I jumped out of the car, and Sophie said, “You forgot this.”She handed me the folder with the share transfer agreement, and I took it.“Throw it in Zach’s face and tell him that you’re not dead yet!”“But he’s transferring his own shares.”“You’re still his partner.”With that, I entered the house. Mrs. Hudson was still waiting for me. She had made porridge and kept it warm in a pot.She helped me change into some slippers and said, “Mr. Gordon came home early today and asked why you weren’t back yet.”“Oh.” I then thanked her for helping me.“He went straight to his room when he got home and didn’t visit Ms. Wilson,” she whispered.I knew that she was just trying to be helpful. But when she said that, it sounded like Cecilia and I were waiting in our separate houses for Zach to visit us.As I went upstairs, Zach came downstairs with a cup of milk. Seeing him made me grip the folder even tighter.While we walked past each other, he suddenly stopped and asked, “Have you ea
When Zach and I stepped out, Cecilia was watering her flowers in her garden.I suspected that she had been waiting for us. She put down the watering can and came over. Then, she walked up to Zach with a sweet smile and started fixing his tie.“You’re wearing the gray tie today. I knew you’d pick it, so I ironed it for you yesterday.”The way she interacted with Zach made it seem like she was his legal wife and I was just a coworker.I was not going to let it slide. That was just how I was.I cleared my throat and said, “Cecilia, I’m not dead yet. Can’t you see me?”Only then did she seem to notice me. She smiled and said to Zach, “She’s sick. Why are you taking her to the office so early?”She appeared concerned, but she ignored me completely.“We’re not going to the office.” Zach probably felt awkward, so he moved her hand away. “I have an appointment. We’re leaving now.”“Drive safely,” Cecilia said gently. It looked like she was talking to her husband who was going to work.
Zach was there yesterday?I was still out of it when Derrick said, “Put your hand on this pillow. I’ll check your pulse.”With shaky hands, I placed my hand on the pillow. My heart was beating fast.Derrick had a sharp gaze. As he checked my pulse, he would occasionally glance up at me. Each time he did, my heart would skip a beat.“Are you feeling nervous?” he suddenly asked.“You can tell from my pulse alone?”He laughed. “Of course. When someone’s nervous, their pulse is quick and uneven. Don’t worry. Your condition isn’t that serious.”Zach stood next to me, and I felt a lot of pressure.Derrick appeared to be incredibly skilled, not like any ordinary doctor. It felt as if he could even tell how many moles I had.The pulse check seemed to take forever. Besides, the room was so quiet that I could only hear the ticking clock on the wall.Finally, Derrick lifted his fingers off my wrist, and I sighed in relief.He smiled and nodded at me. “Mrs. Gordon, please wait in the wa
After Zach dropped me off at home, he left. Mrs. Hudson came out to help me carry the bag of alternative medicine. Cecilia was still in her garden, and she watched me coldly through the fence. I even noticed a little jealousy on her face.Oh, Cecilia was jealous because Zach had taken me to a doctor.I could have shown off, but feeling guilty, I was not in the mood to argue.As I walked into my garden, Cecilia called out to me, “Cassia.”I stopped and turned to her. “What do you want?”“Alternative medicine can’t cure incurable illnesses.”She was incredibly mean. Luckily, I did not actually have an incurable illness, or else, she would have upset me even more.“Cecilia, ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to slap you every time I spoke to you. All these years, nothing has changed,” I said before going inside. I did not want to waste my time on her.Mrs. Hudson could not help but comment, “Mrs. Gordon, don’t be upset. Ms. Wilson usually doesn’t speak like that.”“That depends
My phone began to vibrate on my pillow, and it annoyed me. I answered it without looking. “Who’s calling?”“It’s me, sweetheart.” It was my mom. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”I softened my tone. “Mom, are you still in Nepal?”“I’m back. I’ve received something wonderful from the priest. Come home tonight. Oh, bring Zach with you.”“What’s this wonderful thing?”“Don’t worry about it. Just come home early.”After the call, I felt even more dejected.My mom had traveled all the way to Nepal for some deity, even though she hated flying. Every flight felt like a small disaster for her.Sometimes, I felt like a horrible daughter.I packed up in the afternoon and headed home. I made no plans to bring Zach along, but I ran into him at the front door.“Did my mom call you?” I asked.“Yeah.” He closed the car door. “Have you taken your medicine?”“Yes,” I said, but I actually poured the medicine down the toilet.We went inside together. Sophie was there, and to my surpr
“Let Hayden handle it. He can tell your dad that you’re in no condition to have surgery.” Sophie grabbed my arm.“Don’t involve him any further.” My head throbbed. “He’s already helped us so much. I don’t want to ruin his career as a doctor.”“I just don’t get it. Cecilia is faking it too, but she’s doing it so well.”“She only fooled Zach, but I’ve been lying to everyone.” I flopped onto the bed and covered my head with a pillow. “One lie just leads to more lies. I wish I never lied at all.”While we were talking, there was a sudden crash outside. Sophie jumped up from the bed. “What was that?”She ran to check and saw that the little ceramic doll hanging on my door had fallen and shattered.Mrs. Clark quickly came over to clean up the broken pieces. “Please go back to your room. Don’t step on the shards.”“How did the doll fall?” I wondered out loud.“I’ll ask Ms. Wilson later. She was here a moment ago.”Cecilia? Could she have been eavesdropping on our conversation?Sophi
Zach lied to me. It did not hurt a little; it hurt a lot.However, I had always been good at handling pain. No matter how much it hurt, I never cried out.When I was a kid, I often got hurt. After playing with friends, I would come back home covered in bruises. But I would not cry out in pain, so no one knew. I would just hide and treat my injuries.Cecilia was different. Once, when we were playing, she fell and scraped her knee. She looked so weak, like she might faint. Zach quickly carried her into the living room. She sat on the couch in silence. But she looked pale and had tears streaming down her face. Her mother was panicking as if she was about to die.I did not even make such a fuss when I broke my leg.However, Cecilia’s pale and tearful face was honestly quite a pitiful sight.Sophie once said that if I did not speak up about being hurt, no one would ever know. But even if everyone knew, the pain would still be the same.As Zach iced my ankle, I did not tell him that i
I ran my hand up his abs, but before I could touch his chest, Zach grabbed my wrist. “Stop it,” he said.Whenever a man rejected a woman’s show of affection, he would usually say something like that.However, I did not want to stop.If I did not seize this chance, I might not get another one.He pulled my hand away, so I limped around to face him. As I stood on tiptoe, I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him like a little monkey.He was really tall. I did not think I was short, but I stopped growing during high school. Zach, on the other hand, kept growing. He would appear taller every time I saw him after a break.A person in love could act a bit silly. I just liked looking up at him.His hair was still damp, and cool drops of water fell onto my nose.Before he could move me away, I kissed him.I had my first kiss with him, but it was a kiss that I had forced upon him.I remembered getting drunk one day during our second year of starting the company. Zach drove
“When did your head get so square?” I looked at the metal block for a while, but I could not see how it resembled Sophie.“This robot doesn’t have to look like me. The important part is its core. It can follow my commands, and Kingston said he’ll add my voice to it later.”“What can it do? A two-hundred-dollar smart box can already do things like turn lights on and off or flush the toilet.”“Tch, this is different. Apart from following my commands, it can also read my emotions. It’ll then play the appropriate music to improve my mood.”That sounded interesting. “It should be a mood helper instead of a robot.”“Kingston also mentioned that it has a special function if I get really upset.”“Will it explode into fireworks?”“Tch.” She rolled her eyes and hugged the robot. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”Sophie seemed to like the gift.However, Kingston did not really give it to her because she was fond of it. He just happened to study this stuff.I was incredibly tired, so I turn
“I think it’s great that he has his own principles. A lot of people today don’t have any,” Sophie interjected.It was time to change the subject. Everyone had their own views on such things anyway.“Let’s toast to those with principles,” I said to Rachel.She raised her juice cup in response. “Cheers!”“Alright, cheers.” Oscar and Ellie smiled as they clinked glasses with us.We finished eating, and Sophie had two glasses of wine. I did not allow her to have more. Kingston finally returned as well.He was not full, so he ate the leftovers.Sophie asked him how things went, and he looked up in confusion. “The head of the company whose tech was stolen came too. He claimed that it wasn’t their tech, but they’re working on something similar. He kept promoting it.”“What happened after that?”“Nothing. The police just let those two individuals go.” Kingston shook his head and went back to eating.The whole thing seemed strange. I thought about it, but I could not put my finger on
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