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Chapter One
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2024-11-26 18:37:50“Sorry, but we don’t hire women over 30 here.” The cafe manager told Caroline impatiently as he showed her out. As Caroline walked away wearily, she could hear the manager mumbling under his breath “who in this vicinity would want to patronize my business if I hire an ugly and old waitress?”
Caroline was unhappy to hear that and frowned slightly. She turned around to tell the manager that he was wrong and she was only 25! However, as she did that, she saw her reflection in the window beside her. Her face indeed looked like that of an old woman. It had lost its youthfulness and her face was wrinkled. Scrawny frame, dry hair, out of style clothes and her eyes that have lost their twinkle had added at least 10 years to her appearance. She realized that she indeed looked like a woman in her 40’s even though she was really only 25. Caroline sighed and smiled bitterly as she thought of the misfortunes from the past few years. As she walked dejectedly away from the spot, she heard the sound of a car pulling up behind her. The arrival of an expensive Maybach wasn’t lost on the cafe manager. “CEO Andrew, welcome, welcome!” the manager said subserviently. Caroline abruptly halted in her tracks. “ Andrew, can you accompany me to the shopping mall after this? Today’s the new arrivals date for the Dior counter.” Jenna said shyly as they alighted from the car. Her hands were wrapped around Andrew’s like a hen protecting her chicks. Andrew glanced at her and answered with a terse “ok.” That one syllable made Caroline freeze to the ground! Her head turned slowly…. And her eyes fell on Andrew’s handsome face. It had to be him. Caroline was shocked, she couldn’t have predicted that this was how they were going to meet again after their divorce 3 years ago. She looked so haggard, and so down on her luck. Whereas, he was still his proud and collected self, high above the ranks of commoners. Jenna who stood beside him was also as elegant as she was 3 years ago. They did get together eventually. Then again, with her out of the picture, was it actually a source of amazement? “Caroline?” Andrew said when he caught sight of her. Shock was written all over his face. Jenna’s expression changed slightly and she gasped quietly, “oh my god, is that really you, Caroline? What on earth happened to you?” Caroline snapped out of her reverie. She turned her head away hastily, muttering, “you’ve got the wrong person!” There was no way she was going to face both of them today. No woman would be willing to face her rich and handsome ex-husband and her beautiful ex-love rival in such a miserable state. And especially not when it was so obvious that the two of them had gotten together! The comparison was just too obvious, and here she was the loser. Andrew immediately ran after the escaping Caroline and caught up to her. The moment his hand grabbed her shoulder, she screamed as if she was bitten by a scorpion, “Let me go! I’m not Caroline, I’m really not!” She only had one thought, and that was on how she’d get away from Andrew. She ran into the road oblivious to a speeding car coming directly at her. “Caroline, be careful!” Andrew yelled but it was already too late. The car slammed directly into Caroline. She landed headfirst and was instantly knocked unconscious. She descended into a long dream….. * * * * She dreamt about everything that had happened before she turned 19. The memories that she had assumed she had lost started pouring in. She realized that the Caroline of the past was no weak lady, and she would definitely not have ended in such a miserable state. She was once the pride of her family, but now… Thinking back on all the difficulty that she had been forced to endure, tears rolled down her face sadly. “The patient is still unconscious but her condition has pretty much stabilized. She only suffered from a minor concussion to the head, but one or two weeks of rest should be enough to put her back on her feet. Nonetheless, she will need some supplements due to a prolonged period of malnourishment. I’ll prescribe some other medications and you can ask the nurse to help you get them.” Inside the hospital ward, the doctor explained in detail Caroline’s physical condition to Andrew. The imposing man frowned slightly. He wondered how Caroline could be suffering from extended malnourishment. Andrew turned his head to look at Caroline, just in time to notice the tear that was sliding down his ex-wife worn face…. Pain flickered in his eyes slightly as a mixture of emotions surged in his heart. Caroline, what kind of life have you been living after we got divorced? Synchronically, Jenna, who sat beside Andrew, also stared at Caroline deep in thought. She scrutinized the woman who once had Andrew, but was eventually chased away by her; she was overjoyed. Her heart soared seeing the wretched state Caroline had fallen into. Caroline, you lost to me once, you’ll fare worse now that you’re old and ugly. I can barely muster the energy to deal with you. You’ll definitely waste away like the trash you’ve become. Jenna might have been apprehensive about a young and beautiful Caroline, but now… These thoughts gave Jenna confidence so much that she was feeling gracious for her ex-rival. She nudged Andrew gently and said, “Andrew, I’m sure Caroline will be fine. How about we find her a personal nurse or better still, leave her some money. I believe that’s what she needs most now.” Andrew looked at his fiancé and nodded slightly. “Andrew, it’s quite late. We still have a family dinner to attend tonight to discuss our upcoming nuptials. Shouldn’t we be going?” Jenna asked to test the waters. Only then did Andrew realize such an event was actually in his schedule. Ever since he got divorced, he hadn’t been interested in anyone else but as the only male heir to the Pierce Family, he had to marry to ensure the Pierce name lived on. Jenna was his childhood friend and his entire family was in love with her. Andrew was warm towards Jenna but he wasn’t in love with her. But then, he wasn’t in love with a single woman. Even his marriage to Caroline was not based on love since it was an arranged marriage. As long as the wife was biologically a female, he was fine with anyone. His indifference only deepened after the failed marriage to Caroline. In fact, that morning, he and Jenna went out to check out the restaurants for their wedding reception, and dress shopping.Who knew they’d bump into Caroline. The ex-wife he hadn’t met for 3 years. Actually, Andrew had once wondered under what circumstances would they meet again, but none of the scenarios he’d envisioned could have matched the bizarre situation today. Wasn’t she the Roberts Family’s young mistress, how could she have landed in such a pitiful state?Related chapters
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He remembered leaving her a huge amount of alimony after their divorce. The amount should be more than enough for her to live the rest of her life in luxury, so why was she in such a predicament? This was the question that has been filling up his mind ever since he left the hospital. “Andrew, what are you thinking about?” Jenna asked curiously, to which Andrew responded dryly, “nothing serious.” “You’re thinking about Caroline, right?” Jenna sighed, “Even I couldn’t believe that Caroline was the same woman we saw. Why did she choose to live her life like this when she has the resources for a much better life? Why is she so dense?”Dense…. That was the exact way Andrew pictured Caroline. Sometimes dense could be cute but Caroline had the fatal combination of being dense and strong headed. Because of this, troubles tended to follow the stubborn woman and the people around her.In actuality, their marriage could be said to have been ruined by her stubbornness and stupidity. However, he
Last Updated : 2024-11-26The billionaire’s muse Chapter Three
It came as a surprise to Andrew for his son to reveal that he didn’t like his fiancé. “Dad, she’s just nice to me because I’m your son. I’m just a tool for her to get to you.”Andrew’s face dropped. “Raymond, that’s not a nice thing to say.” “The truth never sounds pleasant to the ears!” Raymond said with wisdom far greater than his years, “why do you even care? You’ve never asked for my opinion about who you should marry anyway. To you, I’m just the extra baggage.” Raymond hopped off the counter and ran off in an angry fit. “Stand right there!” Andrew ordered sternly, “Raymond, who taught you to speak to your own father like this? Where are your manners?”Raymond was already upset, being lectured like this by his father only made him more sullen.He turned around obstinately, his eyes swirling with unhappiness and dissatisfaction. “Nobody taught me, I have no mother to teach me, do I?” Andrew was stunned…. When he came to his senses, Raymond was already gone.Andrew ran out to cha
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“How can you be so sure that it was premeditated?” “I don't remember anything but that car had been following me since I landed at the airport. He was waiting for me!”The police officer turned serious and asked, “Can you remember anything else?”“I remember the last two digits of the car plates were 53, and it was a black SUV.”The police responded with a hint of disbelief, “But Ms Roberts, this happened six years ago and you yourself said you’ve suffered from temporary amnesia, so how can you be certain the things you’ve remembered are in fact correct?” Caroline replied steadily, “That’s because the man wanted to kill me, how can one possibly mistake the details of his or her killer? Furthermore, even during my amnesia, my retentive memory was perfectly okay.”The police were quick to believe her. This was because he had pulled Caroline’s records and realized she was a student from Harvard University, one of the top ten universities in the world. “Ms Roberts, do you have any suspec
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Caroline stopped in front of an old but sturdy wooden door and knocked lightly. The door opened slightly to reveal a lanky young man. He asked, perplexed, “ Sis, what happened to you? Why are you wounded all over?” Caroline replied calmly, “it’s nothing serious. I just got into a little car accident.” “Caroline, is that you? How serious was the accident, did you go to the hospital, which part of your body was injured?” John, with a head of gray hair, quickly came over to fuss over Caroline before adding, “Are you still in pain? Who is the driver that hit you?” “Sis, are you badly injured? Do you need any help?” Taking in her uncle and cousin’s anxious and caring questions, Caroline’s heart was immediately flooded with warmth. Enveloped in the room’s yellow light, Caroline appeared much paler. “It was only a minor accident. Even the doctor said it’s nothing serious. I’ll be okay after a few days of rest.” She didn’t want to show more than that lest it worried her uncle, “Uncle,
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“I’m really fine, don’t you trust your sister? By the way, what kind of job will you be looking for?” Caroline asked to change the subject.“My degree is in computer science so I plan to join an internet company but don’t you worry, it will not the be Pierce Corporation.” Cole said with some excitement.Pierce Corporation was their country, the United States of America’s most famous internet company and in this day and age, online business was all the hype. Pierce Corporation used to limit their business ventures to just hotels and real estate, but Andrew saw beforehand how lucrative the online business would become.Under Andrew’s expert leadership, today’s Pierce Corporation was the United States biggest company, and Andrew had multiple times entered Forbes’ Ten Richest Person in the World list. Caroline said kindly, “the Pierce Corporation has the best technology, good management and favorable benefits, it’s a good platform for aspiring programmers like yourself. You should go.”Co
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Andrew said in a low rumble, “Either way, Caroline is still Raymond’s mother. Yes, we are no longer legally married, but we can’t just close our eyes to her suffering.”Old Mrs Pierce frowned slightly as she retorted, “It’s the woman’s decision to slap our helping hand away. You, yourself, are familiar with her weird and stubborn attitude. It has been nothing but trouble since she came into the Pierce Family. She’s unwilling to own up to her mistakes and refuses to communicate with the rest of the family, causing all of us to walk on eggshells around the house. I did the best I could by offering her help once but she refused it. We’re not running a charity here, I’m not going to beg her to accept our help.” “Regardless, you should have at least told me….”“Andrew, your marriage to her was from the beginning a huge mistake. Your father was obviously not thinking straight when he allowed that woman to marry intonour family. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you living with that hor
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Liam Williams couldn’t figure out an answer. He rushed back to the company and reported everything to Andrew. Andrew was not surprised by Caroline’s response. He added, “That’s all she said?”“Yes, Miss Roberts said she won’t accept anything and her only request is that CEO Pierce takes good care of the young master.”Andrew chuckled, “Ray is my son, I will take good care of him without her telling me to do so. Since she doesn’t want the check, then leave it be.”“Alright, CEO Pierce. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave now.” Just as Liam turned to leave his office, Andrew suddenly said, “Wait….”“Is there something else, CEO Pierce?” Liam turned around to ask. Andrew’s dark eyes shone slightly when he asked, “How is Caroline’s physical condition?”Liam thought about it and answered honestly, “Miss Roberts appeared to be physically weak, but mentally sound. She was very composed and her eyes held firm during our conversation. She should be fine.”Andrew was inwardly relieve
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She stared at the screen as her fingers slowly warmed to the sensations that she was once familiar with. Caroline’s thoughts wavered as she stared at the codes that appeared on the screen. It had been years since she worked with these 0’s and 1’s. She had forgotten the knowledge that was once imprinted in her mind. There was still a barrier that stood between her and these piles of codes even though she should have recovered her memory.It felt surreal even after she finished writing a line of code. She couldn’t help but wonder if the code she wrote was nothing more than a line of nonsense. However, her fingers continued working as if they were moving on their own, surviving on motor memory that was seared into her brain. Things became clearer as more completed code began to appear on the screen. Her confidence grew as time went on until her fingers were dancing swiftly over the keyboard. Caroline was lost in the moment.Cole was curious about what his sister was doing. He pulled his
Last Updated : 2024-12-23
Latest chapter
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Forty-One
It was a roundabout way of saying she didn’t care for Andrew. She wasn’t there to seduce him. Old Mrs Pierce was incensed by her snooty attitude. How dare she think that her son, Andrew, was not good enough for her?“I don’t care what your intention is in coming here today but I want you to remember this, you are not getting back with Andrew ever. And don’t you dare rope Ray into your sick plot or you won’t be spared from my wrath!”Ray’s plate fell to the floor with a resounding clink and cake was splattered all over his suit. It was a much needed diversion to truncate the increasingly awkward situation. Old Mrs Pierce quickly pulled Ray to her side, dabbing the stains on his clothes, saying, “Ray, what happened? Why so careless?”“Grandma…. Scary.” Ray looked at her with eyes that were slightly quavering with fear.Old Mrs Pierce realized with a start, her harsh words had startled the child. Her husband ordered with a low growl, “Take the child away for a change of clothes, or do yo
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Forty
Didn’t Young Master Pierce refer to Jenna as Auntie Jenna? Is he trying to embarrass Jenna who is standing right there? Does this mean the boy wants his parent to remarry? Then again, he is just a 4-year-old kid, he probably blurted the words out without first processing them through his mind.Is it not common for a young boy to wish for his parents to stay together? Maybe he already sees Jenna as his mother. After all, his wish didn’t mention anything about remarriage. However, he might be too young to understand the concept of marriage and divorce…. Regardless, this is all too interesting.Everyone watched with bated breath to see how things would unfold. Some in the crowd even came up with the thought, maybe it is not so bad for CEO Pierce to rekindle his marriage with his ex-wife. It was not that they looked down on Jenna. It was just… Andrew and Caroline looked too good together standing next to each other. Originally, before Caroline arrived, they felt the same way about Jenna
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Ray, where were you?” Old Mrs Pierce was the first to recover from the shock. She posed the question to salvage the strangely awkward situation. Still holding onto his parents’ hands, Ray lifted his head and answered sincerely, “Grandma, I saw mom outside.” Caroline’s heart trembled when she heard the word ‘mom’.Ray knew she was his mom…. He managed to recognize her with just one look. Caroline found it difficult to describe the bittersweet sensation that rose in her heart. Caroline felt the world fade away and she took in her son’s cute face hungrily, memorizing every detail, making up for lost time. She didn’t realize Andrew was staring at her intensely, an unreadable complication communicated through his eyes.He wasn’t expecting his ex-wife’s captivating arrival. He knew she was a beauty but only in the way like how a mannequin is beautiful, a pretty shell. But that night, her beauty came alive. If her beauty in the past was passive, like that of a beautiful mannequin on display
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Thirty-Eight
He wanted to spare her the nasty surprise. But he was too late, Caroline had already reached the ballroom’s entrance. More than a few people had seen her. Right then, an idea came into Raymond’s mind. He rushed forward to grab Caroline’s palm.A surprised Caroline looked down from the sudden touch, and a pair of similarly shaped eyes met! This was to be their first meeting after their separation three years ago. It was also in Raymond’s memory, the first time he had seen his mom. However, the mother-and-son bond is something so innate that Caroline was able to recognize him with just one look. She stared at her don who was holding her hand with absolute wonder and tears started glistening around her eyes.Her calm composure was shaken. She didn’t and couldn’t expect this would be how it went down. A boy would rush to take her hand and it would happen to be Raymond. Her precious son, Raymond!“CEO Pierce, we still can’t locate the young master!” The bodyguard approached Andrew and whi
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“But he should know better, especially about the importance of this occasion.”“Mom, dad, can you two stop arguing? I need to go look for Ray,” Andrew interrupted them gruffly before leaving.Old Mrs Pierce and Mrs Pierce had no choice but to join the search effort as well. However, even after flipping over the whole ballroom, Raymond couldn’t be found.Very soon, every guest knew of the Pierce Family young master’s disappearance.“How did it happen?”“I heard it was because he played until he lost track of time and got lost.”“Didn’t I hear that the Pierce Family young master is a well behaved young man? Why would he pick such a time to act up?”“You know what they say, kids will be kids…”“My own son is his age and he knows better than to wander off at a time like this.”Jenna smiled smugly as all these words drifted to her ears. Raymond might be just a kid, but a kid from a wealthy family and one from a common family were treated differently. Raymond’s life was spent under a micros
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“Miss Smith, that is so nice and thoughtful of you. But I fear my sister won’t be gracious enough to accept Miss Smith’s kindness.”“Why not?” Jenna said with a frown. If Caroline didn’t come, her plan would fail.Vicky lowered her voice and said with much difficulty, “Miss Smith, there should be no secrets between friends so please don’t look down on my family if I tell you this. My sister… hasn’t been her best self for the past few years, this type of setting is not suitable for her. She knows she’ll be a laughingstock if she accepts the invitation so she probably won’t come.”Jenna of course knew how bad Caroline’s current situation was. Naturally, she didn’t say that but sighed regrettably.“But it’s not like we invited her because we want her to be made fun of. As you know, Ray hasn’t seen his mom for so many years…”“Miss Smith, I understand and appreciate your kindness, in fact you’re the kindest person I’ve ever known, but I don’t think that Caroline would have the face to att
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Thirty-Five
He wanted to keep the surprise for tomorrow. Of course, unlike Jenna, Andrew didn’t invite Caroline to see her humiliated. When he ordered Liam to send the invitation, he also requested him to bring her dress and jewelry shopping. However, the result was as he expected. Caroline rejected his kind offer.Liam reported, “Miss Roberts said she will be there and thanked CEO Pierce for the dress and jewelry offer but she would be preparing her own.”Andrew found the woman to be a bit droll, where would she get the money to prepare her own? However, knowing her stubbornness, he didn’t push it on her. Maybe she didn’t mind what kind of appearance she would make at the party and since it didn’t bother her, Andrew decided to let her be. Andrew was not one to judge a book by its cover. It didn’t matter to him what kind of dress and accessories Caroline arrived in. Of course, he believed Caroline would treat the occasion seriously. It was after all Raymond, her son’s birthday celebration party.
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Thirty-Four
The Pierce Family’s grandson’s birthday party was the talk of the town even when it was just leading up to it. Everyone that received the invitation paraded it around because it meant that they had a certain social importance. Jenna had prepared long and hard for this party. This was her first public appearance after her relationship with Andrew was confirmed. She had to make sure she was the star of the show.She needed everyone to know, from then onwards, she would be the Pierce Family’s new mistress of the house. She wanted to send a message, Andrew Pierce was hers! Thoughts of how people would adore her and throw her envious looks made her laugh out loud. Mrs Smith happened to open the bedroom door then. She chuckled when she saw her daughter laughing to herself holding her tailored made gown in front of her, “Jenna, what’s so funny?”“Nothing, I’m just very happy.” Jenna replied joyfully.As the saying goes, mother knows best. “Thinking about tomorrow’s party?” Mrs Smith asked kn
The billionaire’s muse Chapter Thirty-Three
Cole felt vindicated. At least he didn’t take the beating for nothing. They deserved whatever punishment his sister threw at them. Since Oliver McLean had raised the reward money, it was time for Caroline to take action. Using the username 001, she contacted McLean Corps, offering to help to take down the mysterious virus.Oliver took her bait instantly. He was actually overjoyed to see someone capable respond to his plea. He wanted Caroline to get rid of the virus immediately, and he would bank in the money when he saw the result. I’ll get back to you in two hours, was Caroline’s reply. “Sis, so you’re the famous 001!” Cole exclaimed when he peeked and saw Caroline’s username, “I heard a new hacker by the name 001 shook up the hacker’s world in Florida with their appearance, I had no idea that’s you!”Caroline didn’t feel the need to hide things from Cole so she readily admitted it. Cole suddenly felt a great sense of accomplishment and prestige.Like how one would feel when one’s c
