James’s gaze sharpened instantly, and he commanded coldly, “Mrs. Williams, pull up the garage surveillance footage for me.”Surveillance?!Lucy froze, panic flickering across her face as a memory came rushing back. “Lucy, I’m not home right now. Bring the car over as soon as you can.” “I’m meeting Mr. Luther shortly. Hurry.”...“Mr. Chancer, the surveillance footage is ready,” Mrs. Williams said.The memory was yanked from her mind as she stared in horror at the tablet James held. The footage was already playing.At 9 a.m., the garage door opened, and a red sedan drove out. Behind the wheel sat Lucy.James placed the tablet on the table with an icy expression. “Do you have anything else to say? You were the one driving.”“No! No, it wasn’t me!” Lucy shook her head violently, her voice trembling with panic.“It was you! You set me up!” Lucy shrieked, pointing furiously at Charlotte. She had never imagined Charlotte would go so far as to frame her to avoid suspicion.Charl
“Besides, wasn’t the garage footage clear? You were the one driving the car, right?” James’s sharp tone cut through the air.“James, you have to believe me! It was Charlotte!” Lucy insisted, her voice trembling with desperation.Charlotte’s expression darkened, but she maintained her composure. “I don’t understand why Lucy is so adamant about blaming me for what happened to Sarah, but I didn’t go to that neighborhood. I was at my parents’ house for an important matter,” she said firmly.“You borrowed my car and now you’re denying it!” Lucy shot back, refusing to back down.Charlotte calmly opened her handbag and pulled out a sheet of paper. She handed it to James. “James, I didn’t go to the neighborhood. But this is something I wanted to give you.”James looked at the paper, his expression changing in an instant. His eyes widened in disbelief as he gasped. “Charlotte, you’re pregnant!”Mrs. Chancer’s attention snapped to them. She hurriedly pushed Lucy aside and rushed to James.
In the hospital room, Sarah slowly woke up, as if emerging from a long, surreal dream. The dream had been strange—she and Zachary seemed to have gone back to several years ago. She couldn’t understand why she’d had such a dream, but it reignited her doubts about her memories. That odd photo she had seen earlier had already made her suspect she’d forgotten something important, and now, this dream only deepened that feeling. As she opened her eyes, the sterile white of the room surrounded her, and the sharp smell of disinfectant filled her nose. Instinctively, she turned her head to the side and saw Zachary sitting by her bedside. She frowned slightly and tried to sit up, but he gently pressed her back down. “Where’s Scarlett?” she asked. “She stayed with you for a whole day and night. She was exhausted and finally went back to rest,” Zachary replied before adding, “She feels really guilty.” Sarah understood why Scarlett felt that way—after all, it was Scarlett wh
"Charlotte? You're sure it was her?" Melvin's eyes turned cold.Sarah nodded firmly. She'd had many interactions with Charlotte, heard both her sweet talk and vicious words. Though she hadn't seen the attacker's face, she was certain it was Charlotte.The motive was obvious - James.He'd been acting strangely lately, coming to comfort her after her breakup with Zachary. Anyone would be suspicious of his behavior."James barely tried to stop Lucy's arrest. He must have known the truth," Melvin paused, then added, "And there's something else - Charlotte is pregnant.""How convenient," Sarah said bitterly. "Getting pregnant right after this incident. It's James's first child - his parents will protect her at any cost."Mrs. Chancer was old-fashioned. She'd constantly criticized Sarah during their three-year marriage for not having children, never knowing James had deliberately kept his distance, saving himself for Charlotte.Now that Charlotte was pregnant - not only was she James'
Scarlett shoved him away. "Get lost! Who do you think you are?""Don't be so uptight! Everyone's here for fun. I wouldn't even bother with you if you weren't pretty!" He pushed his glass against her lips. "Drink it!"Scarlett knocked the glass away. The sharp sound of shattering glass made everyone around them freeze.The noise helped clear her head somewhat. "Stay away from me! Get out!"The man grabbed Scarlett and started dragging her toward a private room, his eyes gleaming with disgusting intent.The other bar patrons ignored the scene, used to such incidents and unwilling to interfere.At the room's entrance, she started vomiting violently. The mix of alcohol and sweat made her even more nauseated.The man looked at her with disgust but wasn't willing to give up his prey. After she finished retching, he pulled her into the room, throwing her onto the couch when she had no strength to resist.After closing the door, he finally showed his true nature, like a predator baring
“No need, just leave me alone.” “Alright, alright.” The manager quickly backed off. Scarlett slumped back into her seat and grabbed a bottle of liquor, ready to drown her guilt. Steven snatched the bottle out of her hand. “What are you doing?” “Leave me alone! This is all my fault,” she muttered, still consumed by self-blame. The fear from earlier lingered, and now she teetered between anxiety and drunkenness, reaching again for the bottle. Scarlett’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy as she gazed longingly at the drink. She stretched her hand toward Steven, trying to wrestle it back. Holding the bottle out of her reach, Steven stared at the empty bottles on the table, dumbfounded. “You’ve already had so much. That’s enough!” “Don’t tell me what to do!” She shoved Steven aside and called out to a passing server. “Bring me two more bottles!” Steven followed close behind, immediately countering, “Ignore her. She’s drunk—don’t bring anything.” Scarlett, lost
Unable to recall the events of the previous night, Steven noticed a faint, unfamiliar scent lingering in the room. He threw off the blanket, and to his shock, a woman’s bra fell onto the bed.He froze for a moment, staring at it, before the memories started to piece themselves together. He vaguely remembered Scarlett coming back with him the night before.Could it be…?Rubbing his temples, Steven looked down at himself—completely naked. The more he tried to organize his scattered thoughts, the clearer Scarlett’s face became in his mind. As he stood to tidy up the bed, his eyes caught something on the sheets—bloodstains. His hands trembled as realization dawned. Was this Scarlett’s first time? Did they really…?---The next day, after Sarah had woken up, Scarlett finally worked up the courage to visit her, carrying a thermal container of soup. On her way to the hospital, her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, replaying the events of the previous night over and over.She had jus
“No one is to interfere with Lucy’s situation!” a commanding voice declared.James’s grandfather, Richard, entered the house, leaning heavily on his cane. Mrs. Williams quickly stepped forward to help him to his seat.“Grandfather, you’re here,” James said, immediately setting up the tea set to prepare tea himself.Mrs. Chancer and Richard had never gotten along, and now their interaction was limited to a brief nod before silence settled between them. Charlotte, sitting cautiously to the side, was keenly aware of Richard’s disapproval of her. Her hand instinctively rested on her stomach. She couldn’t help but wonder if the child she carried would soften his attitude toward her.Lost in thought, she was startled when Richard spoke. “You’re carrying James’ child. I won’t make things difficult for you. Focus on delivering the baby safely, and there will be rewards.”Charlotte’s heart lifted. “Thank you, Sir.”She had known all along that this child would be her shield. Even someon
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
This single subtle gesture revealed her inner feelings. Without needing to look further, Sarah immediately understood. Through the monitor, she could see that the photograph was a selfie of a man.Beyond heartbreak, she couldn't think of any other explanation.The emotion release room had been open for nearly a week. During this time, she had observed many clients. Those who came to release their emotions fell into several categories: heartbreak, work conflicts, friendship issues, personal disputes, or being stuck at a crossroads in life, unable to make the right choice.They came here to vent their emotions, and often only after destroying everything could they finally see what they truly wanted in their hearts.This was Sarah's original purpose in creating the emotion release room. But more importantly, this wasn't just a simple place to vent emotions—it offered clients more valuable services, such as guidance from top psychological counselors to help them quickly resolve their tr
"Enough. I've heard too many words like these. It's all for my own good, it's all to protect me—using these noble-sounding excuses to make me believe him, to understand him. Well then, why don't you who want me to believe him try to convince him to believe in me? Are you all underestimating me, or overestimating Vivian? I don't want to hear this kind of talk anymore. Everything he suffered today was his own choice."In this moment, Sarah's coldness fully erupted. She was no longer indifferent or dismissive, because she simply couldn't ignore the pain in her heart.Mia hadn't expected Sarah to say such things today. She held Sarah's hand sympathetically. "Sarah, I'm sorry. It's because I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have said those things that upset you."When emotions reach their breaking point, they tend to explode, but often calm down shortly after the outburst.Sarah had regained her composure. She shook her head with a bitter smile. "This isn't your fault. Since the doctor is he
They both looked at Zachary. Sarah frowned slightly and asked uncertainly, "Are you sure the two of us can lift him?"Mia paused for a moment, then pressed the drain button. In less than five minutes, all the cold water had drained from the tub.Zachary had a towel wrapped around his lower half, but it could easily fall off. Sarah first found a bathrobe in the closet, and together with Mia, they struggled to put it on him."Zachary, wake up!"Sarah didn't smell any alcohol on Zachary, so she determined he probably hadn't been drinking, but for some reason had passed out.She used all her strength to pull on Zachary's arm, trying to lift him up.Ten minutes later, when Steven arrived, Zachary was still in the bathtub."Miss Sanders, Miss Reynolds, let me handle this." He walked in with a man in a suit and lifted Zachary to the bed without much effort.He said to the suited man, "Doctor, please examine him."Only then did Sarah realize that Steven had brought a doctor. They waite
Sarah couldn't say much, since she hadn't seen either the truth or the evidence herself.But seeing how hurt Mia looked, she placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and said gently, "Though I don't know exactly what happened or what truth and evidence you're talking about, you should trust your brother. When we were in West Ridge, his reaction after learning the truth wasn't much better than yours. His eyes were filled with shock."She paused before continuing, "Now that you know the truth, you both clearly understand what you need to do. Isn't it better to see things clearly rather than remain in the dark?"At least they wouldn't need to keep guessing or lie awake night after night.Mia nodded gravely, then asked with confusion, "Sarah, my brother hasn't told you about it?"Sarah smiled faintly and shook her head. "If he wanted me to know, he would tell me himself.""Sarah, whatever decision my brother makes, I believe he would never hurt you. Just like you told me, we can trust h