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Chapter 71
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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
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 76
As Isabel spoke, she took her bathrobe off. Anathea glanced at Isabel's bathing suit and looked down at her own. Then, she remembered the attire of the guests in the corridor. Yeah, it was true, she was wearing a little too much. It made her stand out. "This is all I have, though," said Anathea. "That's fine! I've got it!" Isabel immediately set things in motion and passed a box to Anathea. "Go try it on. I swear, it'll be gorgeous!" She had no idea how to describe it! However, Isabel seemed to find it as normal as could possibly be. "Of course! You've got to wear this sort of bathing costume when soaking in a hot spring for optimal enjoyment. Go on and change into this, Anathea. I'll be waiting for you outside." She took Anathea's high-coverage swimsuit away from her and left. Anathea couldn't even go back on her promise. Anathea smiled resignedly and glanced at the box in her hand. Fine. It was just the three of them anyway. There was no point in being so uptight about
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 77
"Why are you…" Anathea hadn't expected Gregory to be here. "Grandma called and asked me to come," said Gregory tonelessly. He scanned her casually, but paused when he noticed the swimsuit she was wearing. His eyes narrowed. His piercing gaze unsettled Anathea. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Gregory thought she was doing this on purpose, just like what she'd done at the Sinclair residence. However, she had no idea why he was here. If she'd known, she wouldn't have come in. She didn't want to have anything to do with him, let alone wear something skimpy to seduce him. Gregory watched Anathea standing motionless a few steps away. Then, he said calmly, "Come here." She didn't know what he meant and remained standing in place. Anathea considered whether she should grab her bathrobe and leave. "What? Are you trying to play that cat-and-mouse game you adore?" Gregory glanced up at her and asked snootily, "Anathea, don't you have any new tricks up your sleeves?" Ana
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 78
From his defined features to his amazing figure, Gregory was a masterpiece of a man. This explained why so many women fawned over him back then. However, there seemed to be a faint scar on his neck. Anathea had no idea when he'd gotten hurt. She got lost in her thoughts for a moment. Gregory looked down at her bewildered expression and snorted. "Has this sight stunned you?" Anathea came to suddenly and frowned. She tried to leave, but he held her down firmly with both hands. "Let me go." He didn't budge. Instead, he asked mockingly, "Who has a better figure? Thomas, or me?" She didn't know why he suddenly felt the need to compare himself to Thomas. She looked away and replied, "I don't know." "You don't know?" Gregory harrumphed and grabbed her chin, tilting it upwards so she was forced to make eye contact with him. "You've got such a close relationship with him to the point where you call him to flirt while in the hot springs. Yet, now you're telling me you don't know?"
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 79
Anathea waited until Gregory left before she resurfaced, a displeased frown on her face. In the five years they'd been married, they'd had sex frequently at around once to thrice every week. Gregory was a busy man and only went home twice or thrice a week. Whenever he did, Anathea would rarely get out of bed. Every time, he would not stop until she was tortured to an inch of her life. However, that was a form of constraint in itself. He never behaved like he did recently, completely driven by lust. He wanted to have a go with her all the time. Anathea didn't understand. Hadn't he satisfied his urges with Natalie? Was it because she'd hurt her leg and couldn't help him relieve his lust? Was that why he'd sought Anathea out? She felt a little nauseous and got out of the pool immediately. The light breeze made her feel better. Perhaps her discomfort was a result of staying in the pool for too long. Taking her deep breath, she pushed those thoughts out of her head and put her rob
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Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 118
The noise died down all at once, and the air turned cold and heavy.The night was sharp and silent. Gregory stood under the streetlight, his shadow stretched long across the pavement. The warm glow lit up his face. His features were too perfect to be real, as if they had been carefully sculpted by God.But he looked incredibly icy and unapproachable. Martin looked over at him. Gregory looked tall, composed, and proud. But at the same time, there was also a hint of loneliness about him.Then, Martin glanced at Anathea, still curled up and crying in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce. Whatever had gone down between them clearly hadn't ended on a good note.Still, as Gregory's right-hand man, it was Martin's job to clean up the mess. Stepping toward Gregory, he said cautiously, "Mr. Sinclair, about Mrs. Sinclair…"Gregory didn't respond. He pulled out his phone and made a call.A few minutes later, one of the drivers pulled over in a Bugatti Veyron. He stepped out and handed the key
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 117
So, this bag was really a gift from Theo.Gregory pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He let out a bitter laugh, his eyes cold as fury seethed within him. His expression was like the calm before the storm.Anathea froze for a second, stunned by the look on his face. Her heart was pounding in her chest.Then, Gregory grabbed her chin, his voice low and sharp. "I really underestimated you. One man's not enough, huh? You've got another on the hook. And you say I'm filthy? What about you?""What are you talking about?" Anathea's face turned as pale as her lips.He sneered. "Oh, please. Don't play dumb."The rage in his eyes was so intense, it was as though it could swallow Anathea whole. "You're sleeping with two guys at once. God, you're worse than a prostitute! How pathetic."Suddenly, Gregory's head snapped to the side, stunning him. Anathea's palm was burning, and her hand couldn't stop shaking. She'd slapped him—what he'd said was unforgivable.However, panic soon h
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 116
"Gregory!" Thomas struggled to get out of the car, but Martin had already locked the doors."Mr. Morgenstein, we need to handle the damage assessment first," said Martin in a flat and professional tone."What's there to talk about? Let me out! Don't you see what Gregory's about to do to her?" Thomas roared.Martin didn't even flinch. "They're legally married. Don't you think you're overstepping a bit, Mr. Morgenstein?" he asked, angling his body to block Thomas' view."Damn it!" Thomas slammed his hands against the window, yelling, "Gregory, you bastard! Stop it!"But his angry voice was completely trapped inside the car. No matter how frantic he was, it changed nothing.Meanwhile, in the backseat of the Rolls-Royce, Gregory was relentless. Anathea shrank from the heat of his breath. She turned her head away just as he tried to kiss her, rejecting his touch.Gregory's eyes narrowed dangerously. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him."You pulled every dirty trick in th
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 115
Gregory glanced at Anathea's pale face. She was clearly in pain, but there wasn't the slightest trace of concern in his expression. He just yanked her along toward the Rolls-Royce.She had no idea what he was planning, and her wrist hurt from how tight his grip was. Struggling, she shouted, "Gregory, let go of me!"Gregory let out a cold laugh. "Why? So you can go back to making out with that cook?""I wasn't!" Her voice shook as she bit her lip, furious and hurt that he'd jump to conclusions like this. "Don't project your dirty thoughts onto me!""I saw it with my own eyes, and you're still trying to deny it?" He grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the car door.Her whole back felt as though it was splitting into two, but the pain in her body was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.Gregory never trusted her.No matter what she said, he only ever believed what he thought he saw. And now, he was throwing disgusting accusations at her like this."Wow, Anat
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 114
"You're welcome." Thomas looked at Anathea, then suddenly pointed at her face and chuckled a little."Ana, you've got some cream on your face.""Huh?" Anathea instinctively wiped her face. When did that get there? And how did she not notice?"It's on the right side," Thomas said, pointing to her right cheek.She touched that side but didn't feel anything."A bit higher. No, higher than that."When she couldn't find the cream, Thomas unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward her, gently reaching out with his left hand to touch her face.Anathea froze. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught their reflection in the window.The last light of sunset had faded, and night was falling. In the reflection, with how Thomas was positioned—and given the angle—they looked as if they were kissing, even though they weren't that close in real life.As soon as she realized it, she snapped out of it and lifted her hand. Just as she was about to push him away, blinding headlights suddenly came
Why the Crocodile Tears? Chapter 113
Natalie kept trying to keep the conversation going during the whole dinner."Greg, the steak's actually really good. Do you want to try some?""Greg, this dessert is nice. It's not too sweet.""Greg…""Yeah."Gregory barely responded. By the time dessert arrived, his steak was still untouched. He looked as though he was facing Natalie, but his gaze kept drifting past her—to Anathea.The more he saw her smiling from the side, looking so happy and radiant, the darker his expression became. His eyes practically burned a hole through her.She'd never smiled like that with him. But with that chef, she was smiling as if she had no worries in the world.To top it off, she was casually cutting meat for Thomas, even serving him food as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Scoffing, Gregory suddenly stabbed his knife into his plate, creating a sharp sound.Natalie jumped at the sound, startled. "Greg? What's wrong?"Finally looking away from Anathea, Gregory glanced down
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
