Zoey’s face was drained of any color. Laurence saw through her, divulging the innermost thoughts she tried so hard to hide. Zoey believed Sarah wasn't completely innocent either. Nevertheless, Sarah played no part in the murder for hire. She'd only been about Zoey’s age at the time.Even though Sarah enjoyed the assets her father stole from Zoey’s family, it was true that she had no blood on her hands. “Yes, I hate her. It’s not new information to you. Is it weird that I want her to get what she deserves? Are you expecting me to be nice to the love child of my father's affair with another woman?” Snapping out of her thoughts, Zoey spoke with a straight face. Laurence wasn't trying to find excuses for Sarah. He stared at Zoey, and like her, he spoke in a flat tone, “Does she have a choice? Could she choose her birth parents?” A while later, Zoey grinned, but the smile looked awkward. “You win. I’ve got nothing.” Despite gaining the upper hand, Laurence showed no joy. In fact,
Zoey fell asleep. She didn’t hear what Laurence said.“Maybe I really am going mad,” he thought. He never used to care about spending time with her, but now time together seemed so precious. Deep inside, he knew that Zoey was waiting for the contract to end so that she could leave him.If they had a child together, their bond would never be completely severed. After all, blood was thicker than water. Laurence did not want to have a child with Zoey just to save their marriage. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but think that perhaps she wouldn’t be in such a hurry to leave him if they had a child. Maybe she would hesitate because of the child. He felt he didn’t hate kids anymore, even though they were noisy. He could even stand the sound of babies crying now.Laurence thought about a lot of things. Suddenly, he felt Ryan had made a smart choice when he got married and had kids right after graduation. Now, he had a happy family. He came back to his senses and caressed Zoey’s ears. She was
After the sweet moment, peace returned to the restaurant. Zoey got up and went to the bathroom, bumping into Yvette on the way. She was wiping at the corner of her mouth in frustration, as if she had something stuck there. As Zoey debated over saying hello, Yvette had already spotted her. "Zoey, what a coincidence.""Yeah. Long time no see, Miss Sullivan."Since Yvette had spotted her, it was no surprise that she had also seen the man beside Zoey. "Honestly, I knew you and Laurence were married long ago, but I couldn't really believe it. Back then, you did help him get rid of his admirers, but you didn't look like his wife." Yvette remembered Zoey as a kind and helpful secretary who could handle any mess. She didn't care about the women who threw themselves at Laurence.Zoey had almost forgotten her old self and replied, "Work is work. Life is life." After being with Laurence for so long, she had even started speaking like him. Yvette snorted and still thought that Zoey was
Robert wasn't young anymore. He looked like his soul had been sucked out of his body, making him look old and weak. The lawyer's words were the final blow to any hope he had left. His whole life had been a smooth journey, and he had never suffered any hardships except when he married Janet Fulton. Besides the disapproval and scorn he got from her relatives, he had never endured any other struggles. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he had lived like a king.Robert lost control of his emotions and said viciously, "I paid so much money. You must find a way. I don't care. I'm not going to jail! They have no evidence. They're just talking nonsense!" He was panting from exerting himself too much. The lawyer was much calmer. "Mr. Jenner, as far as the evidence the prosecution currently holds, the future is not looking too bright for you. I suggest you ask for understanding from the victims' family in favor of the judge's consideration before the sentencing."Robert flew into a grea
The spaghetti in the pot was slightly burnt. Zoey spooned it out in a daze and threw it away after a while. It wouldn't taste good even if it wasn't burnt or cold. After dinner, she grabbed a soft drink and a half-eaten piece of cake from the fridge and sat on the couch. However, the sweet treats didn't make her mood any better. Even if Laurence hadn't said where he was going, she could guess. She forced herself not to think about it, feel disappointed, or let it affect her mood. She ate bite after bite of cake, feeling desolate.Laurence spent more than half an hour driving and called Sarah many times on the way, but she did not answer a single call. He couldn't help but speed up and run to the front door as he continued dialling the number, but he was met with the automated voice message every time. He had hardly stayed at that apartment over the last two years, and when he arrived downstairs, he realized that he had forgotten his access card. Fortunately, the security guard rec
Laurence caught a cold, leaving him with a sore throat and a discolored complexion. Since his whereabouts that night were none of Zoey’s concern, she said bluntly, “There’s food in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” Laurence coughed until rosiness crept onto his drained face. He acknowledged her instruction and stopped near her while on his way to the kitchen. “I’m fine if the food gets soggy and gross.” Zoey fell silent for a while. Pretending she didn’t understand what he meant, she hung her head and answered quietly, “But it’ll lose its flavor.”Laurence pressed his lips tightly together and retorted, “I’m not fussy.” It was strange of him to make that statement. Zoey would never label Laurence as “not fussy”. Laurence went to the kitchen to heat the food up while Zoey watched TV in the living room since she had nothing better to do. The arrest of Crescent Construction’s former boss came on the news. The press had caught Robert being taken into custody on video. Since the c
Zoey could not guarantee whether any other invited alumni remembered the incident. She was better off telling Laurence what had happened before someone else broke it to him. In any case, he had seen her at her worst, so her behavior was nothing new. The man fell silent for a bit before asking, “Did you though?” Zoey was stumped by the question as she hadn’t expected his response. She had wavered between telling and withholding the truth since her reputation in the last few years had sunk deeper down the drain. Most of the time, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to clear the air and defend her side of the story. She merely didn’t have proof. Back in school, Zoey had no money, power, or strong family backing. She had no means to fight against a long-going scheme. She was rendered defenseless. Zoey cocked her head and looked Laurence in the eyes before answering, “I didn’t.” She had never plagiarized someone else’s work. Plagiarism was a severe accusation against a design student
Zoey believed she was only there to be Laurence’s eye candy. The dean had no idea about the black mark on Zoey’s academic record. After learning from Laurence that his wife was a former student in the school of design, the dean called the head of the design school over to exchange pleasantries. The school head still remembered Zoey. He was caught in the moment, staring at her face that had not aged one bit. The school head was in for another surprise when he moved his gaze to Laurence. There was a reason why the school head retained a memory of Zoey despite the influx of students in the school every year. There were few plagiarism cases, to begin with, but hers took the cake. Enrolling in the college wasn’t easy. After all, everybody wanted to get into the top college in Northwell. Most students who were admitted to the college were the best of the best, excelling in knowledge and character. Of course, there was still a possibility that a small number of unethical individuals w