Jasper countered, "And what about you? How many boyfriends have you had before?"Imogen's reaction faltered slightly, a complexity flickering in her gaze. Swiftly, she lowered her head, her tone heavy as she replied, "None."Jasper couldn't miss the despondency in Imogen's response. Sensing something amiss, he pressed on, "While you may not have dated, I'm sure you've had feelings for someone before, haven't you?"Imogen offered a wry smile, arching an eyebrow at him. "Well, we've all had our companions, haven't we? No one betrayed anyone, so let's not dwell on the past, okay?"Jasper sensed he had touched upon a sensitive subject; it was apparent that Imogen cherished someone deeply. However, constrained by circumstances, she settled for whoever came her way.Reflecting on this, Jasper felt a twinge of unease. "Well, who was the one who initially brought up this topic?" he questioned."Sorry," Imogen apologized.Nevertheless, Jasper persisted, unwilling to let the matter slide.
It appeared that Thelma was the one responsible for splashing Imogen with dirty water.With her face twisted in anger, Thelma viciously shouted, "Imogen, tell your mother that if she ever dares to bother my son again, I'll make you suffer. Let's see who can be more ruthless."Suppressing her emotions, Imogen silently wiped the dirty water from her face.Thelma and her husband, Henry Kingsley, had forcefully taken possession of their family homestead, but Imogen chose not to intervene.Despite the ongoing conflicts between Imogen's parents and Thelma's family, she opted to stay out of the fray. Even as tensions between the two families escalated into legal battles, Imogen remained aloof.Imogen was well aware of how these individuals preyed upon her family's vulnerabilities—her father's disability, her mother's limited education, and her own lack of academic qualifications, financial resources, and skills.Despite enduring their constant bullying in the past, being directly drench
As Imogen turned, she noticed Ethan approaching with a tissue in hand, his steps eager.With a gentle touch, he wiped the water from her face, his voice comforting. "You know you can always confide in me. We've been best friends for so long."Grabbing the tissue from his hand, Imogen's tone soured. "How could you just leave your pregnant wife and come rushing over here? It's not only unfair. It's downright despicable.""I was worried about you." Ethan's voice quivered with concern. "If they bother you again, just tell me. I'll always be here to protect you. I—""That won't be necessary." The voice that disrupted the silence wasn't Imogen's. It resonated from the man coming down the stairs.With each elegant stride, Jasper descended. Imogen and Ethan both lifted their gazes.Jasper was adorned in a flawlessly tailored black suit, exuding an aura of unmatched elegance and refinement.Despite their previous interactions, Imogen couldn't help but find herself captivated by Jasper's
Imogen said irritably, "I'm really busy and don't have time to deal with your marital issues. Don't drag me into your relationship." After that, she strode upstairs to change her clothes.Scarlett cried as she turned away to leave. She said, "If you don't want to live together anymore, then let's not. I don't even want the child."Ethan was very anxious. He said to Jasper, "Imogen wouldn't just marry a stranger out of nowhere, so she must be doing this to get back at me." With that, he quickly chased after Scarlett. Jasper was left speechless.Back home, Imogen couldn't hold back her tears as she changed out her dirty clothes. No matter how tough or unfair life was, she had never complained or cried before. She couldn't endure it anymore as it was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Every time she saw Ethan and Scarlett, her heart ached all over again. She still couldn't let go.Imogen wiped away her tears and changed into clean clothes. Then, she went downstairs and dr
Imogen walked into the kitchen and started preparing the vegetables. "Dad, let me do it. You can rest for a while.""You've been working all day, so you must be tired. Let me cook. You can rest.""I'm not tired," Imogen said as she guided Gregory out of the kitchen. She firmly said, "I'll do the cooking tonight."Gregory had lost his legs, so he used to walk with his hands. A few years ago, he spent thousands on a prosthetic leg but was swindled with a poor-quality one. Now, standing too long caused him pain, and he walked with a limp."Alright then," Gregory replied with a contented smile.Imogen busied herself in the kitchen while Gregory drank tea in the living room. Half an hour later, she made two plates of paella, a salmon omelet, and a bowl of Greek salad."Dad, dinner's ready."Gregory walked over to sit down. He looked at the food on the table and then at Imogen.Imogen sat down and used her cutlery to serve Gregory some food. She said, "Dad, let's eat." However, Grego
Imogen said, "No need. You work so hard, so you should relax when you get back from work. I can handle this myself."Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jasper pondered for a moment. He said, "Imogen, let's talk."Instead of stopping what she was doing, Imogen asked, "Talk about what?""Let's get to know each other better to ease the adjustment period after marriage." Imogen looked at him silently.Jasper said gently as he looked into her eyes, "We both have jobs, so we don't get much time together."Imogen smiled faintly. She said, "Life is long. Are you afraid we won't get to know each other well enough?"Jasper asked, "What's your relationship with Ethan?" Imogen fell silent. Jasper continued, "Is he your ex-boyfriend?"Imogen put down the cloth she was holding and leaned against the desk. She responded, "No. He is just a friend.""And what about his wife?"Imogen replied, "She was my close friend, but now she's just a neighbor that I'm familiar with."Jasper asked, "Do they l
"Let me think about it. I'll tell you later," Imogen said. She didn't expect much from this marriage as it lacked any emotional foundation. To her, as long as they could get by, it was enough. The marriage was merely to prove she had moved on from Ethan and also to reassure her parents.Late at night, Imogen returned to the bedroom in her pajamas after taking her shower. As she entered the room, she saw Jasper changing clothes.His well-built physique, defined muscles, and healthy skin tone momentarily stunned her. Realizing what she was seeing, she quickly stepped back and shut the door behind her as if she had done something wrong.Upon hearing a loud bang, Jasper looked toward the door. At that moment, his expression darkened.Outside, Imogen's face flushed and her heart raced. She was so nervous that her breath became erratic. The image of his perfect body kept replaying in her mind, filling her thoughts with blush-inducing visions.It wasn't like she had never seen a man wi
Imogen bit her lower lip because she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to smack herself. The words she said just now were so ridiculous. Both of them fell silent as they were lost in their thoughts. The atmosphere in the room was very ambiguous.Jasper then turned off the light. As the room fell into darkness, their breathing became even and steady. Jasper clearly knew what Imogen was talking about earlier, but he pretended not to understand.This night was restless for both of them. The next morning, Imogen was =up before dawn to make breakfast. She ironed Jasper's suit and polished his shoes. After that, she prepared his lunchbox.When Jasper woke up, he didn't see Imogen in the room. Instead, he found his neatly ironed clothes hanging in an obvious spot, which made him feel touched.As he walked out of the room, he saw Imogen busying herself in the kitchen.After freshening up, he headed toward the kitchen. When he walked past the dining table, he noticed the simple, yet nutr