Zachary sighed and said, “Won’t you do your best in rehab and recover as soon as possible, for my sister-in-law’s sake? Are you really willing to watch her be taken away by another man?“If you really think that way, then I’ll tell my nana and have her introduce some good men suitable for Liberty to meet. If sparks fly, as Liberty’s family, Seren and I will make sure she gets married off grandly.”Duncan was pale around the gills.He cared about Liberty, very much so.When Hank had an accident and his life was in danger, Duncan was jealous knowing Liberty went to visit him. He made a fuss and demanded to be discharged early, just so that Liberty would not have to visit her ex-husband every day.Grandma May once said that there were a few outstanding men who were suitable for Liberty. If Duncan could really let go, Grandma May would have introduced Liberty to someone new.“Duncan, if you give up on something you haven't even tried yet, then you won't have any hope of succeeding.”
Mrs. Brown pressed Sonny’s head against her chest, choking up as she spoke, “Yeah, Daddy will definitely get better. Sonny, daddy loves you very much. He knows you are here to see him, he’ll definitely get better.”Sonny snuggled in his grandmom’s arms. As a young child, he knew that his father loved him, but not as much as his mother did. He lost his trust in his father, who would abandon him just because Jess had a tummy ache.As Hank was lying motionless on the hospital bed, Sonny was sensible enough not to speak his mind.Ring, ring, ring…Liberty’s phone rang.It was a call from Serenity.She walked away to answer the phone.“Are you still in the hospital, Liberty?”“Yeah. I brought Sonny here to visit his father. Also, Mr. Lewis is going to be discharged from the hospital. We'll go back soon.”After Duncan got discharged from the hospital, Liberty thought that she did not need to go to his house and take care of him anymore.Duncan would mainly be in rehabilitation afte
“Liberty, is Mr. Lewis being discharged from the hospital today?”Serenity asked her sister through the phone, “Didn’t you say that it would take a while for him to be discharged from the hospital?”“Mr. Lewis was making a fuss about wanting to be discharged. He did so from the very beginning, but the doctor always advised him against it. I wonder why it’s different today. The doctor said that he was good to go home. The doctor also said that he needs to rest for a while at home before he can start rehab.”Liberty sounded a bit helpless. “Mr. Lewis’s mood is as unpredictable as the weather in June.”Though, she could also understand where he was coming from; she would go crazy too if she had to lie down every day.“Now that there is no need for IV infusion, it’s not a big problem recuperating at home. I think it's better for him to go home. He can go out for a stroll in his wheelchair every day and breathe in some fresh air to improve his mood. I heard that a good mood speeds up recove
With the hospital release paperwork all done, Duncan sat in a wheelchair while his bodyguard wheeled him downstairs. Having found out that Duncan was getting discharged, Duncan’s sister-in-law laid aside the matters at hand and hurried over to pick him up. Since there were a lot of people fussing over Duncan, and Duncan was under the bodyguards’ care, Liberty wanted to deal with her own stuff. She told Mrs. Lewis, “Mr. Lewis is getting out of the hospital, and you have a lot of people at home to look after him. I won’t go with you then. My newly acquired restaurant is under renovation now, so I want to check on it.” Mrs. Lewis wanted Liberty to come along to the house as Duncan would hold back a little on the tantrum when Liberty was around. Noticing the weariness across Liberty’s face, Mrs. Lewis felt bad and replied, “We can take care of Duncan, Liberty. Go on with your work, but don’t work too hard. The last few days must have been draining on you.” She took Liberty’s han
“I was thinking that you’d be home since Mr. Lewis is out of the hospital. I could have dinner with you instead of eating on my own at home.” Serenity carried Sonny to the dinner table and grabbed a plate to fill with appetizers. Wiltspoonians enjoyed their appetizers. It was hard to start a meal without an appetizer. Liberty made family favorites. She cooked extra since she had an inkling that Serenity would join her for dinner. “Here’s your appetizer, Sonny. Enjoy.” Serenity then filled a plate for Liberty before getting one for herself. After taking a bite, Serenity sighed with contentment. “Your food is different. The chef at home is good at cooking, but nothing beats my sister’s food.” Liberty responded with a smile, “You can always come over if you like my food.” Serenity craved comfort food after having too much fancy food. “Now that Mr. Lewis is discharged, are you going to carry on caring for him, Liberty?” Serenity asked with concern. “I don’t think so. He
One of the bodyguards courteously asked the stranger. Leaning against the body of the car, the woman pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her handbag and handed a couple to the two bodyguards. The bodyguards refused the offer.The woman did not mind and lit a cigarette for herself before putting the handbag into the car. She then slumped against the car and told the bodyguards amid puffs, “I want to meet with Mrs. York. Tell Serenity that I want to invite her out for supper. I want to have a talk with her.” “May I have your name, miss?” The young and beautiful woman requested to see Mrs. York by name. The bodyguards could guess that she was the woman who had feelings for Mr. York. Otherwise, the woman would not be here to talk with Mrs. York. “My last name is Daniels.” The woman in red was none other than Jenna Daniels. Jenna fell in love with Zachary at first sight. However, her father’s scolding seemed to get through to her as it had been a while since she showed her fa
Serenity and Jenna sized each other up. While the people of Wiltspoon knew that Serenity was Mrs. York, not many remembered what Serenity looked like. She rarely made press appearances as Zachary shielded her well. Any viral news about her was soon taken down. Zachary knew that his beloved wife preferred a peaceful life, but because of him, Serenity had to socialize. Still, Zachary tried his best not to interfere too much with her routine. Jenna had searched for Serenity’s photo online, and the only photos that came up in the search result were either blurry or only of Serenity’s side profile. It was only now that Jenna could admire Mrs. York’s stunning looks. Jenna was pretty too, but now that she met Serenity in person, Jenna had to admit that Serenity was a sight to behold and no less than her. She had a polished class, and that was one of the things she was proud of. Still, it was not a quality she could win Serenity with. Serenity carried herself with natural grace. It
It was only a little over nine o’clock right now. Jenna usually shadowed his father, so the father and daughter often worked until late at night before they could get home. Their weekends were filled with work too. With a sweet smile, Serenity answered, “My husband is a model husband. He would return home around half-past nine at night if I was not with him. He said no work is more important than me. He doesn’t want me to wait for him until late, so he would try and get off work early to spend time with me.” Jenna found the smile on Serenity’s face an eyesore, and the mushy response only fueled her anger. All Jenna wanted was to breathe fire and burn Serenity to the ground. It was a good thing she had ventured into the business world with her father and learned to keep her composure. Jenna held her anger back, not revealing any discontent on her face. “You have a good relationship with Mr. York, Ms. Hunt.” Serenity replied with a smile, “Yes. My husband really spoils me. I
Even Corey dared not do anything to Liberty, let alone the relatives. They were not fools.They would not incite arguments like Chelsea. Moreover, Liberty had the backing of the York and Stone families. The Wiltspoonians knew how much Serenity cared about her sister. Serenity would fight anyone who dared harm Liberty. If Serenity wanted to fight, Zachary would not sit still either. “I’m not my past self. I won’t get bullied.“Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I was so stupid back then. I was a housewife whose world revolved around my husband and baby. Even so, I was mistreated.”Liberty did not take care of her health as well. She let herself overeat to the point her weight became unhealthy. At that time, she thought she could afford to gain some weight since she was already married and had given birth. She also stopped dressing up. After the divorce, Liberty realized that women, especially married women, should love themselves. How could a woman expect oth
“You must come pick me up with Mom, Dunc. Okay?”“Of course.”Duncan could not bear leaving Sonny. He was already missing Sonny even though the little man was still right before him. Sonny slid down and returned to Hank’s side. Hank held his hand. He was about to say something to Duncan but ultimately decided against it. “Sonny and I shall head up now. His grandparents are waiting for him.”Liberty hummed in approval.She and Duncan stood and watched Hank walk away with Sonny. Sonny kept looking back and waving at them. Duncan tried his best to restrain himself from running forward to hug Sonny. He kept chanting mentally, ‘Hank is Sonny’s biological dad.’Letting the father and son reunite once in a while was perfectly normal. As a stepfather, he could not stop Hank and Sonny from hanging out together. Luckily, it was only for two days. Duncan was thankful that Liberty had brought Sonny to FC Manor right after winter vacation started instead of letting the Browns t
“Dad.”Sonny ran toward Hank when he spotted his father. Hank stepped forward and bent over to lift his son. He then kissed Sonny’s cheeks several times and rubbed his face against Sonny’s. They seemed close.Indeed, Hank had been treating Sonny well. Liberty only pushed Duncan over after Hank and Sonny were done.Hank’s gaze landed on Liberty’s face. She had a rosy complexion and charming eyes. Her expression was gentle, and she had a slight smile. However, it was not because she was being friendly toward Hank. She was simply in a good mood because she and Duncan finally got married and just had their wedding night. “Sorry for making you bring Sonny over, Liberty.”They initially agreed on having Liberty drop Sonny off at the neighborhood’s entrance, where he should have been waiting. However, he missed the timing because he was quarreling with Chelsea. Liberty had no choice but to bring Sonny inside. Hank knew she did not really want to return to the neighborhood, h
Liberty’s old neighbors even told her how terrible life had been for the Brown family for the past two years. A lady who used to be close to Liberty and Serenity pulled Liberty’s hand. She said, “The Brown family is unfortunate. Your living a better life than them is the best revenge.”Liberty smiled. “I don’t want to get revenge. I just want to live my own life. Whether they’re doing well or not doesn’t concern me.”“Of course. You’re kind and generous. There’s no need to stoop down to their level.”The lady caressed Sonny’s face. “Sonny has grown so much. He’s in preschool now, right? Getting more handsome as he grows. He looks just like you, Liberty.”“Hello,” Sonny greeted the lady. She smiled. “What a good boy.”Sonny had always been an obedient child as she recalled. The residents loved to tease the boy whenever Liberty or Serenity brought him out to play. What was the Brown family thinking? How could they not love such an adorable kid?Mr. and Mrs. Brown would rather
Sonny nodded. “I know, Mom. I’ll tell Dad to hide the box so Aunt Chel can’t find it. Why does Aunt Chel like taking stuff from Dad’s house?“Lucas used to take my toys too. I even cried. Grandmom said Lucas would return my toy after some time, but he never did.”Although Sonny was only two years old two years ago, he still remembered how his grandmom sided with Lucas. “About Chelsea… That’s something for the adults to think about. You’re still young. Don’t pay any mind to it.”Chelsea’s parents were to blame for her selfish behavior and habit of leeching off her family. Hank also played a part by allowing his parents to spoil his sister. Even he helped her out a lot in the past. Whenever Chelsea visited, he would get Liberty to prepare whatever dishes Chelsea wanted to eat, no matter how expensive they were. He also specifically asked for large portions to be made so that Chelsea could have her fill. Chelsea loved seafood. Her favorites were pricey ones like lobsters and crab
“Dunc picked me up. He’ll take me to Dad’s place afterward.“Are you feeling unwell, Mom?”Sonny got up and touched Liberty’s forehead, then his own. He even stuck their foreheads together. His mother and Aunt Ser always did the same thing whenever he felt sick. He simply copied what they did.“I’m fine.”Liberty could not tell Sonny that her waist and legs were sore. Instead, she glared at Duncan, who was sitting at the bedside. It was all his fault. He was insatiable. Duncan smiled apologetically. He could not help but indulge himself once he got a taste of pleasure after being single for so long. Liberty was the victim of his hunger. “Then why did you wake up this late? It’s already eleven. I wanted to wake you up, but Dunc didn’t let me. He said you were tired and that I should let you rest,” said Sonny.Liberty lied. “I was on an extended business trip and worked night and day. The things I had to do were endless. I’m too tired. Now that I’m finally on vacatio
Liberty smiled. “Not yet. Maybe you can continue sleeping in the car until the sun rises.“We’re home. Let’s get out of the car. Even if you’re sleepy, you should still take a bath first. The year is ending in a few days. The weather isn’t that cold now. I checked the weather forecast. It says it’ll rain a little on New Year’s Day, so the temperature might drop slightly.”Duncan sat up and touched his forehead. Indeed, there was some sweat. “It really isn’t cold. I’m even sweating.”Liberty did not turn on the car’s air conditioning. In that weather, it would be cold if the air conditioning was turned on and hot if it was turned off. Thanks to the wind, it was still cooling when the car was moving. However, once the car stopped, it became stuffy inside. Liberty got out of the car and went to the passenger seat to help Duncan. Duncan declined her help and insisted on doing it himself. Then, he held her hand and walked into the house slowly. After heading upstairs, he belatedl
Liberty did have a fatty liver back then. However, that was resolved after she lost weight. Indeed, having an unhealthy weight could bring about health issues. Purchasing plus-sized clothes was also a problem. Once she started maintaining a healthy weight, she looked fantastic in whatever she wore and often received compliments for having a great figure when shopping for clothes. Most people marveled at her healthy and youthful complexion. She did not look like she was already in her thirties with a four-year-old son. “Do you want to take a nap? There’s heavy traffic ahead.”Liberty saw a stretch of road highlighted in red on the navigation app, signaling slow traffic. “Aren’t most people on holiday and traveling? Why is the traffic still congested?”Duncan muttered, “Maybe there was a car accident.“I don’t need a nap. I’m energetic now. I won’t be able to fall asleep.”He was extremely excited. “If you think I’m too talkative, you can play some music. We can liste
Since Audrey would take care of Sonny, Liberty and Duncan were in a good mood as they exited the Stones’ residence. Duncan’s bodyguards were to return home instead of following him around. He had Liberty anyway. Besides, it was his and Liberty’s wedding night. They even left Sonny with the Stones, so there was no way he would be letting his bodyguards follow him home. Liberty was the one who drove as Duncan’s legs were still recovering. She would glance at him from time to time. She said, “You’ve been staring at me the entire night. Haven’t you seen enough?“It’s not our first time meeting each other. What’s there to look at?”“You’re beautiful. You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.”Duncan was particularly generous with sweet words that night. To him, his wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. “I can’t get enough of watching you. I controlled myself in Aunt Audrey’s house because I didn’t want her to laugh at me. Now that there’s only the two of us,