Early in the morning, Maelie was already awake to prepare breakfast before her children woke up. This was because their babysitter did not stay overnight but would come from morning until afternoon.The woman made pancakes, added her homemade blueberry jam, and also fried eggs, sausages, and nuggets. She arranged everything on plates, and then brought them to the dining table."Sis...""Hey, you're already up," she said as she saw Amanda entering the minimalist kitchen that was integrated with the dining area. "I only made a simple breakfast... But maybe later I'll make a special lunch, and of course your favorite," she continued with a smile, walking back towards the pantry.Amanda fell silent, watching her sister who was so busy preparing breakfast and even planning to cook her favorite meal later while she would be going to Alaska with Tommy. This made her anxious, feeling hesitant to ask for permission."Do you want hot chocolate?" asked Maelie as she took out several glasses from
"There is nothing better than letting her stay here instead of going with Tommy," said Maelie, her eyes staring straight ahead.Erland exhaled harshly, recalling Amanda's face, remembering how she begged to be allowed to go with Tommy."Honey, but she wants to go. Keeping her here when she doesn't like it and wants to go to Alaska will make her feel tortured here... It will make her suffer," he said anxiously."And she will suffer more if Tiffany or Leo finds her and does something bad to her!""I'll tell you once more... She's not a little girl anymore; she knows what's safe and dangerous for her, good and bad... She can take care of herself... She's a smart girl, and living in hiding isn't new to her since she hid with you for two years, right?" Erland asked, raising his eyebrows. "Think about it, did she ever do anything that could endanger herself or you? Did she ever do something careless that almost revealed your identities?"Maelie was silent, still staring straight ahead, reme
The next dayAround 6:00 AM, Tommy and Amanda arrived in Alaska, specifically at a hotel where they would stay for a few days until they could find evidence of Tiffany and Leo's wrongdoings. The man placed the suitcase near the closet while the girl immediately sat on the edge of the bed and took off her black jacket, leaving only a white T-shirt and blue jeans."It seems like I'll be here all day," said Amanda with a tired face.Tommy smiled, then took off his blue leather jacket and placed it on the sofa's armrest."You do need to rest... But I can't stay with you, I have to start my mission right away," he said casually.Amanda sighed, looking at Tommy who appeared somewhat disheveled with messy hair and a slightly wrinkled black T-shirt."I think you need to rest too, we've been too exhausted from the economy class flight," she said worriedly. "At least you should lie down for 2 hours... You need to sleep soundly," she continued."I slept a lot on the plane, so I'm not sleepy and
At 7:00 PM, Maelie was relaxing with her children and Erland, while Rosalia rested after they had chatted so much on the terrace while enjoying dinner."Mom," Erland greeted as he saw his mother coming out of the bedroom. "I think you should rest.""I'll rest later when I'm sleepy," replied Rosalia, then sat on another couch while watching her twin grandchildren play on the fluffy carpet. "Having twin grandchildren is something I've always dreamed of. They are always calm when they're together ... They've been best friends since they were in the womb," she continued, smiling.Erland just smiled, wrapping his arm around Maelie.Rosalia looked back at Erland and Maelie while remembering Tiffany, who also needed his attention."I know you like it here ... But don't you want to go back to New York?" she asked carefully.Erland just smiled faintly. "Why should I go back there? This is my home ... I've planned my future here.""Erland, you can't be like that," Rosalia said, frowning. "You h
Tiffany lay on a bed in a room filled with medical equipment, with a doctor and two nurses ready to attend to her. She wore a purple patient's gown and was hooked up to various medical devices, including oxygen. Despite all this, she didn’t appear weak or ill."Are you sure you want to do this?" the female doctor asked.Tiffany nodded."But this means you'll be killing your child... You'll become a bad mother, a cruel woman, and you'll feel guilty when it's gone from your womb.""Rae, don't talk so much!" Tiffany insisted softly, her eyes glaring at the doctor, who looked about 25 years old and quite beautiful. "I'm not going to change my mind... I asked you to get rid of the fetus from my womb, not to lecture me!"Doctor Rae sighed, looking at Tiffany with frustration."I don't want this baby to tie me to Erland forever, making my family keep asking me to stay with him... I need to get rid of it to be with Leo!" Tiffany said angrily. "Of course, I don't mind at all... Erland doesn't
At 7:00 PM Alaska time, Amanda was sitting in the car with Tommy, watching Leo step out of a white car in front of a supermarket."I think it's time to meet him," Amanda murmured."Are you sure you want to do this?" Tommy asked with evident hesitation, causing Amanda to give him a faint smile."Why are you worried? You'll be close by, right? You'll be watching us? If so, there's no need to worry because you'll be protecting me from afar!" she reassured him calmly.Tommy nodded, his eyes showing sadness."I'm just worried I can't protect you... Sometimes we have plans, feeling certain, but sometimes fate has other ideas," he said."Then pray that God makes our plan successful and doesn't present us with an unwelcome reality," Amanda responded casually. "You need to believe in yourself, and believe that I can handle it," she continued.Tommy remained silent."Besides, he used to be my friend, not a killer... So, he's not that dangerous," Amanda added.Tommy stayed silent, looking at Ama
Miranda rushed into the hospital, crossing the corridors until she arrived at the front of the ER, where she found a doctor named Rae just coming out. "Doctor, how is my daughter?" "Your daughter just underwent a curettage," Rae replied. Miranda's eyes widened. "A curettage?" "Yes, we had to do it immediately to prevent excessive bleeding, and the fetus couldn't be saved," Rae lied, of course, this was orchestrated by Tiffany. "It seems she suffered a strong blow to her abdomen... So the fetus couldn't be saved." "Oh my God," Miranda whispered, touching her own chest before staggering to a waiting chair. "Mrs. Davidson..." Rae immediately grabbed Miranda's arm, helping her to the chair. Miranda sat down, her gaze blank, imagining Tiffany's future, her future with Erland, and she doubted if they could keep their marriage. It felt like the end of their relationship. "Mrs. Davidson, are you alright?" Rae asked, placing a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "This is bad," Miranda whisper
"I want a divorce," Maelie said as she entered the kitchen and saw Erland having breakfast with the twins and the babysitter.Erland exhaled harshly, put down his knife and fork, and looked at his two toddlers who were sitting at the table, enjoying their food."I'm serious," Maelie repeated."Oh, bloody hell," Erland muttered, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. He stood up and approached Maelie with a cold stare.Maelie was stunned. Erland's glare frightened her, and she left the kitchen. But that didn't stop her from being dragged into the living room by her angry husband."Erland..." She was shocked and panicked."You really exhaust me!" Erland shouted, pushing Maelie onto the sofa so hard that her body shook. "You know I've fought to be with you. Can't you appreciate that? Aren't you tired of the suffering we've been through? Do you enjoy suffering just to see others happy? Why?" he asked impatiently.Maelie sighed, her face anxious, and she couldn't meet Erland's gaze."
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