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
Vicky sighed a breath of relief. "Alright, tomorrow then. Are we coming in the morning or—"Before she could finish, Tyler hung up on her.She stared at her phone and thought, 'I guess I'll ask him about it when he comes home tonight.'Though Tyler indeed returned home that night, he arrived so late during the night that Vicky was already asleep.The next day, Tyler left before she woke up, and Vicky was left with no choice but to text him.[What time are you free today?]She sat in a cafe across from the Civil Administration office and waited for the entire morning, but there was no response from Tyler.After having her lunch, Vicky gave him a call.While Tyler answered her call the day before and said a few words to her as well, he completely ignored her calls at the moment.At three in the afternoon, Vicky scowled as she stared at her phone.The office hour was almost over, and she picked up her phone to call Tyler again."The number you are calling cannot be reached at t
"As you can see, I'm busy," said Tyler coldly. "Things would come up, and after the meeting yesterday, I had to hurry off to somewhere else for work.""If you were busy, why didn't you tell me?""You called me until my phone ran out of battery, so how am I supposed to inform you?" he retorted."You could've asked your assistant—""My phone ran out of battery because you and my business partners couldn't get in touch with me. Are you saying that instead of calling them to apologize, my assistant was supposed to prioritize you above everything?" The look in his eyes sharpened. "Vicky, you almost cost Hart Corporation millions of dollars.""Was it that bad?" Vicky asked."What would happen if you have an appointment with one of your clients, and they suddenly can't get hold of you?""I'm sorry." Vicky did not expect her actions to have such severe consequences. "I didn't expect this to happen...""Had it not been because of the phone, I would've signed the contract and gotten ever
Vicky was stunned for a moment before realizing that her phone and all documents needed for the divorce were inside the bag.'How am I supposed to get a divorce without my passport?!' she thought anxiously before trying to catch a taxi to go after the thief. 'I don't care about the money, but I can't lose my passport!'However, the usually-packed street was oddly empty, and despite standing by the road for over 10 minutes, she did not spot a single taxi.Her heart sank.Just then, a sports car stopped before her, and the window lowered to reveal a handsome face."Vicky? I wasn't sure if it was really you from afar. It really is you! What a coincidence that we met again. Why are you here?""Noah?" she blurted. "Are you free right now, Noah? Can you help me out?"Noah was shocked to find the hysterical state Vicky was in and asked, "What's wrong, Vicky?""Someone stole my bag just now. I wanted to get a taxi to go after him, but I can't find one no matter how long I wait...""Ho
Along the way, Vicky could not stop thinking about how she was supposed to explain the situation to Tyler.Not only had she arrived late, but she also lost all the documents, which was worse than Tyler's refusal to show up for the past two days.She wondered if Tyler would have some sort of excuse to not proceed again earlier that day, and suddenly, she found herself hoping that Tyler would not be at the Civil Administration office.Minutes later, the car arrived in front of the Civil Administration office.Since Vicky did not say a word along the way, Noah did not know why she needed to go to the Civil Administration office."Vicky, we're here."She nodded. "Thank you, Noah.""We're friends, so you don't have to thank me," Noah said before spotting a familiar figure. He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Am I hallucinating? It's strange enough to run into Tyler in the precious concert...so why am I seeing Tyler again? What is he doing here?"Vicky noticed Tyler in the distance as w
"Also..." Noah shot Vicky a look. "The car accident and your amnesia might not be an accident at all.""That's impossible," insisted Vicky. Despite losing her memories, she remembered what happened on the day of the car accident."On the day of the accident, Tyler was the one who texted me, saying that he wanted a divorce. I packed up to leave after receiving that text. If Tyler didn't want a divorce as you said, he didn't have to agree to it in the first place."Noah stared at Vicky dazedly and sighed with resignation. "You still believe him like you did before, Vicky.""I just don't think it's necessary for him to do things like this."Noah shook his head. "It's never a matter of whether it's necessary. He's capable of anything, Vicky..."Just as he was about to say something else, someone knocked on the car window.Knock, knock!Noah glanced outside the window and paled as though he was facing the end of the world.His imagination ran wild once again as he mentally rambled,
Tyler returned to his usual, composed self. "Who knows if you're teaming up with someone else to lie to me?""Lie to you?" Vicky repeated in confusion. "For what?""You said you lost your bag, arrived late, and even found yourself a witness. What do you think?"Realization dawned on her, and she widened her eyes in disbelief. "Are you trying to say that I'm delaying the process of the divorce on purpose?""Is that not the case?""Of course not!"He stared down at her and chuckled. "Heh."Her breath caught in her throat. "You don't believe me?""I can believe you." Before Vicky could respond, he added, "If we can proceed with the legal procedures today.""I lost my bag. My passport and the divorce agreement are all gone..."He stared down at her mockingly. "So we can't file for divorce today, is that right?"In his intimidating presence, the tone of her voice weakened. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't expect..."He interrupted her. "Vicky, you did all these on pur
[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