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Chapter 24
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 25
"Mrs. Sinclair, we've straightened up the bedroom. Call us if you need anything else," the maid told Anathea.Anathea nodded slightly in response. When the maids left, she opened the bedroom door.It had been a month since she'd last stayed at the Sinclair residence. She recalled how Gregory had left her alone in the room after he'd gotten a text from Natalie and rushed to the airport to pick up the latter. After that, he hadn't come home for the night.Anathea had even had to cover up for him when Brisa had asked about it, saying he'd gone to take care of urgent matters at the company. Anathea had known that he was catching up with Natalie, rekindling old sparks and setting sheets ablaze with their passion and yearning.Anathea figured Gregory wouldn't return to the Sinclair residence for the night. He was likely guarding Natalie's bedside and nursing her injuries. He probably wouldn't let anyone else take care of his precious first love.She couldn't care less where he spent the
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 26
Anathea's breath hitched. She hadn't done anything to deserve such condescension. She was already agitated from what happened earlier that night. It didn't help that Gregory was pinching her chin so hard that it hurt. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had to degrade her with his words, too.Resentment and rage welled up in Anathea. Without another thought, she sank her teeth into the skin between Gregory's thumb and index finger.Gregory hissed sharply as pain and outrage flickered across his face. "Are you rabid all of a sudden, Anathea? Let go!"Anathea ignored his command and bit him even harder as if in revenge. What did he take her for? Even if he hated her, he had no right to degrade her. Tears stung her eyes as bitterness overwhelmed her."Anathea!" Gregory seethed through gritted teeth, clenching her wrist. "If you don't let go the next second, I'll—"He was cut off when a teardrop fell on the back of his hand. He froze, staring at the droplet nestled between his knuckles
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 27
Anathea felt as if her heart might burst from anxiety. She was shivering, though she didn't know if it was because of the cold. The next second, Gregory wordlessly tossed the towel on her, then grabbed his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.It wasn't until the bathroom door clicked shut that Anathea snapped out of her daze. She let out a breath of relief. Wrapping the towel around herself, she stood up slowly and changed into her pajamas.The sound of running water from the bathroom prompted her to glance at the tightly shut door. Indecipherable emotions flickered in her eyes. Was Gregory planning to stay the night?She didn't dwell on it. It didn't matter where he slept. It had nothing to do with her.Anathea used to wait for him in their bedroom and greet him at the door when he arrived home. She'd take the jacket he shrugged off and hug it close, then run him a bath. Doing all of that had given her a sense of belonging and reaffirmed her role as Gregory's wife.But
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 28
Anathea didn't want to lose any more family than she already had. Having made her decision, she closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.When she woke up the next morning, Gregory had already left. She paid no mind to it and got out of bed to wash up. She thought he'd left for work, but when she went downstairs, she saw him slowly eating breakfast at the dining table."Good morning, Nat. Come here and have breakfast," Brisa said as she beckoned Anathea over with a wave. She then turned to Gregory and said, "Your wife's here."Upon hearing this, Gregory gave Anathea a cursory glance and returned to reviewing the company's finances. Anathea brushed off his cold indifference; she was already used to it. However, Brisa took offense to his attitude and snapped, "What's the matter with you, you punk? All you ever do is work, work, and work! What, is the company going to collapse without you?"Gregory made no retort and simply listened while Brisa nagged. When she took a break i
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 29
Anathea's face darkened. When Natalie spotted her, she stopped fixing Gregory's tie and greeted her with mild amusement. "Ms. Jacobson."Gregory turned around when he heard her and clenched his jaw. "What are you doing here?"He sounded displeased that Anathea had come and ruined things for him and Natalie. Snorting, Anathea handed him the folder and said expressionlessly, "You forgot your documents. Grandma had me bring them to you."Gregory made no reply and reached for the folder, waiting for Anathea to shove it into his hand. However, she turned and handed the folder to Martin instead. She smiled and said, "Thanks for your hard work, Martin."Martin blinked in bewilderment, though he took the folder without question. "All in a day's work, Mrs. Sinclair. Would you like a ride back to the city?""No, thank you. I can drive myself," Anathea answered. She then spun on her heels and returned to the house without sparing Gregory another glance.Martin was puzzled as he watched An
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 30
Anathea lowered her gaze. Of course she remembered Evangeline's dream. When Evangeline had first approached her with the grand idea, she'd insisted that Anathea jump on the bandwagon, claiming the idea wouldn't work without a bona fide genius like her.It had been five years since they'd had that conversation, and Anathea had forgotten the details. Even her passion for floral designing had been overtaken by her love for Gregory and Xander. In the end, she'd been left dreamless and scarred.There were times when she desperately wanted to break off her shackles and be free to do what she wanted. "Am I really qualified?"Unfortunately, she spiraled into self-doubt. She took out her résumé and scanned past the awards she'd won five years ago, her gaze landing on the blank space that should have been filled with her working experiences. She confessed, "There's a five-year gap in my working experience."Anathea had to admit that she'd been stuck in the same place for five years while
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 31
Evangeline gave Anathea a tour of the studio. It wasn't too far away from the Sinclair residence. It would take Anathea just over ten minutes to get to work by car."Everyone," Evangeline announced as she led Anathea to the center of the studio bullpen, clapping her hands twice to get her employees' attention. "This is our new floral designer. She'll be working with you from now on!"Anathea smiled courteously and nodded once in greeting. "I'm Anathea Jacobson. I'm glad to be part of your team, and I look forward to working with you all."Her introduction was met with wholehearted applause."Nice one, Ms. Holstrom! Where did you find such a delicate doll of a floral designer?" someone praised."She's my junior," Evangeline explained, wrapping an arm around Anathea as if showing her off. "Bet you're jealous, huh?""More like very jealous!"Another person piped up happily, "Knowing I'll have a babe for a colleague makes me want to show up to work every day!"A blush crept over An
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 32
For the last few days, Anathea had been getting up early to go to work and hadn't returned until late into the evening. Xander had gone to bed without bedtime stories during her absence, and he was starting to feel neglected, which explained his sudden needy behavior toward Anathea.However, Anathea gently nudged him away and said, "Start dinner without me, Xander. I need to take care of something."Anathea had just received a customer's order details for a floral arrangement. She needed to pick out the materials to complement the venue of choice and come up with a design proposal.Xander froze. He'd heard Gregory humor him with the same excuse plenty of times whenever he went into Gregory's study. "I need to take care of something," the man would say impassively."Mom…" Xander pouted, looking like an abandoned puppy. "It's been so long since you spent time with me. Can't you have dinner with me tonight?"Anathea grew exasperated when she saw the tears in Xander's eyes. He looked
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 112
Since Thomas put it that way, Anathea didn't want to turn him down. "Alright. What do you feel like eating?""Hmm…" Then, his gaze landed on a sleek silver-and-black Maybach ahead of them. "How about Frevancian? Is that okay with you?""Frevancian?""Yeah, you're not going to say it's too pricey, are you?" Thomas chuckled. "If it is, we can choose somewhere else.""No, Frevancian is fine."Anathea never liked owing people favors, anyway, so footing the bill for something nice actually made her feel less burdened.While driving, Thomas glanced at her and smiled before stepping on the gas and following that Maybach straight to one of the most well-known Frevancian restaurants in Castenea.As soon as they walked in, Thomas pulled out a chair for Anathea and poured her a glass of water. "Thanks to you, I get to enjoy a fancy dinner tonight.""I should be the one thanking you." If it weren't for him, Anathea would probably still be stuck in the hospital parking lot. Handing Thomas t
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 111
"Mrs. Sinclair?" Thomas stopped in front of her with a smile. "It is you. I thought I was seeing things.""Tom..." Anathea let out a small breath of relief. "What are you doing here?""Oh, I was just picking up some herbal medicine for my mom." He held up a bag of herbs for her to see. "Are you heading home?"She nodded, glancing awkwardly at her car. "I was but then my car suddenly broke down and won't start."Thomas crouched down to take a quick look at it. "I think it's an engine problem. You'll need to take it to a mechanic. Luckily, I've got a friend who runs a repair shop. I'll call him and ask if he can come tow your car."He didn't wait for her to respond before pulling out his phone.On the call, he gave his friend the address and sorted all the details before turning back to look at Anathea. "I'll need your number so my friend can contact you when your car's fixed."Anathea gave him her phone number."Alright, it's all been sorted out." Thomas hung up and gave her a
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 110
"Nothing," Anathea replied calmly."I don't buy that," Evangeline uttered. "If nothing's going on, why would he throw such a huge order at you out of nowhere?"Anathea didn't respond. Honestly, she had no idea what Theo was thinking either. He'd given her a big order and handed her an insanely expensive bag. None of it made sense.But she didn't want to dwell on it. Once her divorce from Gregory was finalized, she and Theo wouldn't have any reason to cross paths again."Nat?" Evangeline's voice pulled her out of her thoughts."Hmm?" Anathea blinked and looked over. "What's up?"Evangeline glanced at the time. It was already 4:30 pm. "You've been looking pretty drained lately. Why don't you just call it a day and head home early?""But—" Anathea started to protest, but Evangeline was already ushering her toward the door."I've got the rest covered. Go on. Oh, and say hi to your mom for me. I'll visit her when I get the chance."Anathea could feel the genuine kindness in her wor
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 109
Anathea immediately felt as though the bag was burning her hands. "Mr. Harrington, my purse is not that expensive. You really don't need to replace it."She put the bag back in the box and pushed it toward him.Even though the Jacobsons used to be wealthy, they were never flashy. That was why Anathea had always preferred practical and comfortable things. She'd never carried anything this extravagant.And now, Theo had just casually handed her a luxury bag, which completely caught her off guard."I'll decide if it's expensive or not," Theo said, not giving her a chance to refuse. "Just take it.""Thank you, Mr. Harrington, but I really can't," Anathea replied calmly.Her wariness toward him had grown ever since the whole scorpion liquor incident. Something about him always kept her on alert.Theo picked up on her cautious behavior instantly. As he realized how reckless he'd been before, his head throbbed.Rubbing his forehead, he said awkwardly, "About last time… I owe you an ap
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 108
Anathea finished the last bite of her breakfast and drove to the studio for work that day.Although her floral designs had been removed from the upcoming exhibition, one day had been enough for her designs to attract the attention of many. As a result, Eden Studio had gained newfound fame, albeit on a lesser scale, following the exhibition.The studio had received a huge number of orders. Anathea had also been appointed by name enough times for her orders to overwhelm the studio."Nat, you're getting a little too famous for us!" Evangeline was grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it! Screw the guy who said you weren't a 'good fit' for them!"A good-natured laugh escaped Anathea's lips."By the way, I know you'll have a tough time taking on all these orders, so just pick the ones you want to work with. As for the rest, I'll take care of turning down the orders on your behalf," Evangeline said thoughtfully.With Anathea gearing up for the International Floristry Competiti
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 107
Gregory barked in the direction of the door, "Get out!"Only then did Cyrus stop pushing the door wider and immediately back up, but he couldn't help glancing at the large bed, where Gregory had pinned Anathea under him. While Cyrus couldn't see Anathea, he could make out Gregory's loosened tie and open shirt collar, looking like he was raring to go.Shocked, Cyrus quickly backed away from the bedroom door. So, Gregory and Anathea were getting down to business. But couldn't they have been quieter about it? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were fighting. He'd thought they were close to tearing the walls down!At the thought of this, Cyrus hurried off.Anathea was still shaking even as the bedroom door fell shut. Her emotions were in a clamor as she stared at Gregory hovering over her. She'd calmed down after lashing out at him earlier. Admittedly, she'd been too impulsive and lost control of her emotions.No longer emboldened or spurred on by rage, Anathea felt he
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 106
Gregory was so rough with Anathea that, for a moment, her gaze became unfocused. He leaned down and bit the shell of her ear and said in a voice so low it was spellbinding, "Remember this, Anathea—you owe me! You have no right to refuse me unless I refuse you!"With that, he removed Anathea's final piece of clothing. But at that moment, she snapped out of her temporary daze. Hatred filled her, prompting her to bite his neck.A hiss escaped Gregory, and the pain had him releasing his grip on her. Anathea reached out and pushed the bedside lamp to the floor.There was a loud crash as the lamp hit the ground and shattered into pieces.The heat and lust vanished from Gregory's eyes, replaced by burning rage when he saw the repulsion and hatred on Anathea's face. His fingers clenched around her throat as he growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Anathea?""I don't owe you anything!" Anathea retorted loudly even as her voice came out choked and hoarse.This was the first
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 105
Anathea was a married adult; she knew perfectly well the meaning behind Natalie's photo. For the latter to post such a suggestive photo on social media meant she'd gotten Gregory's permission. It seemed they were having a beautiful night together, indeed.The comments section under the photo was a riot of guesses about who Natalie was spending the night with.Natalie's answer was the same to everyone. "Stop guessing, guys! You'll be the first to know the good news if I have any."Someone even teasingly asked if the mysterious man Natalie was spending the night with was any good in bed. Natalie replied with a blushing emoji and a bashful, "Yes, he's amazing!"Anathea locked her phone and numbly stared out the window at the same moon. She took deep breaths and calmed herself, blocking out any thoughts of Natalie and Gregory. Then, she turned off the lights and slept.She thought she'd be tossing and turning that night, but it turned out her body was more exhausted than she believe
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 104
Jenny lifted her gaze to Anathea. For a moment, she was at a loss. "Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Xander…"Anathea said nothing. She looked at the cookies she'd made despite her exhaustion, only for them to be knocked over by Xander. Pursing her lips, she had Jenny clean up the mess on the floor while she resumed packing the remaining cookies and sweets.Jenny was upset to see Anathea holding back her emotions, but there was nothing she could do other than lend Anathea a helping hand.It was nearly 11:00 pm when Anathea finished packing all the snacks into a container."Mrs. Sinclair—" Jenny hesitated as she tried to make up an excuse for Xander's behavior.However, Anathea cut her off, "It's late, Jenny. You should call it a night."Jenny opened her mouth to argue. However, she swallowed the rest of her words and turned to leave.At that moment, Anathea's phone beeped with a new message. She unlocked it to see that Natalie had sent her a video of Eleanor, Gregory, and Xander.Xander happ
