The next morning, Lilian emerged from her room and walked into the living room. The house was already alive with small movements. Moses was seated at the far end of the couch, engrossed in his laptop, the light from the screen reflecting on his focused face. Meanwhile, Noah was sprawled comfortably on the other couch, casually munching on a bag of snacks.“Good morning, brothers,” Lilian greeted cheerfully, her voice light as she walked into the room.Moses looked up, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. “You’re finally awake? How was your night?”“It was okay,” Lilian said with a nod, taking a seat near Noah. “What about yours?”Moses leaned back slightly in his chair, stretching his arms before answering. “I woke up feeling a lot better today,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.Lilian smiled back. “That’s good to hear.” She looked over at his laptop. “You’re not heading to the company yet?”Moses let out a small sigh, shutting the laptop for a moment. “I will, but
“Yes, that is Moses,” Lilian said softly, her tone tinged with both surprise and reflection.Clara, seated in the driver’s seat with her hands loosely gripping the steering wheel, raised an eyebrow. “Oh,” she muttered, as though trying to process this bit of information. Then, shaking off her curiosity, she smiled warmly and said, “Well, get into the car so we can go.”Her voice was cheerful, coaxing Lilian into movement.Lilian nodded and turned to Matt, holding out her hand to guide him. “You first, buddy.” Matt clambered into the backseat, his little legs barely reaching the car floor. Lilian slid in next to him, securing his seatbelt before settling into her own spot.Clara waited until Lilian had closed the door before starting the car. The engine hummed softly as she backed out of the driveway and onto the main road. The three sat quietly for a moment, each lost in their thoughts, until Clara glanced at Lilian through the rearview mirror.“The mall’s our first stop,” she announc
When Lilian arrived at where the commotion, her brow furrowed at the sight before her. Her son, Matt, stood stiffly near a brightly lit toy display, his little fists clenched at his sides. Beside him stood another boy, roughly the same age, though his posture was far less composed—one hand on his hip, the other gripping a toy car. Facing them both was a woman Lilian didn’t recognize. The tension in the air was palpable, and all three wore expressions that hinted at a brewing argument.“What’s going on here?” Lilian asked, addressing the store attendant nearby, her voice edged with concern.Before the attendant could respond, Matt turned sharply at the sound of her voice. Relief washed over his small face, and he immediately ran to her side. “Mom!” he said, his voice a mixture of urgency and relief.The woman scoffed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her expensive-looking jacket crinkled as she shifted, her glare unwavering. “Oh, you’re his mother?” she said, her tone sharp a
Clara, Lilian, and Matt left the shopping mall promptly after Clara paid for their purchases. Lilian had offered to pay, but Clara shut her down immediately with a dismissive wave of her hand.“Not today, Lilian. This one’s on me,” Clara said firmly, a small but satisfied smile on her face.“Alright, fine,” Lilian relented, shaking her head slightly. “Thank you, though.”Clara simply smiled, her attention quickly shifting to Matt, who was already preoccupied with staring out the window of the car, waiting for it to move.Once they were all settled inside, Clara glanced back at her grandson through the rearview mirror. “Are you hungry, sweetheart?”Matt, still fiddling with his seatbelt, immediately perked up at the question. He looked up, his eyes bright with excitement. “Yes, Grandma! I’m really, really hungry,” he said earnestly.Clara chuckled lightly as she started the car. “Well, let’s fix that, then. We’ll get something good to eat.”The drive was quiet and comfortable. Lilian s
They started eating in silence. Clara seemed more focused on Matt than ever before, her attention unwavering as she carefully observed him. Lilian couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of happiness at how well Clara treated her son. The tenderness in Clara’s actions brought comfort to Lilian’s heart.Clara kept putting food into Matt’s bowl, making sure he had enough to eat. Then, suddenly, Marcus picked up a piece of fish and placed it in Matt’s bowl as well.The table fell silent. Everyone froze.Lilian blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. It felt strange, an odd shift in the air that unsettled her. Across the table, Lily’s face darkened, her expression turning sour as she frowned deeply.Matt, noticing the fish in his bowl, frowned too. For a moment, he stared at it as though unsure of what to do. Then, without a word, he picked it up and placed it into his mouth, chewing silently.Marcus smiled faintly when he saw Matt eat the fish, the small success lighting up his
Lily felt awkward. She had wanted to see a pained, vulnerable expression on Lilian’s face—something to prove her presence still affected her—but Lilian’s features remained cold and indifferent, as though she were looking at nothing more than a passing stranger. That wasn’t the reaction Lily had hoped for, and it gnawed at her.“We’re leaving,” Clara said, her voice firm and crisp. She turned to Marcus with a look that brokered no argument. Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Matt’s small hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s go,” she added, nodding toward Lilian.Lilian nodded silently, her expression neutral, and rose to her feet. Without a glance back, she followed Clara out of the restaurant. Her movements were slow, deliberate—steady in a way that seemed to irritate Lily even more.Left behind, Lily turned to Marcus with wide eyes, playing up her confusion and innocence. “It seems Aunty Clara still doesn’t like me,” she said softly, her tone carefully layered with
Matt blinked innocently at the question, his expression earnest. “We only met Grandma Clara, and she took us to the shopping mall. She bought me some toys before we went to the restaurant,” he said, carefully leaving out everything else that had happened.Lilian glanced at her Eldest brother, her lips lifting into a faint smile. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” She tried to sound convincing, but deep down, she understood why they were concerned. They cared about her—it was as simple as that—and that thought melted her heart.“Why wouldn’t we worry about you?” Noah said, his voice tinged with both affection and exasperation. “You’re our only sister.”Lilian let out a soft laugh and nodded. “Yes, yes, I know,” she replied, brushing off their concern as gently as she could.Moses, the quieter of the two older brothers, gave her a small smile. “Just be careful,” he said, his tone firm but caring.Lilian met his gaze and nodded again. “I will, I promise. It’s just that Aunty C
The Next MorningLilian woke up before sunrise, the first rays of light barely illuminating her room. She had set her alarm early, determined to shake off the sluggishness of the past two days. Staying home felt unproductive, and her absence from the office weighed heavily on her mind.As she walked into the living room, her bare feet making soft sounds against the tiled floor, she saw Moses sitting on the couch. He was bent over his suitcase, organizing his belongings with practiced efficiency. He looked up when he heard her footsteps, his eyebrows arching slightly in surprise.“You’re up early,” he said, his voice low and calm, though a flicker of curiosity passed across his face.Lilian nodded, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Yes. I haven’t been to the office for two days, and I want to get a head start today. There’s a lot to catch up on,” she replied, her tone steady but laced with determination.Moses tilted his head, scrutinizing her. “Are you sure you’re up for it?
Marcus said nothing.His grandfather observed him carefully before speaking again. “Your mother told me the other day that it’s Lily you love. Is that true?”Marcus met his grandfather’s gaze but did not answer the question directly. “I will find a way to solve the problems,” he said, his voice steady but distant. Then, without another word, he stood up, bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect, and walked out of the house.Grandpa Thompson didn’t stop him. Instead, he turned to Isabella, his eyes weary. “You can leave too,” he said, his tone quiet yet firm.Isabella hesitated for a moment, watching as her father closed his eyes. She could tell he was exhausted—not just physically, but emotionally. Whenever he closed his eyes like that, it meant he didn’t want to be disturbed.She let out a small sigh and stood up, leaving the room without another word.Marcus drove aimlessly for what felt like hours, his thoughts a whirlwind of emotions he wasn’t ready to face. His hands gripped
“This will be the last warning.”Marcus frowned as he read the message on his phone, his fingers gripping the device tightly.A sense of foreboding settled in his chest as he tapped on the image attached to the message. The moment the photo loaded, his expression darkened. His jaw clenched. He immediately understood the warning.Shaking his head, he scrolled down, reading through the harsh comments under the news article. The story was about Lilian, and the comment section was flooded with insults, gossip, and outright lies. People were tearing her apart, dragging her reputation through the mud.Marcus exhaled sharply.He already had a strong suspicion about who was behind this.Lily.But he had no idea just how far she was willing to go.His fingers hovered over the screen before he forwarded the message to Lily. He didn’t add any words—just a single question mark.Barely a second later, his phone rang.He glanced at the screen. Lily.Marcus answered, pressing the phone to his ear.“
Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by the situation unfolding before him.Moses, unfazed, shrugged his shoulders. He glanced at the email address once again, but there was nothing. The address was null—completely untraceable. Frustrated, Moses looked up at Franklin, his expression turning more serious. “Can you find the person’s email address? If we could find a way to become friends with them, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. We could use that to our advantage,” Moses suggested, his voice calm but with an edge of determination.Franklin shook his head, the frustration evident in his own voice. “No, it’s impossible. The person used a one-time email address. It’s designed to disappear once it’s been used. No way to track it,” he explained, his tone apologetic but firm.Moses furrowed his brow at the news. “But how did they know we’d need this information?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “Who is this person? Why are they so involved in all this?” His mind was racing wit
Matt walked into his room and closed the door behind him. His small face was scrunched in frustration, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.He sat down at his desk, turned on his computer, and quickly logged in.Something felt off.He had sensed it the moment he left the living room.And now, curiosity burned inside him like an itch he needed to scratch.He opened his browser and went straight to the internet to see what was happening.He didn’t even have to search for long.His mother’s name was plastered all over the headlines.Matt’s heart dropped.With slightly shaky fingers, he clicked on one of the trending articles.As soon as the page loaded, his eyes skimmed over the comments section.It was full of hatred.“She’s beautiful, but she has such a wicked heart.”“Right? I heard she changed the wedding hall at the last minute just to ruin Lily’s big day.”“I think she’s just jealous that Lily was going to marry a handsome man like Marcus.”“Exactly! Women like her are t
Lilian had no idea about the chaos unfolding online.She hadn’t checked the internet all day.She wasn’t aware that her name was trending, nor did she know that thousands of people were discussing her, analyzing her face, comparing her to Lily, and debating her identity.She simply didn’t care.Her life had changed so drastically in such a short time that she barely had the energy to focus on anything outside her immediate world.At this moment, all she wanted was some peace.She walked into the spacious, elegantly furnished living room, where her brothers and father were seated. The large crystal chandelier cast a soft, golden glow over the room, making everything feel warm and inviting.Yet, despite the comfortable atmosphere, there was a strange tension in the air.Something felt off.Lilian smiled brightly when she saw them. “I’m back,” she said in a cheerful tone.Noah, who had been leaning lazily against the couch, immediately perked up.“Welcome back,” he greeted. Then, with a
For a brief moment, the scandal surrounding Lily’s wedding seemed to fade from public discussion.The internet had found a new obsession—Lilian.Clips of her grand introduction as the heiress of the Gabriel family flooded social media, capturing the attention of thousands. The way she carried herself with elegance and confidence left people in awe.Comments poured in from every direction:“Wow. She’s stunning!”“Right? But… she looks so familiar.”“Honestly! I feel like I’ve seen her before.”“Wait a second—wasn’t she just a nobody? And now she’s the heiress of the Gabriels?”Speculation spread like wildfire. People dug into her past, trying to uncover details about the mysterious woman who had suddenly become one of the most powerful figures in the city.Lily’s Growing JealousyMeanwhile, in the quiet yet tense atmosphere of the Wilson family’s luxurious living room, Lily sat stiffly on the couch, her eyes locked on the television screen. Her expression was dark, her knuckles white f
The news was everywhere.Social media, online blogs, and even major news outlets were flooded with headlines about the latest scandal. Two names dominated the trending list—Lily and Lilian. However, while one was trending for something positive, the other was at the center of sheer humiliation.Lily’s disastrous wedding had become the biggest topic of discussion.The headlines were brutal.“Abandoned at the Altar: Lily’s Wedding Disaster!”“The Thompsons Humiliate Bride—No Groom, No Family!”“A Wedding Without a Groom? What Really Happened?”The comments under the articles and posts were relentless, with thousands of people expressing shock, sympathy, and speculation.“She really got abandoned?” one user wrote in disbelief.“I thought the Thompsons were a responsible family?” another replied.“Exactly! Why did they treat her like that? Poor girl.”“She was engaged to the CEO for more than five years. And then, on the day of her wedding, her groom didn’t show up. Not him, not his famil
The following week, Lilian did not go to the company for a while. She needed time to process everything that had happened—the sudden change in her position, the realization that she was now in charge, and the responsibility that came with it. For days, she stayed home, contemplating whether she was truly ready to take on this role.Eventually, she knew she couldn’t delay it any longer. Monday morning arrived, and she made the decision to resume work.Unlike before, when she used to enter the building as an ordinary employee, today felt different. The moment she stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance, there was an unfamiliar weight on her shoulders. Everything about this moment felt significant. She wasn’t just an assistant anymore—she was now the CEO.Moses walked beside her, just like he always had, but this time, their positions had officially switched. The once-powerful CEO was now her assistant. It was a strange and amusing turn of events, but Lilian knew he had no
Gabriel smiled with satisfaction as he observed his children. They were all making him proud, each excelling in their own way. Tonight had been a significant moment, and he couldn’t have been happier with how things had turned out.As he sat at the table, a group of CEOs approached him, their eyes gleaming with admiration and curiosity. One of them, a well-dressed man in his fifties, extended his hand in greeting.“Mr. Gabriel, it’s a pleasure to see you,” he said. “When did you return to the country? I didn’t hear any news about your arrival.” His tone carried genuine surprise.Gabriel shook his hand with a polite smile. “It has been about a week or two now,” he replied, his voice calm and composed.Another CEO, an older gentleman with silver-streaked hair, leaned in slightly, his gaze shifting to Lilian. He smiled in admiration. “You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Gabriel,” he remarked. Then, with a chuckle, he added, “Is she single? How about arranging a blind date between her and