Nathan didn't understand why Edward was so upset. After giving it some thought, he realized it was because…"She could have told me directly! Why did she have to tell you instead?!" Edward roared.Why go through his assistant? Would it kill her to call or text him?Nathan stared blankly ahead, his silence speaking volumes. He wondered if the method of communication really mattered that much and if it was worth Edward flying into a rage.He didn't get it.Why was Edward so desperate to find her if he didn't love Macie? But if he did love her, why would he sleep with another woman and hurt her so deeply?Meanwhile, Macie declined the concerns of her fellow patients in the ward. She just wanted to be left alone.What she had told Nathan was the truth. Out of respect for Yosef, she wouldn't expose Edward and Sharon's affair.Besides, she would be gone in just 25 days. As long as the couple didn't provoke her again, they could do whatever they wanted.…Edward was completely out o
Edward was in a much better mood. He even crossed his legs leisurely while sipping his coffee in the office.At exactly 5:30 pm, he got up, grabbed his coat, and clocked out to have dinner with Sharon.As soon as he started the car, his phone rang. He took it out, glanced at the screen, and then laughed coldly before hanging up and putting it back in his pocket."Weren't you cursing me out just this afternoon? I called 100 times, and you ignored me. Now that you need something, you're calling me?" Edward sneered, stepping on the gas and driving off.He could already guess why Macie was calling. He figured that it was probably about money for her hospital stay. After all, where else would she get the money when she hadn't worked in the past two years?Thinking about all the times he'd put up with her and all the kindness that went unappreciated, he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Just the night before, she had splashed water on him and gone crazy, hitting him with a toilet brus
Macie didn't answer Edward's first question. There was no need to. But as for the second, since it involved access to the house, she explained, "I contacted your assistant. He's your employee and has been to the house a few times. He won't leak your address. You trust him as well."Edward lost his temper immediately. He wanted to blurt out what was truly on his mind, but what came out was, "So what if he's my employee? He was there when you were home, but you weren't there this time!"It was just an excuse to vent his frustration because he couldn't say the real reason out loud.Why would she rather call Nathan than call him a second time? Was it just because he hung up on her once? Hadn't she ignored hundreds of his calls before?The thought that Macie would rather turn to an outsider than to him was driving him insane.Macie was silent on the other end of the line for a few seconds.She knew that Edward didn't like strangers entering his house, which was precisely why she had c
Nathan had brought everything Macie needed to the hospital. He respectfully placed them on the bedside table."Thank you, and sorry to trouble you with the trip. I've transferred the taxi fare to you. Please accept it," Macie said, smiling."You're too kind, Mrs. Fowler. It's my duty to run errands for you. Besides, I owe you an apology. I should have told you in advance that Mr. Fowler was coming to see you," Nathan uttered apologetically."You were taking orders from him, so you wouldn't have dared to tell me anything. I completely understand." Macie's expression cooled the moment Edward was mentioned.Nathan wanted to explain himself. He could have informed her beforehand, as it wouldn't have been a big deal, but he had chosen not to."Thank you again. You should head back. You're still on the clock," Macie urged."Mrs. Fowler, Mr. Fowler—""I don't want to hear any explanations on his behalf." Macie cut him off directly."You can go now."Nathan fell silent before he turne
As soon as Sharon opened the social media app, the timestamp of the second conversation from the top made her smile fade, and her expression turned cold.It was timestamped at 5:57 pm. That was when Edward was on his way to the restaurant.She tapped into the chat. The previous messages had been erased, leaving only two from Edward:"Why did you call me? Did you need me to do something for you?""Never mind."Sharon switched to the call log. The first entry was Macie's name. Edward had called her first. The call lasted two minutes.Before Sharon could speculate on what they might have said in those two minutes, she heard footsteps approaching near the door. Snapping back to reality, Sharon quickly exited the app, turned off the screen, and put the phone back in place.The private room door opened, and Edward walked in. "I forgot my phone."Sharon smilingly handed it to him.As soon as Edward left again, Sharon's smile disappeared in an instant. Her eyes darkened with resentmen
In the ward, Macie lay on her stomach, practicing sketching on her graphics tablet.The phone she had placed at the side rang. Macie picked it up and took a glance at it. Then, she tossed it aside nonchalantly.The phone stopped ringing 40 seconds later. Macie thought that the person would not call again, yet she received another call.Two more calls followed suit. It felt like the person was going to make another hundred phone calls relentlessly like what they had done in the morning.Macie could not understand why Edward was calling her now."Does he want to ask me to make dinner for him? He knows that I'm staying at the hospital, though?" she pondered.Macie worried that Edward might storm into the ward and cause a ruckus again like what he did in the afternoon. She put down the stylus, took a deep breath, and answered the phone.Before she could even say anything, the person on the other end of the line started ranting furiously."Why are you only picking up on the fourth c
In the hospital ward, Macie had a slight frown on her forehead. She did not think much of Edward's final remark. As she switched to another app on her phone, Macie noticed that Edward had transferred some money to her account.The transferred sum was 30,000 dollars, and he left a remark stating that it was money for her surgery.Macie transferred the money back to him at once. Even if she did not return it now, Edward would probably ask for the money back when they proceeded with the divorce later on.Sitting in the first row, Edward noticed that Macie had sent the money back to him. He sent her a message asking about it and received a reply."I won't need surgery, so I don't need the money."Edward responded. "You're staying at the hospital for a few days, right? Use the money for the hospital fees."Macie typed another response."The hospital fees won't cost that much. I can afford it."After sending the message, Macie turned off her phone and tossed it aside.Meanwhile, Edw
"You can contact my assistant and let him know if you suffer any losses for tonight's show," Edward said.The director's eyes instantly lit up. He liked speaking to someone like Edward, who was generous and straightforward. He smiled slightly."We won't suffer huge losses because of a minor incident like that. Besides, we should have considered the possibility of accidents like this happening too. Ms. Emerson can join our fashion shows again once her injury is healed. I'll always have a place for her."Edward rose to his feet. He gave the director Nathan's business card nonetheless. Then, he helped Sharon get up from the chair.When he noticed Sharon limping and swaying slightly, Edward picked her up in his arms again. Sharon looped her arms around Edward's neck and leaned against his shoulder, looking rather shy.Meanwhile, the reporters had gathered outside the exit a while ago. They managed to take photos of the pair as soon as they emerged from the building.Sharon seemed fri
Edward abruptly smashed his phone in a fit of rage. He slammed a fist down on the wooden desk, making the folders on it shift.He had thought that Macie was using the threat of divorce to force him to beg her to come back. But now, another man was hanging around her. She had even claimed the divorce papers were valid—that he had signed them.He figured she was still angry with him, which was why she had made it sound so convincing, even bringing another man in to provoke him.Edward's face darkened, seething with fury. He gritted his teeth and tried to contact the police officer again, ready to track Macie's exact location and show up in person.Unfortunately, as soon as the call connected, he was informed that the case had been closed. Edward froze and demanded, "Who permitted you to close it? I haven't found her yet!""Your family did. If you try reporting her missing again, it'll be treated as filing a false report," said the officer.With that, the call ended. Edward stood br
Macie didn't think Yosef would have given her number to Edward. After all, she had already made everything clear to him that morning. She thought that Edward wouldn't have a right to fault her for taking legal action if he had gotten her number elsewhere.Edward didn't answer her question. Instead, she could hear him muttering nonsense on the other end of the line. She lost her patience and said, "Not going to answer? Then I'm hanging up."Edward gritted his teeth and ultimately said, "I filed a missing persons report and told the police that you disappeared. Are you satisfied now?""You're insane."Macie and Edward were already divorced. She had even stepped aside for Sharon. So, why was Edward still clinging to her like a ghost that wouldn't disappear?"It's over between us. This is the last call, and there are a few things I need to set straight with you," Macie said coldly."Says who? Unless I agree, you can forget about divorcing me. Not in this lifetime!" Edward's furious v
At first, Macie refused the random tasks she was being assigned, but her colleagues spoke with righteous conviction. "We're on the same team. You just got here. If you don't start picking things up, you're going to drag us down.""This is a chance for you to gain experience. Otherwise, how are you supposed to integrate into the team? Will you pay us back if we lose the bonus because of you?"Macie gave them a cold look. She hadn't expected to be singled out on her first day. She was on equal footing with them, so she couldn't understand why she should take their discarded tasks."I haven't even started working with the team yet. How do you know that I'll drag you down? Giving me a chance to gain experience? Are you my supervisor to be saying things like that?" Her tone remained steady as she shot back.The arrogant colleagues hadn't expected this seemingly easy target to bite back. Nevertheless, one of them huffed and said, "We're just thinking ahead. After all, you're the newbie
"Sharon is Macie's friend. I don't know about anyone else," Edward said. "But she won't lead us to them anyway." He sighed again, clearly frustrated."Alright. Got it. I'll keep digging," Nathan replied.He was going to mention his encounter with Julian but then thought better of it. Macie had been a full-time housewife for two years. He figured that she probably didn't even know Julian. So, he decided to wait until he had more clarity before bringing it up.Once Nathan left, the office fell silent.Edward stopped eating and stared at his chat history with Macie on his phone.Unfortunately, only the recent messages from a few days ago remained. He had deleted everything else, leaving him with no memories to fall back on. A wave of sorrow and regret washed over him, and his eyes turned red again.It had already been four days, and there was still no sign of Macie. He didn't even know where she was. In this vast sea of people, it was the first time he truly understood what it felt
Macie and Julian had almost run into Edward the last time they went out. So, she suggested that they eat at a nearby restaurant this time.Julian had done his homework and had several well-reviewed options lined up.They ended up enjoying light, refined cuisine with clean and delicate flavors. When it came time to pay, Macie intended to cover it, but Julian wouldn't let her. He smiled and said, "You can treat me next time.""I think—" Macie had just started to speak when a voice came from the side, interrupting her."Mr. Atkins?"She found the voice familiar. Macie froze for a moment, then quickly turned and excused herself, saying that she had a bit of a stomachache.Julian wanted to go with her, but the person who had greeted him was already beside him. So, he could only respond politely, "Hello.""It really is you, Mr. Atkins. I'm Nathan Levy, assistant to Edward Fowler of Fowler Group," Nathan said, smiling. Then he turned slightly to look around, frowning as he searched the
In fact, Nathan was completely helpless.The only one who could reach Macie was Yosef. Unfortunately, Edward had no way of contacting her.That morning, a manager came by with the product planning proposal for Edward. But after a brief discussion, it became clear that Edward wasn't in the right headspace. His eyes were red and swollen, so the manager had no choice but to leave."Mr. Levy, do you know what's wrong with Mr. Fowler?" the manager asked Nathan in the Assistants Department's office."Oh, he's going through a breakup," Nathan replied absentmindedly as he looked up from his computer.But then he realized that it wasn't entirely accurate. Macie and Edward were married. They weren't dating, so it wasn't a breakup. It was more like…Right, a divorce.Alas… A newly divorced man was bound to be a mess, especially since Edward had brought this on himself. Nathan could only shake his head and sigh.The other assistants who overheard that were stunned and the manager was equ
One of the interviewers smiled and said, "Ms. Smith, your professional expertise is outstanding. Your leadership in several team competitions during college makes you an excellent fit for the director position."Macie pursed her lips at the remark and glanced at Julian. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm qualified for that. I'd be happy to join the design department as a staff member."The interviewers were momentarily surprised by her rejection.Macie continued, "Thank you for your confidence in me. The competitions during college were team events, and the leader back then was Mr. Atkins, not me. I was just the assistant, so I can't really take credit for that."I'm well aware of my weaknesses. This is my first job, and I have a lot to learn, especially when it comes to leading a team. If I get promoted, I'd like to start from the ground up."After hearing her response, the interviewers appreciated her honesty and sincerity. Then, they turned their attention to their boss sitting
Julian turned to look at Macie. She had applied light makeup with soft red lips that weren't too bold. Her overall look was simple and fresh, giving her an understated elegance."Not at all. You look beautiful." Julian didn't hold back his praise at all.He smiled and added, "Back in college, you were our department's top beauty and one of the most outstanding students. The number of guys chasing after you could probably circle the whole city of Williamford.""Stop teasing me." Macie blushed slightly.Julian chuckled. Seeing how easily she got flustered, he felt like he was back in their college days.He was tempted to ask if she had a boyfriend but figured that it was too soon since they'd only just reconnected. So, he decided to hold off for now.As they chatted, the elevator reached the 12th floor. Julian led the way as he introduced the place. "Look, this is our company logo—Brightech Studios. It's a bit tacky, but we hope it brings us good luck."Macie looked at the compa
In the passenger seat, Nathan heard Edward sobbing and shouting. Frowning, Nathan sighed inwardly. If Edward knew that it would come to this, why had he been so sure of himself before?Just days ago, Nathan had warned him to be honest with himself, but Edward had insisted he'd never regret his choices.No matter how much Edward begged or cried at the Fowler residence, Yosef refused to waver. Any thoughts of reconciling Edward and Macie had been completely snuffed out. The call was ruthlessly ended. Before hanging up, Yosef left him with only one cold remark. "You're not good enough for May."In the backseat, Edward redialed the number, but his grandfather refused to answer the call. It was only then that Edward's heart truly shattered, and regret crashed over him in waves.The man who was always so stoic and composed now broke down in anguish. His cries were raw and desperate, like a lost puppy abandoned on the side of the road. He clutched his head and was unable to hold back