Thaddeus hurriedly let go of her hand. "Jessie, I'm sorry. I was afraid you'd leave.""Where's the medicine cabinet? Let me take your temperature first. You're burning up. Are you really not planning to go to the hospital?" Jessamine asked.Thaddeus smirked casually. "If you take me to the hospital, you'll leave afterward. I won't go. Don't try to deceive me."Jessamine had no way to deal with him. She glanced back and saw that the bedroom door had been closed at some point. Jordan, who had been standing by, was nowhere to be seen. He really found a good assistant.When Jessamine came out of the bedroom, she saw Jordan was sitting on the couch, playing games while bored. Thaddeus told him to leave, but he didn't dare to. Perhaps he would be sent to run errands later. He could only pass the time playing games and wait on standby."Mr. Rhodes, is there a medicine cabinet at home?""Yes, there is." Jordan put down his phone and went to the cabinet to take out a small box, handing
Thaddeus' gaze fell to Jessamine's feet, and he furrowed his brows. "Jessie, why aren't you wearing shoes? Isn't the floor cold?"Jessamine felt her mouth was dry and licked her lips. "You don't like others touching your things. How could I wear your shoes?"Thaddeus chuckled bitterly. "I don't like others touching my things, but are you someone else? Go put on your shoes and don't let your feet get cold."Jessamine thought, "Now that we're divorced, why pretend to be close? When we used to share a bed, you wouldn't even lend me your slippers."She grumbled inwardly but remained standing in place without moving.Thaddeus became a little anxious. He knew her temperament. Beneath her gentle exterior was a resilient heart, stubborn and unyielding, never listening to others once she had made up her mind."Jessie, what are you thinking? When have I ever looked down on you?"Since Thaddeus asked, Jessamine didn't hold back. "In our first year of marriage, after I showered, I wore your
At that time, what Thaddeus disliked the most was Lana cooking instant ramen early in the morning. His favorite was a sandwich and milk.Jessamine's mind wandered as she cooked the ramen in the pot and cracked an egg into it. With such meager ingredients in the house, she had to make do with what they had. She thought that when the family doctor arrived, he would surely prescribe medication. Taking medicine on an empty stomach wasn't good for the stomach, so she cooked the ramen for him. Whether or not Thaddeus wanted to eat it was up to him.In no time, a steaming bowl of ramen was ready.Jessamine brought the ramen back to the bedroom and placed them on his bedside table.Thaddeus saw that she was wearing shoes when she returned, and his annoyance eased a bit. When he smelled the familiar aroma, all his gloominess disappeared."Jessie, it's been a long time since I ate your cooking."Jessamine snorted. "It's because you didn't like it. With the way your home is, you can eat i
At this moment, Erik and Jessamine's gazes converged on Thaddeus, both waiting for him to bring out the medicine.Thaddeus tried to divert the conversation. "Dr. Fisher, how's my mom's check-up? She fainted again a few days ago?"Erik replied truthfully, "Ms. Heather has some old health issues. She caught a chill from the air conditioning recently. Don't worry, I'll prescribe some medicine for her to help. As long as she takes good care of herself, it shouldn't be a big problem.""Can she still use the air conditioning? It's so hot these days, and it might be uncomfortable without it. Besides, other people also feel the heat.""She can use the air conditioning, but just be careful not to blow it directly. Adjusting the temperature to not too low should be fine."Jessamine felt frustrated. She had come over in the middle of the night to see him, not to listen to their discussion about whether Heather could use the air conditioning."Dr. Fisher, could you please diagnose him first?
Thaddeus had once contemplated death, wanting to join Jessamine and the two children. But now that he knew she was still alive and well, how could he think of dying? He wanted to live well and be with her for as long as he could."Jessie, no."Jessamine seemed to relax upon hearing his answer.Thaddeus watched her back, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He had already put on his clothes."Jessie, look at me."Jessamine turned around but didn't meet his gaze. However, he could still see her reddened eyes, as if she had been crying."Jessie, during the four years you were away, I was indeed very sad. But all of that is nothing compared to the pain you've endured. It's been too difficult for us to be together. Let's not torture each other anymore, okay?"Jessamine chuckled. "We're not compatible. Stop saying things like that. It's embarrassing for everyone. If Jordan hadn't told me how serious your condition was, I wouldn't have come today."She added, "He said you were almost dyi
Jessamine had been married to Thaddeus for over half a year. Despite living under the same roof, their relationship was only slightly closer than strangers. Jessamine would see him every day, but she often felt there wasn't much they could talk about. He was always busy, often returning home late from work, and frequently took work calls even during dinner.Throughout their marriage, they had always slept in separate rooms.One day, after Jessamine had finished showering and lay on the big bed, she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone and realized it was Valentine's Day. Her social media feed was filled with pictures of flowers, rings, and movie tickets, making her feel a pang of envy.Thinking of the man in her house, Jessamine couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was the first time she had genuinely liked someone, and she always hoped to have more interactions with him. However, he always seemed aloof, like an unapproachable person, which made her feel timid around him.
"In the upper cabinet," she said, wiping her hands and moving to open the cabinet. It was a bit deep, and from her angle, she could only reach inside blindly, tiptoeing and feeling around with one hand.Thaddeus watched her slender figure in a daze. She was wearing a nightgown with an apron tied around her waist, accentuating her slender figure.He felt a sudden heat rise within him, and he took a step forward to the cabinet to retrieve the tea leaves.Jessamine was focused on finding the items quickly and didn't notice him standing behind her until she felt a distinctly bony hand in the cabinet. Her heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Summoning her courage, she hooked her finger, but the next moment, her entire hand was held firmly in his grasp.Jessamine trembled lightly as she turned around, finding herself enveloped by his broad figure, even blocking half of the overhead light bulb. He was too tall."Did you find it?" Thaddeus asked, his gaze fixed on her. His expression was
"I'm not leaving until you take your medicine," Jessamine insisted. Thaddeus struggled to open his eyes, and Jessamine promptly placed the medicine near his lips, successfully administering the fever-reducing medicine to him.She brought some water, intending to help him rinse his mouth, but within seconds, he had fallen asleep again. However, his hand still tightly grasped hers, as if afraid she would leave while he slept.Not only was he running a fever, but he also felt incredibly itchy all over, and his stomach was burning. Even in his dazed state, he still worried about her leaving.Jessamine sighed deeply and gently sat down on the edge of the bed.After about half an hour, Jordan and Erik returned with the medication. Jordan stood at the door and knocked softly. Jessamine gave him a look, and the two of them entered quietly.Erik said, "Mrs. Holt, this medication is for external use. Apply it three times a day. If Mr. Holt's rash doesn't improve within three days, we'll n
Thaddeus was dumbfounded. Why hadn't he considered using blood types to eliminate the possibility first?"My dad has type O blood."Jessamine's stroked his Adam's apple softly and deliberately. "My mom has type B blood, and I have type AB blood. Do you think it's possible that we could be long-lost siblings?"Thaddeus thought for some time and couldn't help but burst out in hearty laughter. It was impossible for someone with type B blood and someone with type O blood to have a child with AB type blood. What was he worrying about?At that moment, he couldn't believe how foolish he'd been. Biology was his best subject in school, yet he didn't think about this until Jessamine reminded him. His biology teacher would be furious if they knew."Why didn't you say so earlier, Jessie?" He regretted not talking to her about it sooner and ended up suffering in prolonged silence by himself.After Jessamine got bored touching his Adam's apple, she started playing with his rough chin. "I just
Jessamine lay still for a long time, aware that Thaddeus was also awake, battling insomnia just like her.This visit to Zenville to solve one mystery ended up bringing her an even bigger one.The gathering took place years ago in the restaurant owned by Benji's family. She had even asked Benji about it. The surveillance footage from over 20 years ago wouldn't be around now, and even the staff had changed several times. The restaurant's manager from back then had left the job many years ago.It wasn't easy to uncover the truth from back then unless they found the people who were directly involved. The closer they got to the truth, the more pressure she felt.By investigating this matter now, she was essentially peeling back the layers that had been hiding a much deeper issue. As she confronted the dark side of human nature, the ultimate victim ended up being her beloved mother.If Jessamine didn't look into this matter, she felt like she would be letting Elizabeth down. She wanted
Thaddeus frowned immensely at his request. "Don't be ridiculous!""I'm serious. You could help me rent one too. You know, the kind that charges by the day. I'll fool my dad first. We'll deal with everything else once he gets better," Benji said.Thaddeus cursed inwardly, "Dude, don't drag me into this, especially with my wife watching. It sounds like you're implying I have ways to get or rent women."Thaddeus glanced back at Jessamine and said, "I don't know about this. You should ask someone else. If you're at your wits end, go ask one of the assistants in your company to help you out."Benji seemed to come to a realization. He said, "It's getting late. You all should go back and rest. There are doctors here. I'll stay and keep watch."Jessamine asked, "Can you handle this on your own, Mr. Moore?""Sure, thank you… all of you," Benji replied.After saying a few more words of comfort, Jessamine and Thaddeus went downstairs to the car. Thaddeus' phone started ringing again."Mr.
Maya also knelt by the bed and started crying."Dad, don't speak for now. Please be okay."Benji zoned out. Seeing Carmen and Maya crying, his mind was in a mess. He realized that he couldn't continue to live aimlessly—his family needed him now."A girlfriend, a girlfriend..." he mumbled, not even sure of what he was saying.The doctor hurried to the room upon hearing the call, checked on Jonathan again, and then sent the family away."The patient needs rest and should avoid additional emotional stress. You all can wait outside for now. There's no need for everyone to be here, one would be enough. The room can be stuffy if there's too many people here, too."They then left the room. Benji was holding the X-ray images of Jonathan's brain, but he couldn't make any sense of it. He felt completely lost.Shane quietly slipped away from the crowd after watching from afar. He went to an empty hallway and called his father. "Dad, are you free to analyze some X-ray images? It's for a fri
Benji had always lived a smooth and pleasant life. It hit him hard after hearing what the doctor said, leaving him in a state of shock and bewilderment."Mom, hasn't Dad always been in good health? How did he suddenly..."Carmen's eyes were red and swollen from crying."He mentioned feeling dizzy a few times recently and said he'd go for a check-up but actually never did. Plus, he's been swamped with work lately and hasn't got any time. Today, he suddenly fainted at the office. His assistant called an ambulance right away and brought him to the hospital. By the time I got the call, he was already being examined inside."Benji's face turned pale. With Jonathan down, the burden of supporting his family fell on him. He had been free from responsibility for the past 20 years, and now, suddenly having to shoulder this heavy load, he felt completely lost.His father had been asking him to get familiar with the company's operations a long time ago. However, he was too lazy to bother abou
Benji never had any grand ambitions. From the day he was born, people always told him that he didn't need to worry about anything since most problems in this world could be solved with money, and his family had plenty of it. He just wanted to drift through life."I don't need to surpass him. As long as I can cover my daily expenses and not have to ask him for money, that's enough," Benji replied.As they were talking, Shane had prepared a table full of dishes. He set out four sets of plates and cutleries before calling everyone over to eat. "It's time to eat."The four of them hadn't seen each other in a long time, so they had to have a drink.Jessamine looked at the beautifully prepared dishes on the table and couldn't help but offer a compliment. "Shane, your cooking skills have gotten so good."Shane opened a bottle of red wine and poured some for everyone. "What can I do? There's a glutton at home."Benji was not happy with Shane's comment. What did he mean by saying there wa
"It's great that you came by today, Jessie. I'll pay you back the money. Friends who are willing to lend money these days are rare, so I want to thank you again," Benji said.He hadn't repaid the money he borrowed last time yet. Coincidentally, he received some money today, so he decided to settle the debt in person. With that, he picked up his phone to make the transfer.Jessamine's phone chimed, indicating that a payment had been received. The amount was a bit more than what she had lent out."Mr. Moore, I'm not here to ask you to settle your debt. You can keep it for now. I won't need the money for the time being," Jessamine said."If one borrows and returns promptly, borrowing again won't be difficult. You're much easier to talk to than Thaddeus. Despite knowing him for so many years, borrowing money from him is such a hassle. You saw it last time yourself. That scoundrel's attitude was terrible!" Benji complained.At this point in the conversation, Thaddeus happened to arrive
Thaddeus tightened his grip on Jessamine's slender waist. "What am I going to do with you, Jessie?"He thought to himself that if things really were just that coincidental, he would rather play the fool and pretend to know nothing at all. He just couldn't leave her.Jessamine asked softly, "How about you ask your dad?"Thaddeus paused for a moment and took out his phone to call Corey. He couldn't calm his mind at all.After a few seconds of hearing the dial tone, the call was answered."Dad," Thaddeus said.On the other end of the phone, Corey was about to go to sleep. He had been adjusting his routine lately, aiming to go to bed early and wake up early."What’s up?" Corey asked."Do you remember the gathering over 20 years ago with Mr. Hardy, Jacob Langston, Leon Lincoln, Paxton Loomis, and a few others?"After that, Thaddeus added, "That night, a beautiful woman came over. She drank some alcohol and was drugged."There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the ph
On the other side, Jessamine and Thaddeus got into the car.Jessamine and Beatrice were quite familiar with each other. However, it was Jessamine's first time meeting Sabastian. Surprisingly, she had a pretty good impression of him."Do the Hardy and Holt families have business dealings with each other?"Thaddeus drove as he answered her question, "We don't have much interaction. We would occasionally invest in small projects and conduct some charity work in Zenville together."Mr. Hardy is an upright and trustworthy person. He has a good relationship with Grandpa. Hayden would often come to my house with him when I was young."Jessamine paused for a moment and asked, "Does he have a wife?""Hayden's mother passed away from an amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth. Since then, Mr. Hardy has remained single and never remarried."Jessamine was deeply moved. In this era, who would remain loyal for a lifetime to their deceased wives? Most men like Sabastian, who had both power a