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.
Sophie drove me back, while Austin’s driver came to pick him up. So, we said goodbye at the airport.When we got to my house, I asked Sophie if she wanted to come in, but she shook her head. “No. If I see Zach, I might lose my temper.”“It’s not his fault that he doesn’t love me.”“But it’s his fault for loving that b*tch!”“B*tches exist because men want them. They’re around because there’s demand.” I opened the garden gate and pulled Sophie inside. “I bought a lot of gifts. Can you help me take them to your parents and mine? By the way, how are my parents doing?”“A few days ago, your mom and mine visited a church to pray. She also hired an expert to make the house more comfortable and soothing.”I stopped in the garden that was filled with the scent of flowers and turned to Sophie. “Have we gone too far?”“We have no choice but to go all the way. Do you know why you can’t be the villain? Because you always feel guilty when you do something bad.” Sophie dragged my suitcase and
Sophie’s ideas were often childish, but they were good enough to deal with Cecilia.Sophie stayed for two hours, but Zach never returned. When she left, she picked up a brick from the garden. I did not know what she was planning. As I was about to go inside, I heard the sound of glass breaking. I ran outside and saw that Sophie had smashed one of Cecilia’s windows. She winked at me and drove away.Her plan worked well. Zach soon came out to check the broken glass, and he saw me standing by the gate.We looked at each other through the black fence of Cecilia’s garden. It made Zach look like he was broken into pieces.It reminded me of a time when I was eighteen. I had ordered a large jigsaw puzzle of Zach’s photo. I sat on the floor and spent two weeks working on it. Once I was done, I gave it to him excitedly.Cecilia was there too. She looked at the puzzle and joked, “Good thing it’s not black and white. Otherwise, Zach’s mom might find it depressing.”Zach accepted the puzzle
Zach did not answer me. After a brief pause, he went upstairs.I knew he was not that cruel. He just did not love me.I wanted him to say something comforting, even if it was a polite comment like, “How could you think that? I couldn’t bear to let you die.” If a man would not even say half-hearted remarks to you, you did not matter to him.I sat on the couch and stared blankly at the gifts on the coffee table. Mrs. Hudson came over and softly asked, “Mrs. Gordon, would you like to have dinner?”I was not hungry, and the weird smell was still around.Sophie soon sent me a message in excitement. [I got a recipe from Hayden that’s perfect for Cecilia’s illness. I’ll buy the ingredients tomorrow and bring them to your house. After looking through the ingredients, I have a feeling that it’ll be even worse than Cecilia’s concoction.]It was just a harmless prank. The more I caused trouble, the more Zach would find me unreasonable. However, being reasonable did not matter. It would
He paused before he closed his laptop and stood up. “Go back to your room. I’ll be there soon.”Aha, it looked like Zach had one more person to look after.I got him to spend the night with me by acting pitiful.He lay next to me and read a detective novel. His voice sounded great, almost like that of a professional announcer.I had always been a big fan of Zach and thought that he was good at everything.“So, did Duke kill his wife?” I was eager to know the ending.He stopped and looked at me. The light from the lamp on the bedside table made his eyes shine.“I just started. You want me to give you a spoiler?”“So, is Duke the main character?”“Doesn’t he seem like one?”“Feels like he’s just a minor character.”He held up the book. “I guess I don’t need to read any further. You’ve guessed most of the plot already.”Zach’s way of saying that I was smart was indirect. I was smart but not very good at using my intellect to achieve my goal.Cecilia might not be as intelligen
I did not see Cecilia’s reaction because I quickly returned inside to lay back in bed. Even so, I knew that she must have been furious.Since she used these tricks all the time, I decided to use them too.Zach finally brought me the milk. It was warm, so I could drink it in one go.However, I sipped the milk slowly while he watched me closely from the bedside.“Is it too hot?” he asked.“No. It’s just right.” I shook my head. After I finished it, I still had a little milk on my lips.He bent down and gently wiped it off with his finger. His gaze was gentle.We had spent many late nights working together after Cecilia left. He had looked at me with that same gentle expression on occasion, and I had thought he might be falling in love with me. Unfortunately, everything changed when Cecilia came back.Zach lay down next to me. The nightlight was shaped like a cute bunny, and its smooth, round head glowed softly in the dark.I had gone on a business trip with Zach, and there h
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