Laurence stayed in Southgrove for a few days. He watched as Jared entered and exited Zoey’s house. He would leave for work in the morning and get off punctually in the evening. Then, he would shop for groceries before heading back to Zoey’s place. Zoey had made the right choice and picked a man that seemed to be devoted to her. He seemed more like her nanny than a boyfriend.Laurence did not want to believe she was pregnant with another man’s child. He remembered how opposed she had been to the idea of them having a child. She had rejected him so adamantly. He had always caught her buying birth control. He never thought of fooling her. When he brought her to the hospital, he had also bought her birth control. He never thought of deceiving her. Laurence asked his subordinates to check with the hospital where Zoey got her health checkups. Soon, he received her medical reports in his email inbox. They included a few maternity reports. He stared at the reports stating she was four month
Mrs. Scott fell silent. She never expected this would happen, but it made sense. Now that they were divorced, they were both free to do whatever they wanted. She was at a loss for words. Were Laurence and Zoey really not meant to be?Laurence swallowed and said dejectedly, “It’s too late, Mom.”He finally understood what his heart wanted, but it was too late. He was finally willing to confess his love for someone he had looked down on in the past, but it was too late. He only understood now why he said so many hurtful things to her. He had done it all in an attempt to get her attention. In those short moments he had hurt her, he was the only one on her mind. And so, he hurt her over and over again. It was sick, but that was how he treated someone he loved but couldn’t have. He was hurting them both at the same time. Mrs. Scott couldn’t bear lecturing Laurence as she watched his red and teary eyes. “You reap what you sow,” she said curtly. There was nothing she could do. She and her
Jared had moved into Zoey's house in Southgrove.Zoey couldn't turn him away. He claimed the other interns at work were ostracizing him and that he was being bullied in the staff dormitory. He had nowhere else to go, so he turned to Zoey for shelter. His sincere eyes told Zoey he was not a deceitful person.Trying to appeal to her emotions and persuade with reason, Jared explained, "Your ex-husband seems like a problematic devil. What if he comes looking for you again when I'm not by your side? Will you be able to handle him? Can you deal with him on your own? Our lie might not seem very convincing if we stay apart. It's rather unusual for an engaged couple to live separately."However, Jared also realized how impulsive his proposal had been. He raised his palm and swore, "I promise to be well-behaved and not cause you any trouble. You can stay on the first floor while I stay on the second. I'll bring you tea and draw your bath. What do you say? Just out a poor soul. I can pay rent.
Zoey was trimming the branches of the plant on the windowsill when her scissors froze mid-air. A moment later, she nodded as if nothing had happened. She asked Jared casually, "Are you talking about Laurence?"Jared watched the change in her expression and hummed a muffled reply.Zoey set the scissors down. "Maybe..."Maybe he had come looking for her. Maybe not. But did it matter?Laurence began showing up more often. Every night, Zoey would stroll along the alley, from her doorstep to the entrance of the alley. A short walk not only helped her meet her weekly activity requirements, it was also beneficial in preparation for the birth.Jared showed up each night to keep her company on her walk, in case she tripped or fell. This Friday, however, he had a company dinner to attend. He informed her he would be late. Zoey made her way to the alley on her own. As she passed by a patisserie, she noticed Laurence's car parked outside it. This seemed like a personal matter—none of his bo
This love did not need any reason. It was all senseless. It was unconditional. It was different from the love he had for Sarah. It was not what he felt for her when they had to depend on each other. When it came to Zoey, it was only fondness. Nothing else was mixed within, though he had probably discovered it a little too late. It sounded ridiculous saying it out loud after having hurt her so miserably. However, it was undeniable—love that came late was still love.Hearing him say those words, Zoey was momentarily stunned. Laurence Scott just said he had feelings for her. A sour drizzle started pouring in her heart, the torrential rain dousing her once fervent love for him. Even after hearing the one thing she had longed for the most, she felt nothing. Instead, she couldn’t help but question his motives.What else did he have up his sleeve? She was no longer of any use to him, was she? And even if he did want to exploit her again or force her to do something against her will, he
It was far too easy to differentiate enmity from kindness. The look in Laurence's eyes was charged with hostility. He most likely viewed Zoey's unborn child as a pain in the neck, so she was even more unlikely to tell him who the child's father was. He was already forcing her to return. If he were to find out the truth, there was a chance he would use the child as a bargaining chip. She had no doubt Laurence would have no qualms about taking advantage of the baby.Maybe spooked by his frosty gaze on her, Zoey felt her tummy ache. She reflexively supported herself on a wall nearby, fists clenched. Her face, flushed from being in the sun, began to blanch from the sharp pangs that washed over her like tidal waves. Because Laurence was there, she made no sound despite the excrutiating pain.Noticing how Zoey had paled, Laurence grabbed her arm, his brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"Zoey recovered from the sharp pain and brushed his hand away. She strained, "Stay away from me."Laurence
Zoey saw Laurence every day. According to him, he'd be in Southgrove for some time. As time passed, Zoey's neighbors started recognizing his car and knew who he was there for. He had visited Southgrove twice the previous year, and they had seen him around the area several times. Back then, he had told them he and Zoey were a married couple. But now, another man had moved into Zoey's house, so it was clear to her neighbors they had faced marital issues and were likely divorced.Zoey felt it didn't look good that Laurence came over to her house every day. But he was stubborn and behaved as though he did not understand her. He did not feel like a disruption in her life, not in the slightest, and would appear at her house like it was the most natural thing to do. The only thing he took care never to do was bring up Robert. Zoey had felt uneasy when he brought up the case, so she didn’t believe he would forget about it so easily. Laurence was used to Zoey ignoring his presence and felt
Laurence made it sound like he was giving Zoey a choice. She felt he must be lacking in empathy. Why else was he capable of manipulating her to achieve what he wanted? She had tried to talk sense into him, and had sternly told him off, but nothing had worked. She felt nothing but fatigue when dealing with him. She had no desire to give in to his wishes. Time and time again, he used her weak spots to twist her arm whenever he liked.There were times Zoey had half a mind to do the same to get back at him, but she didn't know what his weak spots were. Was it Sarah? But Zoey had no way of getting to her. And Zoey couldn’t bring herself to inflict any harm on anyone else. At times like these, she hated her upbringing for teaching her to be a good person. If only she was as merciless as Laurence was, she’d be able to do anything without care for morality or legality. She struggled to free her arm from his grip and looked up at him indifferently. Her voice was adamant, "I will not break up