"There are no issues with the incoming and outgoing transactions in my bank account, so why is there an anomaly?" Vicky asked."There can be many reasons for anomalies: Frequent spending within the same time frame, transactions occurring when you haven't made any purchases, or your account being targeted by criminals with your personal information being compromised," the bank teller patiently explained. "To ensure the security of our customer's assets, the system automatically locks risky accounts. Miss Shaw, you don't have to worry. Once the risk is resolved, we will inform you via phone call."Vicky often received scam calls and harassing messages, and she thought that her account information might have been compromised, so she had no choice but to freeze that particular card.Fortunately, she never put all her eggs in one basket and had other bank cards she could use.To her surprise, when she tried using her other bank cards, she found that they were all frozen, including her c
There was a client who once expressed interest in her design and was kind enough to inform her of the truth when he saw that Vicky was in desperate need of money."Miss Shaw, you might as well stop trying. No one will dare to buy anything from you."Vicky jolted slightly in shock and asked, "What do you mean?"The person only said, "Think carefully. Have you wronged someone lately?""..." Vicky fell into silence.She clenched her fists, and her chest heaved as she thought, 'It's Tyler Hart. How dare he?! He's crossed the line!'Unable to suppress her anger any longer, Vicky dialed the one number she remembered by heart, trembling.The phone rang a few times before someone answered."What's the matter?" Tyler's voice was deep and cold, devoid of any emotion as if he anticipated that she would call him."Tyler Hart, you've gone too far!"Upon hearing the woman's angry and hurried breath, Tyler chuckled. "You sound very angry.""What happened is already in the past. You've had
"Are you okay, ma'am?""Ouch, it hurts..." The old lady groaned while holding onto Vicky's hand. "Young girl, I think you broke my bones."Vicky was taken aback. "Ma'am, it wasn't me who bumped into you..."As soon as the old lady heard that, her expression changed, and she instantly raised her voice. "Help! Someone, come quickly! This girl knocked me down and refuses to admit it!"As the crowd gathered, they started discussing the situation."The younger generation these days is becoming more unruly!""Look at how badly she injured the old lady's knees...""You can't get away with this, young lady. If you knock an old person down, you have to take responsibility."Vicky, who grew up in a wealthy family and later studied abroad, had never encountered such a situation before. At that time, she did not even know this was a whole scam.She hurriedly explained, "I didn't bump into her. She fell on her own, and I just went to help her..."The old lady confidently interrupted her,
Vicky instinctively argued, "I didn't bump into her..."Before she could explain herself, the crowd's overwhelming voices interrupted her."If you didn't bump into her, why would you help her up and send her to a hospital? You're lying through your teeth!""Expose her! We'll see how stubborn she can be!"The old lady and her family continued to scream, drawing the attention of almost every person in the hospital.In the end, the hospital director came over and reminded them, "Everyone, this is a hospital with a lot of patients around. Please refrain from causing a disturbance."The old lady's family grabbed onto the director. "Doctor, please help us. My old lady has been harmed, and this woman here is trying to get away. How can we let this pass?""I didn't bump into her!" Vicky repeated coldly."Countless people witnessed it. How dare you deny it?!"The doctor was also frustrated by the arguing and suggested, "Since both parties insist on their version of events, why not repo
Upon arriving at the police station, the police questioned the old lady about the incident, and Vicky listened from the side.To her bewilderment, the middle-aged woman's account aligned perfectly with what the old lady described.At this moment, Vicky could not find any evidence to prove her innocence, yet the testimonies of the eyewitnesses and the old lady matched up.The old lady's family members became even more arrogant. "Medical expenses, nutrition fees, nursing fees, and compensation for emotional distress... You're paying us a total of fifteen thousand dollars, not a penny less!"The police pondered for a moment and said to Vicky, "A compensation of fifteen thousand dollars is quite substantial, but considering the old lady's age, it's only right to offer some compensation. How about a settlement of seven thousand five hundred dollars instead? We'll then consider the matter resolved."Vicky could not even produce 50 dollars at the moment. The money she had left had all be
"I see." The woman smiled. "It's just seven thousand five hundred, right?"The police officer nodded. "Yes."The woman's smile was reassuring as she declared, "Let me handle this."...Half an hour later, Vicky stepped out of the police station with the woman. "Miss Jandrell, thank you for paying on my behalf," she spoke. "I will pay you back."The woman did not refuse her offer and said, "I'm not in urgent need of that money, so you can pay me back whenever you want."Vicky studied her face and asked, "Miss Jandrell, are you here on purpose to help me?"The smile on the woman's face froze, and she feigned confusion. "What?""You came here for me, didn't you, Miss Jandrell?" Vicky stared into her eyes. "It's far too much of a coincidence if you keep appearing before me whenever I need help."She could consider it a coincidence for being helped once or twice, but this was the third time.Seeing through Vicky's thoughts, the woman softly sighed and confessed, "Yes, I was specif
The person did not answer her question directly and instead asked, [Have you ever thought of marrying Tyler?]Vicky jolted, dumbfounded by the suggestion. [Never.]There was another long pause until over half an hour later when the person replied. [Do you want to marry him?]Vicky firmly replied. [No.][Why not?]Vicky did not want to mention her past with Tyler and simply explained, [Tyler considers me his enemy. If I marry him, I will die a horrible death.][The Shaws have gone bankrupt and moved away. Harvey Sparks was in prison and is no longer in Stoneford City. You have no one to rely on. Forget Tyler—you can't even defend yourself from other bullies. Are you willing to keep living like this?] The person continued.Vicky's gaze flickered as she did not want to continue living such a pathetic life, but as the mysterious man said, she was helpless and could not defend herself.Just then, the person sent another message. [By becoming Missus Hart, you won't have to live like
It was Sheila and Tyler.Vicky felt a chill down her spine at the sight of those two and regretted agreeing to the mysterious man's plan.She had been targeted by Tyler and was scammed, so she agreed on impulse. However, the sight of Tyler caused her to back down. She experienced first-hand just how crazy Tyler could be, and scheming against him would only end badly for her.Sensing Vicky's gaze, Sheila looked up and narrowed her eyes at Vicky. "Ms. Shaw?"Vicky stood up and greeted her with a cold and distant tone. "Miss Young."After the previous incident, Vicky and Sheila had not seen each other again, so it seemed somewhat awkward to run into one another again.Vicky kept her eyes lowered, avoiding Sheila's gaze as Sheila's gentle voice rang. "Are you also unwell, Ms. Shaw?""Nothing serious, I just came for a check-up," Vicky mumbled.She did not understand why the mysterious man asked her to come to the hospital and thought, 'Can it be just to orchestrate an encounter bet
[Alright.]Aurora sighed in relief. "Vicky, we've been out for quite a while. Shall we head back?"Vicky glanced at Aurora. "Can we finally go back now?""Yes, we can go back... Huh?" Aurora sensed something was amiss. "Vicky, do you...know something?"Vicky smiled. "Every time I go out with friends, Tyler always bombards me with questions about when I'll be back and insists on picking me up. Strangely, he didn't ask me anything today. Also... I remember that it's my birthday today."Aurora was left speechless as she realized Vicky saw right through her act....By the time they got home, it was starting to get dark outside. Inside the mansion, it was quiet and pitch-black. Suddenly, a warm, yellow candlelight gradually illuminated the darkness, revealing a handsome face."Happy birthday, Vicky," Tyler said.Vicky gazed at the flickering candles, feeling a bit dazed.It was then she remembered that during the early days of their relationship, he had prepared a birthday surpri
Tyler showed great disdain when his wish of getting a daughter was let down. What irritated him most was that this son looked remarkably like him.After recovering from childbirth, Vicky accompanied a newly pregnant Aurora on a shopping trip for baby supplies.Upon hearing Vicky's story, Aurora could not help but ask, "Men are usually happy when they have sons, so why does Tyler prefer daughters?"Vicky sighed. "Tyler says that a family is never really balanced and happy unless they have one son and one daughter."Aurora nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Now that you have a son, having a daughter would be perfect. Vicky, have you and Tyler considered responding to the national call and having a third child?"Vicky shook her head. "The last time I gave birth, Tyler wasn't around, so he doesn't know what it was like. This time, he was scared out of his wits and had no intention of having more children. A few days ago, he even underwent a vasectomy."Aurora chuckled. "Daughters may be s
However, everything spiraled out of control.Tyler knew his behavior was despicable, but he could not control his emotions.When he loved, every cell within him longed for her. Every time he came to see her, he told himself it would be the last time. However, he found himself appearing at her house more and more frequently.Tyler knew he was in trouble, and it would not be long before he returned to his former self.Vicky was like a drug to him. Even though he knew that contact with her was toxic, he could not bring himself to let go.He knew she was pregnant with his child, and his most primal desires began to surge, making it impossible for him to resist the urge to make her stay.Vicky listened quietly to his confession, and her heart ached.She could not fight off the urge to hold him; her touch was firm and comforting.He only mentioned a few words about the time he regained consciousness, but Vicky knew he had endured a lot of pain. The fact that he was alive was a miracl
Tyler's lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he fell silent.What was there to say? It was not like he could apologize. The deed had been done, and his apology would not mean anything. Besides, he had no regrets whatsoever.Vicky stared at him. "You tampered with the surveillance, didn't you?""Yes.""And the servants and nannies. They're all under your control, right?"Tyler lowered his gaze. "Yes."Since all of this was real and not a dream, she must have been unconscious when Tyler returned. No matter how soundly she slept, she should have felt something. Since she had to take care of Lufian, she came home every day for meals, so she guessed that something was added to her food.For the past few days, she pretended to eat at home while secretly disposing of her meals. As it turned out, her suspicions were correct.Vicky repeated the question she asked before. "Why didn't you come to me?"Tyler remained silent once again."Did you come here just t
"Are you planning to leave just like that?"The man's body tensed.Click! The desk lamp was turned on, its warm, amber light illuminating the darkness."Why won't you look at me? Are you brave enough to do it but not to admit it?" echoed Vicky's gentle voice.Tyler snapped out of it and instinctively pulled his hand away from hers, ready to escape, only for Vicky's next words to pin him in place."If you leave now, I'll get rid of the baby in me tomorrow."He swiftly froze in place and turned back to her. "What did you just say?"Even though she prepared herself mentally, seeing the shock on his face made Vicky's eyes widen in shock. In an instant, her eyes welled up with tears. "You..."As Tyler met the shock in her eyes, he came to a sudden realization and turned his face away, looking anywhere but at her.When she learned about her pregnancy and knew she had not been dreaming, Vicky had a hunch about who it was that came and went freely into her home. The only one capable o
Vicky began to feel increasingly uneasy. She was pregnant without even knowing who the father was. That had to be one of the most absurd jokes in the world.Aurora, Noah, and the others were bewildered.They knew Vicky's character well, and she was not the type to casually sleep around. Besides, she still had feelings for Tyler, so she would never sleep with another man.Getting drunk was even more out of the question. After all, she was either working or taking care of her child. She had neither the time nor the inclination to go out drinking.Even Vicky herself was bewildered, and her thoughts were in disarray. "I... I don't know."The others exchanged glances, all noticing that Vicky's first instinct was not to terminate the pregnancy."Vicky, go home and think it over carefully. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call us," Aurora said gently.Vicky nodded absently.Back at home, Vicky reviewed the surveillance footage once more.She had watched it numerous times, but
Just then, a dish that Vicky usually enjoyed was brought to the table by the waiter.The aroma filled the air, but Vicky paled instantly. Before anyone could react, she retched and rushed to the bathroom.Everyone exchanged puzzled glances.Cece blinked. "What's wrong with Vicky?"Jennifer furrowed her brow. "Vicky doesn't look well. Is she ill?"The concerned Aurora chimed in, "Ever since Tyler's disappearance, Vicky hasn't been in the best mood. She even suffered from postpartum depression. Let's take her to the hospital after dinner. We can't afford for her to fall ill again."Everyone assumed that something was physically wrong with Vicky, but Noah, who remained silent, spoke up."I remember when Vicky was pregnant last time... She seemed to be very sensitive to certain smells."All eyes turned to Noah.Jennifer's eyes widened. "What are you trying to say, Noah?! You don't mean to suggest that...Vicky might be pregnant, do you?"Under the curious gazes of everyone, Noah c
As Anthony and Jennifer grew up in Lovian, and their families had deep roots there, they had to stay at Lovian as well. However, whenever they had free time, Jennifer often returned to Stoneford City to meet her friends for gatherings and meals.Vicky's birthday was approaching in a few days, and Jennifer came back early for the occasion.Lufian, on the other hand, became the darling of the group, and everyone loved him. Thus, one of the highlights of visiting Zendonia was to see Lufian.On this day, Vicky had some free time and decided to go to the airport to fetch Jennifer.Harvey held Lufian and walked out of Vicky's mansion.He had also come back early to celebrate Vicky's birthday. Like everyone else, he adored Lufian. His priority the moment he returned was to see Lufian, even though Lufian resembled Tyler most uncannily.Harvey carried Lufian and settled into the back seat, preparing to bond with him during the ride. Vicky sat in the driver's seat.Just as they were about
"Lufian is usually very well-behaved. He doesn't cause a fuss and is easy to handle.""Is his name Lufian?""That's right. Lufian Hart."Gloria's gaze flickered briefly but quickly returned to normal. "Have you given him a nickname?""Not yet," Vicky replied.Gloria did not say anything further.After playing with the child for a while, she carefully placed the necklace she had prepared around Lufian's neck.The baby played for a while and soon fell asleep.Gloria then gently returned Lufian to his stroller.Leaving the nursery, Vicky and Gloria engaged in casual conversation. They had no deep-seated grudges, and over time, their past love and hatred gradually faded away.Vicky smiled and remarked, "You seem to really like children. How about having one yourself? A kid would make a good companion for Lufian.""I'd like to, but I haven't found the right person," Gloria lamented.Gloria had been single for years. It was not because she could not forget Tyler or was waiting fo