Shelby made a sound of agreement, her back sore from sitting too long. She leaned back against Harper without much thought. She was busy with her work and not in the mood for conversation.Harper quickly got the gist of the case file. In short, it was a classic example of someone facing the consequences of their own actions.In the western part of Starville, there was a middle school and a vocational school. The two schools were just a street apart. Not all, but at least 80% of the vocational school students were troublemakers.One of those students, Yered, often rounded up his gang to shake down the middle school kids for their money.Since last year, the bullies had been targeting Steven Scott, a middle schooler. They would often demand money from him. Steven was shy and scared, so he never stood up to them and just handed over the cash.However, this time, as he was walking with a girl from his class, the bullies blocked their path again. They started to pick on the girl becaus
Harper's kisses were always teasing, intentionally awakening her senses.Their tongues tangled, taking her breath away. When she felt like she could not breathe and instinctively grabbed at his shirt, Harper let go and kissed his way down to her chin, neck, and chest.She could not resist him.Shelby was torn. She did not have to hold back her body's needs and reactions, especially since they could not end their marriage just yet. He was her husband, after all, so why should she deny herself? She decided to make the most of it.Men could easily separate love from physical desire, and women could too. Shelby did not think that accepting Harper's touches meant she liked him. It was just about meeting a need.She would just get that over with.Shelby's fingers gripped the sheets tightly as Harper kissed her growing belly. She was six months along, and her belly was a little bigger. The thought of their child made his heart melt, and he kissed her several more times before suddenly s
Even after Zara Lowry was pushed out of the operating room after the dilation and curettage surgery, she had yet to recover from the shock of her unexpected pregnancy and accidental miscarriage. As the nurse wheeled her into her hospital ward, she asked, "Bed 1703. Zara, is anyone here with you?"Zara's eyes were fixed on the white ceiling, but they were unfocused. It seemed that she did not hear what the nurse said. "Zara, do you have any family with you?" the nurse asked again.Another nurse, who was adjusting the IV bag, turned around and said, "Give me the paperwork. I'll fill in the forms. She gave me her ID and bank card when she arrived in the ambulance. "She said I could register her directly and charge her the fees. She doesn't have..."Zara's lips moved slightly as she took in the nurse's words."I have no family members."The sharp scent of disinfectant assaulted her nostrils, and she slowly curled up. The loss of her child felt even more real now. She took a breath, and
After the party ended, Zara made sure each client was safely in their car. Once she was done with that, she leaned against a telephone pole by the roadside. She was drenched in sweat all over, and she could not tell which parts of her were throbbing in pain.Her lipstick had smudged off, leaving her lips pale and lifeless.Yosef's driver, who was aware of her relationship with Yosef, noticed that there was something strange about her. He hurriedly offered, "Ms. Lowry, do you want to hop in first?"Zara nodded and clambered into the back seat. A couple of minutes later, the car door swung open again. Yosef and the woman were outside, looking like they were about to get into the car. They did not expect Zara to be inside. Yosef's brows creased in irritation. He was seemingly blaming her for occupying the seat.The woman hurriedly opened the door to the front passenger seat while murmuring, "Mr. Webb, I'll sit in front."With a thud, Yosef closed the door. "Let's drop Beatrice off
Zara and Yosef stepped into the bathroom. The shower was running, mimicking a downpour.As Yosef pushed her on the back of her head, Zara choked. Her mind suddenly raced back to the day they first met three years prior.It had been a rainy day.Her family used to run a small supermarket. They were not wealthy, but they were not poor either. They made enough to lead a stable life.Who would have thought that her father would fall for a scheme, leaving them with a crushing debt of five million? They sold the supermarket, their home, and everything else they could sell. Even after all that, they were still three million short.At their lowest point, the schemer revealed his true intentions and demanded Zara as payment.Her parents agreed.One stormy night, she ran for her life. The roar of motorcycles chased her like predators after their prey. She lost her shoes, her hair was whipped about by the wind, and ahead of her was only the endless darkness.She took a stumble and fell.
Zara shot back, "What exactly do you want me to explain, Mr. Webb?""Why did you fire her?"Zara laid it out straight. "She was responsible for the contract with Warner, and she put the decimal point in the wrong spot. Luckily, our client didn't make a big deal out of it. "According to the company's regulations, a new employee who makes a serious mistake that hurts the company's interest can be dismissed—and we keep the right to hold them accountable."Beatrice went white as a sheet from fear and nervousness. "I... I was too careless. I'm so sorry..."Yosef gave her a look that was meant to be soothing, then turned to Zara. "The document."Zara set the document down.Yosef flipped to the last page, took a quick look, and chucked it back on the desk. "You didn't come to work on this date. If you hadn't been absent from work for no reason, Beatrice, the rookie, wouldn't have had to work on this contract."Zara was incredulous. "Are you saying this is on me, Mr. Webb?""You're t
Zara headed back to her rented place to pack up her stuff."Zara, you're back? I was about to start searching for you in every hospital tomorrow if you still hadn't shown up today.""Yeah, I'm fine now."Cecil Jones was Zara's roommate and university dorm buddy. The two had been living together for the past six or seven years. They had always had a good relationship with each other.Throughout Zara's hospital stay, Cecil was the only one who showed real worry for her. However, Zara kept the truth from her, claiming she was just sick and refusing any visits.Slipping into her house slippers, Cecil walked up to Zara's room and found her crouched on the floor while folding clothes."Off on another business trip? You just got sick not long ago, and you're already jetting off? Can your body handle it? Why is Yosef such a jerk? Why does he always have to push you so hard?"Cecil was well aware of Zara's rocky relationship with Yosef and had never been a big fan of him.Zara was not s
Zara’s colleagues were sincerely looking out for her. "Zara, have you made the calculations? Your contract will expire in a month. If you don't come back to the headquarters, Mr. Webb might not renew your contract."It'll be automatically terminated when the time comes, and that's it for you. Even if you want to call it quits, you should wrap things up at the headquarters. It'll make your resume shine."Zara had not been thinking about that, but she figured that she should go back and see things for herself.The day Yosef was due to visit the branch, she put on a full face of makeup and slipped into a crisp white dress. She waited right at the company's front door.Ten minutes ticked by, and then three sleek cars rolled up. They came to a smooth stop at the foot of the steps.The moment the car door swung open, Yosef stepped out. Zara's smile was just about to bloom when she caught sight of someone else stepping out from the other side of the car.Beatrice.Seeing was indeed bel
Harper's kisses were always teasing, intentionally awakening her senses.Their tongues tangled, taking her breath away. When she felt like she could not breathe and instinctively grabbed at his shirt, Harper let go and kissed his way down to her chin, neck, and chest.She could not resist him.Shelby was torn. She did not have to hold back her body's needs and reactions, especially since they could not end their marriage just yet. He was her husband, after all, so why should she deny herself? She decided to make the most of it.Men could easily separate love from physical desire, and women could too. Shelby did not think that accepting Harper's touches meant she liked him. It was just about meeting a need.She would just get that over with.Shelby's fingers gripped the sheets tightly as Harper kissed her growing belly. She was six months along, and her belly was a little bigger. The thought of their child made his heart melt, and he kissed her several more times before suddenly s
Shelby made a sound of agreement, her back sore from sitting too long. She leaned back against Harper without much thought. She was busy with her work and not in the mood for conversation.Harper quickly got the gist of the case file. In short, it was a classic example of someone facing the consequences of their own actions.In the western part of Starville, there was a middle school and a vocational school. The two schools were just a street apart. Not all, but at least 80% of the vocational school students were troublemakers.One of those students, Yered, often rounded up his gang to shake down the middle school kids for their money.Since last year, the bullies had been targeting Steven Scott, a middle schooler. They would often demand money from him. Steven was shy and scared, so he never stood up to them and just handed over the cash.However, this time, as he was walking with a girl from his class, the bullies blocked their path again. They started to pick on the girl becaus
Samantha was really happy. She lifted her finger elegantly and said softly, "One step at a time. First, we'll make sure the child is gone. Then, we'll push them to divorce, and in the end, when she's weak from losing the baby, we'll take care of her." If Shelby died as Harper's wife, then Harper would get everything, and that would be bad. The two women agreed. While reclining on their bamboo chairs, they started dreaming about their perfect future—one with the Young family and the other with all the money. Since the foot masseuse could not hear or speak, they talked freely, not worried about anyone overhearing them. After the massage, they even went to eat together. The masseuse quietly cleaned up and tidied the room. Then, she headed straight for the lookout point. The resort was in the mountains, with lots of trees and streams. The lookout was up high, with a great view of all the little mountains. It was a beautiful spot that every guest at the hotel made sure to visit.
Adalee was doubtful. "Is it really that serious? Our husband doesn't like that dowdy wife or the eldest son. Even if he's started to favor Harper more because of his marriage to the Lambert family, that still won't affect our children.""Our husband used to leave the company matters to our sons, but now he's handing them over to Harper. Who knows what the future holds?" Samantha said with a hint of malice. "We can't take that risk. We can't let Harper get too much leverage. We can't let him and his child have too great a chance to win."Adalee could see Samantha was desperate and asked anxiously, "What are you thinking of doing? She's a lawyer. She knows the law, and she's the sole heir to the Lambert family."Samantha's eyes suddenly became slits. "That's right, she's the only one who will inherit the Lambert family's fortune. With that kind of money, there are loads of people who want to trick her or get their hands on it. "She's a lawyer, not a superhero. Just wait. I'll make
It was Shelby's first visit to the Youngs' place, and by chance, she walked in on his father's so-called second and third wives being snide to Harper. His dad had not lifted a finger to help. It seemed like this was not a one-off occurrence.Was that the way they always treated him?Harper, taken aback by her blunt question, nearly slammed on the brakes. What?"Me, being pushed around in the family? That's just because I can't be bothered..." Who would waste their time arguing with a bunch of women or stoop so low as to fight with their dad's other women? That would be so embarrassing, right?However, he stopped himself mid-sentence.Because he suddenly realized that by saying that, he was making it sound like he felt bad for being 'picked on' at home.Harper slowed the car down and glanced at Shelby. Her eyebrows were knitted together, and she looked really serious. She was definitely not happy.He almost smiled, but he pushed it back down. He swallowed hard and changed his voi
She faced Samantha, not bothering to argue about inheritance rights. "You still haven't answered my earlier question. What does 'stepmother' mean?"Caught off guard by the sudden shift back to the topic, Samantha was momentarily speechless.Shelby did not wait for her to catch up. She pulled out her phone and quickly tapped the screen."Ah, I see," Shelby remarked, glancing at her phone. "According to this, 'stepmother' used to refer to a concubine in ancient times. That's similar to a servant, isn't it? So, in modern terms, it's like a maid. "Got it now. Would you mind getting me some salad? Thanks."The nerve of her, treating Samantha like a common maid! She had never been so insulted. "You!"Shelby set her phone down and met her gaze. "Since you're so curious, I'll fill you in. In the Lambert family, my word is law. If you're ever curious about me again, just ask me directly. No need to rely on rumors."Samantha bit her lip and looked to Gilbert for support, but he just sat
It was Shelby.Pregnant and in flats, she stood firm with not a hint of weakness about her.Her steady gaze fell on the two women who fancied themselves important, leaving them at a loss for words.Harper paused for just a moment, then quickly got to his feet and hurried over. "Dear!"The Young family's house was bright and airy. Harper's eyes sparkled with the unexpected joy of seeing Shelby, who had said she would not come. His face lit up with a smile.Shelby watched him, amused. She thought he was like their excited Shiba Inu, dashing over at the sight of its owner.Harper reached her side, calling out again, "Dear."Shelby gave a small nod. "Yeah."The guests at the dining table snapped out of their surprise, and Wrenley beamed. "Shelby, you're here."Shelby greeted her parents-in-law, "Mom, Dad."Wrenley hurried over to help her, her actions showing just how much she cherished her daughter-in-law.That was Shelby's first visit to the Young family since her wedding. She
Harper waited until Wrenley had said enough, andthen he spoke up."I just don't get you. Your family's loaded, my grandparents are laidback, and Dad doesn't even like you. Why stick to him? Just divorce him, take half his stuff, go home, and hang out with some young models. "That'd be way better than sticking to a lost cause. You've got no ambition."If it were Shelby, she would have left by then if he had not trapped her by getting her pregnant and holding something over her head. Why couldn't his mom be more like his wife?"In your dreams!"Wrenley, with tears in her eyes, scoffed. "The Young family wasn't always so fancy. I married him, and he promised me the moon. 'A good wife helps me reach my dreams, and I'll pay her back in gold.' And then what? "Once the Young family made it big, he just kept bringing in more women and their kids. How can I accept that? I'll fight him to the end, even if it kills me!"Harper sighed. "You want to fight him, I don't. Shelby and her baby
"An old friend?" Zara questioned. "If an old friend wanted to see me, they should be visiting the cemetery, not here."Only a very few people knew she was still alive.Shawn asked, "Is it a man or a woman?""A young man. He also said something else...""What did he say?"The butler hesitated, then relayed, "He said... The miss tricked him, and now she owes him for it."Zara was speechless.The garden fell silent for a moment, with only the whisper of the summer wind rustling through the flowers.Seconds later, Shawn set aside his tablet and smiled slightly. "Really? That sounds fun. Get him to come in. I'd like to meet him too."Zara had thought it was just a joke, but when the butler led the visitor in, she stood up in astonishment.It was him!...In Parnova, the sun shone brightly.However, in Starville, the weather was turning.The sky had been clear when Harper left home in the morning. However, when he reached the Youngs' place at noon, he saw the sun hidden behind