The soft bed sank when Emily Quest lay on it. She casually kicked her shoes off and kicked her legs in the air gleefully. “It’s much better at home. There’s no way I could sleep on the worn-out bed in prison any longer.”May Conner lay next to her, turned onto her side, and tugged one hand under her chin while hugging Emily with the other. “Isn’t your mother smart? I came up with the idea of getting you to fake depression so that you could be bailed out to receive treatment.”“Exactly. If it wasn’t because of that, how could I be freed so easily? Mother, you’re the best!” Emily exclaimed as she hugged May tightly.“You were great too. I didn’t think you could do exactly what I said. You did such a cruel thing to yourself to make it seem more realistic and to make your father feel even more sorry for you. Girl, you sure are something!” May complimented.“How did you come up with the idea of having me fake depression with a caffeine overdose? The caffeine tablets you gave me made it
At eight o’clock, Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton walked into Room 88 in Silver International Hotel, where her class reunion was held. There were four large round tables in the room, and every table was already filled up.Looking around, Xyla recognized everyone inside.Some of them had gained weight, while others had lost weight. Some of them still looked the same.Some wore clothes from well-known brands, while others wore the most ordinary clothes.The moment Xyla saw them, memories of her third year in high school began to appear in her mind, and she suddenly felt very nostalgic and emotional.These people were witnesses of Xyla’s grimmest period when she was fat and ugly.Apart from one person who made fun of her, no one else did, and they had even stood up for her when things like that happened.From what Xyla recalled, her third year in high school was filled with heart-warming memories.After looking around at everyone, Xyla’s gaze landed upon a woman wearing a black, f
Everyone immediately swarmed around Xyla Quest and Stanley Batton in a circle.Many of them began to pull them aside to chat with them. While some commented on how Xyla had changed, others complimented Stanley for his good looks. Suddenly, they became the center of attention.When Gigi Graham saw this, she started feeling unhappy.Originally, she was the center of everyone’s attention in the room, but that changed when Xyla showed up. Gigi felt extremely agitated.After seeing Xyla’s face, she felt even more annoyed. How could Xyla become this pretty? While both of them were women, Gigi felt inferior in comparison to Xyla..Gigi immediately grabbed the man dressed in a suit next to her by his arm and walked up to Xyla and Stanley.As soon as the man saw Stanley, he froze for a moment before he spoke. “Chief…” He began to speak.Stanley gave the man a hard look as he nodded, signaling to the man to shut up.Only then did the man quickly shut his mouth and lowered his head.Ever
Gigi Graham glared coldly at Xyla Quest. “Xyla, this is where you’re wrong. Can’t you see that I’m concerned about you and your husband’s lives?Xyla chuckled. “You don’t have to be worried about us.” Gigi was visibly upset from the look in her eyes. “I thought that, since my husband is better than Stanley anyway, I want him to look after Stanley. My husband loves me a lot, and he would do anything I ask of him,” she said.With that, Gigi held on tightly to William Jones, who stood next to her and lifted her chin a little as she looked proudly at everyone.Gigi’s intentions were clear to everyone in the room, and everyone couldn’t help but curse at her under their breath.“Oh? Is that so?” Stanley’s gaze landed on William’s face ever so briefly. Although Stanley did not show any emotion on his face, his imposing manner was as strong as ever.With a simple glance, Stanley made William feel an unprecedented sense of oppression.William immediately shuddered, raised his hand, an
At this moment, Gigi Graham was eager to teach William Jones a tough lesson in front of everyone.But she knew she couldn’t do it. She had to put up with it, or else he would make an even bigger joke out of themselves.Although Gigi did not know why, she could see that William wasn’t behaving like his usual self.Immediately, Gigi turned around, grabbed her handbag, and ran out.However, William did not instantly run after her. Instead, he looked at Stanley Batton. “I’m sorry. My wife has always been like this. Please don’t take things to heart.”“Mr. Jones, let’s have a word,” Stanley said blandly before excusing himself from the crowd and stepping outside.William quickly followed him, closing the door swiftly behind him.After they all left, people in the room began discussing much more openly.Xyla’s classmates, who had observed what happened, surrounded her and began saying bad things about Gigi.Xyla didn’t go along with what they were saying. Instead, she listened inten
“Fred Thomson was sentenced to life imprisonment!”“Robert Thomson and Fudge Thomson were also sentenced to life imprisonment!”After reading such great news, Xyla Quest’s mood seemed to be getting better.That was when Stanley Batton walked up to her and glanced briefly at her phone. He then sat down next to her. “Feeling happy?”After asking the question, his gaze swept over her face like a gentle breeze.Xyla nodded.How could she not be happy? She was delighted by what happened to the three members of the Thomson family.From now on, while the world was not thoroughly cleansed, there were at least fewer evil people, and it meant the world was a little bit better.Xyla wondered if the people victimized by the Thomson family would feel truly relieved now.Stanley did not say anything else. He simply peeled a piece of longan and handed it over to her.Some of the girls felt extremely envious when they saw that.“My boyfriend has never been this considerate to me.”“When I
“You’re welcome.” Xyla Quest shrugged nonchalantly.By then, waiters had started to serve the dishes. Hence, everyone quieted down and started to eat and drink silently.Cindy Snyder carefully tugged on Xyla’s sleeve. “Xyla… Can you really get so many autographs at once? It’s not easy to get Josh Batton’s autographs,” she whispered.“Yes,” Xyla said softly.Cindy grabbed Xyla’s hand excitedly, “Xyla, even I feel envious of myself. I can’t believe I have a friend like you,” she said.“Silly girl,” Xyla ruffled Cindy’s hair and chuckled softly.Cindy laughed along. The way she laughed was as gentle and reserved as she did before.***After dinner, Xyla and Stanley Batton walked out of the room together. They were surrounded by everyone else. The group of people went downstairs in batches.Without a doubt, Xyla and Stanley were among the first batch to head downstairs with Cindy and other female classmates, who were close to Xyla back in school.When the group arrived at the lob
“I have a pen… I have a pen…”“I’ve got one too…”The female fans around Josh Batton competed against each other to be the first to hand him a pen.While these girls only had eyes for Josh, he only had eyes for Xyla Quest. Everything else around him no longer mattered.Right then, Stanley Batton and Xyla happened to be passing by them.Josh immediately pushed the crowd aside and stood still in front of Xyla. “What a coincidence. Are you here for dinner too?”After finishing his sentence, Josh looked up at Stanley.Stanley’s gaze swept past Josh coldly. He didn’t say anything.“This is…” Josh asked as he looked at Stanley even though he knew the answer already.Although Josh and Stanley clearly looked alike, they gave off completely different vibes because of their different personalities.“My husband,” Xyla said as she continued to hold Stanley’s hand tightly with their fingers intertwined. She looked up at Stanley when she introduced him.“Oh…” Josh looked deeply at Stanley
Xyla quickly reached for Hannah’s hand. “Is that right? Hannah, you’re amazing…! You’re practically on par with Leon!”Hannah laughed, slightly embarrassed. “Not at all.”“Oh, cut it out. If you hadn’t helped me, how could I have improved so quickly?” Leon chuckled.“I guess I’ve lived up to my promise.” Hannah giggled along.Back then, she had promised Leon that she would become someone deserving of him.She claimed that she would grow with Leon.Without a doubt, she had done it.Now, Hannah had become a successful woman many would often speak of. She earned her rightful seat next to Leon as the CEO of Dragon Group.Stanley also turned to look at Hannah. “Yes, Hannah’s very capable. She’s our family pride.”Hannah laughed. “I was lucky to be accepted by your family.”In fact, Hannah genuinely felt grateful toward the Batton family over the years she had spent with them.They had helped her through all the hardship she encountered when she was poor and down on her luck.Aft
“Hannah, I’ve taken the first step for you. Are you willing to walk by my side for the rest of our lives?” Leon asked, serious.“Yes, I am…” Hannah answered without missing a beat.“I’ll protect you. From now on, you don’t have to worry about a single thing.” With that, Leon placed both hands on Hannah’s face and kissed her on the lips.The moment their lips touched, everything felt surreal…Hannah could feel pink, light bubbles floating all around her. It felt as if all the flowers in the world were blossoming at once.In Hannah’s dark, depressing life, Leon was her only salvation.He was a ray of hope that led her out of hell, so she could see light once more.Hannah thought she would never have anything to do with Leon after she quit school.Even until now, she still remembered how sorrowful she was on her last day of school.But now… Not only did she get the opportunity to interact with him once more, but they also became a couple.Their driver sighed to himself while
Over time, Leon’s feelings for Hannah grew deeper, stronger, and more intense.He had grown used to having her with him all the time.Thus, he hoped she would stay by his side for the rest of his life.Upon hearing his words, Hannah’s mind went blank.What did her dream guy just say?Was she dreaming?Hannah quickly pinched her palm at the thought in an attempt to discern between dream and reality.Her palm hurt. That meant this wasn’t a dream. It was real!Hannah felt even more dumbfounded…This meant Leon actually liked her! He was confessing to her, wasn’t he?Did her dream guy actually reciprocate her feelings?Never in her wildest dreams did Hannah imagine she would go through such an experience.Excitement jammed her mind, so much that she was rendered speechless. There were many things she wanted to say, and yet, she couldn’t utter a single word.Her heartbeat increased rapidly, and her entire body began to shake. Sensing her trembling body, Leon tightened his e
Immediately after, the men in black pulled out guns from their pockets, which they aimed at Raymond’s head.Raymond panicked instantly, going pale.He subconsciously retreated a step back. “Who are you? Don’t you know what you’re doing is illegal?”Leon sneered. “You don’t deserve to know my name. In this city, I am the law.”Leon’s domineering words made him seem even more imposing.At this moment, Hannah felt as if he was a guardian angel sent from Heaven to protect her.Something about him seemed oddly sacred and heavenly.“Mr. Batton, do I shoot him in the head?” One of the men dressed in black asked.“Mr. Batton? Are you Stanley Batton’s son?!” Fear was beginning to spread through Raymond. For one to have Batton as his surname and act this arrogantly in Atlantis, he could be none other than a member of the renowned Batton family.“How dare you address our president by name?!” Another man in black leveled Raymond with a chilling glare.Suffice to say, Raymond was terrif
Terrible pain ached at every part of Hannah’s body as she collided with the cold, hard ground.The pain was such that all her bones felt close to breaking. Everywhere hurt badly.At that moment, Hannah felt like a fragile doll made of clay that had been forcefully slammed hard against the ground until it broke into small pieces.Her mind went blank from the stinging agony.She braced herself and looked at the cold eyes staring back at her, filled with terror. Stammering, she asked, “Mr. Gray… What is the meaning of this?” “What’s the meaning of this? Ha! Don’t you know what’s good for you? You dumb b*tch… You’re lucky that I set my sights on you!”“How dare you refuse my feelings! Not just that, but you even made up a story to deceive me!”“Even when you saw me, you tried to trick me again!”“Do you think I’m stupid? That I can’t think? Do you honestly think I’d fall for your lies again and again?” Raymond went, his tone steadily rising into a furious roar.He then got on o
Although the sun had long sunk beneath the horizons and darkness had set in, the lively city wasn’t about to be silent anytime soon. Hannah felt deeply unsettled, so much that she didn’t leave right away.Instead, she waited in front of the bar, filled with hesitance and anxiety.Should she really leave?Would Rihanna truly be able to sort things out?The man was Raymond Gray… Neither Rihanna nor the bar could afford to upset him, lest they face terrible repercussions.Hannah remained standing on the same spot, uncertain. She really didn’t know what to do.Finally, she came to a decision. She took out her phone and tapped open a ride-hailing application on her phone.Yet just as she did that, she instantly closed it. Afterwards, she began pacing back and forth in worried circles, going to and fro aimlessly. Right as she was trapped in her worried musings, a group of people exited the bar. Raymond Gray, dressed in black, sporty attire, led all of them in a flamboyant manner.
A handsome waiter quickly walked in and looked at Rihanna. “Ms. Jensen, Mr. Gray out there insists that Hannah should get on stage to sing another song. I told him that Hannah would only sing three songs today…”“He lost his temper and claimed he’d destroy our bar if Hannah refuses to sing another song…” The waiter added. He was visibly trembling by the end of the sentence.Hannah figured Mr. Gray was probably the only son of the new mayor of Atlantis there weren’t many people with Gray as their surname in Atlantis. There were even less people who were arrogant like him. He was the only one.Hannah had heard about how terrible this person could be. He was known to be a womanizer too.Due to his powerful background, he looked down on everyone else. He didn’t respect women at all… Moreover, he had a relatively cruel personality. One could almost describe him as being a pervert.There was once when an owner of a bar offended a female internet celebrity he was dating. He directly hired
Hannah Roland smiled politely at Lina Cohen. “Nice to meet you… Thank you in advance!”“No problem… Do let me know if there’s anything you don’t like about your makeup too,” Lina said.Hannah nodded. “Okay, sure…”“By the way… Do all the signers here get such good treatment? I’m surprised we’re even assigned our own makeup artists,” Hannah asked carefully as she wasn’t aware about things like these..However, Lina smiled without answering Hannah’s question directly. She held Hannah’s hand casually the next second, “Come here. I’ll start doing your makeup now…”Hannah nodded…Lina was a very professional makeup artist. She took an hour to finish Hannah’s makeup.An hour later, Hannah’s appearance transformed completely.Lina permed Hannah’s long, black hair into natural-looking curls.Hannah had intricate peach-colored makeup on her face which made her appear lively and youthful.Once Lina was done with Hannah’s makeup, she happily retrieved a long, white dress from a clothes
Hannah Roland smiled without saying anything.***Hannah arrived at the bar where she worked at seven o’clock the next evening and walked into Rihanna Jensen’s office.Rihanna was going through paperwork in her office. When she saw Hannah, she immediately stood up and smiled at her. “Hannah, you’re here…”“Here’s the contract…” Rihanna said before pushing a thick stack of paper to the center of the table.Hannah quickly stepped forward and skimmed through the document. She then picked up a pen and signed it…Rihanna smiled upon seeing this. “Okay… I’ll transfer the money into your account tonight… I’ve told our big boss about your situation. He’s fine with my decision to pay your salary in advance. In fact, he even told me I did a good job…”“He said you can sing without worrying about a single thing… If you need any help in the future, do let us know…” Rihanna added.Hannah felt glad when she heard this, and became teary-eyed. “Thank you… Please thank our big boss for me too.