At 10 p.m. New York time,Thomas sat on the blue couch in the living room, examining documents just delivered by his trusted aide, Louis, who was now sitting across from him. He took a deep breath as he looked at photos of Erland with another woman, scrutinizing each one."Oh my God," he whispered, observing Erland standing next to a car with a woman who appeared to be pregnant, then proceeding to photos on an airplane staircase where they exchanged glances, hugged, and entered the plane.It all seemed romantic until he recognized the woman with his son also at the party a few days ago."Isn't this the woman who made the cake for his anniversary with Tiffany?" He stared at Louis in disbelief."Yes, Sir," Louis nodded firmly. "Her name is Maelie Luisa, from Sacramento. She's been married to your son for about 3 years, but they've been living fairly modestly. However, recently they've been living quite lavishly... It seems Erland has revealed his true wealth to her, showering her with w
"Stop talking about her goodness!" Thomas exclaimed with annoyance. "Think about the consequences of this madness..."Thomas stood up, glaring at the bewildered Rosalia."What did you say earlier? She attended that party but didn't know it was Erland and Tiffany's party. Then who invited her? Was it Miranda who invited her?" He wondered in astonishment. "And... It's said that her bakery just opened. I know Miranda is very selective and doesn't easily trust new products or shops... She can't order from a bakery that is still very new... She must have done this on purpose to... To hurt her, it means she already knew that woman is Erland's second wife!" he continued, his breath rushing, then quickly sat back down with panic in his heart."Oh my God... we're in big trouble if she indeed knew about this!" he said frustratedly."But... But maybe it was her assistant who ordered the cake... Maybe her assistant recommended it," Rosalia replied, trying to be optimistic.Thomas remained silent,
Hawaii, 9 p.m.Erland and Maelie had entered a villa they rented, close to the beach. The man escorted his wife to rest in the room and then ordered food from the housekeepers."My shoulders ache so much," murmured Maelie, sitting on the edge of the bed wearing only pants and a bra, then tying her hair."I'll massage you," Erland replied, quickly sitting behind Maelie and massaging her shoulders and back gently.Maelie fell silent, closing her eyes while bowing her head, feeling so tired and wanting to sleep."I want to sleep," she said. "Can you massage me while I lie on my stomach?" she asked weakly."No... You can't lie on your stomach," Erland replied, furrowing his brow. "That's bad... Don't you remember that you're pregnant with twins?""Ah... Yes." Maelie smiled shyly.Erland embraced Maelie's stomach from behind, then caressed it while occasionally kissing her shoulders."I'm sorry," he whispered."Why apologize?" Maelie asked, leaning her head on Erland's shoulder, slowly str
"Erland ... You shouldn't think like that... You can't solve this problem on your own, just from your perspective alone... You can't!" Thomas exclaimed."I don't think this is a problem," Erland replied with a frown. "I've made my decision from the beginning. I'm going to divorce Tiffany, that's my final decision!""Don't you think about her feelings? She still has parents... Her parents will finish you if they find out how you're treating her like this."Erland sighed heavily. "I'm not afraid. Besides, everyone has the right to choose, to make decisions...""What if your decision causes suffering to your family?""I'm sure it won't. Our family won't suffer just because I'm divorcing her... We're wealthy, we have everything... And stop worrying about reputation all the time. Just close your ears and ignore my marriage to Tiffany. It's our business, it shouldn't concern the extended family or the company," Erland said with his cold gaze, then looked at Maelie standing near the closet,
Maelie fell silent, gazing deeply at Erland, realizing that his anger was part of his greed and selfishness, his cruelty towards Tiffany, His parents, and even towards herself."Are you aware of how wicked you are?" she asked softly, pressing her fingers against Erland's chest. "You deceived me, lied to your wife, lied to your family, and now you want to kick your wife out of your life and not care about the problems your parents will face because of you... That's very wicked, Erland... You're selfish... You prioritize your happiness without considering how much we suffer!" she continued firmly."So, now you blame me?" Erland murmured."You are indeed to blame.""Is trying to be happy is wrong?" Erland asked, his eyes slowly welling up, as if deeply hurt by Maelie's words. "I've told you from the beginning, I got everything I wanted, yet I wasn't happy. And you were my only hope... But now you want me to prioritize them... Did they ever think about my feelings? Do you want me to sacri
The Next DayEarly in the morning, Erland invited Maelie to ride the red motorcycle that was provided at the villa where they were staying. The man took his wife along the beach, enjoying the morning air until they stopped at a relatively secluded spot, with few vendors or visitors but cleaner and more beautiful surroundings."Why are we here?" Maelie asked after getting off the motorcycle, squinting her eyes due to the dazzling morning sun."We're going to sunbathe," Erland replied, quickly fetching sunglasses from a small crossbody bag he was wearing and putting them on Maelie's eyes with a smile.Maelie smiled. "Thank you."Erland just smiled silently, then took off his light blue sky shirt, leaving him only in shorts and shoes. Then he sat down and started digging in the sand."Hey, what are you doing?"Maelie looked at Erland in confusion."This is for you, Babe!" Erland exclaimed, continuing to dig the sand with his bare hands.Maelie chose to remain silent and admire the cool a
At 6 in the evening...Erland took Maelie back to the beach after staying in the villa since noon. The man wearing a white suit demanded his graceful wife, who was wearing a long white dress with open sleeves, letting her hair loose and not wearing any footwear."Anyway, I like walking barefoot on the sand," murmured Maelie as she walked. "I love the cold texture of the sand."Erland smiled."I'm glad to make you happy. Maybe we'll buy a new house near the beach," he said.Maelie immediately frowned."You always do this, giving me things I like without thinking that they're expensive!" she said irritably.Erland just chuckled."Don't do that!" exclaimed Maelie."No, I won't... I'll run out of money, besides, I'm just a marketing manager," Erland replied, looking back to find Maelie smiling. "Sometimes I wish I were just a marketing manager, so we'd stay together... You don't demand me to be with Tiffany... I think that's the profession that brings me luck.""You never really worked li
Several days have passed...Maelie and Erland had returned to Sacramento, and now it was time to part ways as her husband had to return to New York because his father kept contacting him."I will miss you so much," Erland said, then kissed Maelie fiercely on the lips.Maelie closed her eyes, reciprocating the kiss until she felt Erland's hands roaming over her thighs, covered by a thin dusty pink nightgown, causing her to quickly end the kiss and stare at him."No, we can't do this, you have to go," she whispered.Erland fell silent, gazing deeply at Maelie, feeling it so difficult to leave her. Somehow this separation felt heavier to him, unlike previous ones, as if they would truly struggle to meet again."Hey," Maelie whispered with a faint smile."I have an hour before my flight," Erland replied with a sad look. "Can I get what I want before I leave?" he asked.Maelie just stayed silent."I want you," Erland whispered, kissing Maelie's lips softly again.Maelie remained silent and
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