by now.”“A gentleman earns money the right way.” Kingston’s stubbornness was somehow
Actually, Oscar did some of the cooking too. He was wearing a blue and white checkered apron, on which Ellie had tied a bow. He looked more adorable than he usually did in the office.We gave him our gifts, and Rachel handed him a lollipop. “This is made with xylitol. It won’t give you diabetes.”Oscar and Ellie laughed so hard that they could barely open their eyes. Ellie kept saying, “Wow, this little girl is so pretty.”“This must be Mr. Quinlan’s child,” Oscar said.“Yeah. She’s staying with me for a while.” I then told Sophie to help Rachel with washing her hands. Ellie was already asking the housekeeper to bring us some snacks and fruits. Oscar invited me to have a seat. “Cassia, I finally understand why your dad values you so much. You’re not only skillful, but you’re also charming. Even the little ones like you.”I was flattered by his compliments.After that, he made his way back to the kitchen. “Cassia, Sophie, have some fruit. I’ll make a few of my signature dishes f
Zach greeted Oliver, but I had to give him a kick. Only then did he stand up and nod at Zach. “Hi.”After that, he sat back down.The Freeman family had viewed Zach as the enemy for a while. But recently, things had gotten better. After Gordon Corporation started working with our company, Sophie saw Zach more often. As such, her attitude toward him was not as hostile as before.“I brought some clients here for breakfast. They’ve never had an authentic American breakfast,” Zach added.“The food here is good. You made the right decision in bringing them here.”“Alright, enjoy your meal.” He was about to leave, but I remembered something. “Your thermos… I figured that you wouldn’t mind, so I gave it to Mrs. Gibson. Also, I didn’t drink your soup. Don’t send any more next time. All that grease just clogs up the drain.”He just smiled and returned to his table.“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Sophie said between bites. “Zach seems to be treating you the same way he treated Cecilia back then. He’s b
It was rare for Mrs. Gibson to praise Zach. Anyway, I handed her the thermos. “Pour it out. If he brings soup again, don’t accept it.”“It’s such good soup. What a waste!”“Don’t give it to Bob. It’s too greasy for a dog, and it might upset its stomach. If you’re fine with it, you can have it. Otherwise, just pour it out.”It was not that I did not appreciate Zach’s kindness. But I had already told him that it was pointless.Whether he made it for me or the babies, it would not change anything.He claimed that it was something he wanted to do, but I had made my opinions clear. Eventually, Sophie picked out a gift. She brought down a big vase and smiled brightly. “I’ll wrap it up nicely later. It’ll look really classy.”Mrs. Gibson got excited when she saw the vase. “Do you like it, Ms. Freeman? I have two more in my room. Would you like one?”Sophie froze. “You have more? Cassia, is your family that rich? Isn’t this an antique?”“Well, it looks like one. The ceramic store beh
After I got pregnant, I somehow became popular; everyone wanted to date me.I watched as Cameron and Mr. Pepper drove away. When I turned around, I was startled to see Sophie behind me. She was holding Rachel’s hand, and they were both wearing SpongeBob pajamas. They looked like two little girls in kindergarten.“Why are you sneaking up on me? Are you trying to scare me?” I clutched my chest.“You haven’t done anything wrong, so why are you scared?” Sophie picked Rachel up. “Is Cameron gone?”“Yeah.”“What did he mean by ‘second in line?’”I shot her a look. “Help Rachel with her bath. Stop asking so many questions.”It was Oscar’s birthday today, and he had invited us to dinner. It would be a casual gathering.I decided to take Rachel out for breakfast and buy a gift for him at the mall.Older men were easy to gift. Ties, belts, and wallets were suitable, but I wanted something more unique. So, I thought about what Oscar would like.I wandered around the study and noticed my
Wearing Cameron’s coat, I walked through a bamboo grove with him. It felt pretty creepy at night, as there were no gaps between the bamboo trees. They created weird shadows when the wind blew, and it felt like something would jump out at any moment.Suddenly, Cameron wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.He had confessed his feelings for me several times. Any other woman would have probably been over the moon.This morning, a billionaire heir had made soup for me, and at night, a rich tycoon was giving me his coat. My luck with men this year was crazy.I stopped and looked up at him. Just as he leaned in, I quickly moved away.“Cameron, I may have divorced Zach and broken up with Hayden. Even so, I still won’t consider being with you.”He looked at me dejectedly. The shadows of the bamboo were reflected in his eyes.“Am I really that bad?” He was a bit upset.“Don’t think so little of yourself. You’re still a catch to a lot of women.”“Can you at lea
It was incredibly hard to find men who could resist such temptations. But there were some exceptions like Zach, who had been through a lot. Thanks to my investigation on Kingston, I knew about his good character. However, I never expected him to be this good. I felt happier as I thought about it. As a result, I was smiling from ear to ear. I patted Sophie and said, “Finally, a good man! Sophie, you need to hold on to him.” She was just about to speak when Kingston called her. It was probably because she had ended the call on a weird note. Kingston might be a little confused. Sophie answered, and I looked out the window. I was trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation. After we reached home, Kingston called again. Sophie spoke with him briefly before she told me, “He’s actually downstairs. I’m heading out for a while.”“Oh, go ahead!” Sophie then dashed out the door. I leaned against the glass door as I watched her leave. I felt that this time, things might really w
After a few minutes, Kingston returned. This time, he chose to sit at the corner of the couch. The hot girl followed suit, but she looked defeated. The waiter quickly showed us the video that he had taken. It was unknown where he had positioned himself, but he was quite close to them. We could even hear their conversation. Kingston had just left the washroom when the hot girl stopped him at the entrance. She cornered him against a wall and brushed her exposed leg against his thigh. Her skirt was so short that I could even see her underwear. Kingston immediately blushed, but he pushed her away after that. He was quite forceful because she almost fell over. As such, the hot girl got upset. “Hey, are you an idiot? Am I not pretty or hot enough?” “You’re not my type,” he said. “I also like someone else.”“You can keep liking her and have some fun. We’re adults here,” the hot girl said and inched toward him. She had just taken a few steps before Kingston pushed her aside and esc
“It really is him,” Sophie said and stood up. “I’ll go say hi to him.”Two young women were with Kingston, so I stopped her. She stared at me in confusion. “What?”“Just sit down.” “Why?” She was really oblivious. “Just do as I say.”She sat down in bewilderment. “What’s wrong?” “Don’t you see the two young women next to him?”“Yeah, I’m not blind.”“Is Kingston pursuing you?” Sophie thought about it. “I think so. He’s quite attentive toward me, and he’s sort of hinted at the possibility.”I looked at Kingston and the two young women in the booth. A few other of their friends soon arrived—they were a mixture of men and women. I did some counting, and they seemed to be in pairs. Mrs. Hanson had constantly praised Kingston in front of me. According to her, he was a workaholic who was shy around girls. I had also hired someone to do some investigating. Kingston did not seem like the type to fool around, but that was just hearsay. It might not be the truth. Since we