Another reason behind Everly's distaste of Millie was Millie's pettiness. There was no doubt that Millie would fight back after she was openly attacked by Everly."What do you mean by 'done the deed'? Care to elaborate? Did I do something shameful? And what's wrong with being a divorcee; are we humans with lesser worth and not deserving of respect? Is it acceptable to look down on us?" Millie slammed her fist on the table as fury colored her eyes.How dare that little brat attack divorcees? What was wrong with being one? No woman would have opted for a divorce if they were happy in their marriage!On the contrary, Millie had nothing but respect for women who were brave enough to leave an unhappy marriage.Why should a woman remain in a marriage that had imprisoned her soul and wasted away her youth for the rest of her life?Millie never felt lesser after the divorce. If anything, she valued herself even more! After she was no longer Winston's wife, she returned to being Arthur a
Frowning, Everly felt extremely displeased. If not even Thomas sided with her, no one in the family would do so.At the end of the day, Millie was a real Caldwell and the family's pride. On the contrary, Everly had to count herself lucky to be accepted into the Caldwell family.She hung her head and ate her dinner in silence.Julia piped up, "Let's eat up. That was just a squabble between two kids. Don't take it to heart.""Right. Evie might be adopted, but we see her as our own over these years." Smiling, Terrence placed some food on Everly's plate. "Evie, Mills is wrong for talking back to you. I'll tell her off when I get home."Everly pouted, but she felt much better. She purred, "Uncle Terrence, you're the best."Terrence chuckled. Everly wasn't a bad person at the core—she was just impudent at times. "Anyway, let's toast Evie's return!" Terrence said to everyone at the table, and they nodded.Arthur and Layla beamed warmly at their large family. However, Millie didn't ra
"Fuck—" someone suddenly bellowed.Before the door slammed shut, Millie heard a voice shouting, "Win! Stop it!"Frowning, she tried to look out the door, but it had been closed.Everly gasped, "Was that Jake Webson yelling?"Millie glanced at Everly. Indeed, that man sounded like Jake. Only Jake would call Winston by his nickname."Is there a scene out there? I'll check it out." Everly quickly got up to spectate.Thomas sighed. "You child! You're never not nosy!"Logically speaking, it was only normal for a 22-year-old youngster like Everly to be nosy. It didn't take her long to retreat into the room again after she stepped out. "Whoa!" she gasped."Kennedy Sullivan, I fucking gave you a chance!""Touch me again, Winston Greer, and you'll see!""I can fucking kill you, motherfucker!"The voices, increasingly vicious, hit their eardrums.Millie's grip on her fork tightened. She tried to calm down and block the voices from her ears. At that moment, even Thomas went to che
The waiter dared not interrupt the fight between the two scions. He wouldn't dare claim to know about the history between the two.Winston finally released Kennedy's collar and stumbled a few steps backward. Kennedy's right cheek was swollen after he was badly punched by Winston.On the other hand, Winston merely suffered from a minor scratch on his arm from the broken vase.Kennedy was a weak man, yet he was a troublemaker. For example, he insisted on defying Winston's orders regarding the goods imported at the harbor, only for Winston to reject the goods.Despite being well aware of Winston's capabilities, he refused to acknowledge the reality."Please stop it, gentlemen. You are disturbing the other patrons," the restaurant manager came forward to stop the fight. He continued, "It's unbecoming of the two of you to start a fight here, considering your social status. Let's get you back to the dining room where you could have a civil talk. How does that sound?"The manager didn
"What suggestion was it again?" Millie slowly approached Kennedy with a faint smile on her lips.Kennedy's looks were decent and rather unique. But at that moment, he came across as extremely mean and hideous.He had wanted to repeat his words when Millie drew closer to him, but something felt off. She seemed to approach him with a motive.Frowning, he tried to back off, but she grabbed his collar with a smile. "Let's have a talk at the lounge."While speaking, she made her way to the common room on the side. Two waitresses in the lounge attempted to greet Millie and Kennedy, but she waved them away.Kennedy frowned in confusion as he studied Millie. Why would she kick the staff out of the lounge just to chat with him? Not only that, she grabbed him by the collar—a stark contrast from the woman he'd pictured her to be.The waitresses took her instructions and left. Following that, Kennedy beamed at her. "Ms. Caldwell, what was all that? It's rather inappropriate for people with
Kink or not, Millie shouldn't have handled him so roughly! She clearly wanted to hurt him badly."Was that too much for you?" she asked with a sorry look, but deep within, she snickered at his confidence in assuming that she'd sleep with him."It hurts," Kennedy mumbled.Millie smiled at the reply, happy to know that it hurt. She curled her fist again when she spoke to him, a sight that made him narrow his eyes in alarm.No way! Wait a minute!He grabbed her wrist in confusion. "Millie, is this a kink of yours?"What was with beating him into a pulp before sleeping with him?She blinked innocently at him. "I don't have any kink, though."She merely grabbed at a passerby and made him her punching bag. Before Kennedy could ask, he was punched in the face again, which confused him even more.This time, she allowed him no response time. Grabbing him by the neck, she pummeled him mercilessly.It was at that moment he realized that this wasn't some kink of hers. She was with him ju
That instantly elicited a frown from Millie. She increased her grip on Kennedy's neck. Was there something wrong with his head after he got punched?"You always claim you're no longer in love with Winston, but Millie, it's in your bones to take his side…" Kennedy rasped as he swallowed the mixture of blood and saliva.She watched him with a smile. "Keep going."She was interested in what he had to say. Did he suggest that she punched him to avenge Winston?Well, Kennedy couldn't be more wrong. Millie had punched him simply because she thought he was a nuisance. Winston Greer was not a man she cared to avenge. She might have loved him in the past, but as a lady, she was keenly aware of her standing. She was to be protected by men instead of the other way around.A woman who had to defend her man wouldn't be cherished. She had never done anything of that sort for Winston since high school, and she'd never do that now."Millie Caldwell, would you deny it if I said that you're st
Millie might wear a sweet smile, but her punches were vicious for a woman.Kennedy had always perceived her as a deferring and gentle character, but that impression changed after she punched him.How did this happen?"I'm leaving. See ya. Oh, by the way, there's no guarantee that I won't punch you the next time even if you keep a low profile. It depends on my mood." Smiling, she waved at him sweetly.When she left the common room, she ran into Everly, who had been searching for her.Everly grumbled, "Where were you? We're waiting to leave with you!""I lost my way when I was looking for the restroom," Millie replied with a smile as she closed the common room door behind her.She made no mention of the stuff she did to Kennedy.Everly peeked into the common room but did not spot Kennedy.Meanwhile, Kennedy's expression crumpled when he overheard Millie's excuse.What an excuse! He nearly stormed out in rage when he heard it.Anyway, he hurried over to a mirror. When he saw hi
While in the hospital, Millie rubbed her arms to keep warm. Then, the person on the bed woke up.Millie turned her head and looked at the person on the hospital bed. Winston's eyes were dull and showed signs of exhaustion. Their eyes met, and neither of them said a word.The nurse entered and saw that Winston was awake, so she patiently asked about his condition.He just kept looking at Millie without saying anything.Millie glanced at the nurse, signaling that she could continue with her work. Winston seemed fine now."You're not allowed to drink anymore," Millie said, her voice calm and indifferent.He closed his eyes, turned his head away, and didn't look at her again.Millie frowned and asked, "What do you mean by turning your head?"Winston remained silent, unable to speak because of the tightness in his throat.Millie poured a glass of water and asked him, "Would you like some water?"He still remained silent.Millie grew impatient and said, "Then I'll call Eli to take
Other than that word, Everly couldn't hear anything else."Dad, I can't hear what you're saying at all." Everly was becoming frustrated.Thomas exclaimed, "I said, Mills!""Yes, you're talking about Mills. And then? What about her?" Everly was extremely confused.She picked up her phone to check the time—it was already 3:00 am.She was about to lose it. From New Year's Eve till now, she did nothing but take care of Thomas."Dad, why don't we just go to sleep?" Everly didn't want to listen anymore.Whatever it was, she would be nice to Millie and not go up against her.She didn't like Millie before, but that was simply because she disliked how obsessed Millie was with romantic relationships."Oh! Ah!" Thomas suddenly started grumbling as he threw back the blanket. "Why can't you understand?"He was getting agitated.Everly was also getting extremely agitated. What exactly did she need to understand?He wasn't even speaking loud enough."I mean your sister! Millie!" Thomas s
Everly, feeling exasperated, helped Thomas off the couch and took him to the bathroom.Thomas lifted his head. His face was flushed, and his eyes dazed over. "My daughter, my daughter, I didn't throw up…"Everly looked at the mess on the ground and felt a headache coming on. Thomas had already thrown up, yet he still claimed he hadn't."You're drinking so much even though you can't handle it!" Everly shouted."What are you saying? It's like you're saying, saying, saying… ugh!" Thomas immediately leaned over the toilet, unable to finish his sentence. It was like he was speaking in tongue twisters, and no one could understand him.Everly sighed. She twitched her nose and turned to go outside to wait for him.Ten minutes went by, and Everly had finished tidying up the house. There was no sound coming from the washroom where Thomas was.Everly furrowed her brows and called out, "Dad?"Fine. It seemed like he was going to end up sleeping on the toilet.Everly walked over and, as ex
"I'll go get your medicine for you. Wait a moment." Millie intended to get the medicine from the bedside table.But then, Winston grabbed her arm. His palms were sweaty, and when he held her hand, it felt so hot it was as if he might burn her.Millie looked down at him.Winston looked up at her face, worried that if he let go, she might disappear.However, he knew very well that Millie wanted to leave, and he couldn't stop her."Millie, do you really have to give up on me?" Winston asked again, seeming determined to get an answer.Millie furrowed her brows, breathing heavily."Do you have to?" He looked at her. "Hmm?"Millie felt her heart tighten, and she just couldn't bring herself to say, "I have to let you go.""Winston," she called to him.Winston had no more strength left in him, as if he couldn't wait any longer to hear those words from her.He suddenly bent over and fell to the ground.Millie paused for a moment, then she quickly crouched down. "Winston?"She immed
Millie tightened her grip on the doorknob and turned to look at Winston.He stood next to the coffee table, his hands dangling awkwardly at his sides. The expression on his face seemed profoundly sorrowful. Although they were close, it felt as if a huge ocean stood between them when he looked at her, making it impossible for him to bridge the gap.Winston made a slight groaning sound, licking his lips and breathing heavily. His body was also swaying a bit. His stomach felt extremely uncomfortable, churning violently as if he might throw up at any moment.What bothered him even more was the comment Millie had just made.She said, "Let's end this."End it? But how would they just end it? Then were her seven years over just like that? Did his guilt and regret count for anything?She could move on from him, love someone else, and marry them. But what about him? He could never forgive himself for the rest of his life…Could they just end it?"Millie. Tell me, how are we supposed to
"Listen." Millie bit her lip but finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Let's end this between us."During those years with him, she caused her family a lot of worry and concern. She no longer wanted her family to worry about her.Or perhaps, she had become scared. She didn't want to gamble with her feelings anymore."Winston, I admit defeat. I don't have the courage to go through this with you again." Millie's voice was choked with emotion as she struggled to hold back her sadness while saying this.Winston instinctively reached for her hand."Millie, you promised me. You said you'd give me a chance. Why?" His eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and his voice was so hoarse it seemed like he could barely speak."There's no reason. The new year has begun, and I hope you get better. Don't come looking for me anymore." Millie pulled away from Winston's hand, turned around, and got ready to leave.He suddenly hugged Millie tightly and said, "Don't…"Winston's voice seemed to pierce
Millie opened the car door and pushed Winston inside the car.Winston fastened his seatbelt in the dark by himself.Millie got into the car and saw him sitting there quietly, which made her smile and sigh.Millie drove at a moderate speed. The road was busy, with many people out to watch fireworks, while others were heading home.Winston looked to the driver's side, his gaze fixed on Millie.Millie could sense that he was watching her, but she kept avoiding eye contact. Her mind was preoccupied with the messages her dad had sent.Let him go… The question was, could she give up on him?Millie furrowed her brow and rested her hand on her forehead, deep in thought."Did I make you hate me…?" Winston's raspy voice suddenly sounded next to her ear.Millie looked over at him with confusion."Does my drinking make you hate me?" he asked again, just like a child afraid of upsetting Millie."No." Millie shook her head.Despite having drunk too much, he still made an effort to pay at
After the video call ended, Millie placed her phone on the table.Thomas said to Millie, "Hahaha! Mills, look, he can't handle his drink!"Having been the son-in-law of the Caldwell family for three years, I only just found out that he can't hold his liquor."Millie gave a wry smile. This statement seemed to be a double-edged sword. For three years, he hadn't visited the Caldwell family even once. Winston was truly ruthless at that time.Winston quickly explained to Millie, "Millie, I haven't had too much. I can still drink, honestly."His face was completely flushed, and it was clear that his speech was slurred.The two of them had already finished a bottle of vodka.Thomas was even ready to switch to a different type of alcohol.Thomas had spent many years away from home and was quite a heavy drinker. His drinking ability was different from that of Winston.Winston could ask Eli to drink on his behalf if he didn't want to, but if Thomas was trying to win resources for Rach
At the dining table, Thomas and Winston started drinking vodka.The TV was showing this year's New Year Gala while Millie was quietly eating pierogi.She hadn't had homemade pierogi for three years, and they tasted so good. It felt like being back in her childhood, celebrating the New Year with her family. That was what made the festival truly special.Millie looked at her grandparents with a constant smile on her face. She felt happier than she had ever been before.She wished her parents were here too. Oh, those two…Just as she was thinking about this, her phone rang. It was Terrence calling.Millie answered the call without saying a word and pointed the camera toward Thomas.This year, Thomas had no one to drink with, so he turned to Winston for company.Terrence was lounging in the sun when he caught sight of Winston. His eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately set down his juice."Who is that? Am I seeing this right?" Terrence sat up straight, his voice filled with