Shawn Ford was back from his travels, and he'd brought me a gift, which was a rare occurrence. I looked at the velvet box but didn't take it."Are you stunned? You don't have to be that touched by me giving you a little trinket like this, do you?" He looked at me mockingly. He carelessly threw the box onto the table.My assistant, Marissa Smith, quickly picked up the box and held it before me. "Why are you just sitting there, Luna? Open it and see what's inside!"I couldn't be bothered to lift a finger, but I was curious to see what Shawn was up to this time. I lazily opened the box to see a custom-made necklace inside.The name engraved on it wasn't mine, though. It was for Heather Shaw, a celebrity. I supposed he had better tastes this time.Marissa leaned closer with a bright smile. "The packaging looks so fancy. Let me see what's inside!"I didn't hide the necklace, so she clearly saw Heather's name on the necklace. Her smile froze, and she parted her lips awkwardly. "Uh… I s
Shawn and I met in college. At the time, my parents had suddenly passed away after an accident, and I'd fainted by the track. He was the one who'd carried me for half an hour under the scorching sun to get to the infirmary.I'd lost my family and didn't have many friends, so I followed him around like a lost puppy for three years. Everyone knew I liked him, including himself. He'd never responded to my feelings, though.But on the day of our graduation, he'd suddenly come to me and pinned me to the wall. His voice was seductive as he said, "I agree to be your boyfriend, Lulu."I'd thrown my arms around him without hesitation. As he kissed me, he said, "Let's get married tomorrow. I'll be your family from now on. I'll care for you on your parents' behalf."…I'd naively fallen for his promise. It had trapped me for two years. Despite him giving me the cold shoulder and having multiple affairs during that period, I would forgive him as long as he coaxed me a little.I would numbly
I placed my hand over Cameron's and said, "We should avoid each other in the near future."He was taken aback. Then, he cautiously nuzzled against me. "Why? Have I done something wrong?"Would anyone expect Cameron, known for being ruthless and decisive, to speak to someone so humbly?I grabbed his tie and pulled him to me, leaning close to his ear as I said breathily, "Don't you know that my husband is back from his travels?"He snorted. "So what? Have you heard anyone say anything about you coming here to see me? I'm more capable than him—we don't have to sneak around like this. Divorce him and be with me. I'll treat you well for the rest of my life. How about it?"It was a familiar promise. Two years ago, Shawn had told me the same thing. The only difference was that Shawn had been faking it, and Cameron was probably sincere.I didn't need it, though. A lifetime was too long; all hearts were at risk of changing, no matter how sincere they were at this moment. I could enjoy the
"All you need to do is focus on being a trophy wife and reporting to me daily on your whereabouts. I'll give you 50 thousand dollars a month," Shawn said.I was a little irritated. "Let's leave this for some other day. I can go to Cameron right now if you're not okay with it."Cameron was Shawn's sensitive spot. The moment someone touched on it, he would get mad. "You wouldn't dare!"I sneered. "Why are you so nervous? I'll only be going to him to talk about work."He had no retort for my words and let me go, looking diffident. "Anyway, I doubt he's interested in you. You're not young anymore, nor are you pretty."I rolled my eyes. Shawn had insulted me countless times over the past two years; it no longer bothered me. He didn't have the right to judge or criticize me.He was becoming more controlling and possessive of me, though. It looked like I had to expedite the divorce.…On the day of Shawn's grandfather, Richard Ford's 80th birthday, he and Cameron both returned to Ford
Shawn's expression was a sight to behold. He went from disbelief to anger, then to grievance. What did he have to feel aggrieved about?"What are you guys doing?" he forced through gritted teeth. He clenched his fists and snarled, "What the hell are you doing, Luna Holt?"Cameron helped me straighten my clothes. Then, he stood before me to shield me and said, "We were kissing. Do you need us to show you how?"Shawn's breathing grew heavy. He swung a fist at Cameron, but the latter easily dodged it. The look in his eyes turned menacing.Shawn snapped, "Luna is my wife, Cameron. How the hell can you do this to me?"Cameron grabbed him by the collar and mocked, "She won't be soon enough."Shawn turned to me when he heard that. "You're just trying to piss me off, aren't you?"I sat before the bay window, my gaze mocking. "You think too highly of yourself. I'm just sick of being with you—it's as simple as that."His eyes turned red with rage. "Let's talk about this.""She has nothi
"When did you and Cameron get together?" Shawn asked. He sat across from me in the living room, his expression ugly.I leaned against the couch, sounding as casual as if we were talking about the weather. "I went to your company on your birthday to bring you lunch when I heard you complaining to your friends. You said I was unworthy of you and that you'd only married me to piss your Uncle Cameron off."His hand trembled. He looked like he wasn't bothered, but his tone was diffident as he said, "I was just joking around with them."I said coldly, "Well, your joke made us lose our child."He dropped his glass. "…Our child?"He would probably never know we'd had a child if I hadn't mentioned it. At the time, I'd already been considering a divorce. Then, I discovered I was pregnant. So, I wanted to give Shawn another chance. His words that day had been the straw that broke the camel's back.That day, I'd left Shawn's company, feeling cold all over. It had started pouring as soon as I
I stood up and slapped Shawn so forcefully that his head turned sideways. He didn't say anything.I didn't expect him to use the pain and hurt I'd suffered because of him against me. My hands trembled, and my voice was hoarse as I said, "You're a monster, Shawn. You're trash."He didn't look at me. I didn't know whether it was because he didn't dare to. He said, "I'm sorry. It just came out before I could stop myself."I shut my eyes and tried to calm down. I didn't need to be bothered by the words of someone I didn't care about. "There's no love between us, anyway. What's the point of us remaining together? Getting an amicable divorce is the last chance I'm giving you to retain your pride and dignity."After the miscarriage, I'd started gathering proof of Shawn's infidelity. I'd long since begun preparing for this day.He clenched his fists which were resting on his knees. He bowed his head, looking like he was suffering a huge grievance. "I was just bragging to my friends becaus
I clutched Cameron's sleeve tightly, unable to stop the tears from streaming down my face. "Why didn't you stay longer? Everything would've been different if you'd stayed just a little longer."I suddenly recalled a time during my sophomore year when I'd climbed to the top of the faculty building because of Shawn's silent treatment. I'd been depressed at the time and had treated him like my savior. He'd only hurt me deeper, though.The summer night's breeze was still a little warm; I stared dazedly at the lights beneath me."Don't sit there. It's dangerous," a voice suddenly rang out. I turned but couldn't see the person's face clearly. All I knew was that his voice was soft and gentle.He held out a candy. "Do you want it?"I didn't like sweet things, but I still accepted it. The strawberry-flavored candy was so sweet that I wanted to cry. After a brief hesitation, he dragged me back from the side of the building.He said, "I'm in a bad mood. Could you have a meal with me?"For
Years ago, the Ford family had gone out to sea on a family trip. However, on the journey home, they'd run into a storm.There hadn't been enough life buoys, so Cameron's parents had given Shawn's family the chance for survival. Fortunately, Cameron had made it out alive.Later, Shawn and Cameron were abducted by the Ford family's rivals. Shawn's parents had chosen to save Cameron first. Shawn felt like Cameron had stolen his parents' love and held a grudge against Cameron for it. The grudge had lasted for over a decade.Mr. Ford Senior sighed. "Shawn was too young to remember the storm at sea; it's our fault for not explaining everything to him sooner. I've already spoken to him about it—this is the wedding gift he's prepared for you both."I was unmoved by the credit card Mr. Ford Senior gave to me. Cameron pushed it back, saying, "He's old enough to be responsible for his actions. I won't forgive him for the hurt he's caused Luna. Return the card to him and tell him I'm not short
I supposed I could understand why Shawn couldn't believe the truth. I used to love him so much that I could endure his affairs. Yet now, I was telling him I'd gotten the wrong guy.He didn't have to believe it, but it was the truth. He suddenly buried his face in his hands, looking devastated.So what? Who cared?…Shawn left half an hour before Cameron returned. Perhaps he was afraid of running into Cameron and letting Cameron see what a clown he was. He was afraid of losing his dignity, but Cameron couldn't care less about that.Cameron held me close as I sliced the vegetables. It made for slow progress, but we were both happy. I didn't intend to tell him about what had happened during college—it was enough for one of us to know about how we'd missed out on each other.At least we were together now.…I thought I would need to fight a long battle with Shawn over the divorce, but he sent a signed divorce agreement to me a week later. The house would go to me along with 70% of
I clutched Cameron's sleeve tightly, unable to stop the tears from streaming down my face. "Why didn't you stay longer? Everything would've been different if you'd stayed just a little longer."I suddenly recalled a time during my sophomore year when I'd climbed to the top of the faculty building because of Shawn's silent treatment. I'd been depressed at the time and had treated him like my savior. He'd only hurt me deeper, though.The summer night's breeze was still a little warm; I stared dazedly at the lights beneath me."Don't sit there. It's dangerous," a voice suddenly rang out. I turned but couldn't see the person's face clearly. All I knew was that his voice was soft and gentle.He held out a candy. "Do you want it?"I didn't like sweet things, but I still accepted it. The strawberry-flavored candy was so sweet that I wanted to cry. After a brief hesitation, he dragged me back from the side of the building.He said, "I'm in a bad mood. Could you have a meal with me?"For
I stood up and slapped Shawn so forcefully that his head turned sideways. He didn't say anything.I didn't expect him to use the pain and hurt I'd suffered because of him against me. My hands trembled, and my voice was hoarse as I said, "You're a monster, Shawn. You're trash."He didn't look at me. I didn't know whether it was because he didn't dare to. He said, "I'm sorry. It just came out before I could stop myself."I shut my eyes and tried to calm down. I didn't need to be bothered by the words of someone I didn't care about. "There's no love between us, anyway. What's the point of us remaining together? Getting an amicable divorce is the last chance I'm giving you to retain your pride and dignity."After the miscarriage, I'd started gathering proof of Shawn's infidelity. I'd long since begun preparing for this day.He clenched his fists which were resting on his knees. He bowed his head, looking like he was suffering a huge grievance. "I was just bragging to my friends becaus
"When did you and Cameron get together?" Shawn asked. He sat across from me in the living room, his expression ugly.I leaned against the couch, sounding as casual as if we were talking about the weather. "I went to your company on your birthday to bring you lunch when I heard you complaining to your friends. You said I was unworthy of you and that you'd only married me to piss your Uncle Cameron off."His hand trembled. He looked like he wasn't bothered, but his tone was diffident as he said, "I was just joking around with them."I said coldly, "Well, your joke made us lose our child."He dropped his glass. "…Our child?"He would probably never know we'd had a child if I hadn't mentioned it. At the time, I'd already been considering a divorce. Then, I discovered I was pregnant. So, I wanted to give Shawn another chance. His words that day had been the straw that broke the camel's back.That day, I'd left Shawn's company, feeling cold all over. It had started pouring as soon as I
Shawn's expression was a sight to behold. He went from disbelief to anger, then to grievance. What did he have to feel aggrieved about?"What are you guys doing?" he forced through gritted teeth. He clenched his fists and snarled, "What the hell are you doing, Luna Holt?"Cameron helped me straighten my clothes. Then, he stood before me to shield me and said, "We were kissing. Do you need us to show you how?"Shawn's breathing grew heavy. He swung a fist at Cameron, but the latter easily dodged it. The look in his eyes turned menacing.Shawn snapped, "Luna is my wife, Cameron. How the hell can you do this to me?"Cameron grabbed him by the collar and mocked, "She won't be soon enough."Shawn turned to me when he heard that. "You're just trying to piss me off, aren't you?"I sat before the bay window, my gaze mocking. "You think too highly of yourself. I'm just sick of being with you—it's as simple as that."His eyes turned red with rage. "Let's talk about this.""She has nothi
"All you need to do is focus on being a trophy wife and reporting to me daily on your whereabouts. I'll give you 50 thousand dollars a month," Shawn said.I was a little irritated. "Let's leave this for some other day. I can go to Cameron right now if you're not okay with it."Cameron was Shawn's sensitive spot. The moment someone touched on it, he would get mad. "You wouldn't dare!"I sneered. "Why are you so nervous? I'll only be going to him to talk about work."He had no retort for my words and let me go, looking diffident. "Anyway, I doubt he's interested in you. You're not young anymore, nor are you pretty."I rolled my eyes. Shawn had insulted me countless times over the past two years; it no longer bothered me. He didn't have the right to judge or criticize me.He was becoming more controlling and possessive of me, though. It looked like I had to expedite the divorce.…On the day of Shawn's grandfather, Richard Ford's 80th birthday, he and Cameron both returned to Ford
I placed my hand over Cameron's and said, "We should avoid each other in the near future."He was taken aback. Then, he cautiously nuzzled against me. "Why? Have I done something wrong?"Would anyone expect Cameron, known for being ruthless and decisive, to speak to someone so humbly?I grabbed his tie and pulled him to me, leaning close to his ear as I said breathily, "Don't you know that my husband is back from his travels?"He snorted. "So what? Have you heard anyone say anything about you coming here to see me? I'm more capable than him—we don't have to sneak around like this. Divorce him and be with me. I'll treat you well for the rest of my life. How about it?"It was a familiar promise. Two years ago, Shawn had told me the same thing. The only difference was that Shawn had been faking it, and Cameron was probably sincere.I didn't need it, though. A lifetime was too long; all hearts were at risk of changing, no matter how sincere they were at this moment. I could enjoy the
Shawn and I met in college. At the time, my parents had suddenly passed away after an accident, and I'd fainted by the track. He was the one who'd carried me for half an hour under the scorching sun to get to the infirmary.I'd lost my family and didn't have many friends, so I followed him around like a lost puppy for three years. Everyone knew I liked him, including himself. He'd never responded to my feelings, though.But on the day of our graduation, he'd suddenly come to me and pinned me to the wall. His voice was seductive as he said, "I agree to be your boyfriend, Lulu."I'd thrown my arms around him without hesitation. As he kissed me, he said, "Let's get married tomorrow. I'll be your family from now on. I'll care for you on your parents' behalf."…I'd naively fallen for his promise. It had trapped me for two years. Despite him giving me the cold shoulder and having multiple affairs during that period, I would forgive him as long as he coaxed me a little.I would numbly