MasukHarriett had never truly cared about Diana. Even though Diana raised her, Harriett was already grown when Diana married Benedict. Her biological mother had died two years earlier. Weighed down by guilt, Benedict tried to make up for it by acting as both parents and giving her everything she wanted.Then one day, he brought home a new wife, a woman barely ten years older than Harriett. He doted on her, worried over her, and treated her with a tenderness Harriett had never seen before. She could not accept it. She argued, threw tantrums, and even threatened suicide.What she never expected was that Diana loved Benedict so much that she agreed never to have children. Harriett remained the family's one and only precious child.Diana treated her as her own daughter. But even though Harriett called her "Mom", she had never truly seen Diana as family.Her goal had always been to make Diana fear having children of her own who might compete with her for their father's love. Harriett wanted
Victoria was trembling with anger. The housekeepers panicked. "Mrs. Shore Senior, what's wrong? Quick! Give her the fast-acting heart medicine!"I rushed to her side, helped her catch her breath, and gave her the medicine. Only then did she slowly calm down, the angry flush on her face finally easing. It broke my heart to see her at her age, so deeply distressed because of Timothy.Trying to get him to leave as quickly as possible, I said, "Timothy, I'll go back with you. Whatever issues we have, we can deal with them ourselves. Don't involve anyone else."Victoria cut in, her tone sharp. "Wait. Josie cannot go with you."I looked at her gratefully, my voice thick with emotion. "Mrs. Shore Senior, I know you're doing this for my sake, but I don't want to bother you. You're getting older, and you shouldn't have to worry this much.""I see you as my own granddaughter. Do you think I'd stop worrying if you left?" she said.She pointed at Timothy, her voice sharp. "With a man like th
Timothy stepped into the living room, his driver behind him carrying several expensive gifts.Victoria sized him up with a sharp look and said, "Mr. Grant, visiting an old lady at this late hour is far more than I can tolerate. As for all these gifts, the Shore family doesn't need them. The only thing we need is a kind and sensible granddaughter-in-law."She didn't even bother to hide her opinion. Timothy understood perfectly. His expression grew cold, but he restrained himself as he said, "Mrs. Shore Senior, I'm here to take my wife home. I know you share a special bond with her, so it makes sense that she would visit you first after returning safely. But it's late, and she should come home with me now."Victoria laughed coldly. "Who are you calling your wife? Your so-called wife is not Josie. It's that famous actress, Yasmin. The Shore family could never accept someone like her. If you want a wife, don't look for her here."Timothy took a deep breath. "Mrs. Shore Senior, I don'
When Isaac answered the call, it wasn't Diana on the line but Benedict, his voice urgent and shaken. "Isaac, do you have time right now? You need to come to the hospital immediately. Diana is in critical condition. The doctor had me sign a critical notice. I'm afraid she may not make it." "How did this happen? The chemotherapy treatment had been working well. The doctors from abroad confirmed it. She shouldn't have deteriorated so suddenly." Isaac's voice grew heavy.Benedict's voice faltered, filled with guilt. "This is my fault. I failed you and Diana. I raised an ungrateful, reckless child. Harriett went to Diana today and told her about you and Josie. "She said things she never should have. I didn't teach her well. Diana started coughing up blood, and the doctors say that her condition is very critical."Isaac ended the call, stood, and headed straight for the door. I watched him stalk off, a sense of unease growing with every step. My fingers curled tightly as my heart sank.
The black limousine rolled smoothly through the gates of the Shore residence. The moment I opened the door, two small figures came running toward me like wild horses and threw themselves straight into my arms."Mom! I thought you were never coming back. Where did you go? Did someone really abduct you?" Daphne's voice broke as she cried. She wrapped her little arms tightly around my waist.Shannon's eyes were red as well. She clutched my sleeve and sniffed. "Ms. York, I missed you so much. I'm so glad you're back."My chest tightened. I crouched and gently stroked their hair. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I wasn't abducted. I just had to go out of town for work. See? I'm back now, safe and sound."I avoided telling them the truth. They were still too young for that."As long as you're home, that's all that matters." Victoria walked over with her cane and took my hand, studying my face closely. When she saw that I looked good, she finally relaxed."You gave me such a scare. Fort
Sometimes, after I finished cooking, I would ask Timothy with hopeful excitement when he would be coming home.But he would reply with two cold words, stingy as always, "I'm busy."Now, he finally understood what I must have felt back then.Timothy's chest felt so tight that it was almost suffocating. He closed the chat window immediately, not daring to look anymore.The more he looked, the clearer it became. It was his own cruelty that had driven me farther and farther away, wearing me down in the slowest, most brutal way.Until one day, my entire world no longer revolved around him alone.Just then, I—the one he had been thinking about day and night—finally appeared in the crowd.Even dressed in a beige knit cardigan and jeans, I looked radiant. He spotted me instantly.But in the very next second, the light in his eyes dimmed because behind me was that shadow he couldn't shake—the annoying Isaac.Isaac and I clearly hadn't noticed him.I had my head tilted up, talking exci







