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Sharon didn’t rush Carter. She could tell he was already weighing it all in his mind.
This was a man who once spent eight figures on a house for Kelly.
Now, for the price of a cure for her illness-and a way to save Nate-what was 100 million to him, really?
She didn’t know how much time passed before his voice finally broke the silence, low and cold.
“All right.”
Sharon gave a small nod, unsurprised. “Then please have a new divorce agreement drafted.”
Carter looked at her deeply. “You don’t seem the least bit surprised I agreed. And before I even got here… you’d already prepared the documents.”
She met his eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Your loyalty to Nate is touching, your devotion to Kelly unwavering. With terms this straightforward, there’s no reason you wouldn’t agree.”
He didn’t respond, just picked up his phone and made a call.
Roughly thirty minutes later, Simon walked in with several documents in hand. “Mr. Biggs, these are the documents you asked for. Please take a look.”
Carter’s expression didn’t shift. “Give them to her.”
Simon handed the papers to Sharon.
There were two documents: a divorce agreement and a letter of forgiveness.
The divorce agreement was direct-custody of Theo remained with the Biggs family, and Carter would pay Sharon a one-time settlement of 100 million.
The letter of forgiveness was just as simple: Sharon and the others would no longer pursue any legal action against Nate. Both parties would move on in peace.
Sharon signed both papers without hesitation.
Then she passed the divorce agreement back across the table.
“Your turn.”
Carter glanced at her, then signed his name as well. 2
“When the holiday’s over,” Sharon said, “we’ll go to the courthouse to finalize it. You don’t have any objections, do you?”
Carter gave a quiet, indifferent “Mm.”
Sharon held onto the letter of forgiveness. “I’ll keep this for now. Once the paperwork is done, I’ll hand it over.”
A flicker of irritation crossed Carter’s face. “Sharon, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Given your track record of broken promises and missed appointments,” she replied calmly, “I find it hard to trust you. So I’ll hang on to this until everything’s settled.”
Her expression stayed neutral. “Nate’s currently out on bail pending investigation. A few days’ delay in submitting the agreement won’t change anything. But don’t worry. I always keep my word. I won’t go back on this.”
The air turned noticeably colder, as if the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees.
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Simon couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.
In the business world, Carter was known as a man of his word—his reputation for integrity unmatched.
But when it came to his own wife… the promises made to her always seemed to fall through.
Carter’s expression darkened. “If you dare deceive me, Sharon-not even Xavier will be able to protect you.”
She tucked her copy of the divorce agreement away. “Relax. If I wasn’t sure I could pull this off, I wouldn’t have dared ask you for that kind of money.”
“But while I can persuade Mr. Malcolm to treat Kelly,” she added, “whatever Kelly promised him, she’ll need to follow through. She has to stay here for a full week.”
Carter’s eyes narrowed. A glint of something dangerous flickered in their depths.
“So in the end, Mr. Malcolm won’t be satisfied and just refuse to treat her, will he?”
“Don’t worry,” Sharon said. “If Mr. Malcolm agrees to help her, as long as she comes, he’ll keep his word. But of course…”
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Sharon smiled faintly. “If even the most basic chores are too much for Kelly in your eyes, then I suppose there’s nothing more to
say.
“If you’re worried Mr. Malcolm might make things hard for her, you could always come with her every day. I doubt he’d mind. Who knows-he might even be moved by your sincerity and toss in your mother’s medicine while he’s at it.”
Simon couldn’t help glancing at Sharon again.
Sincerity.
That word made sense when it came to one’s own wife. But used in reference to one’s mistress-it carried a strange, bitter irony.
His mother’s medicine now depended on his wife’s sincerity, and yet Carter was exhausting himself on another woman’s behalf.
Of course, Carter wasn’t deaf to the sarcasm in her voice. “You don’t need to be so passive-aggressive. Even if Kelly is cured, I won’t be with her.”
Sharon raised her brows, as if realization had just dawned. “So it’s not about legitimacy that turns you off-it’s that you enjoy the thrill of what’s forbidden, is that it?”
“Sharon-”
She cut him off, the disdain in her eyes quickly buried. “Do you have anything else to say, Carter? If not, you should leave. I still need to clean up.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. Turning her back to him, she resumed tidying the room.
Carter stood there for a moment, watching her. Then he finally turned and walked away.
Whatever Carter had said to Kelly, she showed up the next morning.
Her tone was sweet, overly gentle. “Mr. Malcolm, Sharon, Matty… you’re all okay, I hope?”
Her gaze flicked toward Sharon, subtle and pointed. “Nate usually isn’t like that. I think there were just too many misunderstandings between him and Sharon… that’s how it got so out of hand.”
“Really, Sharon,” she added, voice laced with mild reproach, “you know what kind of temper Nate has. Why provoke him like that? There’s Mr. Malcolm, who’s already so advanced in years, and little Matty, who is still a child. Even if you don’t care about yourself, shouldn’t you at least think of them?”
As always, Kelly’s performance was steady and precise.
In just a few sentences, she’d shifted all the blame to Sharon.
But Uriah wasn’t buying it. He let out a loud, disapproving grunt. “You’re useless at everything except running your mouth. Instead of yapping here, how about doing something useful for once? Here’s your job for today.”
He dropped six large bags of unsorted herbs in front of her.
Kelly stared at them, stunned. Her voice wavered. “Why… why are there so many?”
She looked over at Matty. “He only has three. Why do I have to do six? That’s not fair.”
Uriah shot back without hesitation. “The older you get, the more shameless you become. A grown woman comparing workloads with a five-year-old child-have you no shame?”
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Kelly’s brows tightened. “Mr. Malcolm… are you deliberately making things difficult for me?”
Matty stepped in kindly. “Kelly, Mr. Malcolm isn’t targeting you. On the first day, we were each supposed to sort three bags of herbs. But you only finished half of one. So today, you’re just making up what you didn’t do-plus the three bags for today. That adds up to six. It’s perfectly reasonable.”
Kelly bit her lip.
“I’m not in the best shape right now. I probably can’t manage that much. And… I have a concert to prepare for soon. If I hurt my hands, Carter will be upset.”
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Sharon cast a glance at Kelly, then calmly picked up her phone and dialed a number.
Before Kelly could react or figure out what she was doing, the line connected.
Sharon spoke without emotion. “Kelly says she’s preparing for a concert soon and is worried an injury might upset you. So, she’s refusing to sort herbs. Mr. Malcolm doesn’t keep idle people around. Since that’s the case, you’d better come pick her up.”
There was a long silence on the other end. Then, he said, “Put Kelly on the phone.”
Sharon held the phone out to Kelly.
By now, Kelly had guessed who the call was to.
Her eyes welled up as she sniffled softly. “Carter, I’m just scared… If I hurt my hands, I won’t be able to play the violin properly. You know how it is-violinists like us even insure our hands…”
Carter replied, “I’ll have a few pairs of custom gloves sent over. They’ll protect your hands.”
Kelly froze, stunned. For a long moment, she couldn’t find anything to say.
When the silence dragged on, Carter spoke again. “I’ve got a meeting soon. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”
Half an hour later, four pairs of gloves arrived, delivered by Carter’s assistant.
One pair was child-sized, clearly meant for Matty.
Uriah tried on a pair and found they fit perfectly.
Turning them over in his hands, he said with a chuckle, “Well, now, this really is something-thin as a cicada’s wing, durable, and easy on the hands. You can sort herbs without a scratch… If I’d known Carter could produce something this useful, I would’ve had Kelly sort a few more bags.”
Kelly nearly choked on her own breath.
The gloves were here. That much was clear-Carter had no intention of bringing her back.
Left with no choice, she reluctantly resumed picking through the herbs.
She had promised Carter she’d come, but staying here wasn’t something she was willing to accept.
She wasn’t naïve. Of course, she knew the real reason Uriah wanted her here-to make things as difficult as possible for her.
She wasn’t about to play along.
Not long after, Kelly clutched her head and swayed on her feet. “I feel dizzy… Ah, I think something’s really wrong…”
Sharon’s lips curled in a cold smile. Without hesitation, she made a call to 911.
A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived and took Kelly away.
At the hospital, Carter rubbed his temples, visibly exhausted. “What happened this time?”
Sharon replied evenly, “Kelly suddenly said she was dizzy. Claimed she might be dying. I had no choice but to call 911. If we’d delayed and something had really happened, we couldn’t have afforded the responsibility.”
An hour later, Kelly was wheeled out.
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The doctor gave a serious look. “Kelly’s condition isn’t looking good. She shouldn’t exert herself. She needs complete rest for
now…”
Uriah, who had accompanied them, suddenly spoke up. “Can you even treat this girl’s illness?”
The doctor looked confused by the question, but answered anyway. “Kelly has a terminal illness. We can try to manage the symptoms, but it’s not curable–”
Uriah cut him off bluntly. “If you can’t cure it, what right do you have to act like you know what you’re doing? People who might have been treated in time end up beyond help because of quacks like you.”
He had suspected it from the beginning-these doctors had already been bought off by Kelly.
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Uriah had no intention of being polite to doctors like these.
Turning to Carter, he said flatly, “I’ve told you before-I can cure that girl. But if you insist on trusting these quacks, then don’t bother coming to me. I can’t entertain honored guests like you.”
There was a quiet certainty in Uriah’s voice, so firm that even Carter-who’d still harbored some doubts-couldn’t help but start
to believe him.
He’d already looked into Uriah’s background over the past few days.
The man’s origins were murky at best, but his medical skill was undeniable. He had treated countless patients with so-called terminal illnesses-and succeeded. And it was true, the man was eccentric. He often made bizarre demands of his patients. On this point, Sharon and Uriah hadn’t lied.
And compared to the conditions he’d placed on others, what he’d asked of Kelly was, in fact, rather mild.
With that thought, Carter spoke, “Mr. Malcolm, don’t worry. I’ll bring Kelly to you first thing tomorrow.”
Uriah frowned. “She already wasted another day today. Delay it again and she’ll fall further behind. Also, the herb-sorting she skipped? She’ll need to make that up.”
His gaze shifted to the unconscious Kelly. “Playing tricks won’t work with me. If she’s so eager to die, let her keep stalling. It’s not my life on the line. I’m not the one who should be anxious.”
Kelly, who had just begun to regain consciousness, nearly shot upright in bed at those words.
This old man-he really was trying to make her life miserable.
Uriah didn’t linger. He turned and left.
Sharon, holding Matty’s hand, followed him out.
As they stepped out of the hospital, Uriah suddenly asked, “You really didn’t check into Kelly’s illness?”
“We did,” Sharon replied, opening the car door for him. “All we found were fake medical records. As for what’s really going on
with her, not even Xavier could dig it up.”
Uriah nodded in understanding. “Seems she’s got someone skilled backing her. Sharon, do you want to expose her?”
Sharon buckled her seatbelt. “Of course I do. Just… not yet.”
“Oh?”
She started the car. “I’m worried that if I expose her now, Carter might suddenly refuse to go through with the divorce. Better to let her keep pretending. Let her actually marry into the Biggs family. I’d really like to see who’ll come out on top-her or Carter’s mother.”
Uriah caught her meaning and let out a loud, hearty laugh. “Vengeful and smart. Good for you!”
After that, all of Kelly’s tricks-fainting, pretending to be sick-stopped working.
Left with no other option, she finally gave in.
She could feel it clearly now-she had gone too far. Carter was starting to lose his patience with her.
‘Kelly,” he said, “when your life’s at stake, is a little discomfort really that hard to bear? I reviewed the clinic’s surveillance
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footage. No one was making things difficult for you. Your duties are the same as Matty’s. If a five-year-old can manage it, are you saying you can’t even do that much?”
Kelly complained to Nate. After hearing everything, his first reaction was to unleash a tirade against Sharon. But afterward, he tried to console her.
“Kelly, just hold on a little longer. Once we get our hands on that damn old man’s prescription, I’ll tear his clinic to the ground myself.”
Once he calmed down, even Nate realized he might’ve taken things a bit too far.
Sure, he’d let his temper get the better of him. But if he’d really charged in back then, the only one he could’ve touched was the old doctor.
Matty was Xavier’s son-he couldn’t afford to lay a hand on him.
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Sharon was Carter’s wife-Nate wouldn’t dare touch her.
The only one he could actually lay a hand on was that powerless, penniless old man.
Sure, he often badmouthed Sharon in front of Carter, but if he ever really tried something physical, Carter wouldn’t let it slide so
easily.
Even a dog gets protected by its owner-Nate understood that well.
This time, with the three of them refusing to reconcile and the situation escalating, dragging things out would only backfire on him. He might be impulsive, but he wasn’t completely brainless.
Now that he understood the risks, he had no choice but to keep his head down for the time being.
He couldn’t afford to lose his position as heir to the Hendricks family-not over something like this.
Besides, the letter of forgiveness was still in Sharon’s hands. He didn’t need any more trouble.
Lowering his voice, Nate leaned closer. “Kelly, just hold on a bit longer. I heard Carter and Sharon are filing for divorce after the holidays.”
Kelly froze. “Divorce?”
“Yeah. Sharon’s using your illness and my letter as leverage. She made some outrageous demands-asked Carter for 100 million. He got pissed and decided to divorce her.”
“100 million?” Kelly gasped. “Are you serious? Is that even true?”
Nate had overheard bits and pieces of a conversation between Carter and Simon. As for the parts he didn’t catch, he filled those in with his own assumptions.
“It’s absolutely true,” he said with quiet confidence.
Kelly took a deep breath, doing her best to suppress the rush of excitement surging through her.
“So you’re saying… right after the holiday, they’re really going through with it?”
“Yeah. I asked Carter myself. He admitted it.”
There was a note of disdain in Nate’s voice. “But it’s just the start of the divorce cooling-off period. Who knows what that woman will do once it’s over? She’s taking 100 million from him-what if she changes her mind?”
That number made Kelly wince.
100 million? What gave Sharon the right to walk away with that kind of money? 1
After marrying Carter, wasn’t that money supposed to belong to her?
Kelly thought for a moment before speaking. “Nate, I have an idea, something that’ll make sure Sharon doesn’t get a single cent.
After learning that Sharon and Carter were preparing to divorce, Kelly suddenly quieted down.
During that time, Uriah deliberately assigned her the tasks no one wanted-pouring tea, carrying water, tedious, tricky chores. But she endured it all without complaint. (1)
That alone was enough to make Uriah suspicious.
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“Something’s off,” he muttered. “Strange behavior always has a reason behind it. Sharon, what do you think she’s up to?”
Sharon watched Kelly quietly sorting herbs with uncharacteristic focus. “Maybe she’s waiting for us to let our guard down so she can suddenly ‘collapse’ or ‘faint’ again-just in time for Nate and Carter to witness it?”
Uriah snorted. “So what if they do? I’m not afraid of her playing that game.”
Sharon lowered her voice. “Mr. Malcolm, I’m going to the courthouse tomorrow to file the divorce paperwork with Carter. I might be a bit late coming in.”
Uriah had long known about it. He wasn’t surprised.
“Best to get out of that mess sooner rather than later,” he said with a nod.
After a few more words, Sharon checked the time and headed out with Matty.
The next day, Sharon arrived at the courthouse with all the paperwork, along with the letter of forgiveness.
This time, she didn’t show up way too early. Just five minutes ahead of schedule.
If Carter dared show up late, she would tear the letter apart right then and there.
At 9:58 a.m., a sleek, black, limited-edition luxury car pulled up beside her. The door opened, and Carter stepped out-tall, poised, and impossibly composed.
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Sharon glanced at Carter, her voice flat. “Let’s go.”
She had known he would show up. Anything-anyone-he might let slip from his attention, but not her. Especially not when Nate’s letter of forgiveness was still in her hands.
They walked into the courthouse, one ahead of the other.
There weren’t many people getting married that day, but the divorce counters were lined with couples.
Some wore vacant, numb expressions. Some were locked in arguments, voices sharp with accusation. Others cried, begging their partners to reconsider. And there were those who looked eager, even elated-relief written across their faces.
As soon as Sharon and Carter entered, an attendant approached them.
“Mr. Biggs, this way, please.”
It was clear Carter had made arrangements ahead of time. Of course. If he wanted something done, it got done.
A private room. A dedicated clerk. No waiting.
As they sat in silence, waiting for the paperwork to be processed, Carter suddenly spoke.
“Sharon, if you say you regret it now, it’s not too late.”
She responded with a cold, mocking laugh.
His eyes darkened. The chill in them sharpened. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance when you finally regret this.”
Sharon’s patience thinned, her voice edged with irritation. “Carter, when did you get so long-winded? Do you still want Nate’s
letter or not?”
He went silent after that.
Roughly ten minutes later, the clerk completed the paperwork for the cooling-off period.
“You can still revoke the divorce within this month,” the clerk explained. “If you wish to proceed, come back after thirty days to
finalize it.”
Sharon took the documents and offered a polite thank-you.
As they stepped out of the private room and into the main hall, the place had erupted in chaos.
“What the hell is this?! I’ve been lining up before the holidays, and every damn time, they tell me today’s slots are full! I can’t get a spot online, can’t get one in person-how the hell am I supposed to get divorced?!”
A burly man was shouting at a staff member, rage boiling over.
Several other couples, also turned away, joined in.
“Yeah! I’ve been trying for a month, and it’s always full. You can only book a month in advance… Is there really that many people getting divorced?”
“Why don’t you limit weddings like this, huh? Why just divorces?”
“I’ll pay a hundred dollars-anyone willing to sell me their appointment slot?”
“Ahundred? Please. I’ll pay three!”
“I’ll pay five hundred! I don’t believe I can’t get divorced!”
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“I’ll pay one thousand!” a woman cried out. “I just can’t live with this abusive man anymore. He finally agreed to a divorce. If this keeps dragging out, he’ll change his mind I know he will. My life’s worth more than money. I’ll pay whatever it takes.”
Someone scoffed. “If it’s domestic abuse, sue him. Why are you crowding in here with everyone else?”
Tears spilled down the woman’s face.
“I already did. Took me almost eight months to finish that case. He told the judge we still had feelings. Said he wanted to give our child a complete home. He refused to divorce me-said hitting me was a momentary lapse, promised it wouldn’t happen again.
“He said everything so sweetly in court, begged for another chance. But the moment we got home, he went right back to beating
me.”
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“I waited over eight months, and they still rejected my petition!”
The woman’s voice cracked with disbelief, her breath catching. “The judgment even said something about how twenty years of marriage wasn’t easy, and that we should weather the storms together… stay loyal and never abandon each other…”
She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
The people around her, moved by the rawness of her grief, began to offer words of comfort.
“If he hits you again, just call the police. Get him arrested. With evidence, the court will be more likely to grant the divorce.”
“Yeah, it the first trial doesn’t work out, file an appeal. As long as you’re determined, the second one usually goes through.”
She cried harder, tears and mucus mingling without care.
“The second appeal requires a six-month wait.” Her voice was hoarse, ragged. “I want to report him, too. I want him in jail. I want him to have a record. But he threatened me with our child’s future.”
“If this ends up on his record,” she said, her voice shaking, “our son won’t pass a background check for any federal job. And in this economy? Good luck finding something stable outside government work. That’s the only reason I’ve put up with him this long.”
She paused to catch her breath, as if speaking the next words would undo her.
“But this year, he got worse. He broke a few of my ribs. I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to leave with nothing-give him everything. I’d decided to take my son, raise him alone, and not ask for a single cent of support.
“Only then did he finally, reluctantly agree to the divorce. And even so, it’s taken me two months just to book an appointment for the divorce cooling-off period… If I wait any longer, the second trial will start before I even get divorced.”
The crowd around her fell silent, sighs and murmurs of sympathy rippling through them.
Sharon listened quietly, a dull ache rising in her chest.
She understood this woman.
She, too, had once chosen endurance.
Too many worries.
She couldn’t bear to part with Theo. She wanted to give him a whole and happy home. The Biggs family had access to the best
educational resources…
Those reasons, those fears, had become shackles that kept her trapped in a marriage that was long past saving.
If Theo hadn’t grown so fond of Kelly…would she still be forcing herself to stay?
She didn’t know the answer.
Outside the courthouse, a breeze caught the loose strands of hair at her temple, brushing away the suffocating heaviness that had clung to her.
But life didn’t run on ifs. She was who she was now-the best version of herself.
“Carter, did you file for the divorce?”
A voice broke through her thoughts. It was Nate, bounding over out of nowhere, visibly excited.
Carter’s eyes narrowed slightly at the spark of glee in Nate’s expression.
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“What are you doing here?”
“I came to…”
‘Congratulate you on the divorce.’
But halfway through, Nate faltered, realizing how inappropriate it sounded.
He cleared his throat. “I’m here to pick up the letter of forgiveness and the antidote.”
Carter gave a quiet nod and turned to Sharon.
“You can give me the letter now, can’t you?”
Sharon didn’t waste time. She handed it over.
Carter read through it carefully, then asked, “What about Carter’s antidote? And Kelly’s medicine?”
Nate stood there, his bandages now removed, but his face covered in jagged scratches and darkened bruises.
Some wounds had turned a sickly bluish-black, giving his face a disfigured appearance.
He looked like someone who’d had his features deliberately ruined.
Over the past few weeks, he’d seen countless doctors—he even tracked down the most highly praised old-school herbalists.
None of them could do anything about the poison on his face.
Now, every time he stepped outside, he wore a mask.
The one time he forgot, he scared passersby so badly that people screamed and called the police-thinking he was pulling some kind of grotesque public prank.
He’d never been so humiliated in his life.
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Sharon pulled a small medicine bottle from her bag. “This is Nate’s antidote.”
Nate snatched it up with a speed that bordered on desperation.
Carter’s gaze, calm and cold as a winter lake, fixed on her. “What about Kelly’s?”
Sharon replied, “Kelly’s medicine will be handed over one month from now, after our divorce is finalized and the 100 million you promised has been transferred to my account.”
The terms between Sharon and Carter were clear: a clean exchange, nothing left hanging.
Although Kelly’s illness required a course of treatment rather than a one-time cure, Sharon had promised Carter that Uriah would prepare the full supply of medicine in one go, to avoid any future complications.
She also agreed to provide the full prescription, dosage instructions, and a detailed treatment plan in writing.
If the medication ran out later, Uriah would continue to supply it.
And if the treatment didn’t work? Well, no one deceived Carter and walked away unscathed. People didn’t just take that much money from him and get away with it.
Nate suddenly cut in, “Sharon, you’re not handing over Kelly’s medicine right now because you’re afraid it might be exposed as fake, and then you won’t get that 100 million, right?”
Sharon turned and looked at him. “Exactly. I’m not just afraid I’ll lose the 100 million. I’m afraid I won’t even be able to get divorced.”
Nate choked on her bluntness.
He had considered, once he got his hands on the medicine for Kelly, claiming it didn’t work-regardless of whether it did or not.
That way, Carter would blame Sharon and make her suffer the consequences.
But he’d overlooked one crucial thing: during the divorce cooling-off period, if either party backed out, the divorce wouldn’t go through.
If Sharon suddenly changed her mind and clung on shamelessly, then out of respect for Theo, Carter might not be able to do anything about it.
So the priority now was clear: make sure Carter finalized the divorce.
Sharon looked up again and met Carter’s eyes.
“Uriah needs time to prepare the medicine. You think life-saving drugs are that easy to make? If it were that simple, you wouldn’t have spent all this time hunting down famous doctors who couldn’t do a thing.”
She sounded convincing, rattling off her lines with the composure of someone telling absolute nonsense like it was gospel truth.
“Besides, Kelly still needs to stay with Uriah for a few more days. She fainted before, was hospitalized-it all delayed the treatment. She has to make up for that time. If I give you all the medicine now, and she just doesn’t show up the next day, Uriah absolutely won’t provide anything further.”
This time, both Nate and Carter stayed silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Sharon thought to herself, ‘No wonder Kelly loves lying so much. Lying to idiots… feels amazing.’
Especially since Kelly wasn’t even sick, Sharon could do whatever she wanted.
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Lately, she’d been grinding medicinal powders every day. Kelly thought it was part of her duties for Uriah. She had no idea Sharon was making her so-called “life-saving medicine.”
In truth, Uriah had brought Sharon in to help. He didn’t have time to waste on a faker like Kelly.
And since Sharon had studied alternative medicine with Uriah for a while, everything-formulation, dosage, treatment planning –had fallen on her shoulders.
As she worked through the endless steps of making the medicine by hand, Sharon finally understood why the old man despised those who insisted they were ill when they weren’t.
The process of preparing the medicine was painstaking and exhausting. Even she could barely keep up.
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Sharon had even called Wendy over to help.
The moment Wendy found out that Sharon was making the “life-saving medicine” for Kelly, her interest piqued immediately. With a gleeful lack of decency, she boiled the herbs using her footbath water, and even spat into the mixture a few times for good measure.
Matty, not to be outdone, somehow got his hands on rat droppings and added them to the pot.
Sharon tossed in a few cockroaches, ground everything into powder, and shaped it into pills.
The herbs themselves were nothing special-common enough that they couldn’t cure a disease, but harmless enough not to kill anyone either.
Then, as if remembering something, Sharon changed the subject. “But Mr. Malcolm has already prepared the first round of medication. We can give it to Kelly now.”
She glanced at Nate and Carter. “I need to head to the clinic later. Want to come with me?”
Nate had just been thinking how perfect it would be to share the good news of Sharon and Carter’s impending divorce with Kelly. So he agreed without hesitation.
Carter considered it for a few seconds, then gave a slight nod.
At the clinic, Kelly listlessly sorted through the shelves of medicinal herbs, her gaze drifting repeatedly to the door, a quiet tension in her posture. Her eyes held a nervous eagerness.
Neither Sharon nor Matty had shown up today.
Matty was at school.
Sharon was handling divorce paperwork with Carter.
Nate had said he’d go to the courthouse to check on the situation for her, but he still hadn’t sent her any updates.
She had no idea whether Sharon and Carter had actually gone through with it.
Just as she was beginning to grow restless, three figures stepped into the clinic.
Her eyes lit up. She dropped the herbs in her hands and rushed toward them.
“Carter! What are you doing here? Isn’t work busy today?”
Her gaze was fixed solely on Carter, as if Sharon and Nate weren’t even there.
Sharon was used to it and didn’t care in the slightest.
But Nate felt a sting.
“Kelly, I just got out of the hospital a few days ago, and you’re not even going to ask how I’m doing?” His voice held a note of complaint. “Is Carter the only one you care about?”
Only then did Kelly seem to register Nate’s presence. “Of course not. I just wanted to say hi to Carter first, that’s all.”
She was a natural at sweet-talking.
“You’ve been so good to me, Nate. If I weren’t tied up, I’d have taken care of you in the hospital myself.”
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Nate was immediately soothed, his face breaking into a foolish grin “Really?”
Kelly nodded earnestly. “When have I ever lied to you?”
Then, almost as an afterthought, she glanced at Sharon. “Sharon, did you run into Carter and Nate at the door? What a
coincidence.”
Sharon replied calmly, “Not really. We just came from the courthouse together.”
Kelly blinked, feigning confusion. “Courthouse? What for?”
Sharon raised an eyebrow. “What, they didn’t tell you? Carter’s gone to great lengths to cure your illness. He’s even willing to get divorced for you… At this point, I doubt he’d even flinch if he had to die for you.”
“That’s enough.” Carter’s voice cut in, low and curt. His brows furrowed slightly. “Aren’t you here to deliver the medicine?”
Sharon let it go with a smile. “Of course. I’ll go get it now.”
A few minutes later, she returned with a small medicine bottle and a bottle of mineral water.
She handed the water to Kelly and, with her own hands, took out a single pill. “This is the first round of the treatment. Go ahead and take it, Kelly. Don’t delay your recovery.”
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Kelly stared at the black pill in Sharon’s hand. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face.
Taking medicine when she wasn’t even sick-what if it messed up her body?
Nate, for once, had a rare flash of clarity. “Sharon, just because you say it’s life-saving medicine doesn’t make it so. What if it’s poison? What if it actually hurts Kelly?”
He turned to Sharon, eyes sharp. “Why don’t you try it first? If it’s fine, then Kelly can take it.”
Without a word, Sharon retracted the pill.
A cold laugh slipped from her lips. “What is this, the Middle Ages? We’re still doing poison testing now? This is a society governed by law. Poisoning someone is a crime. Do you really think I’d kill her right in front of you?
“If anything does happen to her, the hospital would find out right away. Do you think I could just walk away from that? If you don’t trust me, take the medicine to a lab. Run every test you want.”
She paused, eyes narrowed.
“Do you all really think I’m Kelly’s servant? That I’d test poison for her like it’s nothing? Who do you think you’re insulting here? Take the damn pill or don’t-makes no difference to me. But if she gets worse because of your indecision, that’s on you. Don’t turn around and blame me.”
Nate hadn’t expected such a sharp reaction. He’d just been talking. But now Sharon was genuinely angry.
And if she walked away because of him, and Kelly missed her chance at getting better-then what? He’d be the one everyone
blamed.
That was a burden he didn’t want.
Reflexively, he looked to Carter. “Carter, say something.”
A quiet irritation surfaced in Carter’s eyes.
Nate really had a talent for stirring things up. No foresight, no sense. And how many messes had he cleaned up for him already?
Any other time, Carter would’ve let him learn his lesson. But this involved Kelly. He had no choice but to step in.
“Nate was just joking,” he said quietly.
Sharon shot him a cold look.
“Is that your idea of a joke? This is medicine-serious medicine. People who aren’t sick shouldn’t just take it. You of all people should know that, Carter. All medicine carries risk.”
She set the bottle down with a quiet finality. “Trust means not doubting, and if you doubt, don’t use me. If you don’t believe in us, go find someone else. You already got Nate’s letter of forgiveness, and you haven’t paid that 100 million. You’re not exactly suffering a loss here.”
Something clicked in her mind.
“Oh, I see now. That was the point, wasn’t it? Treating Kelly was never the goal. You just wanted my letter of forgiveness. That’s the real plan, isn’t it?”
She turned to Kelly with a look of pity that cut more than it soothed. “And here I thought you meant something to Carter and Nate. But clearly, that’s not the case. In the end, your place in their hearts doesn’t hold up against their friendship.”
Even though Kelly knew Sharon was trying to provoke her, the words still landed. Uncomfortable emotions stirred beneath the
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surface
She knew Carter indulged Nate because he owed him his life.
But lately, Carter had felt distant. Different. And it was hard not to wonder.
Was Carter always so quick to help her because he truly cared? Or was it just because every time she called, it was through Nate’s phone-and turning Nate down was harder? a
Sharon’s words had planted a seed.
Carter recognized the intent in Sharon’s voice and frowned. “Sharon, don’t talk nonsense.”
But she only smiled faintly, saying nothing more.
She had just said it on a whim.
But judging by Kelly’s face…she actually believed it.
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Still, there was something strangely satisfying about stirring the pot like this.
Carter was never one to explain much. He looked over at Nate and said calmly, “Nate, apologize to Sharon.”
Nate clearly wasn’t happy about it. But with Kelly’s illness hanging over his head, he swallowed his pride. “Sharon, I was just messing around. You didn’t have to take it so seriously, right?”
Sharon didn’t seem bothered by his half-hearted tone. She smiled faintly.
“If you don’t want to apologize, that’s fine. Since you and Kelly are so close, testing the medicine for her shouldn’t be a problem,
should it?”
Nate looked doubtful.
“Didn’t you just say all medicine carries some toxicity? I don’t have Kelly’s illness-what if it messes me up?”
Sharon leaned in just slightly, still smiling. “Sure, you don’t have a terminal illness. But aren’t you poisoned anyway? The first round is mild-it even includes detox ingredients. It won’t hurt your face. Might even help.”
She dangled the black pill between her fingers.
“This pill’s ingredients are rare and expensive. Don’t let the number fool you-just over a dozen of them, but it took a full seven days and countless steps to make.”
Nate blinked, clearly caught off guard by how serious she sounded. “That impressive?”
Sharon shrugged. “Not that impressive. If it really worked miracles, Kelly’s illness would’ve been cured already, wouldn’t it?”
Still half-skeptical, Nate reached out, took the pill from her, and raised it to his mouth.
Just before swallowing, he paused and narrowed his eyes. “Sharon, if anything happens to me, you’re dead.”
She gave him a serene smile. “If anything happens, you’re welcome to come find me.”
Truthfully, medicine boiled with foot-soaked water usually wasn’t a problem.
As for the rat droppings and cockroaches… well, she’d asked Uriah. He said it shouldn’t be a big deal. It was not like anyone ate rat droppings daily. And cockroaches-technically-were high in protein.
Nate, reassured by her confidence, swallowed the pill in one gulp.
Then he waited.
Half an hour passed. Nothing strange happened. He didn’t feel sick, dizzy, or even the slightest discomfort.
Finally, he exhaled.
“Looks like it’s fine. Kelly, you should take it too. The sooner you start, the better your chances.”
Kelly stared at the pitch-black pill in her hand, struggling with herself.
It didn’t look the least bit appetizing. She really didn’t want to take it.
But if she refused to even take the medicine, it would be a little too obvious, wouldn’t it?
She steeled herself, took a sip of water, and swallowed the pill.
Sharon smirked inwardly. She’d need to give the second round of pills a bit more thought.
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Once both of them had taken the medicine, she began gathering the rest of the pills.
Nate spoke up again. “Didn’t you say earlier that you’d give Kelly one full course first? Why are you taking the pills back? How’s she supposed to continue treatment?”
Sharon replied calmly, “Kelly needs to take one pill every three days. But for the next month, she’ll need to come here for each
dose.
“The first stage of treatment is crucial. If she doesn’t take the medicine properly-say she secretly dumps it—then you’ll just turn around and blame me for it not working,”
Nate protested, “Come on! This is her life-saving medicine-why would she throw it away? That’s not even possible!”
Sharon glanced at Kelly with a faint, unreadable expression.
That one look made cold sweat trickle down Kelly’s back
Could Sharon know? Know she was faking her illness?
No… no way.
If Sharon knew, she would’ve exposed her already. She would’ve run straight to Carter and tattled.
But even if Sharon did know…..
She wasn’t afraid.
Because-
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Every doctor and medical team treating Kelly had been carefully picked by her. There was absolutely no way Carter would be able to trace anything.
The only problem would come later-when she didn’t actually die.
But this encounter with that phony doctor was a stroke of luck; it gave her the perfect excuse to escape the mess of not being ” dead” months from now.
Even if Sharon tried to expose her, neither Carter nor Nate would believe it. If anything, they’d probably accuse Sharon of being cruel and malicious.
Sharon’s voice pulled Kelly from her thoughts.
“Carter gave up our marriage and 100 million for Kelly’s life. Kelly is so gentle and kind. She might start blaming herself, might feel she’s nothing but a burden. If she can’t bear the guilt and chooses to die instead of taking the medicine, what then?”
Nate’s face froze. “You’re right… Carter gave up so much. Knowing how kind Kelly is, she really might think that way. No, I need to take full responsibility. I’ll make sure she takes her meds from now on, no matter what!”
Kelly nearly fainted from rage. He believed that?
If the pills Sharon gave her were slow-acting poison, was Nate trying to kill her himself?
Idiot!
Carter wasn’t as easy to fool. His eyes stayed fixed on the pill in Sharon’s hand.
“Can I take one for lab testing?”
Without hesitation, Sharon held out the bottle. “Sure. Pick whichever one you want.”
The way she agreed so easily, letting him choose freely, so open and calm-it made even Kelly start to feel a twinge of doubt.
Could it be that quack doctor misdiagnosed her? Prescribed the wrong thing?
Carter carefully wrapped up a pill. “I have work this afternoon. I’ll head out first.”
Nate was also in a hurry to get home and apply his facial mask. “Carter, I’ll go with you.”
Carter gave Sharon one long, steady look before turning and walking away.
The next day, the lab results came back and were delivered straight to Kelly.
“Kelly, we’ve tested the pill. There’s no sign of toxicity, but it doesn’t cure anything either. The protein content is a bit high, so it might qualify as a basic health supplement. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Hearing that, Kelly finally relaxed.
A flash of disdain flickered in her eyes.
Sharon sure knew how to bluff. Talking about the medicine like it was some miracle cure, full of divine ingredients.
She’d almost believed it-almost thought Mr. Malcolm was some kind of miracle doctor. Turns out, she’d been worrying for nothing.
And that fool Sharon actually got conned by such an obvious fraud.
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As soon as Carter sent the medicine for testing, Kelly had called her inside contact and had him arrange for the results to come
to her first
If the pills were poisonous, no hesitation-he was to inform Carter immediately. But if they were harmless? Then they had to let
her know first
If this whole terminal illness farce could be maintained with the help of a fraud, she had no problem playing along.
Besides, the fact that Carter and Sharon had gotten divorced over this “life-saving” medicine? An unexpected bonus
As for that 100 million Carter promised Sharon….
A wicked curve tugged at Kelly’s red lips.
Once Carter was officially divorced, there was no way she’d let Sharon walk away with a single cent.
In a private room, Julliard-freshly back from a business trip-nearly dropped his wine glass when he heard the news. A splash of red wine spilled onto the crisp white of his shirt.
“What did you say?! Sharon and Carter filed for dece
His voice cracked with disbelief. His face, stummed
He’d only been out of the country for a short while, and in that time, so much had happened
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Nate took a sip of his wine.
“To be honest, I didn’t see it coming either. But I can’t believe Sharon asked Carter for 100 million! She’s got some nerve.”
The private room was dimly lit. Shadows were cast across Julliard’s face, making his expression unreadable.
Nate kept rambling. “Isn’t there supposed to be a cooling-off period before a divorce is finalized? I’ll bet anything she’s not actually going through with it…”
Just as the words left his mouth, the door to the room opened again. Carter had arrived.
This get-together had been arranged by Nate. He’d been recovering from an injury and a near-disfigurement, hiding from the public eye for weeks and growing restless. With Julliard just back from a business trip, Nate took the chance to gather everyone together.
“You’re back,” Carter said calmly as he sank into the sofa.
“Yeah.” Julliard nodded, eyes scanning Carter’s face. “Nate told me you and Sharon filed for divorce?”
Carter’s brows drew together slightly, just a flicker-but enough to catch. A trace of irritation settled into his expression. “It isn’t finalized yet.”
Julliard’s eyes narrowed slightly. He caught the undercurrent in Carter’s tone. “Carter… you don’t actually want to divorce Sharon, do you?”
Before Carter could answer, Nate cut in with a scoff. “Are you serious? Sharon’s just a housewife with a middle school diploma. What’s there to hold on to? Carter’s been dying to get rid of her!”
Nate smirked. “Carter, don’t give her that 100 million so easily. Let her learn how miserable life can be after divorce.”
Julliard, seated to the side, tried to mediate. “Carter, your kid’s already grown. If you two split, what about Theo? No matter what, Sharon’s still his mother. No one else will care for him like she does.”
Carter’s face darkened. He picked up the glass in front of him and downed it in one go. His movements carried a quiet
frustration.
“She’s the one who brought up divorce.”
“What?!” Nate nearly shouted. “Don’t buy into that. She’s just playing hard to get! Once the cooling-off period’s over, she won’t go through with it. No way.”
Carter suddenly spoke. “What if she does?”
Nate waved him off. “So what if she does? You’ll be better off without her. And without you, she’s nothing.”
Carter’s voice dropped. “I never wanted to divorce Sharon.”
Nate froze. “You didn’t? Then… what about Kelly?”
Carter’s tone was calm. “Kelly’s illness-her terminal diagnosis-it’s partially my fault. I just want to make sure she leaves without regrets. I never intended to divorce and remarry.”
Nate opened his mouth to respond but faltered. “But… Sharon isn’t worthy of you.”
“She’s still Theo’s mother,” Carter retorted simply.
Náte sat there in stunned silence. He had always assumed Sharon was the one clinging on, that Carter was the one eager to walk
away.
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Just then, Carter’s phone rang. He answered it without hesitation.
“Mr. Carter Biggs? This is the court following up on the divorce filing submitted by Ms. Sharon McKinzie. We’ve officially accepted the case. We’re calling to ask whether you’d be open to mediation….”
Elsewhere, Sharon was preparing the second round of medication for Kelly when her phone rang.
She answered.
On the other end, Carter’s voice came through, tight with restrained fury.
“Sharon, I thought we had an agreement. And you still went and filed for divorce?!”
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Chapter 254
Sharon paused mid-motion, a cockroach tablet still in her hand.
She replied calmly, “You never believed I’d actually go through with the divorce, so I hired a lawyer and filed. I told you last time -after the holiday, you’d be hearing from the court.”
Carter’s voice came through like ice. “I’ve already agreed to the divorce. Now go withdraw the case.”
“No can do,” Sharon replied, calm as ever. “If, after the cooling-off period, you suddenly change your mind, it’ll only delay the process on my end.”
“After all,” she continued, “you’ve given nothing so far. All you’ve done is initiate the cooling-off period. Meanwhile, I’ve already signed a letter of understanding for Nate, and provided the first round of treatment meds for Kelly.”
Carter’s voice was cool and steady. “But you don’t seem the least bit worried I’ll go back on my word.”
Sharon didn’t deny it. “When dealing with someone like you, if I don’t keep a few cards up my sleeve, I wouldn’t even know how
I died.”
He could see now where her confidence came from.
“Even with Xavier helping you,” he said, “you think what happened last time could happen again?”
Last time… that had caught him off guard. He’d never imagined someone as meek as Sharon-like a quiet, docile rabbit-would push things that far, like she had nothing left to lose.
Had she already made up her mind to leave him back then, without a second thought for the consequences?
The thought tightened his breath.
Sharon said, “Don’t worry. I know that kind of trick only works once. I wouldn’t try it a second time.” 1
His voice dropped, a notch colder. “Sharon, are you that intent on burning every bridge?”
At this point, even if Carter tried to make excuses, they’d fall flat.
If she didn’t want a divorce, why hadn’t she come back after all this time? Why hadn’t she admitted fault? She hadn’t even asked
about Theo.
There was no warmth left in her eyes when she looked at him-none of the softness or attachment he used to see. Everything she did was measured, final, with no margin for retreat.
And only now did a strange, surreal feeling begin to dawn on him.
Sharon really wanted a divorce.
Anger, slow and irrational, began to rise inside him.
She actually dared to divorce him?
Hadn’t he treated her well enough? 1
Her voice came through the phone again, cool and detached.
“I’m the one being ruthless? You’re the one who doesn’t understand plain language. I’ve said what I needed to about the
divorce. I won’t keep repeating myself. We had an agreement. If you hold up your end, I’ll hold up mine.
“As for the case… once we get the divorce certificate a month from now, I’ll withdraw it.”
With that, she hung up.
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Carter stared at his phone, disbelieving. His chest felt tight, the kind of pressure that wouldn’t ease no matter how deep he
breathed.
For a moment, the air in the private room seemed to solidify.
Nate, knowing Carter valued peace and quiet, hadn’t invited his usual rowdy crowd tonight. After everything Carter had done — for him and Kelly, and the 100 million he’d put up-Nate had felt more than a little guilty.
So it was just Julliard, the childhood friend they both trusted.
Because there were so few people, the room had fallen into a heavy silence.
Every word from the phone call had been clear to both Nate and Julliard.
Nate, who until just now still didn’t believe they’d actually get divorced, fell quiet. He turned slowly to Julliard, the disbelief plain on his face.
“Julliard… Sharon isn’t really going to divorce Carter, is she?”
He’d always said he wanted them to split. But now that it was actually happening, all he felt was a strange and bitter unease.
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Nate wanted Carter to be the one to dump Sharon-wanted to see her cast aside, unwanted, abandoned.
What he couldn’t stand was the idea of Sharon being the one to walk away from Carter, and still land on her feet, looking radiant and triumphant.
Nate hated Sharon. Only when she suffered could he feel satisfied.
Back then, he used to hope Carter would divorce her just to see her break down in tears. But now, when Sharon was the one asking for a divorce, he suddenly couldn’t bear to let things go her way so easily.
Nate said, “Carter, haven’t you noticed how much Sharon has changed lately? She used to not even dare raise her voice at you. And now? She’s actually asking for a divorce. I’m telling you, she must’ve found someone new. That’s why she’s in such a rush to end things.
“She’s been getting real close with Matty’s dad lately-what’s his name, Xavier? Even helping him take care of Matty… Who knows, maybe they’ve already been sneaking around.
“Oh, and don’t forget that musician John. Kelly saw Sharon and John having dinner together once. Who’s to say nothing’s going on there?
“Sharon, that slut! And now, she has the nerve to ask Carter for 100 million-probably to support her new man. Over my dead body!”
Nate spoke with rising fury, then turned toward Carter.
“Carter, getting married is easy. Getting divorced? Not so much. Don’t you dare make it easy for her. If you don’t want a divorce, we can drag this out as long as it takes.
“Even if she sues, we can keep her tied up in court for two, three years-no way she’s walking out of this clean.
“Meanwhile, we transfer every bit of marital property, legally, out of reach. Make sure she doesn’t see a single cent. She’s only this eager to leave you because she thinks there’s money in it.
“So we don’t just make sure she walks away with nothing-we hit back and make a claim for her assets, too.”
Nate had run with his share of shady circles, seen more than a few nasty divorce battles up close.
In their world, high-society divorces often ended up in court, especially when property was involved. Walking away empty-
handed was rare.
The more bitter the split, the more both sides refused to let the other win.
Some couples fought like enemies for years after the divorce-clawing at each other’s reputations, dragging each other down.
Nate had heard plenty of unbelievable stories-of men who stashed away assets in secret, and worse, managed to snatch money from their ex-wives too.
When it came to dirty tactics, Nate believed no one was better than him.
He went on, “We’ve got custody of Theo, right? Then we make Sharon pay child support. With how much that kid costs to raise, let’s set it at 100 thousand a month. Let’s see how she handles that.” 1
He laughed. “In the end, she’ll come crawling back, crying, begging for forgiveness.”
The scheme was so vicious that Julliard couldn’t help but frown.
“Nate, come on. Sharon and Carter are married. They have a kid together. There’s no need to go this far and turn this into some
kind of blood feud.”
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Nate scoffed. “Blood feud? This is just making her face reality. She’s the one who keeps shouting about divorce-so let her see how cruel the world can be. She’ll run back to Carter, tail between her legs, and won’t dare say the word ‘divorce’ again.”
Julliard sighed. “Carter, don’t listen to this nonsense. We need to think this through, calmly…”
But when he turned to look at Carter, he saw him quietly rubbing the wine glass in his hand, eyes clouded with thought.
Julliard’s gaze sharpened.
“Carter… don’t tell me you’re actually taking Nate’s advice seriously?”
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Chapter 256
Carter gently swirled the wine in his glass.
“What Nate said… does make a certain kind of sense.”
Nate grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “I’ve seen this kind of thing plenty of times, Carter. Trust me on this one.”
Carter took a small sip of the wine, his eyes dark and unreadable, something murky flickering, deep within them-like a shadow drifting quietly through still water.
Julliard opened his mouth to argue again, but Carter’s phone rang before he could speak.
While Carter answered the call, Julliard leaned toward Nate and lowered his voice. “Haven’t you been praying for Carter to divorce Sharon and marry Kelly? Now that he’s finally considering it, why are you trying to stop it?”
Nate glanced over at Carter, who was still on the phone, then whispered back, “I did think that way before. But now… Kelly doesn’t have much time left. Even if she marries Carter, she won’t live more than a few months.
“Rather than letting Sharon walk away and live comfortably, it’s better to drag her down and keep her from hooking up with someone else.”
Julliard frowned. “Didn’t you say you found some miracle doctor for Kelly?”
Nate shrugged, unconcerned. “That old doctor knows Sharon. Whether he’s willing to treat Kelly seriously is still up in the air. Besides, when has a terminal illness ever been easy to cure? Maybe he can buy her some time, but a full recovery? That’s a fantasy.”
“What if he does cure her?” Julliard asked.
Nate had clearly thought this through. “Then they can divorce later. Kelly’s treatment would take at least a year or so anyway. That gives us time to stall Sharon-make her life miserable in the meantime.”
Julliard was silent for a long while before finally asking, “Nate, what is it you have against Sharon? Did she dig up your family’s ancestral grave or something?”
On the other end of the line, Carter was speaking to his assistant, Simon.
“Sir, there’s something about your wife I think you should know. Would you like to hear it?”
Even though the legal proceedings were underway, Sharon was still, technically, his wife. Simon hesitated for a moment before deciding he needed to report this.
Carter’s voice was low and steady. “Go on.”
Simon said, “Well… I have a friend who asked me to help locate someone. Apparently, there’s a music maestro abroad- someone named Warner-who accidentally came across a video of a violin performance online. He was absolutely stunned and wants to find the person in the video.
“He’s not familiar with Zachemaine, so after some twists and turns, the request ended up with me. And the person playing the violin… turned out to be Mrs. Biggs.”
Carter asked calmly, “Who is this Warner?”
Simon’s voice rose with excitement. “Warner is a world-renowned violinist from Yuicuador-his techniques are legendary. Lifetime Achievement Award winner, incredibly influential. He happened to see the video during a cultural exchange event here and wants to invite your wife to his music symposium.
You tried to invite him before, remember? For Kelly’s debut, but he declined. If Mrs. Biggs gains his recognition, she’ll have an incredibly bright future ahead of her.”
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Being acknowledged by someone like Warner was proof enough of Sharon’s talent.
Even Simon hadn’t expected her to be this extraordinary.
Carter didn’t respond for a long while.
On the other end of the call, Simon sensed something was off. Carter didn’t sound pleased-if anything, he seemed distant. And that puzzled him.
Sharon had always been looked down on by the Biggs family, especially because of her educational background. If she carved out her own career, surely it would change how they saw her. It would even bring honor to family as well.
But after a long pause, Carter’s voice came, cold and emotionless.
“Tell them the person they’re looking for couldn’t be found. But I know of another violinist who’s also very talented. I can help make the introduction.”
The moment Simon heard that, he understood.
His voice faltered. “Shouldn’t we… at least inform Mrs. Biggs about it?”
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“No need,” Carter replied.
“But…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ Just do as I said.” Carter’s voice was firm and final. “Sharon still has Theo to care for. She doesn’t have time for these meaningless invitationals.”
Simon let out a breathless sigh. To be chosen by the legendary Warner was the lifelong dream of every musician, after all.
Then Carter added, “Recommend Kelly to Warner.”
Simon’s eyelid twitched. “I’ve heard Warner has quite the temper. He’s looking for Sharon specifically. If we recommend Kelly instead, he might not even consider it…”
Carter was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, “Set up a meeting with him. I’ll talk to him myself.”
Simon sighed again, this time silently, from somewhere deeper. “Understood.”
On the other end, Carter hung up. (1)
Nate, who had been waiting, didn’t press the matter any further.
At Sharon’s apartment, Wendy was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Pfft-seriously? Kelly and that idiot Nate actually ate the medicine we made from foot-soak water and boiled cockroaches? That’s just-ha! That’s disgusting!”
Sharon thought back to the scene and couldn’t help but laugh along, nodding in confirmation.
Wendy was over the moon. “Next time, I swear, I’m going to come up with something even better.”
After a while, her laughter subsided, and she seemed to remember something important.
“Sharon, wasn’t your performance with John all scheduled? Why’d it suddenly get pushed back?”
Sharon frowned. “Mr. Malcolm said since I’m going through a divorce with Carter, I should settle my personal affairs first.”
Wendy blinked. “Wait-does he think Carter’s going to sabotage it? Come on, it’s just a performance.”
“I thought it was strange too,” Sharon admitted, “but I didn’t press it. Maybe Mr. Malcolm’s just worried Nate might cause trouble again after what happened last time. He probably wants to avoid any mess.”
Wendy nodded thoughtfully. “True… Nate’s like a rabid dog-no brain, all bite. Best to stay far away from people like that.”
She hesitated a beat, then added, “Oh right, Sharon, do you remember Warner?”
Sharon’s expression shifted slightly. “You mean Warner from Yuicuador?”
“Yeah. Your mom’s mentor.” Wendy’s tone grew serious. “I saw something online saying he’s in Zachemaine now.”
Warner was sixty-five this year. In the world of music-hell, in the world at large-he was a living legend. A prodigy in his youth, he’d mastered nearly every instrument and could recreate any piece he heard, note for note, after a single listen.
At fifty, after several health scares from overwork, he retired from public life. But the myth of Warner didn’t end there.
He began taking students-very few of them. To date, fewer than twenty. Every one of them had become a powerhouse in their
field.
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Chapter 25
His standard for taking students was simple: extraordinary talent.
Sharon’s mother, Shayla, had once been among those few.
Wendy looked at Sharon and hesitated. “Sharon… five years ago, didn’t he send you an invitation? But back then you were pregnant with Theo and planning to get married… so you turned him down.
“I think he was testing you, maybe even thinking about taking you in as a student. Now that he’s here in Zachemaine again, shouldn’t we at least try to reach out? Since your mom was his student, that connection might mean something. He might still be willing to take you in.”
Wendy let out a heavy sigh.
“The Biggs family’s always attacking you over your education and your job… but if you’d accepted Warner’s invitation back then, you’d be one of the most respected names in the industry by now. Who needs to marry into money? You are the money.”
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Chapter 258
Back when Sharon was pregnant, the symptoms hit her hard.
Everything she had going on-her work, her plans-had to be put on hold.
She had once intended to return to her career after giving birth. But Theo was born prematurely. In the end, she stayed home to care for him.
And just like that, five years passed. She’d missed more opportunities than she could count.
Sharon shook her head. “My mom once told me that Warner is strict-very strict. He hates favoritism, especially when people try to pull strings or sneak someone into his inner circle.
“Mom had a junior back in the day-extremely gifted-but she was expelled from the maestro’s tutelage because of something
like that.”
Wendy’s curiosity sparked. “Really? What happened? Tell me more.”
Sharon nodded. “You probably already know-Warner only takes students with real talent. The kind that’s one in a million, if
not rarer.
“They say the woman who got expelled played the cello. And she was good-so good that my mother said even her own gift didn’t compare to a tenth of hers.”
Wendy looked stunned. “That good? Seriously?”
Sharon sighed. “There’s always someone better out there. The reason Warner only accepts prodigies isn’t because they’re easier to train—it’s because he’s searching. He wants to know where the limits of human talent lie.”
She paused, then returned to the point.
“The cellist came from a family of musicians. Maybe it was pressure from home, but she ended up recommending her cousin to Warner. Warner listened to the cousin play and decided she didn’t meet his standard. So he turned her down.
“But then the cousin went around telling people she was Warner’s student. She used his name to bluff her way into events, to gain attention. It actually caused some damage to his reputation. Once Warner found out, he didn’t hesitate-he expelled that cellist immediately.
“And after that, he set a rule: no student of his is allowed to recommend family or friends. If they do, they’re out. He said, if someone truly has talent, he’ll recognize it himself. He doesn’t need anyone else to point it out. That’s about it.”
Wendy exhaled slowly, realization dawning. “I see. I always wondered-your talent’s incredible, and your mom was one of his students. Why didn’t she ever put in a word for you? Now I get it.”
There was a trace of regret in her voice, but she bounced back quickly.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re so good-sooner or later, someone will notice. Oh, by the way-Sharon, our account’s follower count is almost at ten million. In a little while, we can start livestreaming. That’ll help boost your visibility even more.”
Lately, Wendy had been uploading videos of Sharon playing music-without showing her face.
There had been one video that revealed her, briefly. Just a side profile, the angle distant and unremarkable. Still, even from that glimpse-her silhouette, her face-there was no denying she was beautiful. The kind of beauty that stood apart from the online influencer crowd. Elegant. Striking
To preserve some mystery, Wendy made sure none of the new videos showed her face.
Now the fans were hooked. Every day, they waited for a reveal.
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Wendy had her sights set on building Sharon’s image. But she also knew the suspense couldn’t be dragged out forever. She’d decided it was almost time. Soon, Sharon would do a livestream.
In these things, Wendy had far more instinct than Sharon.
Hearing Wendy’s plan, Sharon simply nodded.
“Alright. I’ll leave all that to you.”
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Chapter 259
In the quiet of the private dining room, Warner narrowed his eyes at the young man and woman seated across from him.
“This young lady,” he said flatly, “doesn’t appear to be the person I’m looking for.”
Warner Ringo was nearly sixty-five-silver-haired, blue-eyed, leaning on a cane. His gaze was piercing, with a kind of quiet aloofness, as if nothing escaped him and few things interested him.
Kelly sat beside Carter, unable to hide the trembling excitement in her body.
If Shayla was the idol she longed to surpass, then Warner was the figure she had spent her whole life revering from afar.
Never had she imagined she’d find herself in the same room with someone like him.
What musician wouldn’t dream of meeting such a legendary figure?
Carter’s expression was calm, almost moonlit. “Warner, the young woman beside me may not be the one you were looking for. But she is no less qualified.”
Warner turned his gaze on Carter. His eyes were sharp, cold-like knives honed in ice.
“May I ask,” he said, “what your relationship is to the woman I’m looking for?”
Carter didn’t hesitate. “She’s my wife.”
Warner shifted his attention to Kelly. “And this young lady-what is she to you?”
“She’s a friend,” Carter replied. “She graduated from the Bell University Conservatory of Music.”
At that, Warner let out a sharp laugh, as if he’d just heard something genuinely amusing.
“Mr. Biggs, are you under the impression that graduating from the Bell University Conservatory of Music means something remarkable?”
Carter raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it?”
Warner chuckled. “It’s true that Bell University Conservatory of Music ranks in the top five globally. But you seem to have forgotten-your own country, Zachemaine, is home to the second-ranked conservatory in the world: Grandis Conservatory of
Music.
“Grandis specializes in traditional Zachemaine instruments. Bell, on the other hand? Pure Western classical.”
Warner paused, his tone softening slightly with genuine appreciation. “I’ve studied your Zachemaine instruments. The sound is … unique. Beautiful. But I won’t sugarcoat it-they’re a bitch to master.”
His eyes locked back onto Kelly.
“Sure, Bell has its prodigies. But where I come from? A Bell grad might not even make it past the front door.”
It was clear now-he had little interest in Kelly.
He turned back to Carter. “Mr. Biggs, the one I’m searching for is your wife. Where is she?”
A faint crease formed between Carter’s brows, but he answered honestly.
“Warner, the violin is just a casual hobby for her. She has no intention of pursuing advanced studies. And performing publicly? That’s out of the question. Her focus… will remain on our family.”
Warner, though known for his rigid standards, had always cherished talent. So long as his boundaries weren’t crossed, he had a remarkable tolerance for genius.
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“Family and music are not mutually exclusive,” he said, his ice-blue eyes fixed on Carter. “Especially not for someone from a family like yours. With the Biggs family’s wealth and influence, there’s hardly a need for her to devote herself entirely to domestic life.”
Warner was at the top of his field. He constantly dealt with elites. And Zachemaine was one of the world’s superpowers. He knew the names that mattered there-and naturally, he knew Carter.
Carter replied calmly, “Didn’t you just say a graduate from Bell might not even make it past your front door?”
He looked Warner in the eye. “My wife didn’t even finish middle school. I suppose that disqualifies her even more.”
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Chapter 260
Warner’s expression shifted slightly, surprise flickering across his face.
“Middle school education?” he repeated. “But from what I’ve seen, she has at least fifteen years of violin training. Mr. Biggs, are you sure about her educational background?”
If Sharon had started learning violin at five, then fifteen years of foundation meant she was still playing at twenty.
Talent in music mattered, yes. But without effort, without formal training and deep study, raw talent could only go so far.
No one could reach that level through self-study alone.
And her playing–so richly textured, so full of nuance-clearly didn’t come from isolation. That kind of sound didn’t grow in the dark. It required exposure, mentorship, influence. Even someone like him couldn’t have taught her that in solitude.
Whoever the woman was in that video, she had received advanced training. No doubt.
Beside him, Kelly’s heart stirred with something sharp-resentment, maybe. No matter where the conversation started, it always seemed to circle back to Sharon.
She forced a smile and said, “It’s absolutely true. Carter is her husband-he wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
Warner’s gaze didn’t waver. “Perhaps,” he said mildly, “Mr. Biggs doesn’t know his wife as well as he thinks he does?” 1
A subtle discomfort stirred in Carter’s chest.
He had always believed he knew Sharon. But lately… he wasn’t so sure. Her recent behavior, her hidden talents-it was as if he were discovering her all over again.
He hadn’t even known she could play the violin.
Warner’s voice drew him back to the moment.
“I understand,” the older man said, “that families like yours don’t usually approve of their wives being in the public eye. If she doesn’t want to perform, that’s fine. But if she has the time, I’d like her to join a music symposium or two. That would be enough.”
Shock surged through Kelly.
She knew what that meant.
Warner always issued an invitation before taking on a student. Then came a long period of observation and evaluation. His standards for selecting students were notoriously strict-some called them extreme.
Over the years, he’d handed out hundreds, maybe thousands, of invitations.
But the number of students he’d actually accepted?
Fifteen. Maybe sixteen.
Even if he had taken an interest in Sharon’s performance, Kelly had never imagined he would suggest something so close to direct acceptance.
Why?
Why her?
A woman who hadn’t touched a violin in five years-why should Sharon be favored so?
Swallowing the bitterness that rose in her throat, Kelly kept her smile in place. “It’s not that Carter won’t let her go,” she said
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lightly. “It’s just… she really doesn’t have the time. She’s busy with her son.
“To be honest, she did used to work in the field, something violin-related. But after getting married and having a baby, she quit her job and became a full-time housewife.
“Carter has tried convincing her, many times. But she doesn’t want to go back to work. And it’s not like he can’t support her financially he can’t exactly force her, right?
“And… she hasn’t touched the violin in five years. The video you saw it was from five years ago.”
Everything she said, every careful pause and smile, seemed to suggest something else.
That Sharon had only ever picked up the violin to secure a wealthy husband.
Warner’s face darkened slightly. His brows drew together, his eyes shadowed by something close to disappointment.
“Married five years and hasn’t touched the violin once?”
A memory surfaced-one of his former students. A girl with astonishing talent for the piano, born into brutal poverty.
Warner had seen something in her. He’d taught her himself, bought her a piano, sent her to the best schools, made sure she had every opportunity to shine.
He thought she would go on to light up the music world.
But she got married almost immediately after graduating.
There was nothing wrong with a woman wanting stability, wanting a family.
What Warner couldn’t accept was that she got pregnant, had a child, and became a full-time housewife-just like that.
When he urged her to return to music, to not let her gifts go to waste, she snapped at him. Told him he was meddling. Accused him of gaslighting her.
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Chapter 261
The girl had married well-her husband came from an extremely wealthy family.
To sever all ties with Warner, she returned every cent he had ever given her. Every tuition, every expense he had covered. All of
But money had never been the point.
He’d poured his time and energy into her, nurtured her talent with care and pride. And in the end, she had used that effort as a springboard-to marry into money.
After that, Warner’s views on so-called housewives turned bleak.
A full-time homemaker who hadn’t touched a violin in five years—no matter how extraordinary her talent once was, time would have worn it away by now.
With that thought, Warner let out a long, weighted sigh. The last sliver of hope he’d held for finding her-the person he had been searching for-quietly dimmed.
He stood up. “In that case, let’s forget it.”
Seeing that he was about to leave, Kelly quickly stepped forward to block his path.
“Warner, I… I’m her junior. Would you consider giving me a chance instead?”
His tone was unhurried, calm. “If you were a graduate of Grandis, and had Mr. Biggs himself vouching for you, perhaps I’d think about it. But you graduated from Bell University…”
He shook his head slowly. “Let’s leave it at that.”
It wasn’t that he looked down on Bell University.
But real talent-exceptional talent-inevitably found its way into Bell’s Hall of Fame. This girl, Kelly-he’d never seen her name, never heard it mentioned.
Her talent, most likely, was ordinary at best.
That he didn’t even hesitate to reject her made her feel utterly humiliated.
Tears welled in Kelly’s eyes. She turned to Carter, her expression fragile, wronged.
Carter frowned slightly, then rose and walked over to Warner.
“Warner,” he said, “if you’d give Kelly a chance, consider it a personal favor. One I owe you.”
But Warner didn’t even blink.
“Mr. Biggs, plenty of people would like me to owe them a favor. If every one of them used that to push someone into my hands, I’d have students scattered across the globe by now.”
His blunt refusal left both Carter and Kelly looking stiff, their expressions tight.
Still, Warner wasn’t an ordinary man. He knew when to draw lines and when to leave just enough room.
He shifted gears.
“That said, I’m currently preparing to select a group of promising students for my music research society. If Kelly is confident in herself, she can sign up for the competition. If she earns a spot through the selection process, I would be willing to give her a real chance.”
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Chapter 261
With that, he gave them both a brief nod, then turned and walked out of the room
At the café, Sharon sat across from a man who looked as refined as he was handsome.
“Julliard, you called me out so urgently. What’s this important matter you couldn’t say over the phone?”
Last night, she had received a call from Julliard. He said he had something serious to tell her.
When she asked what it was, he refused to explain. Said it had to be face-to-face,
To be honest, her feelings toward Julliard were complicated.
She used to have a good impression of him. He had once been the only one willing to speak up for her when everyone else believed the worst.
But after the last time-when he lied to her-something shifted.
She understood he had his own reasons. His own position. But she couldn’t accept deception-not even if it came wrapped in ” it’s for your own good.”
“Is it true? You’re divorcing Carter?” Julliard asked.
It wasn’t exactly a secret. Even Nate knew.
Sharon didn’t try to hide it. “Yes. We’ve already entered the cooling-off period. In thirty days, it’ll be official.”
Julliard’s gaze darkened. “Sharon, the reason I asked you to meet today is to tell you-this divorce… won’t be that simple. Carter and Nate are already working on a plan to hurt you.”
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Chapter 262
Sharon’s brow twitched faintly.
She looked at Julliard. “You’re Carter’s friend, yet you’re the one telling me this… So should I trust you? Or should I be suspicious that you’re sharing this with me for your own reasons?”
Julliard understood. What had happened last time had left a wall between them.
A flicker of guilt crossed his face. “After I ran into you at the hospital, I went to talk to Carter. He refused to let Wendy go, so 1 thought maybe… maybe I could help Wendy escape on my own.
“I had just found her location when Carter suddenly let her go. But I didn’t expect her to be caught again so quickly. I figured she must’ve offended someone else, and I didn’t want you to worry-so I said what I said.”
He gave a faint, bitter smile. “I didn’t expect you’d already gotten to her first. I’m sorry. I should’ve done more.”
Sharon’s expression softened noticeably.
So it was just as Wendy had said-by the time Julliard was searching for her, Carter had already let her go.
She’d misjudged him. Thought he’d lied to her again.
But still…
She locked eyes with him. “You’re his friend. Why help me?”
Julliard didn’t avoid her gaze. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh.
“I just don’t want Carter to keep making the same mistake. You’re his wife. You have a child together. I don’t want him to take it too far… and end up regretting it later.”
Sharon’s brows shifted again, ever so slightly. “What exactly is he planning to do?”
Julliard hesitated, then drew in a deep breath and told her everything he knew.
She listened without any visible change in expression, unreadable as ever.
“I know you probably still don’t trust me,” he said. “But whether it’s true or not… you’ll see in a month. Think of it as a
precaution.”
Later, when Sharon brought it up with Wendy, she asked what she thought of Julliard’s credibility.
Wendy rested her chin in her hand. “Julliard’s reputation in the industry is excellent. High character, solid word. Normally, I’d say the chances of him lying are low. But…”
Sharon asked, “But what?”
Wendy replied, “Someone like Julliard-so gentle, so polished, such a gentleman-how is he even friends with a scumbag like Carter and that ticking time bomb Nate?”
“They say birds of a feather flock together. But those three? Doesn’t seem like they live in the same universe.”
Sharon said, “They grew up together. Nate’s worldview is twisted, sure-but he’d bleed for his friends.”
Wendy curled her lip. “Bleed for his brothers, stab his brothers for a woman. Just look at how he fawns over someone like Kelly. Says everything you need to know about his taste.”
Meanwhile, after returning home, Julliard went straight into his study.
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He opened a hidden latch behind the bookshelf. The shelves shifted silently to either side, revealing a narrow passageway.
He stepped in.
The air in the secret room was heavy, munky, cloaked in deep shadow. The corners were too dark to make out clearly.
Only the desk lamp offered a small circle of light, cutting through the gloom.
On the desk lay a scattered mess of photographs.
Julliard reached out and gently picked one up, brushing his fingers across the image with a tenderness that bordered on
reverence.
He inhaled deeply, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the woman’s face in the picture.
If Sharon had been there, she would have recognized the woman instantly.
It was her.
And on that desk, on the walls-there were countless more. Photo after photo.
All of her.
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Chapter 263
Sharon stared at the calendar, her eyes lingering on the date. She marked it carefully in her notes.
Twenty-five days left in the divorce cooling-off period.
It felt way too long. Each day dragged like a lifetime.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone rang-
She glanced at the caller ID, then picked up.
Carter’s voice came sharp through the receiver, tinged with irritation.
“Sharon, didn’t you promise me that Kelly would finish at least one full course of the medication? She went to get it today. Why didn’t you give it to her?”
Whether Kelly was willing to take the medicine was one thing. Whether Sharon gave it to her was another entirely.
She’d known Kelly would go running to Carter. Of course she would. It was exactly the kind of thing that could be twisted as ” evidence” that Sharon wanted her dead.
Sharon’s voice was calm. “I gave you a letter of forgiveness. I handed over the first round of medicine. And all you’ve done in return is initiate a cooling-off period. That’s it.”
Carter heard the implication. His tone dropped, cold and low.
“You’re trying to bargain with me again?”
Sharon let out a soft laugh, light but unmistakably edged.
“I don’t go back on my word. I said I’d help, and I will. But I won’t be made a fool of. If I’m putting in the work, I expect something in return. Transfer ten million as a deposit, and I’ll give the rest of the medicine to Kelly.”
Carter’s voice turned glacial. “Sharon, have you ever heard the phrase ‘a snake that tries to swallow an elephant dies from greed ? You’re pushing your luck. Keep this up, and you’ll end up with nothing.”
She didn’t even flinch. “Even a mall requires a deposit to hold something. And this is life-saving medicine we’re talking about- crafted from rare and valuable herbs. If you suddenly decide you don’t want it anymore, I take the loss. That’s not fair.
“You can drop tens of millions on a house for Kelly, and now that I ask for ten million as a deposit, I’m greedy?”
Her voice sharpened, the sarcasm cutting clean. “Carter, the double standards suit you well.”
There was a silence on the other end. Then, finally, he said, “Give the medicine to Kelly. I’ll transfer the money.”
Sharon glanced over at Kelly, who was still miserably grinding herbs in the corner.
“You transfer the money first,” she said evenly, “then I’ll hand over the medicine.”
Lately, Kelly had been doing everything she could to sabotage the schedule. She dragged out every task, missed days, slacked off
-so now she was behind by several days’ worth of work.
Instead of catching up, she slowed down even more. Every day, she sat there, barely sorting through a single bag of herbs.
Uriah had seen enough. He reassigned her to grinding medicine instead.
It turned out worse. She mangled almost everything she touched. Piles of ruined herbs.
But Uriah wasn’t easily fooled. He was too old, too sharp, too experienced to miss the game she was playing. She wanted to be dismissed-wanted him to get so frustrated he’d finally cut her loose. But he didn’t take the bait.
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Instead, he doubled down-assigning her a fixed workload each day. If she didn’t finish it, it rolled over to the next. She’d be done when the job was done. He had time.
Grinding herbs was even more exhausting than sorting them. Kelly’s hands were covered in blisters, her skin raw from the constant motion.
She looked over at Uriah, who was calmly consulting a patient, and a dark gleam passed through her eyes.
She reached sneakily for a small porcelain vial. Inside was a deadly toxin, extracted from a snake’s venom-Uriah himself had harvested it not long ago.
If a single dose of the medicine he prescribed today went wrong…
It even one patient suffered, Uriah’s name, his reputation and his life would all be finished.
Today was Kelly’s last day here. She was done with the old man constantly riding her. Done with the humiliation.
So now, she was going to make sure he paid for it.
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Chapter 264
Just as Kelly was about to quietly pour the snake venom in, a sharp, icy voice rang out behind her.
“Kelly, what do you think you’re doing?”
She flinched, panic flickering in her eyes. But only for a moment. Her composure snapped back into place almost instantly.
Turning around, she wore a look of confused innocence. “I finished grinding the medicine. I was just about to bottle it. Is there a problem?”
“Bottling it?” Sharon stepped forward and yanked the porcelain vial from her hand. Her voice was cold. “Do you even know what’s in this bottle?”
Kelly leaned over, pretending to examine it, then offered a look of mild apology.
“Sorry… I was so focused on grinding the herbs, I didn’t notice.”
Sharon glanced at the liquid inside, her lips curling into a thin, bitter smile.
“Didn’t notice? Or were you thinking of something else entirely? That vial contains freshly extracted venom. Even the smallest mistake could kill someone.”
Earlier, after extracting the toxin, Uriah had been called away urgently to see a patient. In the rush, he’d set the vial aside and gone straight into the consultation.
Sharon had just confirmed the bank transfer when she noticed Kelly sneaking around suspiciously. Then she saw the gloves Uriah had left nearby-and everything fell into place.
Kelly had been planning something.
Now, with her head lowered, Kelly murmured, “I really didn’t know there was venom in that bottle… You know how clumsy I am. I can’t even tell herbs apart most of the time…”
Sharon stared at her silently, her gaze unrelenting.
After a moment, Kelly’s eyes shifted slightly. She spoke again, “It was a mistake. I’m sorry. I’ll take full responsibility.”
Before Sharon could say anything, Kelly suddenly dropped to her knees.
“This is all my fault. Please don’t take away the medicine just because of this-Sharon, I’m begging you.”
Sharon’s lashes trembled faintly.
At that very moment, a man in a tailored suit stepped into the clinic-tall, composed, with an elegant chill in his features.
He paused when he saw Kelly kneeling on the floor, his brow creasing slightly. Then he strode over and helped her up.
“Kelly, what are you doing?”
‘Another act!’ Sharon mused inwardly.
Carter had arrived quickly-too quickly. She figured Kelly had already called him, playing the victim, and now he was here to confront her.
But Kelly refused to stand on her own. Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked back sobs.
“Carter, this was my fault. I made a mistake. I almost bottled the medicine in the wrong container… If my carelessness ends up harming Mr. Malcolm’s reputation, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Carter turned toward Sharon, displeasure flickering in his expression.
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“Did Kelly make such a terrible mistake that she has to kneel and apologize like this?”
Sharon was long used to his suspicion and favoritism.
Her voice was calm. “First of all, I never asked her to kneel. She said a few words and then dropped to her knees on her own.”
“And second-” she raised the vial slightly, her tone sharpening, “you want to know what mistake she made? She nearly poured this venom into the ground medicine. This isn’t some bitter root-it’s highly lethal poison, extracted from a snake. Even a drop could kill a person.”
She gave a faint laugh, low and cutting. “So when Kelly talks about harming Mr. Malcolm’s reputation, funny how she leaves out the part where her mistake could’ve killed a patient.”
Tears streamed freely down Kelly’s face now, her expression one of tragic helplessness.
“I didn’t know,” she said through sobs. “I just saw a porcelain bottle nearby and thought I’d use it to hold the medicine… How was I supposed to know Mr. Malcolm would leave something so dangerous lying around? 1
“Sharon said even a trace of it could be fatal. If that’s true, then isn’t it possible I got some on me just now? Do you really think I’d want to poison myself?”
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Chapter 265
This was the treatment room. There weren’t any surveillance cameras here. Kelly could say whatever she wanted, and no one could refute her
Just then, Uriah, having finished seeing his patient, walked over. He heard Kelly’s explanation and responded coolly, “Oh? You grabbed the wrong bottle, and now it’s somehow my fault?”
Sharon said sharply, “If you didn’t know whether the bottle could be used or what was in it, couldn’t you ask? Did someone sew your mouth shut?” A thin smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Kelly lowered her head, eyes brimming with tears. “I’m sorry. I was being careless. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Have you ever considered,” Sharon’s voice sliced through the air, her eyes sharp and unrelenting, “what your carelessness could have meant for the patient? For this clinic? That’s a human life we’re talking about. If someone had taken that medicine and something went wrong, Mr. Malcolm would be the one held responsible!”
By the time she finished, her tone had risen involuntarily, tinged with real anger. She was genuinely upset now.
She could tolerate Kelly selling her sob story, twisting the truth in front of Carter. But to endanger someone’s life out of jealousy and spite?
Unforgivable.
Kelly instinctively looked at Carter. His dark, fathomless eyes were already on her, sending a cold shiver through her spine.
“I… I really didn’t mean to…” she muttered, then suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud, her forehead slamming hard against the ground.
“Sharon, I understand now. It doesn’t matter why I did it-wrong is wrong. I’ll accept whatever punishment you think I deserve, as long as you’re willing to forgive me.”
Her head hit the ground again. Hard Within seconds, blond seeped from a small cut on her forehead.
Carter’s pupils contracted. He stepped forward and caught her, stopping her from hurting herself further.
“Kelly, what are you doing? Get up!”
Tears streamed endlessly down Kelly’s cheeks. “You’ve done so mach-gone through so much trouble just to get medicine for me. And now I’ve gone and angered Sharon I’m sorry, Carter. I really am useless. I’ll take full responsibility for what happened today.
“Even if Sharon decides to send me to prison, I’ll accept it. Just… please, I hope Sharon won’t blame you.”
Carter understood the subtext immediately. His eyes darkened
“She can’t just send you to prison on a whim. And the medicine-it’s not up to her to withhold either.”
At that moment, even Uriah was left speechless by Kelly’s performance.
‘My God,’ he thought. ‘Her acting’s even better than my daughter-in-law, an Oscar winner!’
Carter turned to Sharon, whose face was calm but whose eyes were shooting daggers. “If you caught her making a mistake, just tell her. Why go so hard on her?”
Sharon smiled faintly. “Why? Because I don’t like her.”
Carter’s expression hardened. “Sharon, I brought Kelly here to help out, not to be humiliated.”
Sharon ignored him entirely. She handed the porcelain bottle to Uriah.
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“Mr. Malcolm, please keep this safe.”
He took it, gave Kelly a sideways glance, and said, “You’ve really got a rotten conscience.”
He still had medicine to prepare and patients to treat. He didn’t have time to waste on this drama. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Sharon looked away as well.
If Kelly wanted to go all out-kneeling, apologizing, even breaking her own skin-then fine. It wasn’t like Sharon had lost anything. There was no point dragging this out any longer.
Besides, the divorce would be finalized soon anyway.
She was just about to turn and leave when a strong hand suddenly gripped her wrist.
“Sharon,” Carter said, “if you don’t want a divorce, stop with these cheap tricks and admit you were wrong.”
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Sharon froze mid-step and turned to Carter, disbelief written across her face. “What did you just say?”
Carter’s lips curled into a slight smile.
“You suddenly changed your mind about giving Kelly the medicine. Then you asked me for money. And now, over something so small, you’re making things hard for her… Sharon, are you sure this isn’t just your way of trying to get my attention?”
Sharon let out a mocking laugh. “Carter, your ego is astounding. Not everyone’s interested in picking up someone else’s trash. She might not mind the filth, but I do.”
Her words landed hard. Both Carter and Kelly’s expressions shifted unpleasantly.
Then Sharon remembered the ten million that Carter had just transferred to her account. She tossed the medicine toward him.
“I keep my word. This is the full first course. If she doesn’t take it and her condition worsens, that’s not my problem.”
She shook off Carter’s hand and turned to leave.
He stepped in front of her again. “You haven’t apologized to Kelly.”
Sharon raised her eyes to his, a quiet smile playing on her lips. “I’m not going to. What are you going to do about it?” (1)
Carter’s pupils narrowed. He was about to say something when Sharon’s voice cut in first.
“Oh, and don’t forget, Kelly’s remaining medication is still with me. If I get angry…” She smiled at him, voice soft and pleasant. “Then Kelly won’t be getting the rest.”
Her eyes met his. Still smiling, still calm.
“You’re the ones who need something from me, not the other way around. So don’t come at me like you’re doing me a favor.”
Then the smile vanished, replaced by an icy edge.
“If she dares provoke me again, forget making her kneel-I’ll make you kneel. And I want to see for myself what matters more to you, your pride, or Kelly’s life?”
She shoved past him and walked away.
Carter stood frozen, staring at her receding figure.
This time, he didn’t stop her.
Uriah hadn’t expected Kelly to be this vicious. 1
Poison?
The thought alone made his blood run cold.
He didn’t want that kind of danger hanging around. And since today was her last day anyway, he threw her out on the spot.
Under Carter’s supervision, Kelly took the medicine. And when Uriah finally kicked her out, she didn’t look upset at all. On the contrary, she was smiling smugly.
“Well, since you don’t need my help anymore, I’ll head out. But if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. If I have time, I’ll definitely come by.”
Uriah’s beard practically bristled with rage. “You wicked girl! How can your heart be so toxic?”
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Kelly gave him a look of mock confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Malcolm.”
Her words were innocent, but the provocation in her eyes wasn’t hidden in the slightest.
Uriah was an old man with no power, and Sharon was but a housewife who hadn’t worked in five years. What did she have to be afraid of?
Even if they ran crying to Carter, he’d never believe them.
Sharon looked at Kelly’s smug expression and, instead of getting angry, let out a quiet laugh.
“Kelly, after all that-kneeling, slapping yourself, trampling your pride into the dirt-you think this is something to be proud of?”
She paused. Then smiled. “Oh, I get it now. You threw your dignity away a long time ago. What’s a little kneeling? You’d probably eat shit if you had to.”
Kelly’s expression froze. A flicker of hatred flashed in her eyes.
“You-”
She turned her head and spotted Carter outside, speaking on the phone.
Her smile returned.
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“Sharon, did you know?” Kelly said lightly. “To make it up to me for everything I’ve just been through, Carter’s taking me to pick out some jewelry.”
She smiled sweetly, the malice behind it barely concealed. “He said I can choose whatever I like-anything that makes me happy. Oh, and you and Carter got married without even exchanging rings, didn’t you? That’s just… disgraceful.”
She let out a delicate but mocking laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to convince Carter to pick something out for you too.” With that, Kelly walked off, smile still in place.
Uriah’s beard twitched with fury as he scowled. “That heartless girl… is she always this arrogant in front of you?”
Sharon nodded. “She’s always been like that.”
Uriah snorted. “Then why don’t you just go up there and slap her? Knock some sense into her?”
Sharon gave a soft chuckle. “Two slaps would be letting her off too easily.”
Uriah narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t take well to being slighted. “Oh? Then what do you have in mind?”
Sharon glanced at her bank card, thinking of the astronomical figure that had just been transferred in. A slow smile spread across her face.
“I suddenly feel like going shopping for some jewelry too.”
Uriah caught on instantly, grinning in approval. “Well, what are you waiting for? Don’t let them get too far.”
At the mall, Kelly was trying on a bracelet.
Carter wasn’t with her. He was too busy with work to tag along, so he’d called Nate to keep her company instead.
Nate, knowing she was upset again, had spent the whole ride over thinking of ways to cheer her up. But Kelly still looked distant, her mood sour.
“That bracelet looks great on you,” he said. “Go ahead and get it. I’ll buy it for you.”
The bracelet was worth 300 thousand. But Kelly, clearly unimpressed, slipped it off without a second glance.
Not long ago, Theo had taken back the Biggs family heirloom bracelet that was meant for his mom.
Kelly had been furious.
That heirloom, both in significance and value, made this common 300-thousand-dollar piece look like a trinket from a gift shop.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The design’s too basic.”
Nate turned to the sales associate. “Do you have anything… better?”
“Of course, sir, miss,” the saleswoman said, quickly ushering them upstairs.
This jewelry store catered to high-end clientele. Most pieces started in the hundred thousands. Three hundred thousand was nothing here. Some pieces upstairs went for over ten million.
The first floor carried the lower-tier items, starting in the low hundred thousands. The second floor began in millions.
As for the third floor… few ever ventured there.
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Kelly browsed for a while before her eyes landed on a bracelet priced at five million.
“This one isn’t bad,” she said casually.
Nate glanced at the price tag, and his face shifted.
He came from money, sure. Shelling out a few hundred thousand was no big deal. But he hadn’t fully inherited the Hendricks family fortune yet, and spending five million in one go… that was a stretch.
Three million, he could just about manage if he clenched his teeth.
But this?
Kelly noticed his hesitation immediately. He didn’t say yes right away. Which meant-he couldn’t afford it.
A flicker of disdain passed through her eyes, though her voice remained soft. “Never mind. This one’s too expensive. Let’s forget it.”
She smiled as she slid the bracelet off and handed it back to the saleswoman.
Just as the woman took it, a crisp, clear female voice rang out behind them.
“I’ll take that one.”
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Nate and Kelly both froze when they turned and saw Sharon standing beside them. Neither of them had noticed when she arrived.
Sharon didn’t even glance their way. She looked directly at the sales associate and asked, “May I try it on?”
The associate’s eyes lit up. “Of course,” she replied quickly.
These days, wealthy customers kept a low profile. No one judged by appearances anymore.
Sharon slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and examined it carefully.
Nate, finally snapping out of his shock, sneered. “Sharon, this isn’t a place for someone like you. You think you can try on jewelry like that? Aren’t you afraid you’ll rub your poverty all over it? Take it off. Kelly already picked that one.”
Sharon lifted an eyebrow. “Didn’t Kelly just say it was too expensive? That she couldn’t afford it and didn’t want it?”
Nate didn’t miss a beat. His voice was sharp, laced with mockery.
“Hah. We can’t afford it? And you can? A woman who doesn’t even work, who lives off men like a parasite? You expect anyone to believe you can afford that bracelet? Don’t make me laugh.”
He turned to the associate. “Well? What are you standing around for? Make her take it off.”
The saleswoman looked at him, her voice calm. “Sir, are you saying you’d like to purchase this bracelet?”
Nate’s breath caught. He wanted to say yes. But the truth was-this was out of his league.
He’d taken a hit in the stock market recently. His liquid assets were running low. Reality, brutal and clear, reined him in.
“Sharon,” he snapped, “you’re just a gold digger blowing Carter’s money. Have you no shame? You’re the poster girl for shamelessness!”
If he couldn’t have it, then neither could she.
He raised his voice.
“Everyone, look over here! This woman hasn’t worked in years. She lives off a man’s wallet, parading around like she earned it. Take a good look at her face. Don’t let someone like her scam you too!”
All at once, every customer and sales associate in the store turned toward them. 1
Kelly tugged at his arm gently, her tone falsely sweet. “Nate, if Sharon likes it, maybe we should let her have it?”
“Let her have it?” Nate shot Sharon a contemptuous look. “Would she even be able to buy it if it weren’t for some man bankrolling her?”
Sharon smiled faintly. Her voice was cool. “What’s mine will always find its way to me. But by all means, Nate-keep pretending you can afford to play in my league. I guess marrying well has its perks.”
She glanced at the bracelet. “Just five million? Pocket change. I’d drop ten without blinking. But you? Can’t even outbid a housewife. Pathetic.”
The moment the crowd realized Sharon was spending her husband’s money-her legitimate husband–they all averted their
eyes.
So she wasn’t a mistress after all.
The tables turned instantly. Kelly and Nate’s expressions darkened with humiliation.
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Nate pointed rudely at her, fuming. “Sharon, just wait. I’m going to tell Carter everything you said and did today!”
Sharon chuckled.
“Nate, you’re a grown man in your twenties. Why do you sound like a weaned toddler, crying to tell on someone every time something doesn’t go your way? Don’t you know how to handle your own problems? But sure, if tattling’s what you’re best at, go ahead. I’ll be right here.”
She handed her bank card to the associate. “Charge it.”
The saleswoman took it with both hands, respectfully, and started toward the register.
Watching the bracelet about to be snatched away from him, Nate lost it.
He shouted in frustration, “This jewelry store belongs to the Biggs family! Just look at who’s standing next to me – Carter Biggs’s one and only true love, the woman he dotes on above all! Her photos are all over the news!”
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Nate turned to the sales associate, his smile cold and tight.
“If you don’t care about keeping your job, by all means, sell the bracelet to her. Just don’t blame me when you can’t find a job- not just in Amstern City, but anywhere in the whole damn country.”
The associate froze, glancing over at Kelly. Her face drained of color.
It didn’t take long for the associate to realize-this was that woman, the one who had once made headlines for her rumored affair with Carter Biggs.
She was just a store clerk. How could someone like her go up against the Biggs Group?
Kelly made a show of gently intervening. “Nate, don’t say that.”
“You’re just too soft, Kelly. That’s why someone like Sharon-a woman who has no shame crawling into a man’s bed-could steal your guy. Today, I’ll teach her a lesson for you.”
Sharon’s expression was unreadable, her voice low and cool. “You’re not qualified to teach me anything.”
She glanced at the two of them, then smiled slightly before raising her voice. “So let me ask-if Carter’s so-called true love sets her sights on something, does it not matter who saw it first, who tried it first, or who was ready to buy it? Does it automatically belong to her?
“Other stores treat their customers like royalty. But this one? Sounds like they see customers as servants. Is this the kind of business the Biggs Group runs?
“To everyone shopping here today-be careful. With the kind of power the Biggs Group holds, offending them might just ruin your entire future in this country.”
The words were carefully chosen, sharp and deliberate. And they landed.
In an instant, Sharon had flipped the script, putting Nate and Kelly at odds with everyone else in the room.
Now, it wasn’t just the staff watching. Customers too-each one well-dressed and clearly of status-began to turn, their expressions darkening.
One man murmured under his breath, “Sure, the Biggs Group’s done well lately. But they’re not the only player in the market. They’re not that powerful yet. If they act like this now, what happens when they really grow? Will we have to kneel just to make a purchase?”
“Exactly. It’s not like they’re the only jeweler around. I say we go buy from their competitors. Driad Jewelers is just down the street.”
“Yeah, better to avoid Biggs stores altogether. I don’t want what I like being snatched away just because someone else has more connections.”
“My dad has a meeting with the Biggs Group tomorrow. I’m going to tell him what happened here. With this kind of arrogance, they’re not a good fit for a partnership.”
The muttering grew louder as frustration rippled through the room. The dissatisfaction was clear, and mounting by the second.
Sharon looked at Nate and Kelly, her smile easy, almost pleasant. “Well, Nate, Kelly, if the Biggs Group’s stock drops tomorrow, I suppose we’ll have you two to thank.”
Their faces twisted. Neither said a word.
Just then, amid the low hum of voices, footsteps echoed from above.
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A tall figure descended the stairs slowly-poised, composed, and commanding. His sharp features and unshakable presence drew every eye in the store. The murmurs died down without anyone needing to say a thing.
His brows drew together faintly. “What’s going on here?”
Nate looked up, startled.
“Carter? Weren’t you meeting with a client? What are you doing here?”
Carter’s voice was crisp. “They wanted to look at jewelry. I brought them here.”
Nate immediately pointed at Sharon, his tone filled with urgency. “Sharon’s lost her mind! Whatever Kelly likes, she has to snatch it away! And now she’s slandering the Biggs Group, telling people not to shop here!”
Before Sharon could respond, Carter’s cold gaze landed on her.
“Sharon, return the bracelet to Kelly.”
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Nate wore a smug expression. At his side, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Kelly’s lips.
“Return?”
What a carefully chosen word.
Sharon didn’t react with anger. Her tone remained calm, almost light. “Carter, shouldn’t you understand what actually happened before making a decision?”
Carter’s face was impassive.
“Kelly and I had just left the clinic, and you showed up here right after. You really expect me to believe you aren’t deliberately trying to cause trouble?”
Sharon glanced at his face, then at Kelly-smiling now, taunting.
She smiled faintly back. “Alright. Since Kelly likes it so much, I’ll let her have it.”
Carter’s expression eased a little. Kelly’s smile deepened, and Nate looked so pleased he might’ve wagged his tail if he had one.
Sharon held out the bracelet. “Here, Kelly. It’s yours.”
Kelly didn’t hesitate. She reached out to take it.
To her, this bracelet was more than just jewelry. It was proof-of Carter’s preference, of her victory over Sharon.
But just as her fingers brushed the bracelet, it slipped.
Clink!
The crisp sound echoed through the silence as the bracelet hit the floor and shattered. (1)
Everyone froze. Kelly stared, motionless, stunned.
Then Sharon’s voice broke the silence, mild but edged with reproach. “Kelly, I thought you wanted this bracelet so badly? How could you be so careless? You didn’t even hold onto it properly.”
Kelly blinked, slowly coming back to herself. “Sharon… you did that on purpose!”
Sharon lifted a brow, feigning confusion. “Kelly, you’re the one who dropped it. How is that my fault?”
She tilted her head slightly. “Besides, I said you were careless. Why jump to accusing me of doing it deliberately?”
Her voice paused-then she smiled. “Unless… this isn’t the first time you’ve pulled something like this?”
Nate snapped, “Carter, are you seeing this? Sharon’s being vicious! She clearly dropped the bracelet on purpose and then blamed Kelly for it. Shameless!”
Carter had seen through Sharon’s little maneuver. His voice came down hard and flat. “Sharon. Apologize to Kelly.”
Her tone was casual, almost lazy. “No.”
Carter faltered, caught off guard.
Nate’s outrage only grew. “Carter, she intentionally damaged store property! We should call the police-let her cool her heels in jail for a few days. See how stubborn she is then!”
Sharon smiled sweetly. “Nate, you don’t seem to know the law very well. If you damage an item in a store, all you need to do is pay for it at full price. No jail time necessary.”
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Nate’s eyes lit up like he’d caught her red-handed. He jabbed a finger toward her, practically shouting. “She admitted it! Carter, did you hear that? She admitted it was on purpose!”
Sharon winced, rubbing her ear. “Nate, not only is your logic flawed, but your hearing seems questionable too. I said that if something gets broken, you pay for it. Somehow you twisted that into me admitting I broke it on purpose. Explain to me–
where’s the connection?”
Nate puffed up, full of righteousness. “You’re talking about paying for it because you don’t want to go to jail! You’re guilty, and you’re afraid!”
The crowd began to exchange glances, expressions shifting from awkward to outright baffled.
Was this guy for real?
Having someone like him shopping in the same store… it lowered the collective IQ of the room.
Even Kelly’s face was starting to cloud with embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Sharon remained composed, unmoved by Nate’s flailing.
“I never said I would be the one compensating. I was just educating you on the basics of the law, Nate.”
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Chapter 271
Nate opened his mouth to speak again, but Carter’s voice cut in, cold and sharp, “Enough!”
Nate fell silent, clearly unwilling but with no room left to argue.
Sharon, unfazed, turned toward the sales associate who was standing nearby. “Whoever broke it-me or Kelly-just charge it to Mr. Biggs’s account.”
She smiled faintly, then added, “Kelly is Mr. Biggs’s precious first love. If she broke it, he’d pay for it without hesitation. As for me…”
Her gaze slid to Carter. “As Mrs. Biggs, I believe I’m also entitled to put things on my husband’s account, aren’t I?”
The moment the words left her lips, murmurs spread through the room like wildfire.
“Mrs. Biggs? Did she just say she’s Carter Biggs’s wife?”
“Wasn’t there some huge scandal about him and another woman recently?”
“He’s been married for five years. They never had a wedding, so it’s been kept under wraps. But everyone in their circle knows.”
“Then who were those two just now? That guy called her Carter’s beloved! What’s going on here?”
“What else could it be? The other woman. Some things never change-men are all the same.”
Disdainful glances began raining down on Carter and Kelly.
Kelly bit her lip and stepped forward. “This was my fault. I didn’t catch the bracelet Sharon handed me. So, I’ll pay for it.”
Nate looked stunned. “Kelly! Sharon did it on purpose-you saw it! Why should we be the ones paying?”
“Enough, Nate.” Kelly cut him off firmly, her face solemn. “I didn’t catch it. Sharon isn’t to blame.”
Then she turned to Sharon and said, “Sharon, I apologize for what just happened. I’m sorry.”
Though her words were sincere, her eyes were rimmed red, tears brimming as though she’d suffered a great injustice.
Sharon let out a soft laugh. “Kelly, that bracelet is worth five million. I’m afraid even your entire net worth wouldn’t be enough to cover it.”
Kelly gave a fragile, bitter smile-like a wronged girl in a melodrama, too pitiful to look at directly.
“I… I’ll find a way.”
Nate couldn’t bear to watch anymore. He stepped up with exaggerated righteousness. “I’ll pay for Kelly.”
Sharon smiled. “Great. Go ahead.”
Nate pulled out his card, ready to swipe it-only to suddenly freeze. He’d forgotten. Most of his funds were tied up in investments. He didn’t have that kind of liquidity right now.
Carter, of course, noticed. His voice was calm but firm as he stepped in. “Nate, take Kelly home. I’ll deal with things here.”
After the crowd had dispersed, Carter turned to Sharon. His gaze was ice-cold.
“Sharon. You think I didn’t notice you dropped that bracelet on purpose?”
There was no panic on Sharon’s face. She looked at him with the same easy calm, lips still curved in a smile.
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“I always thought you had poor eyesight. Seems I was wrong. Sometimes, you really do see things clearly.”
He heard the sarcasm in her tone. But what he hadn’t expected was for her to admit it outright-with such calm defiance. His eyes darkened. “And you still claim you’re not targeting Kelly? Then what would you call what you just did?”
Sharon smiled faintly. “Isn’t that exactly what Kelly has been doing to me all along? Now that the tables have turned… it hurts, doesn’t it?”
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Carter’s eyes darkened slightly.
He suddenly remembered the moment earlier-when Kelly handed Sharon a glass of wine and Sharon had fumbled, spilling it all over Kelly’s dress.
Sharon had said it wasn’t intentional, claiming Kelly hadn’t held the glass properly on purpose.
And he he hadn’t believed her.
Now, looking at Carter’s handsome but detached face, Sharon said, “That’s right. I did it on purpose. I’d rather smash it to pieces than let her have it. From now on, anything that belongs to me-no one is taking a single thing away. And one more thing…”
She tilted her chin slightly, eyes meeting his without flinching.
“Does it hurt? Good. It should. As long as we’re not divorced, things like this will keep happening. Over and over again. And even if it hurts… you’ll just have to live with it.”
Nate and Carter wanted a fight? Fine. Let them come.
She wasn’t afraid of either of them.
Before they got the chance to corner her with some underhanded scheme, she’d make sure they were the ones left sickened first.
She used to think only of ending the marriage-tolerating humiliation and swallowing her pride just to get out clean.
But now?
Even after everything she’d endured, they still dared to pull stunts like this?
Did they really think she was some pushover they could mold however they pleased?
Carter’s brows drew together. “Sharon, I told you before-if you just behaved, I’d never shortchange you on money.”
She cut him off coldly. “Who wants your dirty money?”
He let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “If you didn’t care about it, would you have announced publicly that you’re Mrs. Biggs? You just wanted to stick it on my bill.”
Sharon smiled faintly. “If I remember correctly, over the past five years, the money I’ve taken from you doesn’t even amount to the price of one of Kelly’s luxury items.”
A flicker passed through Carter’s eyes.
He suddenly realized-he had never once received a luxury item bill from Sharon. Not in all five years.
“Sharon, if there’s something you want, you can just tell me.”
She looked at him, voice calm. “Does Kelly have to ‘just tell you’ what she wants?”
Whenever Kelly so much as called something pretty, both he and Theo would trip over themselves trying to give it to her.
Even if it was something that belonged to Sharon, they never asked. They simply handed it over.
Carter said nothing.
Sharon continued, “Didn’t you ask me what I want? I want Kelly’s violin. Deep Sea. Give it to me.”
It wasn’t until much later that Sharon learned the truth.
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Kelly’s violin-Deep Sea-had once made headlines.
It was a rare instrument sold for nearly eight figures at auction. Purchased by an anonymous buyer.
Now it seemed the mysterious buyer had been Carter all along.
Carter said stiffly, “Sharon, don’t be unreasonable.”
Sharon laughed quietly. “If you can’t give it to me, just say so. But don’t play the ‘unreasonable’ card again. Can’t you come up with something new?”
And just like that, he remembered over all these years, he really hadn’t given Sharon anything of worth.
Worse, he’d even declined that invitation from the Warner maestro on her behalf not long ago.
His expression cased slightly.
“The bracelet-there’s no need for you to pay for it. Put it on my account.”
Even as the owner of the store, Carter couldn’t just take things without paying.
Everything in the shop was meticulously recorded.
Nate understood this clearly. That’s why he hadn’t asked Carter to waive the cost.
After all, Carter had already been forced to pay 100 million because of Sharon-for the sake of him and Kelly.
Nate was too embarrassed to ask Carter to pay for anything else.
But Sharon said lightly, “You’re mistaken. The bracelet dropped because Kelly didn’t catch it properly. If anyone’s putting it on your tab, it should be her-not me. This has nothing to do with me.” 1
With that, she turned away from Carter without another glance and resumed picking through other bracelets.
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Carter watched Sharon from behind and said, “Whichever one you like, I’ll buy it for you.”
Sharon smiled. “Then I won’t be shy about It,”
A faint flicker of surprise crossed Carter’s face-subtle, but she caught it right away.
“What, you thought I’d say no?”
“I did “His voice was calm, slightly cool. “You’ve always acted like you had pride. I thought you’d turn it down.”
Sharon chuckled. “If I really had that much pride, I wouldn’t have asked to split the assets with you, let alone ask for 100 million.
Carter looked like he was about to say something else, but Simon walked over quickly.
“Mr. Biggs, if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late for the signing.”
Carter gave a neutral nod. “Got it.”
He was just about to leave when he caught sight of Sharon still standing nearby.
“I have something to handle. Pick out whatever you want. Put it on my tab.”
Simon glanced at him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Mr. Biggs seemed… softer toward Sharon lately.
But he soon understood why.
This was compensation. Because Carter had declined the Warner maestro’s invitation on her behalf-without asking her.
After Carter left, Sharon made a call.
“Wendy, come out. Let’s go shopping. My treat today. Pick whatever you like.”
Wendy sounded surprised. “Did you win the lottery?”
“No. Carter told me to get whatever I wanted, and he’d pay for it.” (1
Wendy immediately got it.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes, tops. Wait for me!”
A week later, in one of the offices under the Hendricks Group, Nate stared at the middle-aged man across from him, eyes wide in disbelief.
“What? I spent ten million in a single week?! Reese, are you sure?!”
The manager, Reese Duddley, dabbed at the sweat beading on his forehead. “Y-yes. All of this spending was under Mr. Biggs’s name, at businesses under the Hendricks Group. You said before that anything Mr. Biggs spent here would be covered by you, so
He was here to collect the debt.
If it had been a few hundred thousand, it could’ve waited. But this this was over ten million.
Even with all his companies combined, Nate couldn’t make that much in a year.
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After graduation, his father had given him seed capital and some small subsidiaries to run. With help from Carter and Julliard, business had gone well in recent years.
Next year, on his father’s sixtieth birthday, he would retire and hand the Hendricks Group over to his successor.
Unlike the simplicity of the Biggs family, the Hendricks family was complicated.
Nate’s father had a number of illegitimate children. Nate, though born of the official wife, had middling intelligence and average skill. In terms of business acumen, he ranked at the bottom.
His only advantage was his legitimacy.
But his father didn’t care about that. He only valued results.
Nate was lucky to have Carter and Julliard on his side. As long as the Biggs and Macaron families supported him, he could win without trying.
Nate frowned. “I know Carter. There’s no way he spent that much.”
Reese hesitated. “Well… the bill wasn’t under Mr. Biggs’s name. It was his wife’s…”
“His wife?” Nate froze, trying to process.
Reese added carefully, “Her name is Sharon, I believe…”
“Damn it!”
Elsewhere, Wendy watched Sharon as she continued shopping with enthusiasm, bags piling up around her.
She hesitated. “Sharon… Are you sure this is okay?”
Sharon nodded calmly. “Don’t worry. After this, Nate will be desperate to get me and Carter divorced. He won’t dare pull any more stunts.”
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The only thing that truly sobers people up is self-interest.
And maybe it was time for Nate to sober up.
Wendy looked puzzled. “Didn’t Nate want you and Carter to get divorced more than anything? You’re almost there now-why would he try to sabotage it?”
Sharon continued browsing through the display case. “Probably because he doesn’t want me to have it easy. He wants me stuck playing housekeeper for the Biggs family. But there’s another possibility…”
Wendy asked, “What possibility?”
“That Julliard was lying to me.”
Wendy didn’t even hesitate. “The first one’s more likely. Julliard’s sharp. He wouldn’t go out of his way to meet you just to tell a lie that’s so easy to expose.”
She paused, brows drawing together. “Still… it never hurts to be cautious. What if he was lying?”
Sharon said lightly, “Then so be it. To be honest, I’ve had enough of Nate for a long time. About time he learned a lesson.”
Over the years, Nate had gotten more than his fair share of orders and perks from the Biggs Group.
If not for Carter and Julliard constantly pulling strings for him, his companies would’ve gone under long ago-his investment instincts were laughable.
Carter had helped him that much, so of course Nate tried to return the favor. Anytime Carter spent money at one of his businesses, it went on Nate’s tab.
But Carter only wore custom-made clothes and rarely visited any of Nate’s shops. He never spent much. A few hundred thousand at most-Nate barely blinked at those numbers.
But ten million? That was different.
Wendy laughed too, catching on. “Yeah, they both deserve it.”
Nate should’ve minded his own damn business instead of trying to sabotage Sharon’s divorce. And as for Carter-he tried to use her, and now he was paying for it.
Nate stormed into Carter’s office, clutching a stack of bills so thick it looked like a manuscript. Dozens of pages long.
“Carter! Sharon is out of control! She’s been shopping at all the malls under the Hendricks Group and putting everything on my
account!”
His voice trembled with fury, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Do you know how much she’s spent? Ten million! A whole ten million!”
His chest heaved with every breath, the words squeezing out between clenched teeth.
“She didn’t just stop at the malls-she went to other businesses under the Hendricks umbrella too! Including the ones run by those damn illegitimate brothers of mine!”
Nate’s father treated all his adult children the same, giving each of them a few companies to manage, to see who would come
out on top.
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On paper, all the businesses looked like they were under the Hendricks Group, but in reality, it was a battlefield-pure competition.
Nate had already suffered several defeats at the hands of his half-brothers. One had even set him up, nearly running his company into the ground.
It was only thanks to Carter’s help that he survived the fallout.
He hated those sneaky bastards.
If Sharon had spent all that money in his stores, maybe he could’ve swallowed it.
But that damn woman went and funneled cash into the businesses of his rivals!
Carter frowned faintly. “How could her purchases be charged to your account?”
Nate practically ground his teeth. “Because I said your expenses would go on my account. And now she’s waltzing around every high-end Hendricks-owned mall, waving your marriage certificate and scamming everyone!”
Sharon knew that saying she was Carter’s wife wouldn’t be enough on its own-no one would believe it.
So she carried the marriage certificate with her wherever she went.
Just this morning, Nate had even received a call from one of his most cunning brothers, Luther Hendricks.
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Chapter 275
“Nate,” Luther said coolly over the phone, “your friend’s wife has racked up five million on my account. Don’t forget to settle it. You know me–I never let anyone run a tab. But since she’s your friend’s wife, I figured I’d do you this one favor.
“I heard you’ve been losing big in the stock market lately. If you can’t pay the five million, I’ll have to ask Father to cover it. I need the money to pay my employees.”
Then his full-blooded sister, Linda Hendricks, called too.
“Nate, your friend’s wife ran up a three million bill at my place a few days ago. She claimed anything Carter spent should be billed to you. Since Carter’s your friend, I didn’t want to embarrass you, so I agreed.
“I know three million isn’t an astronomical amount, and under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have brought it up. But you know how my company’s doing. If I can’t turn that money around soon, it’s going under.
“I only have three days, Nate. If I can’t get the funds in time, I’ll have to borrow from Father.”
Sharon had spent two million at his mall, five million at Luther’s, and three million at Linda’s.
Luther, his half-brother and sworn enemy, would no doubt run to their father with this if the debt wasn’t paid.
Linda-his actual sister-had no business sense to speak of. Her company was already teetering. If his friend’s wife blew three million at her establishment and he refused to pay it back, he’d be a complete bastard.
Sharon had chosen her targets well. She knew exactly who he couldn’t afford to stiff. And that’s exactly where she spent.
That woman was venomous.
Carter’s brow was deeply furrowed. “Are you sure she didn’t go to any Biggs Group properties? Only Hendricks-owned ones?”
“I’m sure!” Nate’s voice was shaking with rage, jaw clenched so tight it sounded like he was chewing glass. “I’ve already had someone follow her. She’s still out there, waving your marriage license around like a free pass, shopping like she’s got no limit!”
In fact, a few days ago, Nate had tried to stop her. He’d sent people to block her from entering his malls.
Sharon had called the police and claimed unlawful detention as well as restricted personal freedom.
With no way around it, Nate had no choice but to notify all his mall branches: no more purchases on credit, not for anyone.
So what did Sharon do? She stopped going to his stores and started shopping at Luther’s.
Luther welcomed her with open arms. As long as she wanted to spend, he was happy to extend credit.
Why? Because, as Luther put it, “You don’t turn away your brother’s friends.”
Nate had already warned him-explicitly told him not to let Sharon charge another cent. But Luther just shrugged it off with a smile and a dozen excuses.
“Nate, come on. Carter’s your best friend, right? The guy pulled your company out of the fire more than once. His wife shows up at my store, what am I supposed to do? Slam the door in her face?
“Besides, Carter’s loaded. He spends a fortune on that mistress of his-what’s her name, Kelly? If he can throw money at her, his wife buying a few things shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“I mean, after everything Carter’s done for you, don’t tell me you’re gonna get stingy about this now?”
Nate had no comeback. He was completely silenced.
But he got the message loud and clear.
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As long as Sharon wanted to shop, Luther would let her.
And the bill? Of course it would end up on Nate’s tab.
He could clamp down on his own operations and make sure no one gave her credit, but he couldn’t control Luther.
And the spending just kept climbing.
Watching Sharon throw money around, Nate realized he had no way to stop it. No strategy. No leverage.
He couldn’t sit still any longer.
Before, he’d been dead set on making sure Sharon didn’t get an easy divorce. He wanted to keep her stuck and humiliated.
Now, he just wanted it over with.
Let them divorce. The sooner, the better.
At least then, she’d stop using the title “Mrs. Biggs” to swindle the world.
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hapter
Chapter 276
Carter was stunned.
He hadn’t thought Sharon capable of something this shameless.
Nate’s voice dripped with anger. “Carter, she’s still out there, shopping in your name like nothing’s wrong shame. I really don’t see why you should keep going easy on her.
no remorse, no
“You two need to get that divorce finalized. Get the life-saving medication for Kelly first. Then we’ll figure out how to freeze her
accounts.”
He paused, then added, “Didn’t she say she wanted to work? With the pull you, me, and Julliard’s family have, we can make sure she doesn’t find a job anywhere in the entire country. She’ll run out of cash. When she’s broke and desperate, she’ll come crawling back.”
Nate wasn’t thinking about making Sharon suffer anymore.
Right now, he just needed to survive her.
If she kept spending like this, he’d be the one going bankrupt.
Carter sat still for a moment, then reached for his phone and dialed Sharon’s number.
It rang for a long time before Sharon finally picked up.
Her voice was calm, almost indifferent. “What is it?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a wave of flattery poured through the receiver.
“Oh, Mrs. Biggs! What an honor, what an absolute honor! We’re so sorry we didn’t greet you properly at the door. It’s truly a privilege to have you shopping at Maxwell mall!
“If there’s anything you like, anything at all, just take it. My treat. Consider it a gift, Mrs. Biggs. I only hope, when the time comes, you might put in a good word for us with Mr. Biggs. Our supply chain really is top-notch.”
Sharon’s voice was gentle. “Of course. You can count on me.”
The man on the other end was practically glowing with delight, his voice warming even more.
“Right this way, Mrs. Biggs. Our premium selections are inside. This stuff out here’s far too common for someone of your standing.”
“You’re too kind,” Sharon replied politely. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“No, no, Mrs. Biggs, it’s an honor. If we can work with the Biggs Group, we’ll be like family.”
Carter’s expression darkened. The voice on the phone was unmistakable. His gut twisted with unease.
“Sharon,” Carter said, his voice sharp, “what are you doing right now?”
“Shopping,” she answered breezily.
His tone grew colder. “Where are you shopping? And who was that talking to you?”
“Where else would I be shopping? A mall, of course.” She chuckled. “As for that guy just now… I think his name’s Aaron Maxwell? He seemed very enthusiastic when he found out who I was. Said he was your friend.”
Carter’s face turned black.
“The Maxwell family’s in deep trouble. Their head offended someone powerful-there’s a major investigation going on.
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Anyone too close to them could get pulled in. Sharon, get back here. Now. Don’t go near anything Maxwell Group related again!
11
Her voice was lazy, almost amused. “Carter, that’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think? I’m just doing some regular shopping Since when does that get people investigated? If people were getting investigated just for going to the mall, no one would leave their house.”
His jaw tightened. “It’s not that simple. Getting too close to the Maxwells right now could drag the Biggs Group into this mess
She cut him off, clearly uninterested in whatever warning he was trying to give.
“Okay, that’s enough. I still have shopping to do. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
And before he could say another word, she hung up.
He tried calling back.
No answer.
His expression was stormy.
Just then, someone knocked at the door.
Simon stepped in, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Mr. Biggs… a few of our competitors just sent over invoices. Apparently, Mrs. Biggs made quite a few purchases with them recently. It’s been several days. They’re asking us to settle the accounts.”
Carter’s eyes darkened. “How much did she spend?”
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Chapter 277
“It’s not a huge amount… Around three million, but…” Simon said, his voice trailing, off uncertainly. He glanced at Carter, clearly debating whether to continue.
Carter’s voice was low, cold. “Say it.”
“I looked into it,” Simon said carefully. “Mrs. Biggs didn’t just spend at our competitors’ stores. She also went to a few of our business partners… With those, at least, we can keep things on the books. But…”
He hesitated again.
“But she also spent a lot at companies we have no business being associated with. Not exactly… friendly territory.”
He paused, watching Carter’s reaction before continuing. “Her shopping trips are one thing. But the problem is, people might take it as a sign we’re trying to reach out. That we’re signaling interest. If we don’t handle this carefully, it could get messy.”
No one dared offend Mrs. Biggs-not even rival companies. Even competitors were reluctant to provoke someone with her title. So for the past few days, armed with a marriage certificate and the title of “Mrs. Biggs,” Sharon had been parading through high -end shops like she owned them. And no one had the guts to say no.
It was only now that she seemed to have discovered the true power of the name Mrs. Biggs.
Nate’s eyes widened at Simon’s report. It turned out Sharon wasn’t just bleeding him dry, she was dragging Carter down with her too.
“Carter, Sharon is running around under your name, flaunting it like a flag. She’s doing it on purpose, to humiliate you.”
Carter didn’t need Nate to tell him that. He already knew.
He rubbed his temples, the dull throb in his head intensifying. The mess Sharon was making for him wasn’t trivial.
It wasn’t about the money. It was about the connections.
If he sent someone to stop her, she’d call the police and accuse them of unlawful detention.
But if he let her keep going like this, who knew what kind of disaster she might stir up?
Nate spoke again from the side. “Carter, the cooling-off period for the divorce is almost over. Just go through with it and be done with her. The sooner you cut ties, the better. And once we’ve got Kelly’s medicine, I’ll help you take care of the rest.”
A cruel glint flickered in Nate’s eyes.
“She’s got no power and no status. There’s no way she can fight us. Even if Xavier’s backing her, I doubt he’d go all-in for a divorced woman with a kid.
“With our resources, with Julliard on our side, there’s no one she can form an alliance with to beat us.”
Carter’s gaze was unreadable. His fingers tapped slowly against the desk, weighing the options.
After a long silence, he finally said, “Go back. I’ll settle what she spent at your stores.”
Nate opened his mouth to object, but quickly thought better of it. With his finances already stretched thin, he swallowed the words and left quietly.
Elsewhere, Sharon was shopping with Wendy when her phone buzzed. It was Carter.
“Sharon, that’s enough.”
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She barely glanced at the phone, her eyes instead scanning the racks of clothing in front of her. She motioned to the sales associate.
“This one. And this. That one too…”
One after another, she picked out over a dozen items before finally lifting the phone to her ear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said lightly.
“I’ll be there on the day of the divorce,” Carter said. His voice was icy. “My patience has limits. If you pull any more stunts before then, don’t expect me to hold back.”
He didn’t wait for her response-just hung up.
Sharon stared at the phone for a moment.
Wendy, watching her from the side, tilted her head. “Was that Mr. Scumbag Biggs?”
Sharon nodded.
Wendy snorted. “What’s wrong? He can’t take it anymore?”
“Mm. Something like that.”
Wendy grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “You’ve got moves, Sharon.”
The sales associate, standing to the side, asked timidly, “Mrs. Biggs, do you still want the clothes you picked?”
Sharon turned back, lips curved in a soft smile. “All of them-except for those few I just pointed out. Wrap the rest.”
The associate’s smile nearly split her face.
Time passed like water slipping through fingers.
Before long, the divorce cooling-off period came to an end.
Sharon arrived at the courthouse, documents in hand, waiting at the front steps.
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Chapter 278
Wendy stood beside her, scanning the street.
“Sharon, do you think Carter will actually show up?”
Sharon thought for a moment. “If Kelly doesn’t pull something dramatic, he probably will. After all, I’ve caused him quite a bit of trouble flaunting the title of Mrs. Biggs. He knows full well that the longer he drags this out, the worse it’ll be for him. There’s nothing to gain from delaying-only losses.”
Lately, Sharon had made her rounds through nearly every luxury store in the city-except for those under the Biggs Group umbrella.
She carried her marriage certificate wherever she went, heading straight to the store manager the moment she walked in. The staff, seeing her elegance and poise, didn’t dare slack off. They would immediately call the manager over. Sharon wouldn’t waste time on small talk. She’d simply show them the certificate and say, “I’m Carter Biggs’s wife. Anything I purchase here, put it on his tab. You can send the invoice directly to the Biggs Group for settlement.”
The moment they heard she was Mrs. Biggs, attitudes changed instantly-deference, flattery, even some reverence.
Sharon had expected at least a few dirty looks or outright rejection from the Biggs Group’s competitors.
But to her surprise, whether they were allies or rivals, everyone treated her with exaggerated warmth.
Some companies, eager for a shot at working with the Biggs Group, even sent their executives over in person-complete with platinum VIP cards as gifts.
It was hard to deny: today’s businesspeople really did know how to play the long game.
Wendy’s snort of contempt pulled Sharon out of her thoughts.
“Tch. Carter and his friends played dirty. They only have themselves to blame for it. If he had just divorced you like a decent human being, we wouldn’t have had to go this far.”
She looked around, lowered her voice. “Thank god Julliard gave you the heads-up. Otherwise… they might’ve gotten away with it. Just thinking about it pisses me off!
“Nate’s idea was pure poison. Having Carter purposely cause a last-minute ‘accident’ on the final day of the divorce cooling-off period? Just so the whole process gets nullified and you’d have to start all over again?”
Wendy was fuming. “If someone flakes multiple times, they get blacklisted by the system. Once that happens, even making a new appointment becomes a nightmare. That Nate is vile.”
Sharon’s lips curled into a quiet, razor-sharp smile. “Too bad their little plan fell apart.”
Wendy nodded, fiercely. “Good thing you were sharp enough to come up with this move. Otherwise, they’d still be treating us like easy targets. Oh, by the way…”
She suddenly remembered the results of Sharon’s livestream the night before, her eyes lighting up.
“Sharon, our stream was a huge success. We gained over a million new followers overnight!”
After steadily growing her fan base these past few weeks, Sharon had now crossed the ten million mark.
And in the world of social media, the further you go, the harder it gets.
For someone like Sharon – a complete outsider with no connections-to have grown this far, it took both luck and undeniable
skill.
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Wendy had been managing every aspect of her social presence from the beginning.
They’d practically grown up together, and Sharon trusted her completely.
Wendy’s tone dipped with a trace of regret. “It’s just a shame I haven’t made much headway with Warner’s people. If he could recognize your talent, you’d be stepping onto an even bigger stage…”
But Sharon didn’t seem fazed.
“We’ve made it through worse. A little setback like this? It’s nothing.”
Wendy, ever the optimistic spark, lit right back up. “You’re right. Worst case-we just start over from the beginning.”
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Chapter 279
The two of them were deep in conversation when Sharon’s phone suddenly rang.
Wendy glanced over, her face tightening with unease. “Don’t tell me Carter’s pulling something again.”
Sharon took out her phone. It was a call from Madeline.
She hesitated for a moment, then answered. If Carter really wasn’t coming, she needed to know right away.
Madeline’s voice on the other end was sharp and cold. “Sharon, Theo has a fever. Come back here immediately and take care of
him.”
Madeline’s tone hadn’t changed-it was still that same commanding superiority.
Sharon’s voice was calm. “If he’s sick, call a doctor. I’m not a physician. Calling me won’t help.”
There was a stunned silence, then Madeline erupted, her voice laced with fury. “You’re Theo’s mother! How can you be so heartless?!”
Sharon’s tone didn’t waver. “Carter and I are getting divorced. Theo belongs to the Biggs family now. If anything happens from now on, don’t come looking for me. Unless, of course, you’re giving up custody. In that case, I’ll come pick him up myself.”
“Divorce?” Madeline’s voice jumped an octave. “You two are getting divorced?!”
“That’s right.” Sharon checked the time. “Carter should be arriving in five minutes.”
There was no grief or disappointment on Madeline’s end-only undisguised satisfaction.
She had never liked Sharon.
If Theo hadn’t had a fever and kept crying out for his mother, she wouldn’t have called at all.
The housekeepers could keep watch through the night, but none could match a mother’s touch.
And if Sharon came over to do it for free-well, all the better.
Still, she hadn’t expected that her son was finally divorcing Sharon.
What wonderful news. A cause for celebration.
Madeline’s voice dripped with smug victory. “I warned you from day one – a middle school dropout could never be good enough for Carter. That divorce was inevitable.”
“But since you did give birth to Theo,” she added, tossing out the concession like spare change, “here’s some free advice: Stay gone. To a man like him? A nobody with no education, no connections, who trapped him with a baby? You’ll always just be the mistake he regrets.”
And with that, she hung up.
Wendy turned to Sharon. “What happened? Don’t tell me Carter’s pulling another stunt and won’t make it?”
“No,” Sharon replied. “That was Madeline. She said Theo has a fever.”
Wendy raised a brow. “Again? Theo’s been getting sick a lot lately. Back when you were managing his health, he barely got sick at all. The last time he had this many fevers, he was under three, wasn’t he?”
A shadow crossed Sharon’s face.
“Staying up late, eating junk food outside… He’s lactose intolerant, has a weak stomach, and still eats sweets and cold drinks all day.”
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Her gaze turned frosty. “It’d be more surprising if nothing went wrong
Wendy studied her expression “Forget Carter-he’s trash. But Theo… he’s your son. Can you really let him go?”
Sharon opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, a tall figure appeared in the distance, slowly making its way toward them.
Wendy followed her gaze.
“It’s Carter! He really came!”
Somehow, Wendy seemed even more excited than Sharon.
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hapter 280
Wendy’s face twisted the second she spotted the two trailing behind Carter.
“Oh great-Nate the pathetic simp and Kelly, that pretentious little bitch.” Her voice dripped acid. “What the hell are they doing
here?” 1
Sharon said quietly, “Maybe they came to celebrate?”
Carter reached her just then, his face as composed and unreadable as still water.
“Did you bring everything?” he asked.
“All the documents,” Sharon replied.
Carter’s eyes met hers. “That’s not what I meant.”
Sharon glanced at Kelly standing behind him, then smiled faintly. “I brought Kelly’s medicine too.”
She took the bag from Wendy’s hands. “Once the paperwork’s done and the rest of the payment comes through, the medicine is yours.”
She’d brought the full course of treatment-every dose. All prepared, all accounted for. No loose ends.
Carter reached out to take the bag, but Sharon stepped back, just out of reach.
“Not until the procedures are complete and the payment clears.”
He looked down at her. Her striking red dress made her skin seem almost luminous and her figure more defined than he remembered.
In his memory, she had never worn colors this bold. Even though she had always been more beautiful than Kelly, she’d seemed dim-muted somehow.
But lately, she was changing. Brighter. More vivid. Like a blank sheet of paper, suddenly alive with color.
He couldn’t look away.
The truth was, he never wanted a divorce. 1
Sharon had been a good wife. A good mother. In the five years they were married, he might not have loved her with passion, but there were feelings-solid, undeniable ones.
And they had Theo. He wanted to give his son a whole family. Not the broken childhood he’d endured.
He knew why Sharon insisted on divorce. She couldn’t stand Kelly’s existence.
But this was life and death. He couldn’t abandon Kelly. 1
Between his marriage and Kelly’s life, the choice was clear.
As for Sharon…
If he wanted her back, he’d get her back. She wasn’t going anywhere.
And there was Theo, after all.
Carter figured he’d let Sharon cool off for now. Let her reflect. Once things were settled with Kelly, he’d come back for her. Reconciliation wasn’t off the table.
He’d always had ways of handling her.
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She was Theo’s mother. He was still willing to give her one more chance.
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Carter looked at her. “If you withdraw the divorce petition and end the cooling off period, the deal we made still stands. I’ll help you with your career too…”
Before he could finish, Nate cut him off, his voice sharp with urgency.
“Carter! She’s been using your name to lie, cheat, and scam her way around town do you know how much she’s cost you? If you don’t divorce her now, she’ll just keep going!”
Sharon glanced at Nate and smiled.
“You’re right, Nate. I had no idea being Mrs. Biggs was this thrilling. Just the name alone is enough to fill my shopping bags.”
She stepped forward, stopping just in front of him.
“Don’t you recognize this dress, Nate? It’s from one of your company’s top designers-your so-called flagship masterpiece. Just this outfit alone cost nearly a million.”
“This is the first time I’ve worn something so expensive,” she added, lowering her gaze to study the fabric. “And I have to say, you really do get what you pay for. It feels completely different on the body.”
She brushed her fingers lightly over the diamonds. “They say the stones are real, too. All top-grade full diamonds-not scraps or broken cuts.”
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