“Look up there—someone’s about to jump!”The shout rang out across the entire Marriott Mall, drawing attention from passing pedestrians and shoppers alike. In seconds, a crowd had gathered at the bottom floor.Some people were already calling the police. Others had their phones out, recording.Charlotte stood on the rooftop, staring down at the growing crowd. Her expression stayed still for a moment, then she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.“I’m going to kill myself,” she said coldly. “I’m James Chancer’s wife. Bring him here.”Without waiting for a response, she hung up.She wrapped her arms tightly around her newborn son and carefully sat at the edge of the rooftop. The breeze was cold. She pulled her jacket tighter around the baby, shielding him as best she could.“Don’t be scared, baby. Your dad will be here soon.”News alerts quickly followed.“Breaking news at Marriott Hotel: a woman is reportedly threatening to jump from the rooftop while holding a child. Sour
Charlotte froze. So that’s why James had looked so heartbroken after coming home last time—because of what Sarah had said to him.But even after hearing such cruel words, he still couldn’t let go of her. That said everything about how deep his obsession ran.Sarah, clearly losing patience, continued coldly. “I know why you brought the baby. You’re hoping I’ll feel some kind of pity. But you’re forgetting one thing—I’ve never been a kind person. After everything you’ve done to hurt me, I can’t just pretend it never happened. The fact that I haven’t kicked you while you’re down is already my last act of mercy. So do me a favor—get out of my room. And don’t ever show your face to me again.”“Sarah!” Charlotte suddenly cried out, then dropped to her knees with a loud thud. Her knees slammed against the cold floor, but she didn’t care.“I’m begging you. I’ve never begged anyone like this before. Even if you don’t care about me, at least think of the child. He’s only a few months old—he
Charlotte couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she turned to James’s mother.“Mom, James… he wants to divorce me.”“Divorce?” Mrs. Chancer glanced sharply at her son. “You want to divorce Charlotte?”James didn’t bother hiding anything anymore. “Yes.”“Don’t even think about it,” Mrs. Chancer snapped. “I absolutely do not agree. You might not care about your reputation, but I do! What has Charlotte ever done to deserve this? She carried your child, gave birth to your son, and now you’re going to throw away your wife and your child just because some woman you used to like is back? Have you forgotten who begged me to approve this marriage in the first place?”She stood up, furious now. “James Fu, you were the one who insisted on marrying Charlotte after your breakup with Sarah. Now you want a divorce to go crawling back to that woman? Are you out of your mind?”Her head throbbed from the anger. How had she raised such a disappointing son?“Mom,” James sa
On the TV, a pirate captain was shouting orders. The announcer explained how there was always a brief calm before the storm hit.Just like that, a storm was brewing inside the house too.Calm and chaos were two extremes.Charlotte sipped the last of her soup just as the front door creaked open.She turned. It was James—he was finally home.Forcing a smile, she asked, “James, you’re back late again.”“Had a few drinks at the bar with an old classmate,” James replied, meeting her eyes. “Is the baby asleep?”Hearing him bring up their son, Charlotte stepped closer. “Yeah. You’ve been heading out early and coming home late lately. He hasn’t seen you in days. This afternoon, Mom was holding him in the living room, and he saw your photo. He started crying and wouldn’t stop.”Guilt swept through James. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.“What are you apologizing for? We’re a family,” Charlotte said gently. “I know you’ve been busy with work and the company. It’s still in the development s
At the bar, Raynor slid a Long Island Iced Tea toward him. “Drink.”Though it had been years since they last saw each other, a few drinks were all it took for the old bond to come rushing back.Raynor didn’t beat around the bush. “You’ve looked like hell lately. Trouble on your mind? If it’s something you can’t talk about with others, try me. Maybe I can help, and if I can, I will.”James let out a heavy sigh. “When it comes to relationships, there’s never a clear right or wrong. But sure—I'll tell you. Think of it as a story if nothing else.”And so James laid it all out for him—his tangled history with Sarah, with Charlotte—from the events of three years ago all the way to now. He didn’t leave out a single detail.When he finally finished, Raynor looked thoughtful. “So… you’re thinking of getting back together with Sarah?”James fell silent. Even he didn’t know what he truly wanted. After learning everything at the hospital, the rational thing would’ve been to return to his fam
Melvin paused before continuing, “Actually, the one who was more stunned than me that day was Zachary. But when we saw the confusion in your eyes, we both made the same decision—to keep it from you.”Sarah froze for a moment. “So that’s what you’ve all been hiding from me?”“Yes,” Melvin said quietly. “Your legs were cut open to draw blood. You were forced to drink it. And you watched your father die right in front of you. Any one of those things would’ve been traumatic enough. Mia still suffers from severe psychological trauma because of it. I’m just grateful you only lost your memory.”Sarah clutched the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “He didn’t love me. I was just a tool. A blood bank.”“Sarah, I don’t know what you heard back then, but I really don’t think Zachary is that kind of person. What I do know is that he loved you—deeply. He stayed away only because he didn’t want you to relive that pain. I thought he’d crack eventually and come back for you. I never expected…”