Angela stared intently into Sally's eyes as if afraid she'd miss even the slightest flicker of emotion. Sally clutched the hem of her shirt tightly, unable to utter a word for a long time."Talk!" Angela snapped impatiently.Sally's body stiffened, and she instinctively blurted out, "Amber… She had someone give me 500 thousand dollars to pull this off. I had no choice!"No wonder she took the risk. Money truly could make the world go round.Her answer was unexpected yet completely logical.However, Angela couldn't help but wonder—was Amber really that good of an actress? Was she truly this relentless?Even after committing such a grave act, she managed to play her role flawlessly, with every outburst and every defense so convincing that no one doubted her.Was she really the mastermind behind this entire scheme? It was pretty hard to believe."Can you take responsibility for your words?" Angela pressed further.With her psychological defenses completely shattered, Sally nodd
"Dad, I never intended to go through with this. I wanted to come clean long ago. It was Elena—she told me to see it through. She said that since things had already come this far, I might as well go all the way. It was her—""Amber." Just then, Elena entered.She had clearly heard Amber's accusations, yet her expression remained unchanged."Elena, you came just in time! Tell everyone whose idea this was! I'm not usually like this, right?"Amber walked forward to grab Elena's hand, her eyes filled with hope. "I never planned to take my own life. You told me that whether it was slitting my wrist or exposing the situation, it was all to help me fight for my true love. You told me to do it!"Everyone looked at her with complicated expressions.Angela also watched her with a helpless look. So what if it was Elena? Elena valued her own reputation too much—there was no way she would admit to it.That was what everyone else believed, too, but they were all wrong.With a gentle look, Ele
Back then, wasn't Angela herself the same? She was willing to do anything for Dexter to the point where she completely lost her dignity and became someone unrecognizable.Now, wasn't Elena doing the same thing?"Angela, you're a woman too. You know women always suffer more in situations like this. Besides, she really is pregnant, and she truly loves your brother—""That's a separate matter. You guys could just announce publicly that there was never a pregnancy and that it was all a misunderstanding." As Angela spoke, she felt a moment of uncertainty.She wondered how that foolish woman, Amber, planned to handle the issue of the baby. If she insisted on giving birth to the baby, it would really be an issue."Dexter, please, no." Seeing that Angela wouldn't change her mind, Elena turned to persuade Dexter instead. "Have some mercy on Amber just this once. She knows she was wrong. She's just young and immature. If anyone finds out what she did—""She's only 20, indeed still young an
They soon found Zack, who had been drinking at a bar. He reeked of alcohol, smelling particularly awful.When he finally learned that he had been proven innocent, he burst into tears like a 200-pound child."Angie, I'm upset. Now that my innocence has finally been proven, let me tell you that I'm never dating women again. I'd rather find a nice guy—""Stop right there!" Angela was so shocked that she immediately covered Zack's mouth.Zack kept crying, his tears and snot smearing all over her hand. Disgusted, Angela wiped her hand on his shoulder. "Alright, alright, quit crying. You're a grown man!""Angie, I haven't even dared to step outside lately. Those damn haters nearly drowned me in their hate. They wanted me dead!"Zack's face was twisted in pure misery as he practically cried himself into a puddle."But… she really is pregnant with your child," Angela said.Dexter shot her a disapproving look. Wasn't she just stabbing Zack in the heart by bringing this up now?"What'
Zack sprang up instantly. "Heck yeah! I haven't had a proper meal in days. Tonight, I'm indulging! Let me go pick out a few outfits." With an exaggerated sway of his hips, he sashayed up the stairs.Dexter had just returned home when he overheard their conversation."You're still recovering. You can't eat anything spicy," he reminded Angela absentmindedly as he set down his briefcase.Angela had been through a rough couple of days. She had just escaped death's door, only to be caught up in Zack's mess right after. Things had been overwhelming."Fine, I'll just not order anything too heavy on the palate." Angela agreed without much thought.Oddly enough, she initially didn't think much about her near-death experience. All she could think about for the past few days was Zack's situation.Yet, the moment she finally had some time to breathe, the memory of being swept underwater and suffocating kept crossing her mind.Unconsciously, she felt a tightness in her chest and her breathin
"I'm going to the restroom." Angela excused herself, standing up and walking away casually. In a private room upstairs, Amber was indeed waiting.Since the restaurant belonged to the Sheppard family, it wasn't surprising that she had shown up there unnoticed.It had only been a few days, but Amber had noticeably lost weight. Her face looked even more haggard than before, as if she had suffered a great deal.Angela felt uneasy seeing her like this, but she had already said everything she could.Wait, that wasn't quite right. She still hadn't asked why such an outstanding young woman would insist on throwing herself at her good-for-nothing brother."Angela, you're here." Amber forced a weak smile, standing up to greet Angela and reaching out to pull a chair for her.Angela stopped her. "Are you… not feeling well?"Amber's smile became even more strained. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding Angela's gaze. "It's nothing. I'm just leaving soon, so I just can't help
"Even a grade schooler could do that kind of work. You're just wasting my time and energy. I want to join the sales department and be a salesperson," Zack said with a somewhat peculiar expression, rubbing his nose as he spoke.Angela agreed without hesitation. "Sure, as long as you can put your pride aside, you can choose any position in the company."But sales isn't easy—it's a commission-based job. Do well, and you'll be driving luxury cars. If not, you'll be struggling to make ends meet. Are you mentally prepared for that?"Zack scoffed. "If I set my mind to it, there's nothing I can't do."He gazed out of the car window, a distant look in his eyes.As the sun dipped below the horizon, its orange glow fell on his slender shoulders, making him seem like a dazzling figure straight out of a comic book.Angela said nothing more. Instead, she silently glanced at Dexter. Their eyes met, and at that moment, they both understood why Zack suddenly wanted to change.Perhaps he also fel
Dexter told Joanne to invite Sheldon Larson, the doctor who exclusively treated Joseph, to perform acupuncture on Angela.Angela had always been afraid of those fine needles piercing her skin, but at this moment, she silently agreed.The pain was just too unbearable. It was so intense that she wished she could just die."Are you okay?" Dexter sat beside her, his concern evident.Angela couldn't say a word and merely let out a weak hum. The overwhelming pain washed over her like a tidal wave, making even her breathing rapid and unsteady.Right then, her phone rang. Angela gestured for Dexter to answer it for her.It was Clara calling to ask why Angela hadn't arrived at the company yet. They had scheduled for their business partners to come for a visit to assess the company that day."Help me up." Angela took a deep breath, trying to support herself on the couch and stand.Dexter quickly reached out to hold her. "You're in no condition to go. Let the COO handle it."His tone car
Angela trembled violently as she stood frozen in place. Her already pale face instantly lost all color.Sure enough, what was meant to come would come, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it."Grandma, this has nothing to do with you." Dexter suddenly stepped forward in three quick strides, planting himself firmly in front of Angela. Every word he spoke was powerful and resolute.Angela was slightly stunned. His back was like an unbreakable wall—solid and unyielding.Natalie, however, was utterly shocked. She stared at Dexter in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? Isn't the child she's carrying yours? You two have only been divorced for a while. Don't tell me she already has someone else's—""Grandma!" Dexter cut her off sharply before she could say anything more offensive. "I said this has nothing to do with you."With that, he turned around, grabbed Angela's arm, and led her out the door. "Where do you want to go? I'll take you.""Home," Angela replied hoarsely. She looked
Dexter stood motionless outside the room for what felt like forever until Natalie approached with the help of Ursula."Dexter, is it true that that woman is pregnant? Is it your child? Is it a child of the Bamford family?" Natalie was unusually excited. There was even a hopeful glow in her once lifeless eyes.Dexter's mind was in chaos. He nodded vaguely, not wanting to say anything more.Alas, Natalie wouldn't stop asking questions, like whether Angela's previously poor health would make the pregnancy risky or who would get custody of the child now that the two of them were divorced."Grandma, you should go get some rest. We haven't even discussed all of this yet." Dexter finally couldn't take it anymore and gently persuaded her to leave.But just then, someone from Joseph's side came to call him. Dexter had no choice but to get Fiona to stay with Angela while he hurried off.Joseph had also heard about the pregnancy. In fact, the moment the result was confirmed, the news spread
"Why are you stammering like this? Are you even a man?" Fiona gave Dexter a disapproving smack on the back before bluntly revealing the truth. "Angela, you're pregnant."Angela was speechless. What did Fiona just say?She genuinely thought something was wrong with her ears. How could she have heard something so absurd? How could she possibly be pregnant? Hadn't she become infertile after her body had been exposed to something harmful?Even though Dexter had forced her to undergo treatment for a while, it shouldn't have worked that well.Angela's face shifted between pale and flushed a few times. After a minute or two, she finally came back to her senses. "Madam Fiona, are you joking?"She gave an incredulous laugh, suspecting that Fiona didn't want her to be just a friend anymore and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law instead.With a heavy sigh, Fiona pulled out a blood test report. Angela stiffly accepted the undeniable proof and gave it a quick scan, only to be instantly dumb
Joseph's eyes were filled with worry, as if he feared Angela would be left without support in the future.She was about to speak when she suddenly felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach, causing her to nearly gag. She quickly got up and poured herself a glass of water, barely managing to suppress the discomfort.It seemed like her body hadn't fully recovered yet, as even a little fatigue made her feel unwell."Grandpa, I've been swamped with work recently. I have no energy to focus on anything else," Angela said with a bitter smile before letting out a long sigh.The weight on her shoulders was just too heavy, so heavy that she could barely catch her breath.Joseph looked at her meaningfully, a trace of regret and helplessness crossing his eyes.…It was past 11:00 pm when Angela finally went to the guest room after her conversation with Joseph.By then, she was already physically and mentally exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the
Back when Angela and Dexter were still together, Joseph had clearly been biased toward them. Now that they were divorced, Joseph was still unable to let go of Angela. How could anyone tolerate that?"Grandma, Aunt Ursula, Grandpa treated Angela very well before. It's only right that she comes to visit him." Dexter's face showed no expression, but his tone was firm.Since he had spoken, Ursula stopped talking. She could sense something was off, but seeing the awkwardness between Dexter and Angela, it didn't really seem like anything was going on. Thinking it over, she decided to stay quiet.Natalie, however, wasn't so easy to deal with.Seeing that Dexter wasn't taking her side, she became annoyed and went straight inside, saying to Angela, "Alright, since you've already seen Joseph, you should go. He needs rest."Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately started coughing, his face turning pale.The exasperated Angela didn't respond to that. Instead, she immediately tried to calm Jose
Jennifer was rather frustrated. In theory, a man like Dexter, who was so charming and outstanding, should have easily won Angela over with all the effort he had put in to make her change her mind.Yet, the stubborn Angela acted like someone who had kicked a drug addiction. She merely observed from the sidelines, refusing to take the bait.Jennifer also believed that Dexter was being too laid-back about this. He was making her create minor issues for Angela, but he hadn't made any big moves himself. How could that work?"Mr. Bamford, if you ask me, you should get your family to help," Jennifer suggested. "I heard Ms. Graham is very close to your grandfather. If you involve him, she will definitely…"She didn't voice the rest of her thoughts.Dexter stared silently into space, as if lost in thought. He didn't say anything for a long time.Jennifer became anxious. "Mr. Bamford, you two have feelings for each other. You can't cut off contact. You need to show up in front of her occas
"You're out of luck. The elevator's to the right—please leave." Angela showed no courtesy as she outright told Jennifer to go. She couldn't be bothered to waste any more time on this drama queen."You…"Jennifer stood up abruptly, furious. "Angela, do you even hear yourself? I'm representing Bamford Co. Since you dare refuse me, does that mean you're not worried that this will anger Mr. Bamford?""Oh, I'm so scared!" Angela made an exaggerated face before smirking, making it clear she wasn't taking Jennifer seriously at all. "If you don't leave now, I'll have to call security.""Then I'll just have Mr. Bamford personally come here to talk to you." Jennifer sneered, waving her phone that had diamond studs on the back."Ms. Graham, you and Mr. Bamford have already gone your separate ways. I'm sure you don't want to have anything to do with him anymore, right? If he comes here to talk to you, your decision will change, won't it?"Angela remained indifferent, looking at Jennifer with
As a woman, Angela might not be the most perceptive in some areas, but when it came to matters of the heart, she knew what she was talking about.She could tell that Ingrid, despite her cold and distant demeanor, truly liked Austin. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here and swallowed her pride for him.Angela wasn't petty. As long as things could be cleared up over time, she wouldn't hold onto grudges.…In the afternoon, she and Austin held a management meeting to analyze and summarize the recent live commerce project.At the end, they conducted a vote, and more than half of the people fully supported Angela's decision. The rest had no choice but to go along with the majority. With this, Angela had managed to establish herself in the company for the time being.The live commerce gradually fell into a rhythm, boosting sales several times over and bringing Horizon back into the spotlight with consumers.To maintain this momentum, Angela had the HR department hire a group of youn
It was just that Ingrid hadn't quite shifted her perspective yet.At the moment, Angela was wondering whether things could be resolved peacefully. If tensions could be eased, wouldn't that mean she would gain a highly capable ally? Why would she go out of her way to maximize animosity?"What a shame; I absolutely hate cream puffs." Unfortunately, Ingrid wasn't having any of it. She shot a disdainful glance at Angela and the cream puffs.Angela froze for a second. Then, shrugging it off, she simply opened the plastic bag and took a bite of a cream puff."Well, if you've got something to say, go ahead. I've got no time to waste on someone who doesn't appreciate cream puffs." She spoke righteously, as if anyone who disliked cream puffs didn't deserve her respect.Ingrid wore a look of complete bewilderment. She stared at Angela, wondering if she had changed overnight. What was going on today? Had everyone eaten some weird mushroom or something, making them act all weird?"My dad w