Even though the news articles were quickly taken down, Yosef had learned of what had happened. He called from the Fowler residence early in the morning and yelled at Edward furiously.Edward was on his way to work. He quietly listened and did not talk back while Yosef scolded him harshly."Macie is such a nice woman. Do you not feel guilty toward her at all? Do you not appreciate all the sacrifices she's made in the past two years?" Yosef felt so frustrated with his grandson.Edward pursed his lips."Sacrifices? Just because she's prepared our meals? She used the washing machine to wash our clothes and the robotic vacuum cleaner to clean the floor. I was the one who had to look after her during the past two years. What's more, she's utterly ungrateful. She even slapped me yesterday," he thought."If you really can't appreciate her efforts… I hope you won't regret this someday. There's only two weeks left—" Yosef continued.Edward cut him off since his patience was running out. "I
"How's the soup? Is it good?" Sharon looked at Edward expectantly.She had the soup ordered and delivered from a restaurant. So, she was confident that he would be satisfied with the taste."It's delicious. You have excellent cooking skills," Edward remarked after having a sip.Truthfully, he found the soup to be quite oily and salty. It tasted like something a regular restaurant would make.Edward much preferred Macie's cooking, which tasted lighter on the palate. Her dishes were different from the food that was prepared outside."You should have some more if it's to your taste. I can make it for you every day," Sharon said chirpily.When Edward heard Sharon's offer to make soup every day, he quickly said, "I'll help bring over your personal documents tomorrow. You can stay in one of the hotels owned by Fowler Group. No paparazzi would dare follow you there."Sharon bit her lip hard. Yet, she was smiling again two seconds later. "Alright. Thank you, Edward."The two of them co
Hence, Sharon instructed Rebecca to move Macie's things out of the room. Although she did not get to stay in the master bedroom, Sharon found it satisfying to have kicked Macie out of her own room.Edward furrowed his brows as he watched them move Macie's belongings. He entered the room and noticed Rebecca trying to pry open a drawer. He went over to help.Men were physically stronger. After a few tries, Edward managed to yank the drawer open with his brute force. Even the metal parts of the lock were bent out of shape.Only a notebook with a light blue cover was placed in the drawer.Edward picked up the notebook and flipped to the first page. He instantly realized what the notebook was."Only those with secrets would write diaries," Edward snickered. He was about to flip to the next page when a hand reached over from above his head and snatched the notebook away."You shouldn't be reading a woman's diary. I'll help May keep it somewhere safe."Edward pursed his lips. He stared
Nathan deduced that Edward cared about Macie a lot. Yet, he couldn't understand why Edward was fooling around with another woman, to the point of bringing his mistress back to his home.Nathan ordered the meals for Macie. However, he was savvy enough to tell her that the order was placed by the Fowler family and not Edward.He worried that Macie might just flush the food down the toilet if she knew who it was really from.At the hospital, Macie ate those meals. She figured that it was most likely Yosef's idea since they were from the Fowler family.However, Macie furrowed her brows. She wondered if Edward had told Yosef that she had been admitted to the hospital.Strangely, she did not receive any new messages from Yosef. Macie did not send him any messages either since she would probably have to share details about her injuries.Macie spent her days leisurely. During the day, she watched tutorial videos or worked on her sketches. She had enough practice to ensure that she could
"People might think I have an unprofessional assistant otherwise," Edward said.Being a mere employee, Nathan didn't dare argue and could only complain inwardly, "Don't you think that explanation makes it even more suspicious?"As the car moved steadily forward, Macie turned her head to look out the window, avoiding any questions about how Edward knew her discharge time or why he had come to pick her up.The reason was nothing more than to "shut her up"—to prevent her from speaking carelessly in front of Yosef. It could also be because he had a shred of lingering conscience. After all, he was the one who caused her fractures.In the back seat, Edward remained silent, his gaze shifting from the back of her head to her foot.The blister marks had faded, leaving only faint red traces. Macie was walking fine now, and her complexion looked rosier than before.It seemed like the nutritional meals hadn't been a waste.Edward smiled at the thought of it. Macie might be giving him th
Macie quietly took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the urge to argue.After all, it was just a place to sleep. She didn't think that it made a difference where she slept. She could endure it… It was only for ten days anyway."Where are my things?" Macie asked.Edward, noticing that her anger had subsided as quickly as it flared, replied, "Sharon had someone pack them up and put them in the small guest room."Hearing that, Macie walked to the other small room and pushed open the door, only to find her belongings scattered messily all over the floor. Anyone who didn't know better would think that it was just a pile of trash.Behind her, Nathan inhaled sharply. The mistress had bullied the rightful wife terribly. First, she took over the latter's bedroom, and now she was forcing her to sleep in what was basically a storage room.Edward, who had followed, took in the scene and frowned slightly before turning to Sharon."Is this how your assistant handles things? By dumpin
"I'm not going anywhere. I just don't like these anymore," Macie replied impassively.Edward's tense posture relaxed at those words. He instructed Nathan, "Go to the supermarket downstairs and buy a quilt and a bedding set."Nathan obeyed and left, while Edward returned to the living room.Macie continued tidying up. Most of her belongings were there, but...She suddenly stood up and strode to her old room. Just as she was about to unlock a drawer with a key, someone appeared behind her and pulled open the bottommost layer.Macie froze for a moment upon seeing the empty space inside. When she turned around, she was greeted with the sight of Sharon's smugly curved lips."Where's my notebook?" Macie demanded."What notebook? I don't know what you're talking about." Sharon feigned ignorance."Didn't you open this drawer?" Macie gritted her teeth.Before Sharon could reply, Edward approached from the doorway, wearing a frown. "What are you two arguing about?"Just as Macie was ab
When Macie went to the bathroom to wash the cloth, she noticed that all her personal toiletries—her toothbrush, skincare products, and everything—were gone. Only Sharon's set remained, neatly placed beside Edward's.Macie let out a mocking laugh. She had lived there for two years, but Sharon had erased all traces of her existence within just two weeks. She had gone from being the rightful owner to an outsider, an intruder who no longer belonged.At the same time, a Rolls-Royce came to a stop outside the modeling office. The car door soon opened, and Sharon stepped out. She deliberately stood sideways to bid Edward goodbye so everyone in the lobby could see him.As the car drove away, she smiled brightly and waved before turning around, her expression filled with confidence, pride, and satisfaction."Wow, Sharon! Your boyfriend dropped you off again!""You two have such a good relationship. Mr. Fowler is rich and handsome. And since he's an only child, no one will fight you for t
When Macie heard that Edward had driven Sharon away, she was a little surprised. Alice was even more shocked, but Macie quickly said coldly, "I really did get divorced. He's the one who keeps pestering me. We're going to court next week." She glanced at Sharon. "Once that's over, Edward and I will have nothing to do with each other. Don't believe me? Come to the court yourself."Sharon frowned when she heard that, clearly unconvinced.What if they went to court and the divorce didn't go through? Then she would just end up being played yet again."May's right. She and that scumbag Edward are definitely getting divorced," Alice said mockingly. "You're the only one who still treats him like he's some kind of prize. No one else gives a damn. "You two had better lock it down. When you get married, I'll show up with a gift and wish you all the happiness in the world."Sharon shot Alice a glare. Wasn't this the same woman who had bragged last time that Edward was about to marry her?
Sean couldn't help but think to himself that he'd really gone too far. He wondered how he was any different from the bullies who had tormented Macie.He remembered how Macie had looked that morning with her anger held back, forced to endure his teasing with a fake smile. Meanwhile, he found it amusing, as if it were some kind of game to him.He couldn't believe what a monster he had been.Macie's quiet demeanor was the result of years of enduring suffering, with her anger only surfacing when she was pushed too far.Macie was a young woman with a vintage landscape as her profile picture—someone who had already seen the world's harshness and matured well beyond her years. And all of this was the result of childhood trauma and constant bullying. At this moment, Sean could no longer dismiss what Alice had told him. He fully believed her now. …After returning to her private office downstairs, Alice didn't dare admit to Macie how spineless she had felt. All she could do was firmly
"Stop it right now. Don't bully my friend anymore, or I swear I won't let you off easy," Alice warned. However, Sean didn't even flinch, arrogantly ignoring her threat.Alice was furious, but there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't win if she argued or fought with Sean. He could easily slap her down to the ground, and she wouldn't even be able to get back up. If anyone else had bullied Macie, she would have gone all in, but this person was Sean—her brother, the one who had always pushed her around since they were kids.Alice sighed, moving from anger to helplessness, feeling stuck and useless. She couldn't protect Macie and felt she wasn't a good friend. "Macie has already been through enough. Can't you show a little compassion? Stop bullying an innocent, vulnerable lady!" Alice tried softening her tone. "You don't know how much Macie has suffered. Do you even have an ounce of human decency?" She switched tactics, telling him everything she knew about Macie's past and th
It looked like Macie hadn't just been flustered—she'd fully entered rage monster mode. Sean could imagine her fists flew, as if they could actually do damage, even though they barely stung. He genuinely found it endearing.When Sean finished reading the last screenshot, he closed the chat and saw a new message from Alice. Her text read, "So, are you going to explain why you were flirting with my friend? "And what about the things you said to Edward last night? It sounds like you meant what you said. You weren't just playing along with me."Did you put your arm around Macie's waist? Hold her hand? You had better come clean!" Sean just typed a simple response. He typed, "Go ask her if I did that." Alice, on the other end, was speechless.Sometimes, Alice really wondered if Sean was just a brooding, black-bellied guy with an obsession with keeping things mysterious. She didn't respond right away. Instead, she stormed over to his office, yanked a chair out, and took a seat rig
Alice immediately called Macie, venting all her frustration about Sean. She cursed him as much as she could, even bringing up stories from their childhood to illustrate just how terrible he had been.Macie listened to how Alice described her miserable childhood, living under the shadow of Sean, enduring various "torments".As Alice spoke, Macie couldn't help but picture that insufferable face, and she felt that it wasn't surprising he could do such things. If he treated his own sister that way, what would he do to her? Indeed, some people's bad habits formed when they were young. Macie felt sympathy for Alice, and what started as one person venting turned into a united front, two people joining in on the complaints."Ugh, my brother's the worst. When we were kids, he ripped the ears off my plush bunny, and then claimed it was the turtle pillow that did it." Alice continued, venting, "I love cake, but I got cavities. He'd eat it right in front of me and mock me for not being able
Not far from Macie's workstation, Lily had been listening to their conversation, especially when Macie, with a hint of pride, casually mentioned her good relationship with Sean. Lily's fists tightened, and a flash of hatred and jealousy crossed her eyes. There was also a sense of helplessness and resentment. Julian hadn't fired her, but had only made her apologize publicly in the company's group chat, and now this happened.Macie was not only Alice's friend, but she also had a close relationship with Sean. Moreover, Julian clearly favored Macie, openly confessing his admiration for her.Macie's relationships within the department would only be stronger. Her promotion to team leader would only be a matter of time. Lily had crossed her, and sooner or later, she'd be the one getting sidelined. Lily was already worried about her future and deeply regretted causing trouble for Macie on her first day. She shouldn't have tried to embarrass her last night either. At her desk, with ju
Now that Macie knew who Sean was, she was sure she wouldn't just sit there and take it like she did that day if he ever visited again."It's my fault. I didn't know that Mr. Hart and Macie had a history," Palmer said, breaking the silence."I didn't know either," Macie replied, her voice tight. "And even if I had known, I still wouldn't have recognized Sean. I would've gone to the meeting, and I'd have still been bullied."She clenched her fists, anger rising inside her. She didn't owe Sean anything. Indeed, the two companies were collaborating, but she couldn't understand why he should make her his personal target.Still, she couldn't care less now. She would let him think whatever he wanted. He was the one who crossed the line first. Back in the design department, only Macie and Palmer remained. Palmer, still curious, asked, "Macie, did you offend Mr. Hart?" That seemed to be the only explanation for Sean's strange behavior that day. Although there had been some "tension" bet
Macie managed to hold back her anger, reminding herself that Sean was a client and that her supervisor had emphasized how important this collaboration was.Sean smiled at her. He was still watching Macie, who was silently glaring at him. He then casually pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.Macie glanced down at the card. Despite not wanting to take it, she accepted it out of politeness and flipped it over to read it.In bold, gold letters, it read, "Chief Executive Officer, Hart Group."Macie froze for a moment when she read "Hart Group". She was familiar with the name because it was Alice's family's company. And then, her eyes landed on Sean's printed name. She began to wonder if he was related to Alice.Suddenly, she looked up, her gaze shifting toward the elevator. No wonder he had seemed familiar—she now realized his features resembled Alice's.The answer was almost painfully obvious.Inside the elevator, Sean stood in front of his employees, smili
Macie clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she took two steps forward and said, "You say five minutes, then five minutes it is. There's no need to bother the technician." She tried to remain calm, though inside she felt a little flustered. The idea that Sean would actually want to check the security footage over something so trivial seemed ridiculous. However, the fact that Sean was so insistent, almost as if he were out to get her, left her feeling uneasy. Sean, sensing her discomfort, stepped to the side and casually said, "Ms. Smith, you were so adamant in denying it earlier. Let's just check the footage anyway. I said I'd apologize if I were wrong. You have my word as a man." He was so precise with the timing, down to the second, and had even given her his solemn word. Macie couldn't help but snap. She looked up at him and, unable to hold back her anger anymore, said, "Then shouldn't you be apologizing to me for what happened that night?"I already explained everythin