That night, Laurence and Zoey didn’t have sex. Zoey was busy with work, and it wasn't just an excuse to turn Laurence down. Laurence came upstairs just as she finished revising a draft, but they didn't have much to say to each other.Zoey snuggled under the blanket to sleep. Even though she was a little afraid of the dark, she switched off the bedside lamp. She shut her eyes, but she didn't feel sleepy. A while later, she felt the mattress sink lower as Laurence got into bed. Holding her breath, Zoey tried to ignore him, which was very difficult.Thinking she was asleep, Laurence put his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her ear like he had the other night. Zoey froze, feeling very unaccustomed to this feeling. She could no longer take it or pretend to be asleep. She opened her eyes and curled up, scooting further away from him. With her back facing him, she bit her lower lip lightly and said, “Three times a week. We just did it yesterday. Can we rest tonight?”He seemed
Zoey wished she could turn him off every day so she wouldn't have to have sex with him. She closed her eyes and said tiredly, “As you wish. Just remember to wear a condom.” Laurence found her words offensive, but he hugged her harder and didn't let go. He couldn't say anything nice to her. He wanted to own her but couldn't treat her like his lover. “I would never forget,” he said.Zoey blinked at hearing the firmness in his tone. It turned out that she could still be affected by his words and feel an ache in her heart even after she had come to terms with herself. She said softly, “It's for both of us. It's a lot of trouble to do another surgery at the hospital.” It wasted his money and harmed her health. It was really unnecessary.The last time she had undergone surgery, Zoey had finally realized that no matter how many times she bore his child, he would never want it. Of course, Zoey had also dashed any thoughts of having another baby. Some types of pain didn't need to be gone thro
The things Laurence said could really be the death of someone. Zoey had been keeping her calm all this time and had never gotten so angry that she saw red, but her hands and feet went cold at that moment. His words made her head spin. Her expression grew colder as she curled up to protect herself. She suppressed her anger because she didn't want to waste time arguing with him. There was no use saying anything. She would just end up getting more furious.Laurence tightened his arms around her waist, unwilling to let go, but he didn't say anything else when he saw she’d closed her eyes. He was well aware that he had a bad temper and was easily jealous, sensitive, dominating, and unreasonable. Above all, he didn't have any empathy. Being unable to control his emotions in front of her annoyed him a lot. Zoey slept peacefully. When she woke up the next morning, she had no choice but to forget what had happened the previous night. She didn't have any time to weep over it either. She washe
“He's a busy man. He might not have the time,” Zoey told a white lie. Janet glanced at her daughter, but she didn't seem to mind. “It's okay; I'm very free anyway. I can wait until he has time.” Feeling trapped, Zoey simply nodded and thought she’d devise an excuse when the time came. What nice things could Laurence possibly tell her mom? She was even more afraid that he’d give her mom a “good review” of her. She really didn't want Janet to know what a miserable marriage it was.Although Janet was much healthier now, she still wasn't as strong as before. She rested on the couch for a while and asked, “Where do you work now?” Janet’s question pulled Zoey out of her thoughts. She replied, “I've quit. I'm taking on private projects now.” Janet looked at her daughter's thin face, and her heart ached. “Have you gotten the money?”Zoey nodded and counted on her fingers. “There should be around two million dollars altogether. It should be enough to nurse you back to health, mom.”
It was 6 pm, and the setting sun was as round as an orange in the sky. In the light of dusk, Zoey sat by the window on the second floor of the cafe and drank a cup of coffee lazily. When the sky became completely dark, she took a taxi back to the villa in her own time. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Laurence wasn't home. Then, she changed into her house slippers and flopped onto the couch to rest for a moment.After that, she got up slowly and made a simple dinner in the kitchen. By the time she’d finished her food and washed the dishes, it was almost 8 pm. She video-called her mom and chatted for a while until Janet said she was sleepy. After hanging up, Zoey went upstairs for a bath and prepared to get a good rest. She had to keep watch on site the next day, which was hard and tiring. What she feared most was hiring a lazy team of workmen in her profession. A job that only required a day to finish could be dragged on for up to five days. Not only was it a waste of
Zoey couldn't actually tell if he was drunk. She zoned out even though she was forced to sit on his lap. “Oh,” she said. She’d been tricked into going there. The manager had called her repeatedly and made it sound like Laurence was completely unconscious. “Then please let go of me. I want to go home and sleep,” said Zoey, but Laurence acted as if he’d heard nothing, and his face was expressionless. She paused and added, “Can you change my alias in your contacts? Then the manager won't call me next time.” He could find anyone he wanted in situations like this, as long as it wasn't her. Laurence's alcohol tolerance wasn’t low, but it wasn’t very high either. He hadn't drunk as much as he had that night in two years. At that moment, he wasn't listening to her seriously, just staring at her red lips as his gaze grew darker. It wasn't an appropriate place, and Laurence didn't have a hobby of kissing her in public. He wasn't interested in being spectated. He suppressed his urge subtly and
It seemed like one could cut the tension with a knife, but Laurence wasn't angered by his words. He said, “Isn't that the whole point of a secret marriage?” Shawn fell silent. Laurence didn't show much emotion on his face as he lifted his glass and took a sip. “Don't tell me that you went to block her way every time you brought your pals with you after school.”Shawn’s face didn't show any reaction, but he flung the lighter he was fiddling with onto the table with a loud bang. Laurence raised an eyebrow. He’d thought Shawn could remain unaffected and continue being an emotionless madman. To think of it, Shawn had already started acting unusually in high school. For as long as he’d known Shawn, Laurence had always thought he was abnormal. He was paranoid, stubborn, and maniacal. Someone who could do anything. Back then, Shawn had shown no interest in anything. People like him didn't have to worry about their futures, much less about their studies, because things were already set for
Zoey seldom hated anybody because she always believed that the world was a good place. Everybody had their own hardships, and she was always willing to put herself in other people's shoes when assessing a problem. She would forgive their actions because they probably didn't mean them, and it was probably their last resort. Hating someone took a lot of strength, and hatred could warp one's character. Even so, she really couldn't seem to control her emotions at that moment. She didn't want to be that way, either. Zoey only realized that Jessica had something more to say after she finished speaking. “What is it, Miss Myers?”Jessica looked at the man standing by the door under the shafts of light. His expression was so calm that it frightened her a little. She shook her head and said, “Nothing.” The door of the conference room shut quietly. Zoey didn't know that Laurence had come in and was standing right behind her. She glanced at her watch and said, “Miss Myers, if there's nothing el