Several days passed...Maelie left her uncle's house to go to the supermarket, and buy decorations for the twins' second birthday celebration. As usual, she was always surprised by Erland's presence as if he knew she would come. But this time, the man seemed very relaxed in a plain white t-shirt, cap, and gray trousers."Why didn't you contact me?" Erland asked."Why should I contact you?" Maelie replied, choosing blue and pink ribbons."Because I know you miss me.""Hmm... You're too confident.""I know what you're thinking, Maelie," Erland said, sounding so sure, making Maelie immediately turn to him with a serious gaze. "I know your name...""Has your memory returned?" Maelie asked, picking up a box with balloon designs."My memory hasn't returned, and I don't wish it to," Erland continued to follow Maelie. "It's too bitter... to hear."Maelie furrowed her brows, now wondering if Erland already knew about their past and if she should pretend to have another husband. Questions flood
"Sis ... I hope you won't do anything foolish like before," Amanda said with a serious look.Maelie fell silent, with a disappointed look; Amanda's words truly hurt her."If you think my actions are foolish, then you shouldn't follow me... You can enjoy your life freely!" she exclaimed in frustration, then quickly walked towards her room and slammed the door shut.Amanda frowned, feeling strange about Maelie's attitude. 'Did I say something bad? did I say something wrong? isn't everything true? I... I just don't want her to drag into the old problem!'..."Mama!""Mum!"Ava and Aiden, who were playing on the carpet, were startled, seeing their mother immediately placing the shopping bags on the bed and sitting down."Mama ... What's happening?" Aiden approached Maelie."It's Okay, Honey." Maelie smiled, looking at Aiden's cute face, reminiscent of Erland."But you closed the door so loudly.""Um ... It's okay. I didn't mean to do that. Keep playing with your sibling," Maelie said, car
A few days passed...Tiffany sat silently on the single sofa in front of her room, gazing at the bright morning sky, beautiful yet not reflecting her deeply saddened, confused, and disappointed heart. Occasionally, she nibbled on the fruit available on the wide plate on the table to avoid the nausea caused by her early pregnancy."Now what? What's the point of being pregnant again if he's going to ignore me like before... Maelie isn't the reason anymore... What should I do?"She sighed heavily, then looked down at her flat stomach covered by the green dress she wore with open sleeves."Mommy!"The cute voice diverted her attention, making her turn to the door and finding Alaina running towards her, then hugging her stomach."Hey, Sweetie...""I miss daddy!" Alaina looked up, staring at her mother with a pout, sadness evident in her eyes. "He didn't come for my birthday... He didn't throw a celebration!"Tiffany sighed, recalling Alaina's birthday two days ago, no party, not even a wor
Maelie is having breakfast with her uncle and aunt while her two cousins have already left for their schools, while Aiden and Ava are having breakfast at their special table."I'll be going to school at nine," Jane said while skewering a sausage with her fork.Maelie immediately slowed down her chewing, glancing at her aunt. 'This is a golden opportunity to escape from here,' she thought."I also have to leave early, my car needs to be filled with items to be sent out of town," Teddy said after drinking the water in front of him. He wiped his mouth with a tissue then threw it into the plate and carried the plate as he stood up. "I have to work hard," he continued, then walked towards the kitchen.Jane sighed and glanced at her husband and then at Maelie, feeling uncomfortable and sorry for her."Because of me, Uncle finally has to work harder to increase his income to meet my needs," Maelie said lazily, staring at her food."But he seems more enthusiastic than before, he likes having
Amanda walked up to Tommy who had finished taking a video of herself with a beach background, her feet touching the small waves, making her pants slightly wet. She squinted her eyes, feeling the heat of the morning sun but there seemed to be an anxiety on her beautiful face."Do you think I should pose again?" she asked with a worried look."No, this is already very good," Tommy replied as he looked at the video on the camera.Amanda sighed in relief then walked towards Tommy's car parked by the beach. She immediately grabbed a cold coconut drink from a box in the open trunk and sat there drinking.'Why do I feel so uneasy now? Have I been too harsh on my sister?' she wondered, recalling her recent distant relationship with her sister.Tommy, hanging the camera around his neck, then grabbed a drink. He took a sip and looked at the worried girl glancing towards the sea."Are you okay?" he asked.Amanda bit her lower lip for a moment. "I don't know... I just feel sorry for my sister.""
After nearly 2 hours of traveling, Amanda and Tommy finally arrived at Teddy's house. The girl quickly got out of the car and ran towards her aunt who was waiting at the door."Aunt Jane...""She hasn't returned yet, your uncle is out looking for her again!" Jane said with swollen eyes as if she had been crying.Amanda sighed deeply, now more convinced than ever that her brother didn't leave just to go shopping but to leave them all behind.'Is it because she doesn't like me? Have I been too hard on her? But why would she do this? Why didn't she discuss it and ask me to go with her?' she wondered in her heart, feeling faint at the thought of not being able to see her sister again.Jane held Amanda's arm, realizing she was so weak she led her to sit down."Do you have any clues as to where she might have gone? Or maybe she went back to Alaska?" she asked anxiously."I don't know, but it's unlikely she went there," Amanda replied, her gaze empty but her mind filled with shadows of her s
"I never told Erland that Maelie was still alive and living here," Tommy explained anxiously, unable to lie anymore. "He told me that Maelie and Amanda were still alive... um... I mean, he didn't know who they were, but he knew they were here because he accidentally met them at the airport in Alaska.""And then?""I was very surprised and didn't believe him, especially since he didn't recognize me as his confidant. He told me a lot... I mean, about his feelings for his wife which felt ordinary, and he kept imagining the faces of Maelie and the twins. Fate brought them together in Alaska... He was very curious and thought that Maelie had a connection to his past, so he forced me to explain what he didn't know... At that time, I had no choice but to tell him the truth... Because I felt sorry for him, I felt sorry because he was confused... And at that time, I still thought that Maelie and Amanda were dead. Finally, he insisted on bringing me here... And that's when I knew they were stil
The next dayAt 10.00 pm, Erland and Maelie and their son and daughter arrived in Switzerland, to be precise, in a minimalist house located in a quite beautiful village with beautiful green mountain valleys, close to clear rivers, smooth roads, and beautiful houses. House. lined up without gates. The man invited his wife to put their children to sleep in a special white room, complete with all kinds of toddler equipment, and of course also toys. They were in a large mattress complete with guardrails so their children wouldn't fall.He watched his wife lost in thought while rubbing their son's back while he patted their daughter's buttocks."What are you thinking about?" he asked."I just didn't expect that I would be here now," Maelie answered worriedly, occasionally biting her lower lip. "And I can't stop thinking about Amanda. Even though she's annoying sometimes, I realize that I can't be away from her... I imagine how she would be without me, and how would I start my days without
Several months passed...The situation improved, and Erland tried to forgive himself, rise from his despair, and was, of course, supported by Maelie, who always understood him, and he also received help from a psychiatrist.Despite this, he still often worried about Tiffany, wondering if she could be happy with the guilt of having aborted their child. And he still often saw Alaina from a distance at school.The man still felt something was missing, but he didn't want to have high expectations and chose to live his life as it was. Naturally, he focused on Maelie, the woman who was always there for him and accepted him despite the suffering he had caused her....Tonight, on their 6th wedding anniversary, the man took his wife to a hotel. He invited her to dine on the terrace balcony, with a view of the night lit by stars and the lights of vehicles and skyscrapers, and of course, the most beautiful sight was his wife, looking stunning in a long red dress with bare shoulders and her hair
At 10:00 PM, Maelie was pacing back and forth on the porch, waiting for Erland who had not come home yet and was ignoring her calls and messages.Amanda felt bored and genuinely sad seeing her sister so worried. Luckily, Teddy and Jane had returned to Sacramento and did not witness this chaos."Why don't you just act normal... Doesn't he usually come home late too?" she asked with a displeased look."For me, this is unusual... I feel like he doesn't want to see me anymore," Maelie replied anxiously, glancing towards the gate and seeing the security guard hurriedly opening it as a black car entered the yard."Tommy..."Realizing it was Tommy's car, Maelie immediately approached him as soon as he stopped in the yard. Amanda also walked over as the man got out of the car."Mae," greeted Tommy."Do you know where Erland is? Did you manage to investigate him today?" Maelie asked eagerly.Tommy nodded with a worried look. "Yes... I was with him all day, but I didn't learn much about what's
Thomas entered Erland's room and saw him sleeping on the sofa, with a lot of files that needed to be reviewed on the table."How could he neglect his work?" he grumbled as he approached his son, intending to wake him up, but his attention was diverted to Tommy, who had just arrived."Mr. Gerald," called Tommy.Thomas turned to Tommy, noticing he was carrying a file."Is there a problem?""No, there's good news," Tommy replied with a smile, handing the file to Thomas. "Carlos' diamond company is willing to collaborate with our company, all the terms are in there," he continued, glancing at the file.Thomas looked at the file with a frown, realizing there was a lot to read, then he remembered Erland and closed the file again."Since yesterday, Erland hasn't done any of his tasks," he said, turning back to Tommy. "And now he's fallen asleep. This is very unusual for him, do you know what he does at home that makes him still need rest at the office?""Um..." Tommy bit his lower lip, glanc
With unsteady steps, Erland climbed the stairs to the upper floor, arriving at the room and finding Maelie standing by the window. She turned towards him as soon as she sensed his presence."Erland..."Maelie immediately greeted Erland with a worried look."You're drunk again!" She grabbed his arm, looking at his dull face, the smell of alcohol from his breath making her wince. "Oh my God ... You stink!"Erland stared deeply at Maelie and then smiled."You are so beautiful!" he exclaimed lazily.Ignoring Erland's compliment, Maelie led him to the bed, laying his body on the edge. She took off his shoes and placed them near the foot of the bed."Why are you always like this? What exactly are you dealing with?" she wondered as she unbuttoned his shirt, which was damp and reeked of alcohol, imagining him spilling drinks on himself.Before she finished unbuttoning his shirt, he suddenly pulled her down onto his chest, then rolled over, making her lie beneath him."Erland...." She gasped i
Erland stopped his car in the driveway of the Billy Johnson family mansion, got out quickly, and saw Alaina just getting out of the car with Tiffany. He smiled at the little girl who was pouting at him from a distance, then took a package from his car."That's not my dad," Alaina muttered with a serious look."Why is he here? I thought everything was over," Tiffany mused, watching Erland walk toward them with a rather large pink paper bag."Hey..." Erland sighed as he reached them. "I... I brought this for her." He lifted the paper bag slightly."This feels strange after what you did," Tiffany said flatly.Erland smiled thinly."This isn't strange... She used to be my daughter, so I still love her and want to see her," he replied casually, then squatted in front of Alaina with a smile. "Sweetie... Daddy missed you so much."Alaina remained silent with a pout, clearly displeased with Erland's presence."Daddy bought LEGO for you; we can build a Barbie house together," Erland said, hand
Leo stood near the gate of an elite school, watching Alaina as she exited the building with her friends, looking around as if searching for someone. He entered the grounds and approached his daughter with a smile."You ..." Alaina squinted at Leo, slowing her small steps."Sweetheart ..." Leo crouched in front of Alaina and briefly touched her cheek. "I've come to pick you up.""Tony is supposed to pick me up," Alaina said, frowning. "Grandma said I'm not allowed to go home with strangers, so I have to wait for Tony here!" she continued, then ran toward a waiting bench near the security post.Leo exhaled sharply, stood back up, and looked at Alaina, who looked so cute and pretty with her long brown hair, wearing pink pants, a white shirt, and a red bag.'I can't waste this opportunity,' he thought, glancing around until his gaze fell on a luxury car stopping in front of the gate."Damn, she's here!" he said, clenching his fists, seeing Tiffany hurriedly exit the car and approach Alain
The next day...Maelie had just woken up after crying herself to sleep the night before. She glanced around the quiet room and saw Erland standing in front of the dresser, getting dressed. She quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.When she returned to the bedroom, she saw her husband sitting on the sofa, putting on his shoes. She felt a desire to approach him but felt awkward after their fight last night.Her attention shifted to his injured hand, which was unbandaged and looked terrible. She walked to the small cot, opened the drawer, took out the first aid kit, and approached him.She sat beside him, took his right hand, and placed it on her lap, examining the wound."A wound like this needs to be treated and covered with a bandage," she said."You always know how to heal wounds, but this time, I'm not so sure," Erland replied flatly.Maelie swallowed hard, sensing the deeper meaning behind Erland's words, perhaps referring to the caus
"Why isn't your husband home yet at this hour?" Teddy asked as he saw Maelie and Jane exit the twins' room. "It's already late," he added, glancing at his watch, which showed 10 PM.Maelie swallowed hard and walked to the sofa."Maybe he's busy," she said."But I think it's unusual for a boss to work this late," replied Teddy, frowning and glancing at Jane, who immediately sat next to him."You don't know how busy he is... you don't understand his job, so you should stay quiet," Jane said with a displeased look.Teddy exhaled harshly. "I just don't want him to treat Maelie the way he treated his first wife. I don't want him to get bored, start leaving her often, and then fall in love with a new girl...""Teddy!" Jane interrupted in a soft voice. "You shouldn't say that. You'll ruin your niece's mood!"Teddy remained silent, turning his face away as Maelie quickly stood up."I need to go to my room now," Maelie said.Jane nodded, letting Maelie walk towards the stairs. She then turned
Erland stopped his car at the side of the road, near a bridge where Tiffany was standing with Benjamin. He quickly got out and approached his ex-wife with a serious look."What are you doing here?" he asked."Waiting for you," Tiffany replied flatly.Erland frowned, feeling odd about Tiffany’s attitude. After staying away from him for so long, she suddenly wanted to meet again."He won’t hurt you, no gun or anything dangerous," Benjamin said flatly.Erland stayed silent."We need to talk. I'll be waiting in the car," Tiffany said, then walked towards her car.Curious, Erland followed Tiffany and got into her car, sitting beside her uncomfortably. He looked around, making sure there were no paparazzi or anyone who could take their pictures, which could cause trouble or gossip if their meeting became public."How are you?" Tiffany asked, looking at Erland, who looked dashing in his gray suit but with a beard that was too thick and hair that was too long, unlike his usual self. "You look