James looked at me, and then he smiled, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that brought warmth or reassurance."Just take the pills, Hilda," he said casually, as though we were discussing nothing more consequential than a grocery list.I stared at him, my chest tightening. "Come on, James. I'm serious. What if I’m already pregnant?"The words hung in the air between us, heavy and loaded. I met his gaze, searching for something—anything—that would give me a reason to trust him with this truth. But then his face changed. The warmth drained from his expression, replaced by a cold, unyielding mask.He looked me straight in the eyes. "Then get an abortion or something. But right now, you’re going to drink this pill, okay? I don’t want to have this discussion any longer."My heart sank, a sharp pain cutting through my chest like a blade. I stared at him, unable to believe what I had just heard.I had hoped—desperately hoped—that he would say something else. Something that would make me believe
When I arrived at the apartment, I noticed it was quiet—Jian wasn’t there. That was a relief. The last thing I wanted was to explain why I had spent the entire night with James, especially after lying to her about being at the hospital.I tossed my bag onto the couch and sat down, finally pulling out my phone. Jian had sent me that scandalous web article, and I hadn’t had the chance to go through it yet. Now seemed like as good a time as any.Opening the link, I was immediately greeted by Susan’s response to the rumours. She had posted a picture of herself and James at the club from last night, looking cosy and overly familiar. The photo was staged to perfection, making it seem as though they were the ones being “couples” on the dance floor.The comments were nauseating.People gushed about how lucky Susan was, wishing they had a man like James. Others speculated about their rekindled romance and Susan’s pregnancy.If I hadn’t been at the club last night, if I hadn’t been the one Jame
The sterile, cool air of the doctor's office felt oddly calming as Jianne walked in, joining me without a second thought despite her busy schedule. Her presence was a warm comfort I hadn't realized I needed until this moment. Having her beside me made me feel less alone, less afraid of what lay ahead.The ultrasound machine beeped softly, and the screen displayed a tiny flickering light—the heartbeat of my baby. My baby. I felt an indescribable wave of emotions surge through me. Joy. Relief. Love.Jianne gripped my hand tightly, her excitement mirroring my own. The doctor smiled, pointing to the screen.“As you can see, the heartbeat is strong. The fluid levels are healthy, and everything looks perfectly normal.”“Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much,” I said, my voice cracking slightly.“Is this your first appointment?” the doctor asked.“Yes,” I answered softly.She glanced at Jianne. “And you’re here with your friend?”“Yes.”“And the husband?”The question caught me off guard. I f
When we stepped out of the hospital, Jianne turned to me with a concerned look. "Are you sure you want to go back to the house by yourself? I can stay with you if you need me."I gave her a weak smile, shaking my head. “No, you’ve already done more than enough. Honestly, Jianne, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there today. If James had found out the truth...” My voice trailed off, the weight of the moment settling heavily between us.She nodded, her hand gently squeezing my arm. “It was a close call, but we handled it. It helps that you made things clear with the doctor earlier. Your secret is safe, Zelda.”I sighed, feeling both grateful and overwhelmed. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”Jianne gave me a reassuring hug. “We’re in this together. You’re going to have that little one, and I’ll be right here with you every step of the way. We’ll take care of each other.”Her words brought a wave of emotions rushing over me, and I could feel the sting of t
The next day, I had just come from a meeting when my grandmother called. I picked it up with a smile on my face, trying to sound light-hearted."Grandmother, I was just thinking about you," I said, hoping to ease into the conversation."Oh, please, would you stop with that? What are you trying to do? You're trying to soften me up? That's not going to happen," she shot back, her voice sharp and unwavering.I frowned, taken aback. "What are you talking about, grandma?""These photos I see of you and Susan all over the tabloids. Apparently, you were kissing her on the dance floor in some kind of nightclub. And you got your pictures taken. You got her with you, walking everywhere, doing everything with you, the two of you. Do you realize that you're a married man? What kind of married man acts like this? Don't you think of your wife's feelings? Do you think, Zelda, of all of these things that you are doing? She is going to leave you if you continue like this."I had to put the phone away
My performance had stretched on for what felt like hours, though in reality, it had only been forty minutes. I had lost count of how many times I had dived into the water and kicked back up, my tail swishing with precision, my lungs burning as I held my breath for as long as I could. Each time I surfaced, it was like breaking through a wall of exhaustion, but I kept going. I had to.I waved my tail one last time and started to rise for air when something unexpected happened. A hand—large, strong, and unyielding—plunged into the water and clamped around my arm like a vice.I barely had time to register what was happening before I was yanked out of the water, the suddenness of it leaving me gasping. Water streamed down my face, stinging my eyes, and I could hardly see. My vision blurred, but even through the haze, I knew who it was.That strength, that towering presence—it could only belong to one man.“James!” I gasped, my voice cracking with surprise and fury.I twisted in his grip, m
I curled into myself as much as I could, wrists still bound, the remains of the ridiculous fishtail costume trapping me in place. My face burned with humiliation, but I refused to show him fear."When did you take up fish filleting as a hobby, Mr. Ferguson?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is this part of your grand plan to—"Before I could finish, he slammed the knife into the bed, the blade piercing through the fabric and pinning the tail in place.I froze, my breath catching as panic surged.When the expected pain didn’t come, I slowly opened my eyes. The knife stood firm in the mattress, the fishtail trapped beneath it.I yanked at the fabric, trying to free myself, but it wouldn’t budge. Frustration bubbled in my chest, but his expression didn’t waver—cold, unyielding, and infuriatingly calm."Do you know your mistake?" His voice was low and deliberate like every word was meant to pierce through me.I glared at him, tears threatening to spill as I turned my head awa
James’s expression was calm, but the coldness in his eyes was impossible to ignore. His sharp gaze bore into me, and his voice dripped with mockery as he said,“Acting so thoughtful and virtuous, always putting others first. Since Grandma doesn’t like Susan, why don’t you speak up for her? Convince Grandma to accept her for me.”I stared at him, stunned. Of all the audacity. After everything, he wanted me, his wife, to plead on behalf of his mistress. My nails dug into my palms as I struggled to keep my composure. Every fibre of my being begged me to lash out, but I held back.I swallowed my pride and forced the words out. “Fine. I'll see what I can do.”His face hardened further, a storm cloud darkening his features. Without warning, he stood and loomed over me, his disdain palpable.“The Person of the Year, everybody,” he said coldly while clapping his hands. “You deserve a Good Wife Award.”My anger flared, but I kept my mouth shut. If this man weren’t my husband, I would have torn
ZeldaAs the door shut, James exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His body was tense, his fists clenched at his sides.James stood motionless, staring at the door, his jaw clenched so tightly that I thought he might break.Mr Ferguson was the first to speak, his voice firm but not unkind.“James, I know you’re angry, but she’s still your mother.”James let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Still my mother?” His voice wavered. “What kind of mother does this to her child? What kind of mother lets him suffer for years and then—then when the truth comes out, she refuses to even acknowledge it?”His father sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “She’s scared, James. Scared of losing everything she’s built, scared of what the truth means.”James turned on him, pained.“And what about me? Does she care how scared I was? How much I lost? How I spent years believing I was the mistake, that everything that went wrong was somehow my fault?”Helen’s voice trembled from the doorw
ZeldaI sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the divorce papers I had once been so ready to sign. My hands rest over my stomach, where our child—my child—grows.I told myself I wouldn't cry over James Ferguson again. But here I am, my heart still aching in ways I wish it wouldn't.He had always been my saviour. When I was just a scared thirteen-year-old girl, lost and alone, James had taken me in. I admired him, idolized him. But then admiration turned into something else. Love. The kind that consumed me, that I could never shake off, no matter how hard I tried.But James had never seen me that way.First, it was Susan Wenger... I watched as he gave everything to Susan, how he smiled at her the way I had always wished he would look at me. And when Susan was gone, I thought—maybe—just maybe, James would see me.But then came Luoxing.And that had been the final proof I needed to know the truth. I was never going to be James's first choice.That was why I decided to leave. I refused t
JamesThe Bai estate was as grand as ever, standing as a symbol of power, wealth, and the history that bound our families together.Or so I thought.I stepped inside without hesitation. No one stopped me. They never would. For years, I had been welcomed here like a son.I had thought I was.But tonight, the weight of betrayal clung to me like a second skin, suffocating, inescapable and true.As I entered the main hall, I found them all gathered—Mr. Bai, Mrs. Bai, and their daughter, Bai Luoxing.The moment they saw me, Luoxing was the first to react. She stood up, her eyes filled with something between relief and hesitation."James!"I lifted a hand to my head, stopping her in her tracks.She hesitated, then slowly sat back down, casting a quick glance toward her mother.Mrs Bai, ever composed, sat calmly at the head of the table, an air of relaxed control around her. She didn’t look surprised to see me.She probably didn’t know that I knew everything.Mr. Bai, on the other hand, was
JamesA slow, numbing realization crept over me, drowning out everything else.The Bai family hadn’t just manipulated me.They had shaped my entire life."They couldn’t just bring Luoxing back," Dom continued, his voice low. "Not when the whole world was looking for her. Not when they hadn't gotten anything from their attempt. So they kept her hidden, cared for her, made sure no one found her."I barely heard him. My mind was already racing ahead, connecting pieces I had never thought to question before."But the Ferguson family—" My voice caught. "We never stopped searching for her.""And that’s exactly what they wanted."I snapped my gaze to him."Think about it, James." Dom leaned forward, the dim light casting sharp shadows on his face."Your parents. Your grandmother. You. You were all drowning in guilt, haunted by the loss of a little girl you thought you failed to protect. You clung to Madame Bai and saw her as a second mother because she was grieving too. She played her role p
JamesThe air in the car was filled with tension, Zelda's rigid posture and clenched phone screaming her silent fury at me. I deserved it—every bit of her anger, every cold shoulder. But damn if it didn't carve a hollow ache in my chest.Then my phone buzzed, slicing through the suffocating quiet.I answered, and within seconds, the tension in my shoulders eased."We found Dom."The words sent a rush of grim satisfaction through me. Finally. After all the hunting, all the dead ends—we had him.My grip tightened on the phone. "Alive?""Barely. He's talking."Good.I glanced at Zelda, still stubbornly turned away from me, her reflection faint in the window. This changed everything. With Dom's testimony, the Bai family's carefully constructed lies would crumble.But first—"Keep him secure. I'll be there soon."Hanging up, I studied Zelda's profile. She thought this was about the divorce. About me stalling.She had no idea the storm that was coming.And for once, I'd be the one to shield
JamesMadam Bai’s fingers combed through Bai Luoxing’s hair with practised tenderness, her voice saccharine."Don’t cry. Mom knows your heart is too soft—you would have stopped me if you knew."Then she lifted her chin, her blind eyes fixed in my direction with eerie precision."James, I only helped your wife leave because she wanted to. I didn’t want you two to become bitter enemies. You may not understand my intentions, but the truth is, this all started with her desire to run. Luoxing is innocent."Innocent.The word tasted like ash."So sending men to hunt her down—was that also a favour?" My voice was lethally quiet.Madam Bai’s wrinkled face twisted in feigned confusion."Hunt her? James, I only sent people to find her after she disappeared! For her safety! And my nephew—where is Dom? Did you see him?"Zelda stiffened beside me. I could almost hear the furious drum of her heartbeat.I stared at the woman who had once been like a second mother to me.Even now, faced with the trut
JamesMy lashes lowered, hiding the smug satisfaction in my gaze as I buried my face against her again. Good. She didn’t push me away this time.Then— Thump.Something struck the side of my face.I froze.Before I could process it, another hit—this time square on the bridge of my nose. Not painful, but sharp, like a tiny jolt of electricity.My head snapped up, eyes wide."Was that… Littleton?"Zelda’s lips curled, amusement flickering in her gaze before she pressed them flat again."Littleton’s here to teach you some manners," she said dryly.Of course, it was Littleton.Even in the womb, my kid couldn’t stand watching their shameless father grovelling like this and decided to intervene.A stunned laugh caught in my throat.I stared at the slight swell of her belly, then slowly raised my hand, pressing my fingers where I’d been kicked. The impact had been soft, muted by layers of flesh and fluid, but it sent a current straight through my chest.My heart hammered—not from fever, but s
JamesThe pain in my chest was sharp, unrelenting, as I watched her smile—so effortless, so free. As if I meant nothing.If it were up to me, I’d never let her go.Especially not now, with those men hovering around her like vultures, waiting for their chance. But I couldn’t do anything. Not anymore.I didn’t dare to force her, didn’t dare to manipulate things behind her back like I used to. One wrong move, and she’d slip even further from my grasp.And then there was Dom. Until he was dealt with, she wasn’t safe here."Don’t worry," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "I’ll fulfil your wish this time. Consider it… compensation for the wedding."That damned wedding. My fault. All of it.Maybe ending this marriage was the only way to truly start over. She looked at me then, her eyes searching mine, and for the first time, she saw it—my resolve. No tricks, no games. This was real.Her lashes fluttered, her grip on my collar loosening as she whispered,"So after we land…
ZeldaOf course I couldn't bear it.I never wanted to compete with Bai Luoxing for anything. She was the one who forced her way into my marriage. Even then, I retreated—step by step, until I'd put an ocean between us.Yet the Bai family still wouldn't let me go. They wanted me dead. How vicious could they be?But Leiy hadn't said much earlier. Even I was only guessing. Did James... already know it was them?My eyes widened in shock. "You knew? Bai Luoxing helped me leave the country, and the Bai family has been hunting me since I landed—"His face darkened at the mention of my escape. "How else do you think I found you?"I pressed my lips together, then let out a cold laugh."Well, color me surprised. I thought even if I accused the Bai family, you'd assume I was just smearing their name out of spite."The pain that flashed across his face was sharp enough to almost make me regret my words. Almost.His chest heaved, and before I could react, his hand shot out, gripping the back of my