Zoey stayed silent to make herself unnoticeable. She forgot to mute her phone, and there was a sudden ping as she received a notification. She clicked on the message and saw that it was Mr. Lane asking about her. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but at the same time, she didn't want to cause him more trouble either. After some thought, she lowered her head and slowly typed, "Sorry, Mr. Lane, I’ve changed my mind."That was all she could say. Her heart sank as she saw him typing in the message box. Henry did not say anything unpleasant. He just asked, "Hmm. You’ve finished thinking about it?"The living room was a little dry, so her fingers were stiffer and clumsier than usual as she replied, "I’ve thought about it. There’s a year left. It will end soon."She thought the two-year period would pass in the blink of an eye, but now it seemed far from ending as if she couldn’t see the finish line.Henry answered, "I respect your decision. It’s up to you."Zoey could only offer her thank
Laurence thought he wasn’t stingy with his smiles at Zoey. Was he that ill-tempered?"We’ll go in the afternoon.""That’s right." Mrs. Scott couldn’t help but nag, "Look at Ryan and Sissy; they started dating in high school and maintained a good relationship until now. Ryan might not be better than you in other aspects, but he is definitely better at caring for his wife than you are. Sissy craves a lot of food now that she’s pregnant. Ryan even went and bought her some barbeque in the middle of the night."Mrs. Scott continued to fuss, "You would’ve just said Zoey was being a nuisance."Laurence raised his eyebrows and answered, "I won’t."Just as Mrs. Scott saw a glimmer of hope, Laurence continued calmly, "I won’t get her pregnant in these two years."Mrs. Scott was furious. "You’re going to piss me off!"Her husband’s bodyguard escorted her into the car, but Mrs. Scott was still reluctant to hang up the phone, so she continued, "Tell me honestly, are you still thinking of Sarah?"Th
Zoey’s hand was tightly secured in his palm, and she no longer struggled. She silently looked out the window for the entire ride. In fact, she rarely went to the mall with Laurence. He was always busy with work and felt it was a waste of time. Every month, luxury brands delivered customized clothing of the latest design to his doorstep. Zoey didn't go shopping much either; she didn’t have the time. Besides, it was too expensive to shop for branded items, and she couldn't support such financial expenses.Laurence was the president of a company. Although he rarely appeared in public, the mall’s manager was still able to recognize that he was a big shot, and she carefully greeted him.Laurence held on to Zoey’s thumb, firmly grabbed her hand, and took her into a boutique store. The mall’s manager followed behind Laurence and winked at the shop assistant, implying that they must pay these people extra attention. The store manager was summoned over, and she served them carefully and politel
Laurence was gentle and soft when he kissed her, but when the real action began, he became an insatiable beast, devouring her alive. Zoey hadn’t trimmed her nails lately and left a few marks on his back. He went too deep, and she had to hold back her moans by biting his shoulders.Laurence rubbed her back as if he were comforting her, but he never showed mercy, almost forcing her to tears in the end. Her were red, glistening with years. Zoey slowly drifted to sleep in his arms. Even in her dreams, she wanted to escape him and slept with her back facing him. Laurence was slightly dissatisfied and pulled her back into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist, fully embracing her. Only then did he close his eyes happily. Later in the night, Zoey started to have a nightmare. She was sweating profusely and mumbling incoherently. She unconsciously clung to him like he was a lifesaver, crying and shouting, tears streaming down her pale face pitifully. Laurence was worried and gently woke
Zoey could only stare blankly at the table and utensils for a long time. Perhaps it was because she didn't know what to say to Laurence. Only silence remained.Laurence brought her a glass of fresh juice. It was sweet and refreshing. She felt full after half a glass, but she was still craving something, so she looked up and asked Laurence, "Do we have instant noodles at home?"She'd secretly stashed some in the utility room since he thought it was junk food. There might not be any in the old house. She wondered if the servants had kept any for emergencies. Laurence glanced at her silently.Zoey admitted, "I’m craving instant noodles."Laurence had always avoided such foods since he was a child. After some thought, he answered, "I don’t think there is any."Zoey found the loophole in his words and asked, "You don’t think?"Laurence clarified, "It means I’m uncertain."Laurence pinched her cheeks. "Because my mom would sometimes crave this unhealthy food too."Zoey was surprised. Mrs. S
His mother had never found out. Zoey was skeptical about it since she’d clearly account for every single snack hidden at home, even a bag of potato chips. "I think your mom will find out."Laurence chuckled. "She won’t."Zoey nodded and headed to the kitchen to boil some water. She had yet to fully adapt to being alone with Laurence. She couldn’t act indifferent, but she wasn’t as happy as she used to be. She'd no longer be excited over some small gestures. It was all fake. She knew that women were always more invested in relationships than men. Men had an advantage in emotions as they can easily detach themselves from a relationship and act as if nothing had happened. Only a fool like her would take things seriously.Zoey cooked the noodles and brought a bowl to the dining table. Laurence took in the tempting aroma and understood why she always craved junk food. Zoey suddenly remembered something as she ate. "How is George?"Laurence paused for a moment and said icily, "He’s dead."
Zoey also felt very distressed as Laurence would only lose his temper with her. She even suspected that sometimes Laurence just used her to vent his every frustration. Obviously, Laurence was barely a strict boss at work. In fact, he was a fair boss. However, he wasn’t as lenient with her and always imposed strict standards on her. Zoey was lost in thought. If someone unfamiliar asked, it would be better to say she was his secretary. This way, it wouldn’t tarnish his reputation or dignity. It was better that fewer people knew of their marriage.Zoey was initially very tired, but she wasn’t as sleepy ever since Laurence had said he wanted to nap with her. She couldn’t fall asleep even when she was lying on the bed. Laurence had a presence so strong that he was hard to ignore even with her back facing him. Zoey tossed and turned in bed and suddenly he grabbed her hand. He asked in a low voice, “If you can’t sleep should we do something else?”Zoey was stunned and explained, “I’m not us
She didn’t want others to gossip about her and become the center of attention. Zoey ignored him and went to the bathroom to wash her face. The warm water quickly refreshed her. She took out the dress she bought two days ago and changed into it in the dressing room. Laurence handed her a scarf. “Take this.”Zoey refused, “It looks better without it.”Laurence looked at her calmly. “Aren’t you cold?”Zoey blinked and said, “I can endure it for the sake of beauty.”Laurence did not want to ruin her mood. So, he reluctantly allowed her to dress this way. After all, he picked the dress, and it would seem petty if he said more. Zoey had naturally good skin. Therefore, she did not need much makeup. She just put on some lipstick to add some color to her face, and she was ready. Her hair was harder to manage. She rummaged through the drawers but couldn’t find her hair tie. Laurence glanced at her and asked, “What are you looking for?”Zoey frowned, “My hair tie is missing.”Lauren