"Zara, what's your take on Winston? If you're sure there's no chance you'll like him, just tell him clearly and don't keep him hanging. With his good looks and family background, plenty of girls are interested in him. Yet, you don't seem to care about him at all," Lulu remarked.Lulu's words echoed my biggest worry. In terms of wealth and status, Winston was the legitimate heir to the Moyer family and mostly mingled with the upper echelons of society.As a woman from an ordinary family who was much older than him, I felt utterly unworthy of him.This insecurity gnawed at me. If someone like Chris could cheat, there was no way I could believe that a young and promising man like Winston would remain faithful.Life was long, and in such a tempting world, there probably weren't many couples who could genuinely support each other until the very end.As the saying goes, "Once bitten, twice shy." Moreover, I was putting myself at risk of being bitten by the kin of the same being again.
The Moyer family was in a frenzy, bringing in experts from all over the country to treat Chris. While his life was no longer in danger, he would never be able to have children. Whether he could even perform sexually in the future was up to fate.Given this situation, Faye's pregnancy suddenly took on enormous significance, making her child Chris' only possible heir. His parents treated Faye like a queen, showering her with endless care and attention.When Chris came to understand his condition, he tried to take his life several times. Only his parents' desperate pleas and tears managed to keep him from succeeding. Despite his profound reluctance, Chris eventually accepted the reality of his situation. To ensure the Moyer family line continued, he acknowledged Faye's status and married her although he adamantly refused to hold a wedding ceremony.When I heard the news, I couldn't help but feel a sense of poetic justice. The once-arrogant man was now in a pitiful state. It was a sta
It wasn't until much later, after the elegant ladies had left, that I realized the woman who had implied I was only interested in Winston for his money was none other than Chris' mother. As for the stunning woman's remark about chaotic unions between equal families, it was undoubtedly a jab at Chris and Faye's marriage.When I considered the rumors surrounding Chris and Faye's tumultuous marriage, it became apparent that "chaotic" was a severe understatement. Their life together was nothing short of a disaster.It was no surprise that Chris' mom was so nasty. Even when things were bad, she was insufferably haughty. If things were going well, she would probably be unbearable.With a newfound sense of satisfaction, I pulled out my phone, unblocked Chris' number, and sent him a message: "Chris, knowing your life isn't going well gives me peace of mind."Winston grabbed my phone, read the message repeatedly, and gleefully declined the flurry of calls from Chris. Laughing uncontrollab
Lena and I entered her parlor, and before we knew it, we talked for almost two hours. The conversation was surprisingly enjoyable, and none of the derision or disdain I had feared came to pass.Lena was not only beautiful but also had a wonderful personality as well as a great sense of humor. She shared countless hilarious stories about Winston's childhood, from him wetting the bed at age five to being terrified by a mouse at 14, from drawing portraits of cockroaches to making a captured mouse pose as a model.Gradually, my nerves faded, and I became engrossed in the stories. I eventually felt entirely at ease with Lena.As we were about to leave, Lena and Allen solemnly handed me a beautiful translucent emerald bracelet. Lena said, "Zara, this isn't some trick from the Moyer family. Since you've chosen this rascal, there's no turning back."This is our family heirloom, passed down only to daughters-in-law. It was passed to me by my mother-in-law, and now, I'm passing it to you.
The bracelet looked exactly like the one I broke.Lena picked it up and said solemnly, "Zara, this is our Moyer family's heirloom. Your grandmother gave it to me, and now, I'm passing it on to you. You must continue this tradition.""Did Grandma leave a pair of these bracelets?" I asked, feeling more confused than ever. It looked too familiar."No, just one," she replied.That didn't make sense at all."But wasn't that one broken? I even married Winston to repay the cost of that priceless bracelet, and I was planning to have a kid to pay off the debt. How is there another one now?" I muttered.I couldn't help but wonder if the supposed debt wasn't genuine and if I had spent the whole time repaying something that didn't exist. Lena's carefully crafted expression showed signs of cracking as she gave a forced smile. "Well, it turns out your dad made that one from the bottom of a beer bottle to fool any potential thieves. Our heirloom is so valuable that if it were lost, our ancest
Allen and Lena were over the moon, flooding all social media platforms with the joyous news as if the Moyer family were the only ones capable of having twins. They each held a baby, their smiles so wide they could hardly be contained.Winston, my dear husband, stayed by my bedside, his eyes red and tearful as he kept asking if I was still in pain. He vowed never to have more children, expressing that if he had known the extent of pain I would have to endure during childbirth, he would never have put me through it as he couldn't bear to see me suffer.He initially grumbled about not liking the two little troublemakers who had caused me so much pain. However, the next moment, he was holding both of them, his eyes filled with delight as he said that our daughter resembled him and our son resembled me.It was the beginning of autumn, and the midday sun shone warmly on me, casting a golden glow on Winston's hair. It made him look lively and charming. At that moment, I realized that r
Queenie never had any grand aspirations for wealth or status. For her, happiness meant being with me, living a simple life with a nine-to-five job, earning a modest salary, and residing in a modest home. She cherished the small joys of life, like shopping for discounted vegetables and meat at the market and cooking a simple yet delicious meal together at home.She often told me that her happiness came from being with me as a person and not about the Hayes family. However, I was born into the Hayes family. From a young age, I carried the weight of my parents' expectations on my shoulders. As a member of the Hayes family, I didn't have the luxury of living the life I wanted. My education, hobbies, future, and dreams were all predetermined by my family's needs and ambitions.The Hayes family was vast, with countless relatives. My grandpa favored my young uncle, making my dad's position seem insignificant.The family business was enormous, and entrusting it to my inexperienced uncle
My mom proved to be even more ruthless than my dad. She found me, dropped to her knees without a word, and begged me. She reminded me of the years they had spent raising me, pleading that I ensure they wouldn't be left without a sense of security in their old age.In essence, they were pressuring me to abandon everything. I was to pursue money and power for their sake, secure the Hayes family's head position, and ensure our grip on wealth and influence. Their priority was maintaining their luxurious, elevated lifestyle. My happiness, my desires—whether I even wanted those things—meant nothing to them. Sometimes, it felt like I was nothing more than a tool for achieving their ambitions.My dad told me bluntly that he would go after Queenie if I didn't comply. He said, "You're right. I'm incapable of outmaneuvering your uncle. But no matter how incompetent I am, I can easily make Queenie's life in Harveyton unbearable."To be honest, that day was the coldest my heart had ever felt