Leaving the hotel room, Matthew aimlessly drove around the city. He didn't want to go back to his mansion, nor did he want to talk to anyone, so he stopped in a deserted stretch of road and sat smoking in his car. The cigarette smoke filled the air, tickling his nostrils to the point of choking. Yet even this nicotine was insufficient to invigorate his nerves, to chase away all his worries. "I saw your car from afar, only to find out it's indeed you upon closer inspection. Why...are you smoking so much?" Selena knocked on the car window. As soon as the window was lowered, she crinkled her nose at the overpowering smell of tobacco. Matthew rarely smoked this much. "You can talk to me if you're troubled. After all, we're about to get married..." "Enough." Matthew frowned, lacking the patience for her prattle: "Get in the car if you want to, otherwise, find your way back yourself." Selena, of course, chose to get in the car. But as she reached for the door handle of the passenger se
"Who... who are you?" "You are Flora, aren't you? My apologies for summoning you in such a manner. I merely wanted to ascertain... are you the daughter of Edsel Tremblay?" This was the second time she had heard the name Edsel Tremblay spoken aloud by another. The first instance was when the old woman from the Tremblay family had sought her mother at their home. Judging from her mother's reaction, Flora surmised that this Edsel Tremblay was indeed her biological father. However, with the man in front of her intentions unknown, friend or foe, she dared not answer carelessly. After a moment of consideration, she shook her head: "I don't know. I don't know who Edsel Tremblay is, nor if he is my father." It wasn't precisely a lie; throughout her childhood and adulthood, no one had ever told her who her real father was. Not even her mother. "Answer me sincerely, otherwise... I can't guarantee what will happen to Oriana Smith." The man smirked, his dark eyes taking on an even more sinis
As the music ended, Flora stepped back, creating distance between herself and the loathsome man. Her face a mask of frosty indifference, she spat out two words: "Boring." With that, she turned on her heel and strode away. Behind her, a dark voice echoed: "Flora, if you dare to cheat on me... be prepared to face the consequences." Matthew was never a man of virtue, he wouldn't accept sitting idly by while being cuckolded. Fate is a curious thing. Sometimes one strives to distance oneself from another, but fate stubbornly pushes them back together. Flora left the grand ballroom filled with harmonious music and laughter of strangers, heading straight for the flower garden at the back. The forced smiles on those people's faces made her nauseous. "Release me first! If someone sees us now..." A familiar voice echoed in a teasing manner. Selena? Flora squinted from behind the bushes where she hid, looking at the standing Selena. She was not alone. Alongside her was a tall man. He had
"What brings you to me so early?" Flora yawned, looking at the man sitting cross-armed on the back seat of the car. He turned to her, squinting at her. "We're registering our marriage. The lawyer is waiting... You two, get off and let my sister-in-law come up here." The latter part was directed towards his two underlings sitting in the front seats. At their boss' command, the two men exited the car. One of them was a youth Flora had encountered a few times before, rubbing his hands together and laughing nervously. "Sister-in-law, don't make it difficult for us. Get in the car, otherwise our boss will be angry." If the boss was angry, the sister-in-law might not suffer, but the young man would surely not have an easy time. Of course, Flora wouldn't comply with their demands so easily. She glanced nervously around, hoping to find someone who could help. But the two men didn't have the patience to wait and attempted to grab her. "Let go of me!" Flora shouted: "What you're doing is
"Flora, why are you here?" In the span of a few short days, this was the second time Selena had said this to the woman standing before her. Flora smiled at her, clutching a pile of documents tightly in her hands: "The CEO has rescinded the transfer order. I'm returning to work here starting today." Her casual revelation was akin to a bombshell exploding over tranquil waters. As the CEO's fiancee in her words, Selena couldn't keep her composure at the news. She wasn't foolish enough not to realize there was something unusual between this secretary and her betrothed. "I warn you, Matthew is mine. You better..." "You can tell the CEO that yourself." Flora cut her off with a smile: "Saying it to me seems a bit pointless." With that, she breezed past Selena and walked straight into the CEO's office, indifferent to her resentment or indignation. If Matthew were just a stranger, that would be one thing, but he was the father of her two children... It was predetermined that she and Sel
The unexpected question forced Flora to think for a while. She had never considered this issue before, but if she was forced to answer, she would seriously consider it to reply to him. "I did, once. I used to wonder why other children had fathers while I didn’t...especially when I was teased by others. But later, it didn't matter anymore, I have two adorable kids, I have my own happiness." Those who find their own happiness won't dwell on the past. Matthew laughed. It was a bitter laugh, filled with years of suppressed emotions. "Therein lies your uniqueness. There are so many women who could sell their children for money..." He paused for a moment: "Just like my mother... As a child, I was just a lad living at the bottom of society, a vagrant at the roadside. Then my foster father took me in. And then my mother came into the picture..." When she made her appearance, young Matthew thought he had finally received the motherly love he had long yearned for. Little did he expect her t
After getting the child settled into her room, he cautiously opened the door to Flora's room. She was lying on her side on the bed, it wasn't clear whether she was sleeping or awake, but as he neared, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "You're back, then?" "You heartless woman... Why did you leave me alone in the bar?" He whispered into her ear, his tone both teasing and reproachful. Flora had already thought up a perfect excuse. "When I emerged from the restroom, you had already been whisked away by someone. I overheard the staff saying... the person who took you away was a close friend of yours." Flora shared with a soft smile: "I suppose they didn't take you to sell you off, so I wasn't too worried." Matthew's emotions cooled slightly. He tenderly enveloped Flora, pressing her soft body into the bed: "Shall we continue where we left off last time..." "What do you mean? Are you teasing me again?" Matthew chuckled. "If you wish, I can give you the opportunity to tease me. Go on..
Taking a deep breath, Flora decided to break the silence: "Thank you for helping me take care of the kids." "It's nothing, just what should be done. You don't have to thank me..." Matthew forced a smile: "I always feel a deep connection and desire to be close to the kids... Sometimes I wish they were mine." Flora sighed, her voice soft: "Well, they are..." "What did you say?" Matthew didn't catch her whisper and asked again. But she just shook her head, steering the conversation to another topic, not any cheerier. Just that, they both knew they'd have to face it sooner or later. She abruptly raised her head to look straight into Matthew's face: “You're marrying Selena? That... it's not true, is it?” Even now, she clung onto a shred of hope that everything was just a dreadful nightmare. The man who professed his love for her just the day before, who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, couldn't possibly marry someone else. Yet he nodded, offering a sensible explanation.