In the middle of the night, Madelyn jolted awake from a terrifying nightmare. She sat up abruptly, her forehead drenched in sweat. In an instant, a familiar scent of disinfectant invaded her nostrils, the one she detested above all.Madelyn paused for a brief moment, questioning herself, 'Am I not dead? Why am I still alive?'Just then, a click echoed, and the once-dark hospital room was light up. The lights were strong that made her hard to open her eyes.A man's icy voice sounded. "Did you have a nightmare?" He strode forward with long steps, approaching her bedside. His tall figure blocked the light, and his long shadow enveloped Madelyn."Z-Zach?" Madelyn looked up. As she caught a glimpse of the man's face, her eyes widened, and a look of terror washed over her. "Stay away!" she thought, 'Why am I back in the clutches of this devil?' Instinctively, she recoiled, trying to prevent him from approaching further.Madelyn's mind was in chaos. The sight of Zach filled her with over
Madelyn took a deep breath and smiled at Zach. "I'm sorry, Brother! I won't force you to be my boyfriend anymore. You're my brother, and I promise to remember that."She looked calm and showed no signs of displeasure.Zach faintly smirked as he thought to himself, ‘Is this her new trick?’He responded gently, "It's good that you understand. Get some rest and don't stay up too late. I'll come to pick you up tomorrow." With that, he reached out and gently patted her head, like an elder would.Madelyn nodded, holding back from pushing him away.As Zach turned away, the kindness in his eyes was replaced by coldness. He left the room, took a white handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the hand that had touched Madelyn. Then he walked to the elevator and threw the handkerchief into the nearby trash bin. When the elevator doors opened, Zach stepped inside and pressed the button for the parking level.An Audi car with bright headlights was waiting for him. Inside, there was a sexy woma
After a long taxi ride, Madelyn finally arrived at the entrance of the Jent residence.As she stepped inside the house, Rosario Watson, the housemaid, greeted her. "Madelyn, why are you alone? Didn't Mr. Jardin come back with you?"Madelyn hugged Rosario, recalling how kind she had been to her in the past after her father's passing. In her previous life, Rosario was the only one who treated her like family, showing her care and compassion. However, certain circumstances led Rosario to work for the Jardin family, taking care of Zach and Cecilia."Rosario, I've missed you so much," said Madelyn."Oh... um, Madelyn, what's going on? Are you still not feeling well?" Rosario gently pushed Madelyn away and placed her hand on Madelyn's forehead. Rosario found no signs of fever on Madelyn. She had a strange feeling about Madelyn today, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it."It's nothing, I just felt like giving you a hug," Madelyn reassured her."Are you hungry? I've just finished prepar
After dinner, Madelyn headed to bed early, as she often did. Before drifting off, she had her usual cup of hot milk.Outside the mansion, a distant headlight cast a faint glow in the dark. Zach's Audi A6, a new car gifted by his company, was parked nearby.Stepping out of the car, Zach entered the living room and placed his keys on a nearby table. He looked around with keen eyes but couldn't find Madelyn. She used to sit on the sofa, engrossed in soap operas. Now, the space was empty, and the coffee table had no snacks as usual.His eyes dimmed a little. Rosario came from the kitchen and asked, "Mr. Jardin, have you had dinner?"Zach asked, "Where's Madelyn?""She's not feeling well, so she went to bed early.""I'll go check on her," Zach said, putting his hand in pocket as he walked upstairs. A trace of weariness etched onto his face. He climbed three steps before halting, and said, "Jadie will return tomorrow afternoon. Prepare a few dishes she enjoys.""Sure, Mr. Jardin," Ros
In Madelyn's past life, Zach married Cecilia partly because she bore a slight resemblance to Jadie.From childhood to adulthood, Madelyn was inferior to Jadie in every way, whether it was grades or appearance, except for her family background.Jadie and Zach had a strong bond, but Zach felt no affection for Madelyn, as she was the daughter of his enemy.The knocking grew louder, making Madelyn anxious as she bit her lip. Zach had never been patient with her. If she didn't open the door for him soon, he might even kick it down without a second thought.So, she flicked the light switch, pulled back the blanket, and slipped on her shoes as she got out of bed. Opening the door, she put on a pretense of just waking up and rubbed her eyes. "Brother? You're back! Sorry, I was asleep and didn't hear anything. Is there something you need?"Zach furrowed his eyebrows. However, seeing her sleepy appearance and realizing she had made an effort to let him in, his brows relaxed.He reached out
After Zach left, Madelyn could finally sleep peacefully. Knowing that Jadie was alive in this lifetime, the terrifying nightmares no longer haunted her.The next day, Madelyn woke up to footsteps. She rolled over and opened her eyes. In her previous life, she had endured months of chemotherapy, struggling to sleep due to excruciating pain each night. Additionally, her hair fell out unexpectedly, a side effect of the treatment.Madelyn used to cherish her sleep and would get grumpy if anyone disturbed her. Rosario knew this and made sure not to interrupt her rest.However, things had changed now. Madelyn didn't really mind being disturbed anymore. She checked her phone and saw it was a little after eight o'clock. Instead of getting up, she just put her phone aside and dozed off for a short while. She didn't want Zach, who was always suspicious, to become aware of her drastic changes.Madelyn woke up well past eleven o'clock and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.A knock on
Madelyn sat at her desk, staring at Jadie's unopened gift. She already knew what it was—a Swarovski crystal hair clip. She never cared for jewelry, feeling like each piece was a burden. With a sigh, she put the gift in her desk drawer.Then, she took out her senior math review booklet. The problems weren't too challenging for her, and the pages were still crisp, hardly ever used. In her previous life, Madelyn had struggled in class, but everything changed when she asked Zach for help. He tutored her outside of regular school hours, even though he had only completed middle school-level education. What amazed Madelyn was that Zach could fluently speak five foreign languages. He taught himself all of them with relentless dedication, which made him seem incredibly intelligent. He even outperformed the top student in Ventropolis. No wonder Hayson liked Zach so much.In contrary, Hayson never showed interest in Madelyn's academic performance. Instead, he focused on her extracurricula
In a messy room, Ethan sat in his wheelchair with hair covering his eyes. He saw a craft knife amidst broken glass on the floor and heard a voice in his head saying, 'Why hesitate? One cut and the pain will be gone. It'd only sting for a moment. Your parents already divorced and remarried. They have their own children now. They've abandoned you. Go on, end it!'Ethan muttered to himself, 'Mom, Dad, if you didn't love each other, why did you marry? Why did you have me? You both have your own families now. What about me? What am I to you?'A determined look crossed Ethan's face. He tried to get up from the wheelchair, but his legs didn't support him, causing him to fall to the floor. His hand got cut by the glass shards, and blood spilled, staining the wooden floor. He reached for the craft knife in the midst of the mess and revealed the sharp blade by sliding the button upward.He thought that a quick cut across his wrist would set him free. As he placed the blade against his wrist,
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