Claudeville was a city located toward the north, so its winters tended to be chilling. Today, it was even snowing. I wore wool thermal clothing, stuck on several heat packs and even added a down vest in the middle. Then, I topped it all off with a long down coat that almost reached my ankles. Yet, I was still shivering.I had always been sensitive to the cold. After getting severely injured, the cold affected me even more. But even as I trembled from the cold, I was in such a good mood that I felt like humming a joyful tune. When I arrived at the courthouse and saw there was still plenty of time, I happily went into a nearby coffee shop. After I picked a seat by the floor-to-ceiling window, I ordered a cup of coffee and a sandwich for breakfast. As I ate, I enjoyed the snowy view outside.I feared the cold but had an inexplicable fondness for snowy days. Ending this horrible marriage and starting a new chapter in life on a snowy day, which I loved most, was a pretty good sign to
As the man spoke, he even stepped forward, trying to pull me toward him.I frowned and instinctively wanted to step back. I felt deeply uncomfortable about getting dragged into their game.But before I could do so, Irvin pulled me into his arms with one swift motion. His expression was frigid as he growled, "Get lost!"The man opened his mouth as if to retort. But when he met Irvin's terrifying gaze, he didn't dare say another word. He even instinctively retreated.In the next moment, he regained his composure. In an attempt to deflect his embarrassment, he muttered under his breath, "If you still care about her so much, why bother getting divorced?"Although everyone around agreed that it was inappropriate for the man to involve another woman in his argument with his soon-to-be ex-wife, they couldn't help but feel that he'd made a valid point. If Irvin cared so much, why were we getting divorced?Under their scrutinizing gazes, I pushed against Irvin. I didn't want to be so clos
I instinctively frowned in irritation but forced myself to hold it in. Irvin stared at me for a long moment as if he wanted to say something, but his pride ultimately wouldn't allow it. In the end, he spoke in his usual haughty tone. "Emilia, I'll admit that I was at fault first. If you regret this, we can halt the divorce proceedings anytime. But you'll still need to apologize to Lianne. No matter what, you shouldn't have refused to provide blood when she was in such a critical condition."He thought that I'd been too cruel the previous day. In the face of a life-or-death situation, I not only refused to donate blood but also held everyone up for so long. It was sheer luck that Julianne survived. Otherwise, I might have caused her death.At that time, Irvin had been so furious that he regretted ever knowing me and said he never wished to see me again.But when he saw me today, he couldn't stay mad. He understood that he'd been the one at fault in the first place. If I regretted m
"You know how difficult it has been for Irvin to get to where he is today. Millie, please..." Julianne reached out to grab my arm in an attempt to appeal to me.But as soon as her hand extended toward me, I gave her a cold glare and said, "Julianne, don't forget what I have in my hands. If you say another word or come any closer, I'll ruin you right here and now!"Julianne's face turned even paler in an instant. She wanted to say something but stopped herself when she remembered the video I had. In the end, she didn't dare speak.Since I hadn't yet received the divorce certificate, I didn't want any unnecessary complications. I spoke just loud enough for only Julianne to hear.My parents didn't hear what I said, but when they saw Julianne suddenly blanching and looking like she might collapse from a light breeze, their anger flared even more."Millicent!" they chastised me.Before they could continue, I interrupted, "Mom, Dad, I know you want Irvin to marry Julianne and leave all
Gideon thought Irvin's behavior was excessively contradictory. It wasn't just him—everyone else in the private room felt the same.If one said Irvin loved me, he constantly belittled me and asked everyone else to look down on me too. But if one said he didn't love me, anyone who dared say something bad about me would face his wrath.Now, as I was divorcing him, he appeared so tormented. It seemed as if he wouldn't stop until he drank himself into a severe gastric hemorrhage.Irvin remained silent. He didn't know what to say and didn't want to talk about the deepest feelings—the ones even he didn't dare confront—buried in his heart.He refused to speak and continued drinking despite their attempts to stop him. Someone was worried he might drink himself to death, so they secretly called Julianne.Of course, she arrived at the scene quickly.Seeing that Irvin was on the verge of collapsing from drinking, she rushed forward and held his arm with a look of concern on her face. "Irvin,
Irvin's face had already flushed from drinking in the first place. His cheeks became an alarming red after Julianne splashed the diffuser on him.When she lunged toward him, he instinctively reached out and held her. Every cell in his body burned with heat. They screamed at him to tear off the clothes of the woman in his arms without hesitation.Just as his hands instinctively began to yield to his primal urge, a scent entered his nose. It caused him to gain some clarity at that heated moment.This scent wasn't mine!In the next second, he instinctively pushed away Julianne and threw her off the bed. He wouldn't touch any woman who wasn't me. He knew that I demanded absolute loyalty in a relationship. If he sullied himself, I would never want him again.Even in his muddled state, Irvin knew what I cared about and where my boundaries lay. When he was sober, he knew this all the more. He had always known, yet he took my love for granted and recklessly tested the limits of my boundar
Picking up something one had given up for so long—especially studying—wasn't as easy as simply deciding to do it. To show genuine sincerity and build up my confidence before approaching Mr. Holland, I began an intense study routine after seeing Cordelia off.Since some specialized books were rare and unavailable online, I often spent my time at the city library. I stayed there to study until it closed.After leaving the library, I would cross the street. On the opposite side was a ravioli restaurant. This restaurant had been around for over ten years. The owners, a husband and wife, made fresh ravioli daily. The food there was incredibly delicious. When I was still a student, I loved coming here after visiting the library, especially on cold winter nights.After consuming a plate of steaming hot ravioli, one would feel that life was complete.While waiting at the crosswalk for the light to turn green for pedestrians, my phone started ringing. Just as I reached into my pocket to g
The crying eventually attracted a patrolling police officer. After assessing the situation, the officer sternly reprimanded the two teenagers. He warned them never to play around on the road, especially at crossroads because it was far too dangerous.The two teenagers nodded repeatedly as they were scolded, cowering in guilt.Although it had been a very precarious situation, I didn't exactly get hurt. So, it was deemed an accident. Since the two teenagers were still minors, the matter was considered resolved after the police officer's lecture.…My nerves and emotions finally settled when I arrived at the ravioli restaurant and ate a huge plate of steaming hot ravioli. Thinking about how I had nearly missed out on this comforting meal, I couldn't help but sigh. I felt I should make time to attend church and pray soon. This year had been unbelievably unlucky for me. My misfortune had nearly cost me my life on multiple occasions.From falling off a cliff and barely surviving on ja
Emma was also quite smart. Once she calmed down, she immediately understood what I meant. She wanted to say something, but I had already opened the car door and pushed her out.Seeing several people swimming toward us, I shoved her again, urging her to leave quickly.In the face of life and death, survival would become an instinct for everyone. So even though she didn't wish me harm or want to leave me behind, she swam away with tears in her eyes. Not long after she left, those so-called "rescuers" surrounded me.When they noticed someone had swum away, they exchanged hand signals underwater, planning to send some after her and others to capture me. Realizing this, I quickly pointed at myself, trying to tell them that I was the one they were looking for. Then I turned and swam in the opposite direction, hoping to lure them away and buy her more time to escape. But even though they understood my gesture, they didn't believe me. They still sent people after her.They were very
There was only one road from the airport to the city, and William's car was right behind ours.Matthew, who was driving, immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw our car suddenly accelerating at an alarming speed.He quickly said, "Mr. Ashford, something's wrong with Ms. Quill's car!"William, who was busy reading the documents, immediately looked up. His gaze darkened when he saw how recklessly the car in front was moving."Catch up with them!" he ordered. At that moment, his phone rang. It was Noah calling, and he sounded anxious on the other end. "Uncle Will, are you with Emi right now? I just heard that Madeleine is planning to kill her! "I don't know the exact plan, but I heard they're making a move on the way from the airport to the city. You need to be careful! I'm heading to the airport right now!"Noah's words made William's expression grow even darker. …While Emma was still processing the situation, I noticed something strange about the driver. If the
Just like that, we came back alive from the brink of death in an instant. It felt like we were in hell one moment and in heaven the next.Perhaps I was still too scared. So scared that even after the plane had stabilized for a while, I still couldn't find any strength in my body. I was still shaken by the fear and couldn't fully snap out of it.William was also holding me tightly the entire time, not letting go. The softness of my body in his arms stirred something in him that he couldn't describe. He instinctively didn't want to let go.It wasn't until a flight attendant knocked on the door to check on us that I finally returned to my senses.William also let go of me instantly. The sudden emptiness in his arms left him feeling rather hollow.He came to realize something, and his already deep gaze darkened even more, making it even harder to read.After the flight attendant tidied up the cabin and left, William, who had been perfectly fine and warm just moments ago, suddenly tur
The flight attendant knocked on the entrance to the suite to signal her arrival and served our meal. Then, she left swiftly.William and I were eating and discussing our AI chip factory when his face suddenly turned red. He couldn't say a word.The moment I saw that, I immediately realized what was happening and rushed over to him.I moved behind him, wrapped my arms around his abdomen, and clenched my fists. With my palm facing upward, I tightened my arms and pressed my left fist forcefully into his upper abdomen again and again, until he finally spat out the seed of a fruit.He had accidentally swallowed the seed while eating dried fruit, and it had gotten stuck in his throat.William stared at the seed he'd just coughed up, looking flustered. A man like him, who was so strong and composed, had choked while eating. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.Especially in front of me!William, who was usually composed no matter the circumstances, now had a face flushed wit
William handed me a glass of champagne and said, "I heard Grace gave you a hard time again at the airport lounge."I hummed in response, confirming it. At the mention of Grace, a thought struck me, and I turned to him. "Mr. Ashford, many of your company's products seem to compete directly with the Hardwells'."Although most of my focus had been on research, I did know a little about the business world. After all, I had a company myself. "Yes, why?" William raised an eyebrow at me."If you're planning to enter the mainland market, wouldn't the Hardwells be your biggest competitor?" I asked.Upon hearing that, William's dark eyes lit up with interest. "Are you trying to join forces with me against the Hardwells?"I knew that I couldn't hide my intentions from someone like William, so I answered honestly, "I'm just thinking ahead. I wanted to see if you had similar plans. If so, maybe we could work together in the future."Going against the Hardwells alone was definitely impossi
At the same time, the same video was also delivered to Noah's grandfather, Mr. Hull Senior."This is the woman Noah's interested in? He refused a marriage alliance with Ms. Charter because of her?" Mr. Hull Senior questioned incredulously.His butler, who had been by his side for decades, lowered his head respectfully and answered, "Yes."Mr. Hull Senior scoffed. "What kind of judgment does he have? It's no wonder he doesn't measure up to his uncle."Noah might be excellent, but at his age, William had already built up the Ashfords into the wealthiest family in Redwood. In terms of cunning or any other aspect, he was still far behind William.The loyal butler remained silent as he respectfully stood off to the side."If anyone else was still left in this family, I'd never even consider passing it to Noah!" Mr. Hull Senior exclaimed, pounding his cane hard against the floor.The Hulls had built their fortune from casinos. Their business had shady beginnings, which meant they also
Lowering her head, Grace forcibly suppressed the murderous impulse rising in her chest. When she lifted it back up, her gaze was utterly apologetic."I'm truly sorry, Ms. Quill. My friend really did misunderstand you. Tim actually dropped me off earlier—that was why he was here," she said.Then, she turned to Lisa and said, "There's really nothing going on between Ms. Quill and Tim, Lisa. Tim was just dropping me off earlier. "When I went to the restroom, he happened to run into Ms. Quill. And because she was his brother's ex-wife, they exchanged greetings. That's all it was, so you jumped to the wrong conclusion."Plus, Ms. Quill is the one who cured Tim's legs, so we Hardwells owe her a great debt. She's definitely not a homewrecker! So, if you ever call her that again or anything of the sort, our friendship will be over!"Catching the message in Grace's gaze, Lisa immediately put on a sincere expression and apologized to me. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Quill, for completely misundersta
"Well? Say something!" the woman yelled. "If he wasn't Timothy, and you're not a homewrecker, then who was he? Can't say it, can you? Since you can't, it just proves you're a homewrecker!"You're just a social-climbing snake! You saw that the Hardwells were wealthier, so you used your dead ex-husband's likeness with Timothy as an excuse to try and latch onto them! You're so outrageous and vile!"I had never been insulted or cursed like this in my entire life. But I also didn't know how to fight back. This was yet another trouble Irvin had brought upon me, and the thought of this only made me resent him even more.Hearing the certainty in the woman's tone, the people around us began casting strange glances in my direction. After all, I hadn't said anything to defend myself, either.Just then, Grace walked over, looking regal and elegant."Stop it, Lisa. Ms. Quill isn't a homewrecker. Back then, she was just still in too much grief over the death of her ex-husband and mistook Tim fo
Irvin waited for the little boy to pick up his ball and waddle away.Then, he looked at me and said, "Let me take you to the airport first, Emi. Then, as promised, I won't appear in front of you unless absolutely necessary. We'll leave everything up to time and let it wear down the feelings we're clinging to."Things can change quickly, after all. So, why don't we just set aside what we can't solve right now? And who knows—maybe some time later, we'll both be able to work through these feelings again."I knew someone as stubborn as Irvin wouldn't let go of his fixation on getting back together with me over a simple plea. And since it really was time for me to leave for the airport, I didn't argue with him any further."There's no need for you to take me—my driver is already waiting," I said.With that, I walked past him and got into my car. However, Irvin didn't leave. Instead, he followed behind my car the entire way.The sheer size of the Hardwells' affairs kept Irvin incredibl