Gloria's eyes widened in resentment. "You did everything you did tonight on purpose, didn't you?"Vicky was about to respond when Cece tugged at her sleeve.She looked up and spotted Tyler's towering figure approaching.She turned her attention back to Gloria and said, "Yeah, I did it all on purpose.""Was it to show off how close the two of you are?""You're wrong.""Are you trying to say that you did those things unintentionally?" Gloria said sarcastically.Vicky stared into her eyes sharply. "I want you to know that for as long as I'm Missus Hart, it's my right to be all lovey-dovey with Tyler or get him to do things for me. As much as he cares for you, you're still nobody to him."Also, I assume that there are quite a lot of people who mistake you for Missus Hart when the two of you go outside, right? But are you? You're not his wife. You can make excuses all you want by telling others that you're just Tyler's friend, but unless you are determined to never be with him...you
As Tyler got closer, Cece shot Vicky a look and said, "Vicky."Vicky was never an aggressive woman, so what she said to Gloria surprised Cece. However, thinking back to what Gloria had done, Cece agreed that Gloria deserved to be treated this way.Gloria was only pretending to be innocent by claiming she maintained an appropriate distance from Tyler. However, if it was true, she would have refrained from meeting Tyler frequently and should have turned Tyler down even if he reached out to her.Hence, Cece did not do anything but watch when Vicky mocked Gloria. To her bewilderment, Vicky slapped Gloria across the face, and Cece was instantly concerned that Tyler might be upset with Vicky over it.Vicky noticed that Tyler was approaching and chuckled before raising her arm to strike again. Only this time, she failed as her arm was held in the air.She looked up and saw Tyler's face before her. With a dark look in his eyes, he glared at her with a cold expression. "Vicky, what do you
Gloria glared at Vicky. "You don't want to apologize, right? If that's the case, why would you care about what I want?""I don't want to apologize to you, but a certain someone might feel bad for you and insist that I apologize... I guess I have no choice but to satisfy you then, cousin, or there won't be an end to this. Everyone around me and my career might be affected, so regardless of my will, someone will force me to apologize. I have no choice if I want to survive."Vicky had not addressed Gloria as her cousin ever since they met, and she was merely doing so at the moment to be sarcastic."If you know that's going to happen, why bother causing a scene to begin with?"Vicky chuckled. "I said that you're a homewrecker, and you refused to admit to it, then you go around and get my husband to do whatever it takes to force his wife to apologize to his so-called friend. Do you think that's reasonable? If you think that a friend is more important than one's wife, I can apologize to
Vicky chuckled. "Alright. You've been with me for the entire day. You should go home and rest."Cece hesitated, but she decided against saying anything as she believed Vicky knew what she was doing.As the taxi drove off, Vicky glanced outside the window and saw Gloria and Tyler pulling at one another, which ended with Gloria throwing herself into Tyler's arms in tears.She studied the sight of them holding onto one another and looked away emotionlessly....It was already late by the time Vicky returned to her mansion after sending Cece home.She took a shower and stood before the window in the bedroom to stare at the moon in the dark sky.The moonlight shone down on her gently as her shadow stretched beneath her lonesome figure.Vicky raised her glass of red wine and drank it all at once.The aroma of the wine filled the air with a hint of bitterness.'I guess Tyler won't be coming home tonight,' Vicky thought. 'For a woman as prideful as Gloria to go through such humiliati
"Mercy?" Tyler repeated sarcastically. "When have you ever shown mercy?"Vicky studied the blurred figure before her eyes and chuckled. "Mercy doesn't solve any problem; it creates a problem... The world is cruel, and people are all born with an instinct to avoid what hurts them...so I won't show any mercy."She reminded herself repeatedly to not show mercy and repeat the same mistake, or her life would be hellish."You've always been great at retreating at the perfect timing," he said, his voice sounding faint in her ears. "Or you wouldn't have given up on me because of my family background, nor would I... We wouldn't have... This is all your fault..."Vicky was so drunk that she could barely hear what he was saying, but though she could not interpret all his words, she could tell the resentment and sorrow in the man's tone. It almost sounded like she had wronged him in the past.She recalled how upset Tyler would become whenever they talked about the past, and he would always sa
Tyler leaped and pinned Vicky underneath him. "Disgust?" He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Shouldn't I be the one to say that?"She froze. "What is that supposed to mean?""You know d*mn well what I mean."Her lashes fluttered. "I don't understand."He stared down at her and continued with a voice cold enough to freeze her soul, "You joined us for dinner on purpose last night. You then mocked Gloria and embarrassed her publicly before slapping her face. You did all that to put on a show for me, right?"Her blood ran cold, and her heart sank. "What are you talking about? I don't get it."He stared at her and said, "Are you in this much of a hurry because you found out that he's in Stoneford City?"Vicky was dumbfounded. "Who is in Stoneford City? What am I in a hurry for?""Were you drinking because of him?"Confused, she questioned, "What are you talking about?!""When did you two get in touch again?""...""How many times have you met?""...""Has anything happened betw
Tyler sneered. "It's the truth.""... But I don't remember.""Do you really not remember, or are you just pretending like you don't?"Enraged by his confronting tone, she said, "I have no reason to lie to you.""It's not like you've never lied to me before."She suddenly recalled how Noah reacted when he saw Tyler the day before. He seemed terrified and guilty, which was clearly strange."I ran into Noah outside the concert venue. I was following you around yesterday, so why would I go on a date with Noah at the same time? Besides, Noah ran as soon as he saw you... I didn't even get his number."Tyler stared at her for some time, and the tension on his face eased when he decided that she was not lying."Don't meet with him ever again."Her eyes widened as she looked at the man before her. "Tyler, you don't want a divorce anymore, do you?"As dull as she might be, she could sense that Tyler was avoiding the divorce.Tyler was not the kind of man who would go back on his word.
A stubborn look appeared on her face.After a few moments of silence, Tyler said, "The day after tomorrow."Vicky had always thought that Tyler was greedy for wanting the best of both worlds; to have a partner in bed and another spiritual partner.Plenty of women would accept such an arrangement considering his looks and status, but not Vicky.She thought that Tyler would delay the process indefinitely and was surprised that Tyler agreed."Sure," she blurted. "The day after tomorrow, then."Tyler shot her one last glance before turning to leave....Two days later, Vicky arrived in front of the Civil Administration office.Tyler continued to return home every night and insisted on being intimate with her, but Vicky put up with him since there were only two days left and did not want to risk provoking him.She continued to console herself and finally made it to the day when they were supposed to file for divorce.She waited until ten in the morning and did not see Tyler anywh
[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