Chapter 4

I couldn't stop myself from smiling when I remembered how Rupert would always pretend not to care every time he got jealous when he actually minded it a lot.

Eugene stared at the smile on my lips for a while. Then, he sighed and said, "I've always been waiting for you. I only had a baby with Janice because she wanted a child to keep her company. That way, she wouldn't have to be lonely and interfere in our lives. I'll remarry you after she gives birth, okay?"

He said it so matter-of-factly as if he knew for sure that I would never reject his offer.

I found it extremely amusing to watch.

Five years ago, he had received word from the government that he'd been selected as one of the few students who were given a full scholarship to study in the city.

Even though I was eight months pregnant, I had looked forward so much to our brighter future together in the city.

But to my shock and horror, Eugene led me to the courthouse, divorced me, and grabbed Janice's hand instead.

I felt the last of my hope die away as I watched Eugene and Janice get on the train that would bring them out of the village and into their new city life.

That night, I decided to accept the offer from the National Archeology Certification and went abroad to further my studies.

A month later, I bumped into Rupert, my first love, who had been leading his own inspection team in the same country at that time.

Later on, we confirmed our relationship and got married. I gave birth to our son, Cody Kingston, just a year later.

If it hadn't been for the National Archeology team asking me to come to this village for a survey, I would never have set foot on this soil again, much less bump into Eugene.

Janice gritted her teeth when she heard what Eugene said.

However, someone then announced, "Mr. Kingston's just wrapped up his work and is on the way to the village now! He'll be observing alongside Mrs. Kingston during the survey!"

Janice grinned at once.

"That's enough of your nonsense, Maria Johnston. Since we never got to meet Mrs. Kingston, that can only mean that she's also coming along with Mr. Kingston. You're going to find yourself thrown in jail if you keep impersonating her like this. Behave yourself!"

The rest of the villagers buzzed with excitement.

"Mr. Kingston's car is coming! He's such a mysterious person. I wonder if we'll get to meet him!"

After all, Rupert had been the one donating all the funds used to build new schools, housing projects, and agricultural infrastructure in the village.

The newspapers had also described him as a 30-something-year-old billionaire with a main factory in Somerville, and had a very adorable four-year-old son who could recite classical works at the age of three.

"Say, with how smart Mr. Kingston is, I really wonder what Mrs. Kingston looks like!" some of the other female villagers exclaimed among themselves. "Since she's an archeologist, that must mean she's very tanned because she worked under the sun for hours."

"No matter what she looks like, we must all properly thank Mr. and Mrs. Kingston for helping improve all the village infrastructure over the past few years!"

An older villager nodded and reminded everyone, saying, "Perk up, everybody! They were also the ones who installed electricity poles in the village. Make sure to thank them well!"

They started getting restless when the black luxury car finally slowed down before them.

A villager tugged me aside and said, "Maria, it's still not too late to beg Mr. Doyle and get back on his good side! You might even get mentioned when Mr. Kingston acknowledges the factory managers later on!"

Meanwhile, Eugene stood proudly amidst the crowd of villagers with a wide smile on his face, clearly waiting for Rupert to acknowledge him and praise him for a job well done.

I narrowed my eyes at him and said nothing. Instead, I just looked at the car.

The luxury car rolled to a stop. The villagers immediately rushed forward, thrusting bouquets of flowers and gifts at the doors in hopes of gaining Rupert's attention.

Janice even shoved the rest of the people aside and stood at the front, opening the door for Cody herself.

"Be careful, little one!" she cooed. "Here, come with me, and I'll bring you to the best food spots in the village!"

Cody was wearing suspenders as he jumped out of the car, but he wouldn't let Janice touch him. Then, he ran straight toward me.

The villagers watched in confusion.

"Mommy!" Cody exclaimed giddily as he stuffed a greasy sandwich wrapper into my hands. "Daddy bought me sandwiches! And I left two for you, Mommy!"