Meanwhile, Madelyn had already left Skyrise Tower. There were very few buses at this hour, so she stood at the bus stop and shivered in the cold. The arriving bus stopped in front of the traffic light before the zebra crossing.It was currently peak hour in Ventropolis, and the streets were congested.Just as she was about to dig for spare change in her bag, she spotted a black car pull up in front of her from the corner of her eye. She lifted her head and saw its window roll down, revealing Zach's face. He said coldly, "Get in!"'Why isn't Yvonne in the car? Where is she?' Madelyn wondered.She pondered for a few moments before going to the back seat and shutting the car door. She always felt suffocated being alone in the car with him."How'd you come to know Yvonne Young?" Zach looked at Madelyn through the rearview mirror.Madelyn answered indifferently, "I switched classes, the two of us are classmates."Zach did not ask any more questions. He made a turn, and they arrived b
"Alright. Please come with me."Madelyn walked behind them and gave them some space.The waiter opened the door, and the room was covered with tatami and floor heating, so it was not cold to sit on the floor.Madelyn took off the scarf on her neck and hung it on the coat rack at the entrance."You guys can order first! I'm going to the washroom.""Sure! Go ahead," Yvonne replied. She grabbed the menu and moved to Zach's side, "Let's order together. What do you want to eat? I won't go easy on you this time.""Anything," said Zach.Yvonne had already subtly sat down next to Zach as they spoke. She ordered a few of the set meals she usually had."How about this? We'll add on the rest of it when she's back."Madelyn returned from the washroom and noticed that all the private rooms had a dedicated waiter. Since she had yet to order, the waiter by the door handed her a menu. Madelyn did not know what to eat. She did not like seafood and could not eat much, so she ordered a vegetaria
Yvonne was drunk, and Zach had left her in the private room. The restaurant staff would take care of sending her back later. With her status, even staying there overnight would not be a big deal for her.Madelyn leaned back in the seat, feeling dizzy and drained of energy, 'I only had three drinks, but I'm already this drunk. Initially, I didn't plan on drinking, but the wine was so rich and flavorful that I couldn't resist having a few extra glasses. If I hadn't kept my guard around Zach, I might have been as intoxicated as Yvonne.'Madelyn cracked the car window open, trying to sober up and let the alcohol smell dissipate from her body. However, the window was closed again after only a short while."What are you doing? Open the window, quickly," Madelyn pounded on the window. Her voice was as sweet as honey, exuding both flirtatiousness and softness."Stop it and sit properly," said Zach."You're so annoying! You won't even let me open the window. You're being so petty! Fine, I
Madelyn gripped Zach's wrist and said with a chilly tone, "Let's head back quickly. Jadie is still waiting for you at home. I'm tired and want to rest."The next moment, Zach pinched both sides of her cheeks and whispered creepily into her ear, "You're still young and don't know what love is. If you want to date, I won't stop you. In fact, I can even help you find someone better."Madelyn closed her eyes and held back the anger that had welled up inside her. 'It's not the time to argue with him now,' she thought."I-I got it."'It seems like I really can't have even a drop of alcohol in the future. After three drinks, I might get drunk and say something displeasing to Zach.'Madelyn was completely sober now. She remained silent and dared not to speak again along the way.It was almost eleven o'clock when they returned home. The living room was pitch-dark. Madelyn followed Zach slowly as they entered the foyer. She fumbled along the wall for the light switch and turned it on.Mad
The next day, Madelyn woke up after a dreamless night's sleep. She locked her room before leaving, preventing anyone from entering. After breakfast, she arrived at the classroom around eight o'clock.As soon as Yvonne entered the classroom, she found Madelyn and asked, "Madelyn, why'd you and Zach leave so early yesterday? When I got home, my mom was furious. I got a headache from her nagging, and she even set a curfew for me."Yvonne had a severe headache, likely from drinking too much last night and waking up early today. She had not slept well, with dark circles under her eyes. She felt light-headed, as if not fully awake yet.Madelyn said flatly, "I also drank too much yesterday. I don't remember what happened, but my brother specifically instructed them to take you home safely before leaving. Did anything happen on your way back?"Yvonne shook her dizzy head. "Nothing happened, but how could he just leave me alone at the restaurant? He's gone too far! He only cares about you a
Albert had already packed up and left the classroom at the last minute. Madelyn quickly picked up her books and said to Yvonne hurriedly, "You go ahead. I have something to take care of."Yvonne was about to say something but shrugged when she saw Madelyn leave in a rush.Madelyn quickly caught up with Albert, saying, "Mr. Newton, hold on, please."Albert stopped, "M-Madelyn?""It's me, Mr. Newton. I'd like to ask about the results of the last exam."Albert smiled and said, "You attended the classes, so why are you still worried about the results? It's quite obvious that you've earned your spot."Madelyn still insisted, "Can I look at my scores?""What's there to look at? I don't have your test paper with me right now, but you did very well. Especially in the final major question, you used three different methods. The second method involved university-level calculus knowledge. Honestly, I was quite surprised that you were able to write out that formula," Albert's eyes filled wit
The time passed quickly as everyone was busy studying. In the last academic session, other classes had meetings or arranged their own activities like watching movies and playing games. However, Class One still had two evening self-study sessions, lasting until 9:30 p.m.The top-performing class rarely enjoyed any recreational activities. Most students focused on their study plans, but there were also surprises, such as each of them receiving a Christmas fruit.Madelyn could not attend the evening self-study sessions. The homework consisted of two test papers, which she could only take home and complete later. After packing her things, she had to rush to her piano and dance classes.Class One was on the sixth floor. After Madelyn took the elevator, she happened to pass by Class Six. They had just finished their activities. Jadie was tidying his belongings and happened to catch sight of her."Madelyn."Madelyn stopped, "Jadie."They were talking through a window. Jadie smiled, "Tod
Serena agreed, "That's right! You guys are just jealous.""Jealous of Madelyn? That's ridiculous!" Timothy sneered.Even the usually quiet Adrian said unexpectedly, "Just because you can't do it, stop putting others down. Madelyn has changed. At least she's not as annoying as before.""What do you think, Forry?"Forrest tossed the apple in his hand. He was still dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt, revealing the green tattoos on his arms gave him a mysterious and wild appearance. "Stop mentioning her in front of me. It's disgusting!"No one dared to speak any more, and a strange vibe gradually spread among them.Madelyn walked out of the school gate, and Jordan happened to arrive as well. The traffic on the road was relatively smooth, but Madelyn was still a few minutes late when she arrived at the practice room.After two hours of piano lessons, the following two hours were the most difficult for Madelyn. She had not practiced for the past few days. When she warmed up and st
Liam was standing in the rain, and though it hadn't been long, he was thoroughly drenched.Blake quickly pulled him close, her voice laced with concern. "Are you crazy? It's pouring rain! What if you catch a cold?"Liam's look was subdued, his face showing signs of fatigue. "I'm okay. This is for you; I didn't want you to have to come out in this weather."As Blake took in his forlorn appearance, her heart softened suddenly. 'Am I losing my mind?' she thought."Now you'll have to pay more attention to me, Blake... I was just so scared of losing you. I've put everything I have into getting you to agree to marry me; the idea of you walking away is unbearable."Overwhelmed with emotion, Blake locked eyes with him. "Did she teach you to say that too?" she asked, her hand moving on its own to brush away the raindrops from his hair.A maid nearby, observing the scene, rushed over with a blanket and an umbrella. However, Grace, fully grasping the gravity of the moment, halted her. Ackno
Cecilia said, "It's fine. Let's give them a week. Rearrange the flight and all the plans for the trip. This is Blake's first time getting married and going abroad for honeymoon. I want to make sure she has a good time."Susan nodded. "Okay, Ms. Samford."Not long after Cecilia left, three editors who used to work for Olivia's company entered her office. All of them spoke in panic, "Ms. Blue, what should we do? Ms. Samford already knows everything. If the legal department finds out about it, will we go to jail?"Olivia remained calm as she said, "Don't panic. Just focus on your work.""But we got into this company through you. What if they say we got into this company through the back door and then fired us?"Olivia sat at her desk, supporting her forehead with her hands. She was obviously panicking. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."You guys can leave now."Olivia did not expect this matter to be exposed so soon. She wondered how Cecilia found out about it. 'Could it be that she'
StartReading Literary was the last place Cecilia wanted to be. But she made an exception this time.Olivia had just finalized a cooperative copyright deal with another website company. Several editors from her own company were there at StartReading Literary. As she entered the office, she saw all the editors from StartReading Literary sitting upright, not daring to make a sound.She also saw her office door was wide open. She frowned as she walked into her office and was surprised to see an unexpected gust.Olivia put down the documents in her hand. "Ms. Samford, what brings you here?"With her legs crossed and Susan standing behind her, Cecilia stared at Olivia, who was in front of her.Cecilia sneered and stood up. She ran her fingers along the desk. "StartReading is actually the last place I want to be. I came here because I found out that you enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to see me."Olivia instantly looked wary. She remained s
Liam stood up. He watched as Blake, who looked weary, walked away. "Blake, what do you want me to do so you'll like me?"Blake did not stop walking. Instead, she took even bigger steps and left.She went to the Harper residence, which surprised everyone.Grace asked, "Blake? Why did you come back here? Where's Liam? Why didn't he come back with you?"Blake stuttered, unable to find the words. She just made up an excuse, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come back."After Hannah and Yael left the wedding last night, they went back to the research institute.As for Simon, he went to the farm to manage the business.After Blake went to her room, Grace became worried. She followed her and saw her sitting with a blank expression in the room, not knowing what to do.When Blake saw Grace, she quickly adjusted her mood. "Grace, why are you here?""I came to check on you. Blake, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Liam? You just had your wedding yesterday, and you're already
The pregnancy test report came out fifteen minutes after Blake did the test. She was indeed pregnant. She was even seven weeks pregnant.Blake had indeed been involved with Kevin while in Northern Myanmar over a month ago.She held the medical report while standing bewildered in the cold hospital corridor. Lights shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her body, but all Blake felt was the cold, which made her hands and feet numb.She was lost in her thoughts. 'I'm really pregnant. What should I do with this baby? I want it to be born more than anyone else. But now, everything has changed. This child shouldn't come into this world.'She wandered in the corridor. Suddenly, she saw someone coming out of another gynecological room.She thought, 'Some things are just destined by fate. When I long to see him, even catching a glimpse of him in a dream feels like a luxury, an unattainable wish. But now, when I don't want to see him, it seems he appears everywhere I go.'Kevin supp
Blake wondered, 'I'm now pregnant with Kevin's child. What should I do?'She woke up groggily when she felt someone carry her. She opened her heavy eyelids and asked, "What time is it now?"Liam responded, "It's four-thirty in the morning. It's still early; go back to sleep for a while more."Blake said in a hoarse voice, "I've made an appointment for an abortion at eight o'clock. Regardless of whether I'm really pregnant or not, I don't want to keep this child."She had thought about it all night and believed this was the best decision.Kevin was going to get engaged. Blake believed he would get married and Audrey would give birth to his children. There was simply no need for her to complicate things further.She thought, 'If I choose to be selfish and decide to keep this baby, and if people find out about it, my child will be treated as an illegitimate child. I don't even dare to imagine how badly the child will be treated.'If giving birth to the baby will bring it a lifetime
Blake continued, "What about you, Liam? Do you mind?"If you do, you can choose to divorce me. After all, I've wronged you. No one wants to marry a woman who's carrying someone else's child."Liam stepped forward on the shattered cup and hugged her tightly. "I don't mind. Blake, I love you, including everything about you. I don't mind your past. I just want to start over with you. I didn't tell you about the pregnancy because I was selfish; I wanted to keep you by my side."Blake, your child is my child. I want to raise the baby with you."Don't leave me, okay?"Blake did not know why, but she was not surprised by her pregnancy. However, she felt that there were still some things that she could not let go of, though she was unsure what those were.She was not as calm as she had imagined.She thought about her past events. Then, she indifferently said, "Liam, I don't want this child. Since I'm prepared to be with you, I won't keep this child. It wouldn't be fair to you."Liam di
On this romantic night, the moon was obscured by the clouds.Breathing heavily, Blake felt some pain in her abdomen. She asked to stop. "Liam, my stomach hurts. I think I'm going to have my period soon."Liam sobered up instantly. "I'll go get you some medicine."She peeked out from under the blanket as the bedside lamp turned on. She could clearly see Liam's naked upper body. Her face flushed as she averted her gaze. "It's fine. Just help me call the front desk and ask them to bring up a pack of sanitary pads. I'll go to the bathroom to deal with it."Liam replied, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Blake picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom. "It's okay. It's probably just my period."However, judging by the blood flowing out, it did not seem like menstrual blood to Blake. It looked like something else.Blake's voice came from the bathroom again. "I think we should go to the hospital."She sat on the toilet and watched the tall, slende
Blake had no bridesmaids, so she returned to the hotel room alone. As she stepped out of the elevator and was ready to use the room key card in her hand to swipe and enter the room, she suddenly saw a figure appear from the corner of her eye.She stopped her action and looked at the person who had left the wedding earlier.At that moment, Blake felt her breath catch, but it was only fleeting. She then quickly regained her composure and averted her gaze. She asked, "Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"Kevin replied, "Congratulations."Upon hearing his congratulations, Blake felt a mix of amusement and discomfort. "There's nothing to congratulate. If anything, I should congratulate you. You're soon to be the mayor's son-in-law. In the future, we won't belong in the same social class anymore."I'm tired and came back to rest. You should leave now before Liam comes up and sees you here."Don't look for me again. I don't want him to misunderstand."Kevin responded, "Audrey and