As night fell, Paityn woke up on the sofa. She wanted to check on Jennifer. To her surprise, she opened her eyes, and she saw Jamie sitting on the single sofa by the bed. He had already changed into a clean outfit. He wore a black shirt and dress pants, looking noble and handsome. Jamie hadn’t slept. A laptop was resting on his lap, and he was focused on the screen, deep in thought. From Paityn’s angle, his profile looked incredibly striking, like it had been chiseled. When Paityn spoke, her voice was hoarse, “Why haven’t you gone home yet?” Jamie heard her voice and closed the laptop. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. He reached out to check her forehead. Then, he relaxed his brow slightly and spoke softly, “The fever has gone down a bit.” Huh? Paityn asked in confusion, “Did I have a fever?”Jamie replied seriously, “You were a bit feverish! Otherwise, why would you fall asleep holding onto me so tightly? Do you really like hugging me to sleep that much, Pai
The banquet was about ten kilometers away.Originally, Wylie wanted to arrange a car for Paityn, but the latter refused and said she'd take a cab herself. The spring night in Crocksten was cold, and the thin-down jacket she wore wasn’t enough to stop the shivers that overtook her. She couldn’t tell if it was the chill of the night or the chill in her heart that affected her more. Paityn had placed too much hope in Jamie. Seeing the scandal unfold had shaken her deeply. No matter how much she liked him, she wouldn’t abandon her principles. Otherwise, what awaited her would be endless waiting, uncertainty, and compromise.Men are best "tamed" before marriage. There's no need for a marriage plagued by constant drama over these matters. Such a marriage would be better avoided.A blue taxi slowly pulled up, and Paityn bent down to get in. She gave the driver the address, who couldn't help but comment, "It’s lively over there tonight. The hotel entrance is full of luxury cars, and the
The countless women were like wounds on Paityn's heart. Theo had also been surrounded by countless women. He even supported an illegitimate child on the side. Theo hadn’t started off as a bad person. It had just happened gradually, as he lost himself in a world of soft and enticing whispers.Paityn remained silent for a long time. Carol could sense her mother’s gloomy mood, and her own spirits were low as well. She leaned against Paityn, clearly upset with Jamie.…Paityn chose not to make a scene just yet. It wasn’t until they returned to the hotel and she had soothed Carol that she finally spoke up. However, Jamie brushed off her concerns, feeling she was overreacting. “Carol isn’t as fragile as you think. Besides, nothing is going on between Yara and me.”“Nothing now, but what about in the future?“Carol is a sensitive child, Jamie. I already feel guilty for not being there for her from the start,” Paityn replied, and her voice was steady. “She’s upset already. Don’t you s
The night was dark as ink. Jamie stared at her, asking in disbelief, “Just because of this, you want to leave me? Just a few days ago, things were great between us.”“Yes, it did feel wonderful. I finally felt cherished! However, your current actions and words are telling me that I'm not worthy, Jamie. I don’t deserve your respect because our beginning was less than honorable… "Look at Yara. She’s a family friend of the Lockwood family; she has your care, and she still has your comfort and company even after a breakup. As for me, however, all I seem to receive is humiliation.”…As Paityn spoke, a sadness crept over her. She truly didn’t want to compare herself to others; love wasn’t meant to withstand comparisons, which only ended in hurt. Paityn thought of herself, Jamie, and Carol. She didn’t want things to escalate into hostility between them—she wanted to end things on friendly terms.“Let’s just leave it be,” Paityn murmured softly. It sounded like the best conclusion.
Jamie was taken aback.A bitter expression crossed Paityn’s face as she said, “That was the first time I met Monty. I saw you with Yara in the parking lot. She was crying uncontrollably, and you were holding her with such tenderness.”Jamie wondered if that really happened. He recalled a day when he had gone to buy formula for Carol and had indeed run into Yara. She had been completely drunk. Out of a sense of humanitarian duty, he had offered to take her home, but he never imagined Paityn would see it.Jamie's instinct was to deny it. “I have no feelings for her.”Paityn only smiled bitterly. She didn’t say anything more. She simply stated that she would come to pick up Carol in the morning. Even when Jamie tried to persuade her to stay, she refused, leaving his hotel suite with unwavering determination.After Paityn left, Jamie stood alone for a long time. He didn't move until the night was deep and quiet. Finally, he tore off his shirt and threw it directly into the trash can,
Jamie saw Paityn with Carol and extinguished his cigarette, turning to head downstairs. At the steps of the main house, Paityn opened the car door and got ready to leave. That was when Jamie's voice called out from behind her, “Why don’t you come in? It’s late; you should have dinner before heading back.”Jamie knew that his parents had invited Paityn many times, but she insisted on staying outside. Deep down, he understood that she was trying to draw a line between them. As he spoke, he glanced back at the house. “For Carol's sake, you should at least pretend.”Paityn offered a faint smile. “For Carol's sake, I need to maintain some distance. I can’t let her get the wrong idea that her parents are getting back together.”Jamie scoffed coldly, “Can’t we reconcile?”Paityn didn’t want to answer that question. Then, Jamie's phone rang. When he checked, it was Yara calling. He glanced at it, chose not to answer, and hung up.Paityn guessed who it was but didn’t care. Right now, her
Jamie was stunned for quite some time. He couldn’t understand why Paityn would go on a blind date. Didn’t she love him? Why would she seek someone else before things were clear between them?Just as Jamie was about to ask, Jennifer sighed and said, “Paityn said she wants to start a new life. She doesn’t want to feel heartbroken anymore, and she doesn’t want to hang on to the past. She said she wants to take a page out of your book.”Jamie felt a surge of anger. He rubbed his nose defensively, insisting, “Don’t listen to her nonsense, Jennifer. I’m not fooling around with anyone outside.”Jennifer usually had a good impression of Jamie, but what mother wouldn’t side with her daughter? She let out another sigh, “So, you’ve really messed up.”Jamie fell silent. As he settled into the back of the black Cullinan, Carol was busy playing with her blocks in the backseat. The sweet little girl was happily playing by herself. She spoke softly without looking up, “Daddy is angry again.”Jami
Yara managed to hold back her emotions and took her handbag to say goodbye to Mason and Zoe. Then, she waved at Carol, who generously packed a little of her favorite cookies for Yara.“Thank you,” Yara said softly, holding the bag of cookies.Carol lowered her head and quickly dug into her meal. “Mommy said I need to eat to grow tall and strong. I want to be tall to protect Mommy.”…Yara walked out of the Lockwood Manor. The lawn was lush and green, with a few adorable fireflies flickering about, creating a charming scene. In the distance, tall trees loomed, casting deep shadows. Under the faint moonlight, Jamie stood there smoking. He was in his 30s and at the prime of his life. He was handsome and sharp like a finely honed blade.Yara had imagined many scenarios with him, but she finally realized it was all one-sided. Jamie found her annoying, and so did the Lockwood family. However, they hadn’t been straightforward about it out of courtesy.Yara had her own pride, and now t