The entire venue fell silent as everyone turned to watch. Scott looked at Sarah with confusion.The Chancer and Garnett families rushed over. James grabbed Charlotte's arm, "Charlotte, what's wrong?""James, she tore up our marriage certificate and our wedding photos - she deliberately scratched out my face."She produced the marriage certificate torn in half, while Mrs. Garnett held up the wedding photo with the defaced face.The crowd erupted in shock, suddenly remembering that Sarah was James's ex-wife."Well, what do you expect? An ex-wife coming to a wedding is obviously here to cause trouble.""But to do something like this at such an occasion - how shameful! No wonder James divorced her!""Look at the poor bride crying her eyes out, how pitiful."Charlotte continued sobbing, "Miss Sanders, I kindly invited you to our wedding. Why would you do this to me? You already took so much money and property in the divorce. James never mistreated you. If you're unhappy, you could t
Mrs. Chancer watched Sarah smugly, waiting to see how she would respond.Sarah pointed at Scott, "Dr. Rogers is a recently returned psychology PhD with many achievements and well-known papers and theories. As a counselor myself, of course I'm interested in his work."The man mentioned smiled faintly and stood up graciously, extending his hand, "Miss Sanders, pleased to meet you."Sarah shook his hand, "Mr. Rogers, sorry you had to witness this scene."Charlotte tugged on James's arm, "Let's set that aside for now. Since I invited Miss Sanders, I'm more concerned about the torn wedding photo and marriage certificate."After placing the first photo on the table, she produced a second one - this one was even worse, with the eyes blackened out and a lipstick X drawn across the mouth.Mrs. Garnett was indignant, "Sarah, how could you do something so terrible!"James frowned deeply, "Sarah, I never thought you were this kind of person.""It's simple to prove whether I went upstairs o
"Six o'clock exactly! It was exactly six!" Charlotte insisted firmly."You're wrong. I went to the restroom at 6:10," Sarah stated matter-of-factly.Charlotte stared at her in disbelief, "That's impossible! The server told me you left your seat at six exactly."Lucy anxiously cut in, "Sister-in-law, maybe the server got the time wrong? Either way, she snuck into your lounge while you were in the bathroom."Charlotte shot Lucy a stern look - what a brainless thing to say. But since it was already out there, she steeled herself and quickly added, "Miss Sanders, I can't give you an exact time. After all, who checks the time when they go to the bathroom?"Sarah nodded, "True, they wouldn't. But this is your wedding day, and your makeup artist seemed quite certain about the timing?""I'm saying maybe the server got the time wrong, but you were the only one who left after I exited the lounge. The server saw you go to the lounge - that can't be a lie, can it? Among everyone here, I can'
James and Charlotte simultaneously glared at Lucy - so she was behind this."Sasa, I've made reservations at St. Ritz. The food here looks unappetizing. Let's go."He extended his hand to Sarah, who took it."You can't leave! This isn't settled!" Lucy shouted.Seeing them about to leave, she rushed forward.Zachary and Sarah looked at her impatiently, "Shouldn't you be in the mental hospital?"Fury flashed in Lucy's eyes, but she forced a smile."Mr. Reynolds, it's my brother and sister-in-law's wedding day. Won't you stay for the meal?"She tucked her hair behind her ear with feigned shyness, revealing an elegant ear with sparkling earrings catching the light on her cheek.Mr. Reynolds, why follow that worthless woman?Lucy waited quietly for his reaction, confident that if she could just interact with him, she could make him fall for her!But after a long moment, Zachary didn't even glance at her."You're in the way."She grabbed Sarah angrily, "You can't leave! You tore
"Sasa!""Hello, Miss Sanders.”Before she could react, Mia pushed her into Zachary's passenger seat, while Mia herself squeezed into Steven's car.As they drove along the highway, Steven's car suddenly shot ahead. Mia leaned out the window, waving at Sarah, "Sarah! We don't want to be third wheels!"Scarlett called out too, "I just found out about this! How could you not tell me! I won't forgive you!"Sarah didn't know whether to laugh or cry - Scarlett had already sent her dozens of accusatory messages:"Sarah, you abandoned our friendship for a man!""You didn't tell me you were with Mr. Reynolds! You're in trouble!""I'm a Scorpio! I hold grudges, and I'll remember this forever!""You didn't tell me when you got hurt last time, and now this! I'm not speaking to you for a day!"As they crossed a high bridge, a cool sea breeze carried the salty air toward them.Sarah's eyes widened as she finally saw the true scale of the resort - it was an entire island, accessible only by
Sarah collected various sea creatures - starfish, crabs, and even sea snails.Zachary walked up to her, holding the bucket in one hand. His lips parted softly, "Hold out your hand.""What?" Sarah looked at him puzzled."Hold out your hand," Zachary repeated.Sarah extended her hand tentatively, ready to pull back.Zachary placed his closed fist over her palm and dropped something cool into it.A seashell."I found it."Sarah looked at the shell - it was pink with rippling patterns."It's beautiful." She tucked it into her pocket.In the distance, Mia was gazing out, watching Zachary and Sarah together.The two stood by the sea as sunset colors gradually descended, bathing them in orange-red light. It reminded her of romantic scenes from novels she'd read - that's exactly how her brother and Sarah looked."What are you looking at, Mia?" Scarlett put her hand on Mia's shoulder, following her gaze."Looking at my brother and Sarah. I feel like I've seen this scene before, lik
Zachary cleared his throat, more serious than he'd ever been, "Sasa, I don't mind. You know that doesn't matter to me.""I'm not upset because of Charlotte. This world is deeply hostile to women. At yesterday's wedding, everyone's first reaction upon seeing me was that I'm James's ex-wife. They assumed I must have come with bad intentions, must have come to cause trouble. But everyone forgot that James was the main character of this wedding - no one thought of him as Sarah's ex-husband. Even without proper evidence, they were ready to blame everything on me based purely on stereotypes."Zachary pulled Sarah into an embrace, "Sasa, I will protect you.""I know." Sarah's expression softened.Zachary was the only one who had promised to protect her and actually followed through.“Zac! Sarah! Come cook with us, I'm hungry!""Oh! Did I come at a bad time?"Mia froze in place, about to turn back, but Sarah called out to her."Mia, your timing is perfect. I'm hungry too." She pulled M
Finally, Sarah carefully pushed Scarlett's mushroom back to her, "Scarlett, why don't you try it first?""What is it?" She took a bite and her face turned the color of liver. "Blech! It's awful!"Steven looked at her smugly, "Try mine."Scarlett glared at him, "Mrs. Watsons must have given me the wrong recipe. I won't accept this, and I'm not eating yours!"She turned her head away, but the garlic aroma kept tempting her nose.Mia sat next to her, enthusiastically munching on the mushrooms, her eyes sparkling with delight.Scarlett wondered how good they must taste.She'd had Steven's cooking before - it was truly exceptional. But eating it would mean admitting defeat.But it smelled so good, making her mouth water.She couldn't resist anymore!She grabbed the mushroom skewer and took a bite.It was delicious! Damn, Steven had won.Steven grinned triumphantly, "Told you so.""Don't get cocky. You're a chef - of course you can cook."Sarah stifled a laugh, then noticed a g
The scenery here had a unique charm. The entire villa complex was surrounded by lush greenery that blended naturally with the surroundings. The designer's bold vision was enough to make anyone feel a sense of wonder.The driver turned off the engine and said dutifully through the rearview mirror, "Miss, we've arrived. Would you like to get out?"Vivian stared silently at these homes that even a fortune couldn't buy, then nodded.The driver got out and opened the rear door for her.Stepping onto the ground in her high heels, Vivian noticed the uneven cobblestones covering the entrance to the villa and immediately thought the designer must have been out of their mind.She tried taking a few steps and nearly twisted her ankle.With no choice left, Vivian had to take off her shoes and carry them, continuing forward carefully.She couldn't help wondering if she had made a mistake. How could Zachary possibly live in such an odd place?However, halfway there, she saw a black Range Rove
The vineyard manager frowned when he heard this, walking over to ask, "What did they say?"Seeing his manager, the worker quickly embellished the conversation, raising his fist indignantly. "Sir, don't worry. If they dare cause trouble, we won't back down. We'll make sure they regret coming here."The vineyard manager, "..." What a jumbled mess—he could barely understand what the worker was saying.Still, Vivian had a point. Even if they chose not to continue the partnership, there was no need to burn bridges completely. That wouldn't benefit him either.With this in mind, the vineyard manager calmed down his overly excited worker. "That's enough. Send them a message and tell them five o'clock this afternoon, River Café. Don't be late."Finally meeting the vineyard manager, Vivian got straight to the point, "Mr. Mendeson, I won't play games with you. Before deciding to work with you, the Wilson Group researched your public information. I have some understanding of your character. B
At the front desk, Sarah watched seven or eight people standing in line, all holding identical discount vouchers. This was likely a company team-building activity.She listened to their chatty discussions, which included some crude language as they made no effort to hide their rough backgrounds."This place is so luxurious! The company really splurged to send us somewhere this fancy. I've never stayed in such a nice hotel in my life.""Me neither, but let's not forget why we're actually here and pretend we're just on vacation!""Oh, come on, who's going to forget?"Sarah's ears perked up. These people's conversation seemed suspicious, almost as if they wanted others to notice them.After about fifteen minutes, when everyone ahead had finally checked in, Sarah presented her VIP custom invitation and completed her member registration. She lay on the spacious bed in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered views of the beach and ocean.It was noon, and sunlight spilled onto
"Mr. Sanders, I believe I was very clear in my email. With the current uncertain situation, cooperating with me is the most rational choice," Zachary said seriously.Melvin burst out laughing. "I might have believed you if you'd said this a few years ago, but times have changed. Zachary, do you remember what you promised me before? Have you kept any of those promises? Neither three years ago nor now have you delivered."When Melvin mentioned three years ago, Zachary's eyes filled with gravity and shame. No one understood better than they did what had happened—that horrific scene was too painful to even think about.He moved his lips. "People can't always live in the past."Even he couldn't believe his own words.Melvin said with self-mockery, "Listen to yourself. How absurd that sounds. People indeed can't live in the past forever, but Sarah has been trapped in that darkness for three years. Do you dare to face it? To uncover it?"After being wounded, a bleeding injury slowly form
Vivian exhaled deeply and said anxiously, "Grandfather, what happened last time upset Zachary, and he won't see me now. But I'll handle it properly."Old Mr. Wilson gave Vivian a meaningful look. "Good. I certainly trust your abilities."After seeing Old Mr. Wilson into his car, Vivian returned to her office and made a mysterious phone call, giving some instructions.After hanging up, her face broke into a satisfied smile, as if she was already enjoying the sweet taste of victory.At the Sanders Group."Smack." Sarah hit Melvin hard on the head.Melvin winced in pain. "Are you doing this on purpose? Taking personal revenge? I haven't even bothered you lately."Sarah shrugged, looking innocent. "Didn't you say your right eyelid keeps twitching? The left means money coming, the right means trouble. I'm just using an old folk remedy to ward off the bad luck."Melvin couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I don't know if the bad luck is gone, but I almost got a concussion from your 'remed
"Don't any of you have something to say?" Old Mr. Wilson sat in the chairman's exclusive seat, leaning back with an expressionless face as he surveyed the room.Some shareholders had come just out of respect for Old Mr. Wilson. They exchanged glances for a moment before Mr. Jefferson finally broke the silence, "What if we lower our prices or add more package deals?"As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the company's management team eagerly agreed. "Mr. Jefferson makes a good point."Old Mr. Wilson twirled the dragon-headed cane in his right hand, his expression revealing neither approval nor disapproval.Vivian, who had remained silent since the start of the meeting, finally spoke up, "I don't think that's appropriate."She looked at everyone present, her tone serious, "First, the Sanders Group's revenue has already exceeded the projected line by over a billion. If we lower our prices, even if we attract more customers, the overall result will be the same."By this
Vivian never expected that despite her orders to keep the detained shipment a secret, the board of directors would somehow catch wind of it.As soon as the meeting began, the middle-aged man sitting in the first seat on the right frowned and questioned her, "Ms. Wilson, are you hiding something from us?"Mr. Jefferson had the largest shareholding in the Wilson Group after Vivian and her grandfather. Compared to others, his words carried more authority.Naturally, Vivian had to show him some respect, given that she was the younger generation."Mr. Jefferson, by seniority, I should call you Uncle. You've watched me grow up. Do you think I would hide anything from you?" Vivian decided to play dumb first. She was certain these people had only heard rumors and hadn't yet gathered evidence.This was indeed the case. Mr. Jefferson narrowed his eyes, his expression unchanged, speaking in a tone that was half-joking, half-threatening, "Ms. Wilson, please don't say that. When it comes to bus
Charlotte ignored her, still peering behind the caretaker.The caretaker patted her chest and smiled as she approached. "Are you looking for Mr. Chancer? He went back to work. He asked me to take care of you. I thought you might wake up soon, so I went out to buy some nutritious soup for you.""You're saying he left? He left before I even woke up?" Charlotte struggled to open her dry lips, her voice raspier than ever before.Hearing this, the caretaker quickly set down the thermos and handed her the cup of tea from the table. "Please drink some water to soothe your throat, but don't drink too much. You've just given birth, so try to stay in bed and rest as much as possible."Charlotte found the water being offered to her ironically bitter.She had endured excruciating pain to give birth to James's child, yet he couldn't even spare a simple "thank you" for her efforts. Was this the marriage she had schemed so hard to get?Did she regret it? If someone asked, she might answer yes, b
"Answer me. Do you most hope it's heads or tails?" Sarah's voice carried an undeniable authority.The woman finally spoke. "Tails."Before Sarah's hand moved, the woman hurriedly corrected herself, "No, no, no—heads."Her indecisiveness reminded Sarah of her former self. Choosing between reason and emotion was often the hardest decision. It had once taken her several days to make up her mind.Sarah opened her palm. The woman's eyes widened, staring as if trying to burn a hole through Sarah's hand. But quickly, she discovered that Sarah's palm was completely empty. There was no coin at all.No heads or tails—there wasn't even a coin to begin with.Seeing the woman's confused expression, Sarah smiled and said, "In the moment I opened my hand, your heart already had the answer. I can't tell you how to solve your problem, nor can I make the decision for you. But you should know that you only have one life, while love can be found more than once. The fact that you're troubled by this s