"Mrs. Flint said so," I responded. This guy is about to be fired, but he is still in high spirits."What can I say about you?" Kent chuckled again, speaking helplessly:"With Mrs. Flint's third-rate Event management company, do you think she has any channels to hear about the high-level decision-making of our Jewel Group?"His smile was truly bright. He reached out to pinch my face, strong and unforgiving that I hustled to release his grip, but he wouldn't let go, giving me a serious warning:"In the future, if you want to know about my decisions, just ask me directly. Don't just believe in rumors, okay?"At that moment, I genuinely overlooked the implication of his phrase "Just ask me directly if you want to know about my decisions". Instead, I focused on another point in his talk and hastily asked:"So, have you been fired? You...?"Kent seemed exasperated, patronizingly flicking my forehead, smiling brilliantly:"Do you even know the surname of the biggest shareholder behind Jewe
These thoughts echoed in my mind, carrying along, a mix of curiosity and speculation.Although the sight just now was beautiful, it felt somewhat odd - after losing my job, I was surprised to see him, still so engrossed in nourishing the flowers and plants. Quite eccentric indeed.Kent glanced back at the blossoming garden, chuckling lightly."Plants have lives too. If I take care of them, they'll reciprocate. Just breathe in, isn't the aroma refreshing? Enough to keep one in high spirits for the day."As he uttered these words, his eyes squinted slightly, carefully inspecting the results of his efforts. Noticing a bit of cobweb on a flower pot beneath him, he immediately took to wiping it clean.Once he finished attending to the garden, we headed downstairs for breakfast.During the meal, he suddenly proposed:"By the way, since you've lost your job, how about accompanying me to the office and working as my secretary after the meal?"I was taken aback needing a moment before respo
"Who else could it be? That bastard with the surname Hale, that son of a bitch." Emilia tossed her phone on the table and said to me in a drunken slur:"Let me tell you, Sammy, all men are beasts who think with their lower half. Bastards, not one of them has a heart. That's true for you, Jared, and it's true for Mickey and Ben."I snorted and echoed:"How can the three of them be the same? Ben slept with you the first time he met you, while Jared, I chased him for over Seven years, married him for three, and he doesn't even dare to touch my finger."Emilia laughed heartily: "Hahaha, they are the same, just different methods but with the same result. Jared is a rich psycho; he thinks you're dirty and, hence, won't touch you. Put, it's because he doesn't love you.If he did truly love you, he would overcome whatever was going on in that crazy head of his."She's making sense. Isn't Jared just not in love with me? I know!"What about Mickey?" I asked her. "That snake, he is the worst o
In the end, she was a spoiled girl from a rich family. She would only show off her toughness and fierceness when dealing with others. But once someone stood up against her, she would indeed back down immediately.When I furiously punched the wall close to her, and she felt the impact, she was truly frightened by me and obediently confessed everything."Samantha, I didn't hire anyone to rape you. Instead, after I knocked you out, I had you auctioned off in the underground black market."Auction? Black market?When these two words appeared, they directly shattered all the defenses in my heart... I always thought she was behind the act of violating me but didn't expect an even more unexpectedly bitter truth hidden behind all this.And this truth was far more malicious than anyone could imagine.I took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the urge to kill her right there, and continued to ask:"Who did you sell me to?""I don't know. In any case, after I knocked you out, my brother too
It was past 3 pm, and I was busy prepping ingredients for dinner when I heard my phone ringing. I rushed out to pick, thinking it was the delivery guy."Hello," I answered immediately. Jared's voice filled the receiver, cold as ever and devoid of any affection."Don't wait up for me," I heard him spit out. I was about to ask what he was up to when he hung up on me.I don't even know why I bother with him anymore; we have been this way since the very first day of this prison called marriage, but it still hurts each time he gives me a cold shoulder.I was confused, wondering what to do since he wasn't even going to be home for the special dinner I was prepping.But then an insane idea popped into my head. I knew it was a terrible idea, one I would pay dearly for, but it was his birthday, and he deserved some special homemade meal.Dropping the phone on the counter, I quickly rushed into the kitchen to whip up something really quick for him. I made his favorite creamy pasta and some cho
I woke up a few days later only to realize that I was on the hospital bed, bruised in many places more than I can count.Dad will always say, "You better die a Long than to live as a Steele." He almost got what he wanted. "Thank God you are okay," I heard Emily's voice from behind with a loud thud; she dropped the bag she was holding and ran to hug me. "Ouch," I cried out in pain."Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry. Thank God you are fine," she said, drying the tears that formed in her eyes.She informed the nurses that I was awake, and the doctor came around to run a check on me. "She will be alright, no major concussion; she should be out of here in weeks." "Thank you, doctor," she said as he walked out of the room. "Did Jared come to see me?" I asked Emily. "You should focus on your health first, honey, please," she begged, gently patting my hand.I forced a smile; she kissed my forehead, smiling when Dad walked in."Mr. Caine, Mrs. Caine," Emilia greeted, faking a smile. Immediately s
It has been Six months after the divorce and the accident, I decided to move on with my life. I was working as one of the directors at Emerald Events, a company that does event management.I recently brought back a contract worth five million dollars from Kentucky; my boss, Louisa, has treated me as a big contributor to the company. After lavishing me with rewards, she even gave me a seven-day vacation, adding it up with my annual leave.I finalized my divorce a couple of months ago; ever since that incident at his house, I had never set eyes on that bastard. Even while in divorce proceedings, he just sent his lawyer to settle things like I was some rag he was too eager to discard.I thought letting the case drag on for long would make him realize and maybe come back to me, but I was just delusional.Jared never had any sort of feelings towards me; for all I know, this charade called marriage was only a transaction to him.I was packing up my stuff to leave for my vacation. "Knock kn
I was enjoying the night; it was the best night ever since I married and divorced Jared. I was glad I attended the party. It was the first time someone was putting that witch in her place.Once it comes to her disgrace, I would always take the front row any day, any time.I turned to see those deep eyes looking at me, and with the roll of his Adam's apple, the thrilling moment of that night felt like a film replaying before my eyes. I can't help but tense my legs.He is just like a dose of venom, always waiting for me to fall into an irrevocable abyss.Leila was embarrassed, her gaze at me even more malicious. But she refrained from saying anything further and clung to his arm awkwardly.Probably unable to tolerate her, he excused himself to go back to the dance floor. This time she did not follow him. As his figure completely vanished, her ladylike demeanor instantly collapsed. She furiously looked down on me and scolded:"Samantha, have you no shame? You have been with numerous men
In the end, she was a spoiled girl from a rich family. She would only show off her toughness and fierceness when dealing with others. But once someone stood up against her, she would indeed back down immediately.When I furiously punched the wall close to her, and she felt the impact, she was truly frightened by me and obediently confessed everything."Samantha, I didn't hire anyone to rape you. Instead, after I knocked you out, I had you auctioned off in the underground black market."Auction? Black market?When these two words appeared, they directly shattered all the defenses in my heart... I always thought she was behind the act of violating me but didn't expect an even more unexpectedly bitter truth hidden behind all this.And this truth was far more malicious than anyone could imagine.I took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the urge to kill her right there, and continued to ask:"Who did you sell me to?""I don't know. In any case, after I knocked you out, my brother too
"Who else could it be? That bastard with the surname Hale, that son of a bitch." Emilia tossed her phone on the table and said to me in a drunken slur:"Let me tell you, Sammy, all men are beasts who think with their lower half. Bastards, not one of them has a heart. That's true for you, Jared, and it's true for Mickey and Ben."I snorted and echoed:"How can the three of them be the same? Ben slept with you the first time he met you, while Jared, I chased him for over Seven years, married him for three, and he doesn't even dare to touch my finger."Emilia laughed heartily: "Hahaha, they are the same, just different methods but with the same result. Jared is a rich psycho; he thinks you're dirty and, hence, won't touch you. Put, it's because he doesn't love you.If he did truly love you, he would overcome whatever was going on in that crazy head of his."She's making sense. Isn't Jared just not in love with me? I know!"What about Mickey?" I asked her. "That snake, he is the worst o
These thoughts echoed in my mind, carrying along, a mix of curiosity and speculation.Although the sight just now was beautiful, it felt somewhat odd - after losing my job, I was surprised to see him, still so engrossed in nourishing the flowers and plants. Quite eccentric indeed.Kent glanced back at the blossoming garden, chuckling lightly."Plants have lives too. If I take care of them, they'll reciprocate. Just breathe in, isn't the aroma refreshing? Enough to keep one in high spirits for the day."As he uttered these words, his eyes squinted slightly, carefully inspecting the results of his efforts. Noticing a bit of cobweb on a flower pot beneath him, he immediately took to wiping it clean.Once he finished attending to the garden, we headed downstairs for breakfast.During the meal, he suddenly proposed:"By the way, since you've lost your job, how about accompanying me to the office and working as my secretary after the meal?"I was taken aback needing a moment before respo
"Mrs. Flint said so," I responded. This guy is about to be fired, but he is still in high spirits."What can I say about you?" Kent chuckled again, speaking helplessly:"With Mrs. Flint's third-rate Event management company, do you think she has any channels to hear about the high-level decision-making of our Jewel Group?"His smile was truly bright. He reached out to pinch my face, strong and unforgiving that I hustled to release his grip, but he wouldn't let go, giving me a serious warning:"In the future, if you want to know about my decisions, just ask me directly. Don't just believe in rumors, okay?"At that moment, I genuinely overlooked the implication of his phrase "Just ask me directly if you want to know about my decisions". Instead, I focused on another point in his talk and hastily asked:"So, have you been fired? You...?"Kent seemed exasperated, patronizingly flicking my forehead, smiling brilliantly:"Do you even know the surname of the biggest shareholder behind Jewe
Mrs. Flint is hardly compassionate. She'd rather not offend Mrs. Long. Also, her fear of me usurping power and securing the position of the next Madame of the Long family has led her to tread on eggshells around me.She has masterfully planned her scheme, I have always known her to be quite the crafty one.I scornfully retorted, “So Mrs. Flint, am I supposed to be grateful for your considerations?"Seeing that I wouldn't give in and was causing her embarrassment, her expression instantly darkened."Sam, I know you're determined to sever ties with the Long family. But as your former boss, I simply advise you not to offend that family.”“Don't underestimate the Long family's low profile; they are the genuinely famous and influential family in the city, and crushing you like an ant would be effortless.”“As for your rumored ex-boyfriend Kent, don't count on him,”“The recent stock market crash has greatly affected Jewel Group. I heard the company is considering firing Kent Millers becau
This time, Ben capriciously slept with Emilia in such a wanton and ruthless manner. It felt like he was just preying on her. Being a fickle, rich, second-generation guy, there was always a gaggle of girls surrounding him each time I met him.It was apparent that he was only toying with her and could never truly love Emilia.Although she did not say anything, I knew this incident would undoubtedly be a tremendous blow to her. But I have no idea how to tell her. Emilia let out a helpless sigh. “Sam, it's been five years since I met that bastard. I have been faithful to him even while he was flirting with his workers. But I'm tired, Sam. I can't keep making excuses for him. Let's just consider this a one-night stand; it's not a big deal.”The more Emilia said this, the sadder I felt. I turned and held her tightly in my arms, feeling the sting of tears starting to fall.Given the fact that she had already suffered so much on my behalf, how could I embarrass her again by re-exposing her
That night, I had nowhere to sleep, so I took a taxi back to Emilia's to stay.But before I could even get out of the car, I received a phone call.The number wasn't saved in my contacts, but it was one I knew all too well.Upon answering, I was met with the coarse voice of Henry Caine, bellowing at me:"Samantha, have some shame! It's bad enough that you slept with someone before marriage, but you're a part of the Long family now. What's this I hear about you flirting with other men?" This has always been his anthem, so I wasn't moved by his words but just kept a straight face waiting for him to get done. "How dare you, Samantha? You now stay with your lover; you are a slut just like your mother!"His harsh words still bit hard without fear. I clenched my phone tighter, forcing myself to keep my emotions in check. I retorted coldly:"Dad, don't talk about my mom like that; she had nothing to do with this.""Bastard! Do you dare talk back at me? If your useless mother hadn't died, a
After he hung up the phone, Kent didn't continue to dwell on my apartment-hunting problem. He raised an eyebrow and said. "Do as you wish. Once you find a place, let me know."Then he walked away.Perhaps to him, it didn't matter where I lived, considering he could find me wherever, whenever he wanted.I shook my head; the current situation was a bit complicated, with matters yet to be settled. I didn't have time to clarify our relationship.I decided to find a place to live first.This neighborhood was filled with high-rise buildings, mainly housing white-collar workers, so there were plenty of apartments for rent.By the afternoon, I had found one—a two-bedroom apartment, free of clutter with reasonable cleanliness, for a monthly rent of 500 dollars, which was within my affordability.I promptly signed the rental agreement. When I was about to call Emilia to tell her about it, she beat me to it:"Sammy, something happened!""What's up?""I just saw the news; Jewel Group's shares ha
The car seat had already been flattened into a bed by him. After he finished speaking, he lay down next to me, his body close to mine. I could feel his body temperature, and my heartbeat quickened for a moment."Well, hurry up then," I said. After saying this, I felt my face burning, probably as red as a ripe tomato. I simply closed my eyes, prepared to bear the force he wanted to give me.But Kent seemed not to be in any hurry. He just gently stroked my skin with his hand, which sported a few blisters.This gentle motion lasted for quite some time and finally halted at my private triangle and then stopped moving.I couldn't help but open my eyes to look at him. His eyes seemed even more perplexed than mine. He was staring at my body. Seeing me looking at him, he did not pull his hand away. Instead, he boldly explored deeper into me.In his eyes, there was a distinct naughty smirk:"Sammy, why do I still feel a strange sense of familiarity with you? Did we have a remarkable love af