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Chapter 67
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 68
Anathea chuckled coldly in her heart. Then, she adjusted her slightly disheveled collar and got out of bed to find the first aid kit to tend to the cuts on the back of her hand resulting from the shattered pieces.About 20 minutes later, Gregory stepped out of the bathroom, steam swirling around him. His suit had been replaced by dark loungewear.As he dried his hair, his gaze swept toward the bedside. The broken shards and spilled soup had already been cleaned up by the maids, leaving no trace behind.Anathea was nowhere to be seen.Gregory's expression darkened, but he didn't bother looking for her. Instead, he strode straight to his study."Mr. Sinclair, I placed the documents you left in the car on your desk," Cyrus reported respectfully."Alright," Gregory responded briefly.Walking to his desk, he opened the folder. The moment he saw the divorce papers inside, his eyes narrowed slightly.He then pulled out the pages and tore them to shreds without hesitation, tossing them
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 69
Startled, Anathea stepped back, but Gregory pressed against the back of her neck, leaving her no room to retreat."Don't move," he ordered coldly.Anathea pressed her lips together.At such close proximity, the faint scent of cedar mixed with the warmth of his breath brushed against her face.His gaze was fixed on the back of her head as he carefully untangled her hair from the button. He seemed focused, showing no other intention.Only then did Anathea let out a small breath of relief, shifting her eyes away to avoid looking at him."Done."Gregory unfastened the button and brushed her hair aside, revealing the bite mark behind her ear—the one he had left in anger at the hotel.At the time, Anathea had made it clear through her every action that she wanted nothing to do with him. Her defiance had touched a nerve.Gregory narrowed his eyes slightly.Just as he was about to make a move, Anathea suddenly crouched down, slipping out of his grasp before quickly heading toward the
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 70
But at some point, Anathea had stopped doing all of that.Instead, she selectively ignored them.Gregory's hand paused slightly as he cut his steak, his brows knitting together.Just then, his phone rang, but he didn't rush to answer it.Anathea happened to be reaching for food when she unintentionally glanced at his screen.The word "Darling" was displayed on the screen.She had thought she was calm enough, that she had long come to terms with the fact that Gregory loved Natalie instead of her.But when she saw how he had saved Natalie's contact, the food she had just picked up slipped from her utensil and fell onto her plate.She snapped out of it in no time as she picked it up again, continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.Gregory caught her reaction through his peripheral vision.Only then did he pick up his phone, answering the call right in front of Anathea."Yes?" Gregory asked softly.With that kind of tone, Anathea didn't even have to think to know who was on
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 71
Anathea watched Xander, trying to read something from his face.But Xander just blinked at her, his gaze unwavering as he held the cup of water up to her.When she didn't respond, he called again, "Mom?"Anathea snapped out of her thoughts, her expression softening slightly. "Thank you."The water was still warm.She took her medicine with it, and Xander handed her a handkerchief to wipe the water from the corner of her lips.He held the handkerchief, his movements a little clumsy but careful.Anathea was momentarily stunned."All done," Xander said, smiling.These small, thoughtful gestures felt almost unreal to Anathea, so she asked, "Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about, Xander?"At her words, Xander nodded. "Yes!"Anathea's chest tightened as she braced herself for the possibility that he might say something unintentionally hurtful again.After all, at the hospital, he had told her right to her face that he wanted her to divorce Gregory, that he wanted
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 72
Ever since Xander started school, he had changed quite a bit. Anathea wondered if their bond as mother and son could be mended slowly.But that was just a pipe dream.However, Hannah took a more realistic approach and warned her, "Thea, you need to remember that Gregory is Xander's father. He's a Sinclair. Realistically speaking, how much of a chance do you think you have of winning custody against the Sinclairs?"Even if Anathea wanted to fight for custody, and even if she was willing to go through legal means, the financial and emotional cost would be overwhelming.Right now, she already had her hands full taking care of Fiona and managing her own job—she didn't have the time or energy for a custody battle."I know you went through so much to give birth to Xander, and you've poured so much love into raising him all these years. But you've given enough, Thea. If he truly felt that love, then he wouldn't be so close to a woman who's been trying to destroy your family. I think you
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 73
"Ms. Whitman will be undergoing surgery tomorrow. I folded her 99 paper cranes, symbolising my hope that everything goes well. I wonder whether she'll like it. Mom, if she doesn't like it, can you teach me something else…" Anathea stopped listening to the rest of Xander's sentence. Her heart squeezed. She felt as though she was being suffocated. The only reason why Xander suddenly showered her with attention and tried to please Anathea was because he wanted her to teach him how to fold paper cranes so he could gift them to Natalie. Everything he'd done was for Natalie. Anathea felt a hysterical chuckle bubble within her. It was hilarious how she'd wanted to keep Xander by her side just because he displayed a modicum of love for her. At the same time, she ridiculed herself for being shaken from the decision she thought she'd never waver from. Thankfully, Hannah's words woke her from her stupor. She was also relieved that Xander specified his intentions in time. Like a club to
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 74
Yesterday, Gregory had flown into a huge rage. Jenny had worked for him for years, but she'd never seen him in such a state. Anathea cast her eyes downward and said, "Alright, got it." She'd never seen Gregory like that before either, not to mention the fact that the reason he'd gotten worked up was because he'd misunderstood Anathea's relationship with Tom. Anathea found this hilarious. Gregory had been toeing the line regarding his closeness with Natalie. Yet, here he was pointing his finger at Anathea. However, Gregory's temper was unpredictable. It would be best for her to not piss him off again. After finishing her breakfast, Anathea turned her phone on to reply to a few messages. However, a notification popped up from a news outlet, "The CEO of Sinclair Group Stayed Up All Night Caring for His Girlfriend Fresh Out of Surgery". Anathea smirked humorlessly and clicked into it. There was a photo of Gregory decked out in a full suit, sitting in the VIP lounge area of t
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 75
Anathea's face fell. She heard a horn blaring outside. Brisa was helped out of the car by the driver and Cyrus. She hobbled over and exclaimed, "Nat!" Upon seeing Anathea, Brisa smiled gently and opened her arms. "I haven't seen you in a week. I've missed you so much!" "Grandma!" Anathea stood up and strode toward Brisa, engulfing her in a hug. "You could've just sent us the address, and we would've made our way there ourselves. We didn't need you to come over personally." "Well, I wanted to see you guys as soon as possible, didn't I?" Brisa surveyed the room, but did not see anyone else apart from Anathea. "Where's Xander and Gregory? They haven't woken up? It can't be." Cyrus and Jenny exchanged diffident glances. Gregory hadn't come home last night. However, Anathea's expression didn't betray anything in the slightest. She replied softly, "He took Xander to the hospital." "The hospital?" Brisa frowned and asked, "Has Xander gotten sick?" "No." Anathea shook her h
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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
