Love Won't Overstay Its Welcome

It was the third year of Simone Nolan's marriage to Anthony Lancaster. Even after three years, she was still the envy of every woman in Avenport."Mr. Lancaster is so good to Mrs. Lancaster! He immediately ran a full-body checkup on her when she just coughed once.""She did marry the country's best doctor, after all. I wish I'll be as lucky as she is in my next life!"Simone smiled. She'd grown used to hearing the nurses say these things. She was about to go see Anthony for her routine prenatal exam when a heated argument from the room made her falter."Mr. Lancaster, are you sure you want to terminate Mrs. Lancaster's pregnancy later? This will be the third time!""I've told you this—no matter how many times it happens, Simone's pregnancies must be terminated."Anthony's indifferent voice seemed to pierce Simone's eardrums. The color drained from her face; she could hardly believe what she'd heard."Why? She's always wanted to have your children." His assistant, Calvin Moss, so

Simone didn't go home. Instead, she rushed to Elvane overnight with Thalia's body to get an official assessment of the cause of death.Anthony was untouchable in Avenport. She couldn't do anything to him there, but she would still fight to get justice for Thalia."Ms. Nolan, doing business with our boss comes with a price.""Name your price. I'll pay up." Simone was still stunningly beautiful, but a pair of sunglasses hid her swollen eyes."We don't want money. Our boss wants you, Ms. Nolan." The person across from her slid a marriage contract across the table.Simone's back went rigid, and her nails dug into her palms. She'd heard that Elvane's most elite scion was a vicious, cruel, and impotent man who was terminally ill. He was hunting for a bride to turn things around.After a long moment, she said faintly, "Alright. I'll do it."She'd lost everything, and she now only had one wish—to lay Thalia to rest in peace. Marrying this elite scion wouldn't make her lose anything, wou

Anthony's eyes were bloodshot, and there were bruises underneath them. He looked like he'd kept watch over Simone for a long time."Simone, you're awake!" He grabbed her hand excitedly.She flinched instinctively and yanked her hand back. She stared at him coldly.His smile froze, and he felt like someone had gripped his heart and squeezed. He pressed his lips together. "Simone, with how things were, I could only save the person closest to me. And besides, you did push Winona out…"Simone's bloodless lips trembled as she stared at him in disbelief. "I didn't push her! She grabbed me and threw herself out the window!"Anthony looked at her as disappointment clouded his eyes. "Simone, I always thought you were kind. I never imagined you'd lie through your teeth like this. I'm honestly heartbroken."She opened her mouth but couldn't force out a single word. Tears pooled in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall."Don't act like you're the victim here. The palm prints on Winona's fac

The bowl slipped from Anthony's hand and shattered. He stared at the paper in Calvin's hand in shock before suddenly laughing. "What are you even talking about, Calvin? How could Simone possibly divorce me? Just because she's pulling a prank like this doesn't mean you have to go along with it."He didn't even look at the divorce decree as he muttered to himself. Then, he grabbed his car keys and sped off toward the wedding venue that was already prepared.On the Seavern Bridge, Anthony pressed harder and harder on the gas. The wheels spun like mad."Simone must be waiting for me at the venue. She has to be pranking me. This is all it is." He floored the gas again, making the speed shoot up further.The scenery outside blurred into streaks. Patrol cars wailed behind him, their sirens screaming. "Speeding vehicle, pull over immediately for inspection! Warning! Stop your vehicle now!"Anthony ignored it all. His eyes reddened as his mind fixed on one thought—he had to see Simone. He

Anthony dragged Winona back to the Lancaster residence, ignoring her cries and pleas. "Anthony, let go of me! You're hurting me!"Her carefully done makeup was smudged, and his grip left red marks on her arm.Anthony had to take several deep breaths to steady his voice. "What exactly did you mean by what you said, Winona?"Tears instantly welled up in Winona's eyes at his questioning. She went back to looking like her usual fragile, helpless self. "What else could I mean? I just didn't want to be embarrassed in front of my girlfriends."Anthony's expression stayed dark. "Even so, you can't talk about Simone like that! She's my wife!"At that, Winona's tears fell. "Exactly. All of you have someone to rely on, but I don't! Your brother died young and left me in your care before his death. If I'd known all of you would end up despising me, I would've just died with him!"Anthony pursed his lips and was silent for a long time. Ultimately, he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Winona.