Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 2

“No one will see. You picked a good spot to cry.” His words were not convincing because the man could find Emily crouched beside a large flowerpot. Emily wiped away her tears and grimaced inwardly. Her make up must have been messed up from crying.

“Drink this,” Emily felt warmth on her cheeks. Her sense of smell picked up the aroma of coffee from the cup pressed against her face.

“Maybe it will calm you down a bit.” Emily accepted the coffee that the man handed her. She grasped the cup with both hands. It was warm. Emily sipped the coffee slowly, ignoring the bitter taste that she didn’t really like.

“Who is that woman?” Suddenly the man squatted beside her. Emily rounded her eyes. The man looked classy. Why would he squat with her?

“She’s my mother.” Emily replied. Damien’s forehead furrowed. He couldn’t believe it because their appearances looked different. Here he could see that the girl was wearing fashionable new clothes although not branded, while the old woman was wearing shabby clothes.

“Why her,” Damien paused. How did he describe the woman’s barbaric behavior?

“Attacking you?” Emily bowed her head. Never in her life had anyone asked her that. This was not the first time Belinda had scolded her in public. When she still lived with her parents, every day Belinda would scold Emily in a loud voice and attract the attention of their neighbors. Her mother liked to point out to people that she was a child who didn’t want to do her chores and would fight Belinda’s words. The mothers in her neighborhood simply believed what they heard. In her neighborhood, Emily was known as a child who defied her parents.

“My mother knows I started acting.” Emily still didn’t understand how her mother knew. She was still a newcomer. The movie had just aired and Emily was only a supporting character. Besides, her mother would rather watch celebrity gossip than movies.

“You’re an actress?” Emily smiled slightly. Her guess was right. This person didn’t even know who she was. Belinda’s reaction should be the same.

“I just got my first role.”

“Then what’s the problem? Your mother should be proud,” Emily wanted to laugh. Sometimes Emily doubted Belinda as her mother because that woman treated Emily differently from her sister. Emily felt like a stepchild.

“How do I describe it? My mom is different from the others,” Emily sighed.

“I just wish there wasn’t any bad news about me in the media. Being an actress is a profession that I want to escape poverty. I just want my career to go smoothly. If things go my way, no matter how much money my mother asks for, I’ll give it to her.” So, the problem was money. Damien looked at the girl’s face which had turned determined. He thought the girl would dissolve into sadness or resentment over her mother’s attitude.

“You will succeed,” Emily turned to look at the man who spoke his words with conviction and it sounded sincere. Damien nailed Emily with his intense gaze. He scrutinized every inch of Emily’s face. The mole near her nose was the most prominent feature on the girl’s face.

“What’s your name?”

“Emily!” the voice of Emily’s manager broke their exchange of glances. Emily quickly stood up. Damien stood up too.

“Oh my! What’s wrong with your face?” Anna took a tissue from the bag and smoothed the actress’s make up. Anna shook her head at Emily’s ruined makeup.

“Let’s do your make up first,” while Emily focused on her manager, Damien walked away from them.

“We still have time. Let’s go to the powder room.” Emily followed Anna, but her eyes followed Damien until he disappeared into the elevator.


“Is the trouble in the lobby over?” Damien asked Austin once the meeting with the General Managers was over. His hotels were still their country’s top accommodation companies. Damien was satisfied with the performance of his chosen executives.

“I did, Sir. For the owner of that cell phone, I paid quite a bit.” Austin said as he followed his superior’s lead. Damien didn’t care about the amount he spent because he was rewarded handsomely, even more than the amount he paid.

“What about the others? The only one who recorded the incident in the lobby was the man in the hat?”

“Yes. Everything is in order, Sir. I made an agreement with the people in the lobby. There will be consequences if the incident is leaked to the media.” Damien nodded. Austin’s performance was unquestionable. The man had worked for him for four years. He already knew how Damien worked.

“I need you to find out about someone,” Austin nodded, he waited for Damien to continue.

“Her name is Emily. She’s a new actress. If it helps, it looks like she’s doing some work here. Find out what she does.”

“Okay. I’ll find out about the actress right away,” Austin replied.

“I want quick results,” Damien ordered before getting into the car. Austin gave a small bow before Damien’s car sped away from the hotel. He silently wondered why Damien was looking for the actress.


Damien entered the special room after sterilizing himself. He looked at the pale face that was sleeping peacefully. Damien touched the hand of the woman who had been his wife for three years.

“When did you wake up?” His words mingled with the sound of the machine detecting his wife’s vital organs.

“Aren’t you tired of sleeping around, Victoria? It’s been eighteen months,” he said softly. He looked at his wife’s face for a long time. Her heaving chest indicated Victoria was still breathing. The man didn’t give up even though the doctor said Victoria was like that because of the medical devices that sustained her life.

“Don’t be a sleeping princess.” It was actually not every day that Damien visited his wife’s ward. However, because of his encounter with Emily today, he had the urge to see her.

“You know what? I met a girl who had a face like yours,” Damien sighed softly remembering Emily. They were different because the girl’s skin wasn’t as pale as Victoria’s.

“You’re also the same height. Do you have a twin sister, Victoria?” Damien joked. She did have a sister, but she was six years younger than Victoria and the way she acted, Damien shook his head. He didn’t want to think about that right now.

“There is only one obvious difference,” Damien gently touched Victoria’s face. He was afraid his movements would hurt her.

“She has a mole near her nose,” then Damien pulled his hand away from Victoria’s cheek.

“Wake up, Wife.” Damien looked at her with an angry expression. It was enough that Victoria was lying helpless like this.

“Do you want to stay in bed while the person who made you like this is out there enjoying life?” Damien hissed. His hands trembled from holding back the annoyance.

“I already know who did it, Victoria. Wake up right now so you can get back at them,” Damien said in frustration. He was also getting tired of hiding Victoria’s condition from the public, not to mention Victoria’s family who kept trying to meet the woman. The reason for medical treatment abroad did not make Victoria’s family believe because Damien did not allow them to meet or communicate with his wife.

“Or do you want me to teach them a lesson on your behalf?” The glint in Damien’s eyes changed after he thought of an idea. No, actually the idea had come to him since he saw Emily.

“I’ve thought about it, Victoria. While you prepare to wake up, I’ll use that girl to get back at them.” Damien stroked the back of Victoria’s hand with his thumb.

“Wake up quickly, Wife.” Damien ordered before exiting his wife’s ward. He loosened his tie and walked towards his office on the second floor.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter