“Zach, what are you doing? Don’t you know Cassia—”I quickly covered Sophie’s mouth. Zach looked angrier than I had ever seen him.I knew that I had made a mistake three years ago. I wanted to tell him about it, but I did not think it was necessary since it was in the past.Zach still being mad about something from the past made me mad too.He could forgive Cecilia for everything, no matter how bad it was, but not me.“Cassia, I didn’t know you had no limits!” Zach stormed into his room and slammed the door shut.It felt like the whole house was shaking from his anger, and it made my scalp tingle.“What’s his problem?” Sophie pulled me inside and slammed the door shut. “Is it really that big of a deal? What happened after that wasn’t your fault.”That incident from three years ago was the only mistake I had ever made.Back then, a newly-developed technology from Gordon Corporation’s branch got stolen and sold to Steven. I had connections with Steven, so I bought the technology
Sophie stayed over that night. Early the next morning, she followed me to the hospital to confirm my pregnancy.As I was leaving, I ran into Zach at the door. It was still early, just before 8 a.m.I did not look at him, and he did not look at me either.I only said, “See you at the lawyer’s office at 9 a.m.”He got in his car without replying.I went to the hospital, but I did not expect Sophie to tell Hayden about it.“Did she do a chorionic test herself? I mean, did she use a pregnancy test kit at home?” he softly asked her.“Don’t use such professional terms. Yes, she did. Over twenty tests. They all turned out positive.”“Then, it’s almost certain. The hospital also uses the test kits. We only do a blood test if the results aren’t clear.”“Let’s do another one just to be sure.”I did another test. It was quick and simple. Five minutes later, we had the results.Hayden looked at the report and handed it to me. “It’s the same as your home tests. You’re pregnant.”I had s
I felt this overwhelming sadness, like I was not just going to get a divorce but heading into battle.Sophie pulled up in the car and stopped at the entrance. I said goodbye to Hayden and prepared to get in when he suddenly called out to me, “Cassia.”“Hm?” I turned around. “What is it?”“After you divorce Zach, I can be the father of your child.”The hospital entrance was busy with people coming and going, but his words were still crystal clear. I knew that he had feelings for me, but this was his first time expressing it so openly. The time I forced him to confess when I was drunk did not count.For a moment, I did not know how to respond. His yellow-and-white checkered umbrella covered most of his face, and I could only see his defined jawline.I knew that Hayden was serious. He had always been mature for his age, and he never spoke without thinking.I bit my lip. I wanted to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I messed it up. “You want to
I looked at Cecilia’s confident smile and walked past the reception area. Then, the secretary knocked on the door and let me in. The lawyer was a serious man in his forties, with glasses.Zach was sitting at the table. His tea was already cold, so he must have been waiting for a while.The lawyer, Mr. Graham, asked me to sit, and he started with the usual questions. “Have you both thought it through?”I ignored him and asked Zach, “You brought your mistress here for the divorce? Isn’t that a bit disgusting?”“If you’re having second thoughts—”“I’m not.” I cut him off. “I may not have many good qualities, but I keep my promises. I said that I’d divorce you, and I’m sticking to my decision. But if Cecilia doesn’t leave, we’re not doing this.”Zach stared at me, but I ignored his gaze, whether it was cold or indifferent.I was determined to get this divorce done, and I was not going to look defeated.He probably thought that I would pretend to be sick and vomit blood like the l
I did not want to see him and Cecilia again. Seeing them too much made me sick.After we signed the papers, we went to the city hall to finalize our divorce.I rode in Sophie’s car, while Zach went with Cecilia.I appeared calm, but Sophie looked at me with concern. “Are you okay?”“I expected this. There’s nothing to worry about.”“How was it? Did he agree to sell Yonder Trading’s shares to you?”I showed her the agreement. Sophie glanced at it and started the car. “D*mn it. You still have to deal with those two. How annoying.”When we arrived at the city hall, Cecilia got out of the car to walk Zach to the door. That was even more annoying. She even adjusted his tie as she stood on tiptoe.Sophie was furious. “D*mn. She’s brazen.”She jumped out of the car and pushed Cecilia aside. “Are you in such a hurry? Can’t you wait a few minutes? Let him finish the divorce procedure first. You claim to be a friend to Cassia, but you’re rushing to steal her husband.”With a gentle loo
They were just saying things. We were all the same type of people, who would not do anything too extreme.I had done the most extreme thing I had ever done because of Zach.Tonight, I planned to get drunk on apple cider. My poor baby would have to deal with the sourness tonight.Just then, someone took my third glass of apple cider. I looked up to see that it was Hayden.Sophie was insane. She even invited Hayden.“You shouldn’t drink too much apple cider. It’s too acidic, and it could hurt your stomach.” He sat across from me and looked around. “It looks like Sophie invited everyone she could tonight.”Sophie wanted to cheer me up, but with how things were, I could not be happy. The crowd was not making me happy. In fact, it was making me more upset. There were so many people, and they were dancing like they were celebrating my divorce.The scene was making me dizzy. Hayden noticed how uncomfortable I was, so he stood up and offered his hand. “Let’s go for a walk.”“Sophie w
Zach was back?I instinctively looked upstairs. “Zach’s home?”“Yes, he came home early today.”I thought that Zach would be out partying, like me.I washed my hands and went to the dining room for some soup. Mrs. Hudson served it and said, “Mrs. Gordon, try it.”The soup smelled good. I took a sip, and as Mrs. Hudson said, I did not feel like throwing up.She smiled and watched me as I drank it.She had always taken great care of me. Honestly, I would miss her after tomorrow.I suddenly held her hand, and it startled her.“What’s wrong, Mrs. Gordon? Is the soup too salty or bland?”“Don’t call me ‘Mrs. Gordon’ anymore,” I said.Mrs. Hudson looked confused. “What?”“I divorced Zach today.”Mrs. Hudson widened her eyes in shock. “You and Mr. Gordon got divorced? Why? You just…”I quickly shook my head to stop her. “Mrs. Hudson, I need a favor. Please don’t tell anyone that I’m pregnant.”“Even Mr. Gordon?”I softly said, “Yes, even him. I don’t know if he’ll stay here or
I thought that I would have a sleepless night, but it ended up being better than expected. After I showered and dried my hair, I already felt tired.Before bed, I received a picture from Hayden. It was of the sandcastle that I did not finish. He had completed it, and it looked impressive.I opened the curtain and looked outside. It was raining heavily.I quickly called him to ask where he was. He said that he was driving home.“You’re crazy!” I said in frustration. “I was just joking about the sandcastle, and you actually went back to finish it! Are you stupid?!”He fell silent for a moment. My scolding probably shocked him.I felt bad for yelling at him. Hayden was really nice, and I should not have snapped at him.Would Zach ever do something like this for me?Instead of yelling at him, I would praise him like a devoted fan. How pathetic.So, I softened my tone. “Drive safely and call me when you get home.”Before I hung up, Hayden said, “I’m willing to be crazy for you.”
“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