Juliet hated the dirty kitchen, and if it weren’t for trying to please Gabriel, she wouldn’t have set foot in there. She recalled how Catherine used to be the perfect wife, always cooking delicious meals for him, yet in the end, she was still abandoned.It goes to show that winning a man's heart wasn’t about satisfying his stomach but rather appealing to his vanity.Juliet looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with admiration, the kind of adoration a girl feels for her man."Brother Gabriel, I really want to be your wife."This move hit directly at Gabriel’s patriarchal nature, and sure enough, his expression softened further, and his eyes showed a hint of tenderness."For now, let’s get engaged first. Once you're pregnant, we’ll get married right away. In the meantime, take good care of your health, and after you give me a chubby son, I promise you’ll live a life of luxury and no one will compare."Hearing this, Juliet’s heart fluttered with joy. She didn’t mind if Gabriel saw her as
When Catherine found out that Gabriel had given her designs to Juliet, she confronted him.His response was to tell her to be generous, not to be petty or selfish, as it didn’t suit the role of the eldest daughter-in-law.Hearing what Gabriel said, what could Catherine do but swallow her frustration?After establishing her brand, Juliet no longer used Catherine’s designs, instead building her fame by following Catherine’s style. Meanwhile, Gabriel forced Catherine to quit her job and stay at home as a housewife.Looking back now, it was all part of a premeditated plan. Gabriel probably feared that if Catherine continued designing, someone might eventually notice the similarities between her style and Juliet’s, exposing the latter as a fraud with mediocre talent.Catherine closed her eyes tightly. In the end, had she always been the most foolish one?Sensing her sinking mood, Emily refrained from saying anything provocative, instead hugging her gently and comforting her in a soft voice
After resting for about two weeks, Catherine finally no longer felt unwell. Seeing her savings dwindling in her bank account, she decided it was time to find a job.Being pregnant now made it difficult to apply to any company. No one would willingly invite trouble by hiring a pregnant woman. So, she could only do online work, such as designing pet clothes or other miscellaneous tasks, to earn some money.During this time, Gabriel didn’t come around to bother her. She guessed he was probably busy preparing for his engagement to Juliet, leaving him no time to pay attention to his ex-wife. That was fine by her, as it spared her from unnecessary anger that might affect the baby.However, her peaceful days didn’t last long. A month passed, and on the day of Gabriel and Juliet’s engagement, a group of his tall, muscular bodyguards barged into Catherine’s home, delivering a message that he wanted her to attend their happy occasion.Catherine looked at the scene unfolding before her, feeling
Then, a voice dripping with sarcasm cut through the crowd: "Maybe she’s here to beg Gabriel to take her back. Think about it, the Sterling family is so prestigious. If it were you, would you walk away from such a fortune? If it were me, I’d cling to him even if it killed me.""True enough. I heard she can’t have children, which is why she got dumped. She deserved it, so what’s there to be bitter about?"As soon as these words were spoken, the guests once again turned their eyes toward Catherine. Some sneered, others pitied her, while the men looking to approach her grew even more excited. The fact that she couldn’t have children was a bonus for them; the last thing they wanted was to accidentally father a child in a casual fling. Money could solve problems, but if their competitors found out, it would be a headache.With this thought, one of the young men from the crowd carried his glass of wine over to Catherine and asked, "May I sit here for a moment, Miss?"Before Catherine could r
Gabriel’s grip on her delicate wrist caused Catherine to wince in pain. Internally, she mocked him for his ability to stir up trouble. He had sent people to forcibly bring her here, yet now he was questioning her as if she had been eager to attend his engagement.Catherine was about to respond when he suddenly grabbed an orange from the banquet table and shoved it into her mouth, muffling her voice with nothing but "mmm" sounds. Then, he swiftly pinned her arms behind her back, removed his tie, and bound her with it, motioning to the security guards standing nearby."Take her to the waiting room."He truly lived up to his reputation as the grandson of a former national leader, displaying quick, efficient movements. Even though the person he was manhandling was a fragile woman, it didn’t diminish the admiration of the onlookers.Someone started laughing, and soon, the other guests covered their mouths to stifle their laughter, leaving Catherine utterly humiliated.She never expected Ga
Gabriel relaxed his expression and smiled, "I’m fine."But in truth, rage was boiling inside him. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to storm up to the room and confront Catherine, to ask if she really no longer loved him.Then, he recalled the scene of her surrounded by men earlier, and the sense of danger grew even stronger. He hadn’t expected her to be so sought after after their divorce.Damn it, she was nothing but a flirt!Once the ceremony was over, he would teach her a lesson....Outside the waiting room, two bodyguards stood watch, and with no windows inside, Catherine had no way to escape. She didn’t know how long the engagement would last or when it would finally be over.Catherine sat on the bed waiting, but her phone had no signal. At this moment, there was nothing she could do but close her eyes and try to sleep.Just as she was about to doze off, her body suddenly became unbearably hot, her limbs weak, and her mind dizzy, unable to clearly see the objects arou
Even Juliet, who tried to enter, was coldly turned away. Gabriel intentionally separated everyone, leaving only himself and Catherine, whose body was now burning with desire from the drug, alone in the room.Having been in the business world since childhood, Gabriel naturally knew that Catherine had been drugged, but that didn’t stop the raging fire burning within him. Right now, he wanted to use this shameless ex-wife of his to extinguish it.Gabriel moved toward Catherine, crouched down in front of her, and watched as she squirmed uncomfortably. He softly said, "I’ll help you detoxify."Catherine’s head was still spinning, but not to the point of losing all her senses. She knew Gabriel wouldn’t lower himself to force her, so she braced her hands and crawled into the bathroom.Gabriel followed, thinking that doing it in the bathroom was fine. There were probably a lot of people outside, and if any embarrassing sounds were made, it wouldn’t be good.Unexpectedly, as soon as she got in
"I... I don't know anything."The maid trembled in fear, afraid that Gabriel would kill her to silence her.Thinking of this, she desperately ran toward the door and opened it.And when the door swung open, Gabriel's mother and his fiancée were standing there, their faces pale as they took in the scene inside.Because Gabriel had shielded her, the guests couldn’t see Catherine's exposed body, but everyone knew exactly what the two of them had been doing in that room. There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone exchanged bewildered glances."Brother Gabriel... sob... why..." Juliet burst into tears, covering her mouth in disbelief as she looked at Gabriel and Catherine entangled together.Seeing her like this, every man present felt a surge of sympathy, wanting to protect her. But the group had barged in, ruining Gabriel’s moment, which left him furious."Everyone, get out!"Without offering any explanation or comfort, he simply and rudely ordered everyone who was staring at Cath