Chapter 111 Sharon sat at the lunch table with Ella, chewing thoughtfully on her salad. It had been weeks since she'd seen Aria around school, and although she had noticed her absence, she didn't let it bother her too much. After all, it wasn’t like she owed Aria anything. If anything, she figured Aria had probably decided to leave her alone after learning that Ryan would step in if things got out of hand. Sharon pushed any thoughts of Aria away. She had more important things to focus on now, especially with Matthew. As she reached for her phone to call him, Ella, sitting across from her, flashed her a teasing wink. Sharon flushed, trying to ignore her friend’s knowing look. It was still strange to think about how Matthew had become such a constant in her life. She still remembered the days when she didn't think anyone like him could be interested in her. But now, here they were. "Just call him," Ella urged, her grin widening. Sharon rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile that
Chapter 112 Aria and Sophie spent the evening in high spirits, the kind of excitement that only a night out at the club could bring. They swirled their drinks and laughed, letting the music pulse through the crowded space. Sophie’s attention wasn’t entirely on the club scene, though. She was already thinking ahead, her eyes gleaming with an intensity that Aria recognized well. "You know, this is just the beginning," Sophie said with a sly smile. "But you’ll see when you get to the top. I want you to come with me tomorrow." Aria raised an eyebrow, unsure where this was leading. "Where to?" "To my modeling spot. Just to watch," Sophie added, her eyes twinkling. "I’m sure you’ll want to be in the same light soon enough." Aria shrugged, uninterested at first. "I’ve got bigger plans in mind. Soon, Matthew will be mine, and you’ll have your mouth open watching that," she replied, her words laced with confident bitterness. She was already imagining herself with Matthew, no longer in the
Chapter 113 When Sharon opened her eyes, everything felt strange. Her head was throbbing, and her body felt heavier than usual. She blinked several times, trying to clear her vision, and the first thing she noticed was how cold her skin felt. She was half-naked, the fabric of her clothes barely clinging to her as she sat up, disoriented and confused. She quickly reached for the nearest blanket, wrapping herself up as a wave of panic hit her. The panic intensified when she grabbed her phone, hoping to get a sense of what had happened. The screen lit up with hundreds of notifications, her social media flooded with messages, comments, and tags. Sharon's heart skipped a beat when she saw the trending hashtag; *#SharonExposed*. The worst possible thought crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to believe it. Not yet. She opened her social media feed with trembling hands, praying that it wasn’t what she thought. Her stomach dropped as the screen revealed exactly what she feared, her half
Chapter 114 Matthew’s face was a picture of anger as he stormed into the living room, his eyes locked onto Sharon with a coldness that sent a chill through her entire body. The moment he had seen the picture, the viral one circulating everywhere, all logic and reason seemed to vanish. It didn’t matter that he had known Sharon for so long, or that he knew she would never do something like that on purpose. The image was so raw, so revealing, it was enough to ignite a firestorm of emotions he couldn’t control. Sharon tried to explain, her voice shaking as she spoke. “Matthew, please… I didn’t do this. You have to believe me. I don’t know who did it or why, but it wasn’t me…” He cut her off, his voice tight with frustration. “Save it, Sharon. I don’t want to hear any more excuses. This…this is just too much!” He took a step back, pacing in anger. “How could you let this happen? How could you let something like this get out? You were supposed to be better than this!” Sharon felt her
Chapter 115 Sharon sat at the kitchen table, staring at the apple in front of her. She hadn’t eaten anything all day except for that one fruit. The hours passed slowly, and she felt a gnawing emptiness in her stomach, but the pain in her heart overshadowed it. Her mind kept replaying the argument with Matthew from the night before, his cold words, his rejection, the slam of the door as he locked himself away. She had tried calling him earlier, but his phone went straight to voicemail. She didn’t know what hurt more, the silence or the fact that she didn’t know where she stood anymore. She waited, thinking he would eventually come home and talk to her. Maybe apologize. Maybe just look at her like he used to, like everything was fine. But as the sun set and the house grew darker, her hope began to fade. She couldn’t bring herself to eat or even leave the house. She had convinced herself that if she just waited long enough, he would come back to her. Hours dragged on. Evening turne
Chapter 116 Sophie couldn’t help but feel a sense of opportunity blooming within her. Matthew was finally free from Sharon, and she was more than ready to step in. She knew how to get what she wanted, and now it seemed like the perfect time to strike. Her mind raced with possibilities, and she couldn’t wait to get closer to Matthew, to make him see that she was the one who had always been there, waiting. Determined, Sophie went to Matthew’s house that evening, a plan in her mind. She decided that cooking him dinner would be the perfect way to start things off. She meticulously prepared a delicious meal, his favorite dishes, and took extra care to set the table just right, hoping it would appeal to him in the way that only the most subtle gestures could. Sophie wasn’t interested in just being another woman in Matthew’s life; she wanted to be the only one. She wanted to erase the memory of Sharon completely. When Matthew arrived home, Sophie greeted him with a warm smile, offering
Chapter 117 Sharon and Ella walked into the bar, their eyes scanning the room for any sign of the waitress who had served them the night they set the trap for Sharon. Ella had a tight grip on Sharon’s arm as they walked toward the counter, hoping to find the answers they were looking for. But when they reached the bar, they were met with an unexpected sight, the waitress was nowhere to be found. The bartender gave them a somber look. "She was fired yesterday," he said, more like a whisper. "I don’t know why, but she’s not working here anymore." Ella let out a frustrated sigh. “Of course she is,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s always one thing after another.” She turned to Sharon, her eyes softening. "We don’t have much of an option now, Sharon. We’ll just have to wait for Matthew to cool down. He’ll come around. They all do." Sharon didn’t say anything in response. She was too preoccupied with everything that had happened, Matthew’s reaction, the public humiliation, and the
Chapter 118 Matthew’s face had no emotions written on it to be read, and he didn’t even look at Sophie. His grip on Sharon’s wrist tightened as he dragged her away, pulling her up the stairs to his room. Sharon tried to pull away, but he was too strong. When they reached the room, Matthew closed the door with force and turned to her, his anger matching hers as he tried to forcefully kiss her. “Stop it. You're hurting me.” She retorted and pushed him back. “I thought you were the one who liked to sleep around,” he said, his words laced with bitterness. Sharon’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” she gasped. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be humiliated like this? You think I wanted to have a child with you just to be treated like this?” Her voice trembled with emotion, and Matthew's expression softened for a brief moment, but he quickly regained his composure. “You’re not the only one who’s been hurt, Sharon,” he said quietly. “I didn’t ask for this either.” Sharon sh
Chapter 141Matthew watched Sharon for a long moment, his eyes searching hers. He could feel a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him, but the overwhelming one was relief. She didn't push him away, not like he expected.She didn't yell, didn't accuse him. She was only calm, almost too calm, like she had accepted whatever it was that had happened between them. It was both comforting and unsettling at the same time.He took a deep breath, pushing aside his emotions for the moment. He could already feel the weight of his decision pressing on his chest. "I’ll be leaving soon," he said quietly, standing up from the chair beside her bed. "But before I go…"He pulled a cheque from his jacket pocket, the crisp paper a stark reminder of the distance between them, both literal and emotional. "I want you to take this," he said, his tone firm yet softer than usual. "It’s $50,000. It’s not much, but it’s something."Sharon looked at the cheque, her brow furrowing. She shook her head, her voi
Chapter 140 Sharon’s vision blurred as she leaned back against the passenger seat, pain pulsing through her body with every jolt of the car. Ella drove like a woman possessed, her hands gripping the wheel tightly, her foot pressing hard on the accelerator. She didn’t even seem to notice how fast they were going, speeding past streetlights and weaving through traffic. Nothing mattered to her but getting Sharon to the hospital. "Hold on, Sharon," Ella urged, her voice tight with fear. "We’re almost there." Sharon could barely respond. Her head was spinning, and her stomach felt like it was on fire. The pain from Sophie’s blow had only worsened, and she could feel a warmth trickling down her body, blood. Panic set in, but she fought it down, focusing on Ella’s words, trying to stay conscious. The hospital loomed ahead, and Ella barely slowed as she pulled into the parking lot. She rushed out of the car, barely waiting for the nurse to help them before she was ushered into the
Chapter 139Sharon and Ella walked out of the office. She had signed the correct documents, sent them out, and everything had been approved.The project was moving forward, and Sharon was preparing herself for the hard work ahead. This was her chance to take back the company, and she knew she couldn’t afford to relent. The thoughts of what she was about to do made her heart beat faster. She had to keep going. She had to stay strong. But just as they were walking down the sidewalk, Sharon suddenly stopped, her footsteps faltering.Ella noticed immediately, glancing over to her. “What’s wrong?”She didn’t expect it to hit her like this. She touched her belly instinctively, feeling the tightening sensation. The longing, anger, frustration, and that deep yearning. A desire to be near him, even though he was the last person she should be thinking about right now.Ella caught the movement and immediately understood. Her face softened with concern as she stepped closer to Sharon. “Don’t le
Chapter 138Sharon sat back in her chair, her hands steady as she signed the last of the documents that had been sitting on her desk for days. It was a simple task, yet one that had felt like it was looming over her, as if the weight of her recent troubles would stop her from getting it done. But now, she was finally on track. Her signature was swift, confident, and with it, she sent the documents off to their partners.She leaned back, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. The email confirmation came in almost immediately, the message saying it had been approved. Her success was undeniable, and she could already feel the wave of praise building in the air. Not just from her team, but from the shareholders. They had always been watching, and now, they were congratulating her for the success she brought to the company. "Good work, Sharon," came a voice from the doorway. A colleague had stepped in, offering a smile. "Your efforts are paying off.""Thanks," Sharon sai
Chapter 137Aria’s heart pounded as she ran through the streets, clutching her bag tightly to her side. She didn’t know why she was running, or why the fear that gripped her chest was growing with each step. But it was there, clawing at her insides, and she couldn’t stop running.Her mind raced as she replayed the events over and over in her head, Sharon’s collapse, her own actions that led to it, and now the crushing weight of uncertainty bearing down on her. She had never been afraid of consequences before. But now, something was different. She couldn’t stop herself from running.By the time she arrived back home, she was out of breath, her chest rising and falling with each heavy inhale. She slammed the door behind her, locking it with trembling hands. Her entire body felt stiff, as if she were trapped in a nightmare that she couldn’t escape. She leaned against the door for a moment, gathering herself, trying to steady the shaking of her limbs. She had to think. She had to make a
Chapter 136The next morning, Aria walked into the office, her mind was already prepared for the chaos she expected to unfold. She’d set everything up the night before, knowing that the humiliation of Sharon was only a matter of time. She had made sure the photoshopped images of Sharon would circulate, ensuring that her reputation would take a hit. The plan was perfect, or so she thought. Everything would be done once she got to find a dramatic scene. She had anticipated a dramatic confrontation, the kind of scene where Sharon would be caught off guard and fall into the trap. Instead, what greeted her was far from what she imagined.As she stepped into the office, she found Sharon laughing, a wide, genuine smile stretched across her face as she engaged with her project partners. The usual tension that Aria had hoped for was nowhere to be found. Instead, Sharon seemed completely at ease, surrounded by people who seemed to enjoy her company. Her laughter rang through the room, and Ar
Chapter 135Aria's grip tightened on the steering wheel as she glanced in the rearview mirror. Matthew’s car was still there, trailing her down the road like a persistent shadow. The thought of him following her made her blood boil, but she didn’t let it show. She wasn’t about to let him get the best of her, not now, not when she had more important things to take care of.Without hesitating, she veered her car off the main road and onto a side street, taking a sharp turn that led her to a nearby church. It was quiet there, peaceful even, and most importantly, away from Matthew's prying eyes. If he wanted to follow her, let him. She wasn’t going to let him ruin her plans.The old stone church loomed ahead as she parked, locking her car behind her as she stepped out. She made sure to keep her pace slow, not wanting to give away the fact that she was intentionally trying to lose him. Her heels clicked against the cobblestone walkway as she walked toward the entrance, the cool night air b
Chapter 134Leo sat quietly across from Matthew, his gaze fixed to his friend, who seemed lost in his thoughts. They had just finished a rather tense phone call with Sharon. Matthew dialed her number, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her to pick up. When she finally did, her voice was soft, distant. He was able to hear her voice and that was all he wanted to hear, just a reassurance that she was okay. But despite the calmness in her voice, he knew that it wasn't real.Leo watched the entire interaction in silence, his concern for his friend growing. As Matthew ended the call, Leo couldn’t hold back any longer.“You’ve got to step up your game, Matt,” Leo said, his tone laced with frustration. “I can’t keep watching you like this. You need to do something if you want her back.”Matthew sighed, rubbing his temples as if trying to push away the weight of the conversation. “I know. But I’m not going to rush in blind. I need to figure out what’s going on with her. What’
Chapter 133Sharon watched Tilly leave after handing her lunch, and for a moment, she let her thoughts drift. The office was quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of papers or a soft murmur of conversation. She thought she could finally get some peace, but then a small nagging voice reminded her of something. She hadn’t dropped off the project file on her colleague’s desk yet.“Wait,” Sharon called out, stopping Tilly before she could leave. Tilly turned back, waiting for Sharon to speak. “The file,” Sharon said, her voice calm but with a hint of urgency. “You didn’t leave it on my desk.”Tilly hesitated for a moment, then replied, “I haven’t finished it yet, Sharon. I was just getting your lunch and… I’ll finish the file now.”Sharon nodded, appreciating the quick response but still feeling a slight tension building up in her chest. “Make sure you finish it quickly. I need it on my desk soon.”With that, Tilly nodded hurriedly and excused herself, leaving Sharon alone with her thou