After finally getting into a taxi, Bella looked back at the photographers far behind, still snapping away, visibly shaken. Calvin seemed relieved as well. It was strange—why were there media outside the hospital? Few people knew about his hospitalization. How did the media find out? It was probably Jex’s doing.The call to Jex went through quickly. Jex was still talking to someone, haggling with a real estate agent by the sound of it. After finishing his conversation, he finally put the phone to his ear. "Calvin? I won’t be coming by this morning. Hold on until the afternoon, and I’ll help you to the bathroom."“I’ve been discharged.”Jex was a bit surprised. "Regained your sight?" He didn’t think it would happen so soon. "Stay a few more days. I can handle things at the company."“What’s with the reporters at the hospital entrance?”Jex laughed on the other end, pretending to complain. "How can we play happily if you pretend you don’t know it’s my arrangement? What’s the deal? Natura
Bella watched Calvin close the door and couldn't help but laugh. Despite being a bit annoying, it was indeed a coincidence that they ran into Jessica again. Disrupted by her presence, they lost the mood for shopping and just bought a pair of rings before heading back. Bella leaned back on the sofa, holding up her hand to inspect the ring. Hmm, it didn't sparkle as much away from the display lights. Seeing Calvin's figure, she waved him over.Calvin sat next to her, glanced at the ring, and smiled without saying a word. She grabbed his hand to place the rings side by side. With the right lighting, the rings regained their brilliance. She smiled foolishly, leaning her head on his shoulder. Apart from their wedding ring, he had never given her any jewelry before. This was probably the first time. Women have an inexplicable fondness for rings and flowers.“Do you like it?”“I love it!” She smiled and gave him a light kiss on the lips. The peck was far from enough to satisfy him. He reache
Calvin had retrieved his car from repairs, but perhaps out of guilt, he found it increasingly unsatisfactory. Rather than driving something that displeased him, he decided it was better to buy a new one. Jex, learning of this, insisted on accompanying him. The old BMW X5 had been completely sidelined; Calvin would rather take a taxi than drive it. Jex jokingly called him heartless and ungrateful, lamenting that the loyal X5 had been abandoned despite its hard work. "What did it do wrong?" "It knows too much," Calvin said nonchalantly, fastening his seatbelt as he got into Jex's car."Knows too much?" It didn’t want to, either. It played along with your ruse, and this is how you repay it? Jex started the car and drove out of the parking lot. "Cars can't talk, you know. They're like mute illiterates—no matter how much they know, they can't express it."Calvin didn't respond. The car might not talk, but the passengers could ask questions. It's just easier to replace it. Shortly after th
The living room lights flickered on, the sudden brightness making Bella squint. Instinctively, she glanced at the clock on the wall—it was ten. Turning her head towards the entrance, she saw Calvin changing his shoes. Languidly, she asked, “Working late again today?” “Mhm,” Calvin replied nonchalantly. Bella redirected her gaze back to the television. Calvin was a workaholic, working overtime at least three days a week, a routine she had grown accustomed to. Typically, he would take a shower at this time and then seclude himself in the study to continue his grand endeavors. However, today was different. Calvin picked up the remote from the coffee table, turned off the TV, and then sat down on the single-seater sofa to her left, loosening his tie with a hint of lethargy. “I need to discuss something with you.” Bella looked at him in confusion. Discuss something with her? That was rare. In their three years of marriage, he had always had only one thing to say about domestic matters—“
Bella, irritated, slammed the mouse down. Ugh, this client was a nightmare—the wine promotion poster had been revised five times and still wasn't satisfactory! The client, a rather attractive woman, always showed up overdressed and smelling like she'd bathed in perfume, enough to make anyone sneeze. After several interactions, Bella’s four-word summary for her was—beauty without brains, totally clueless about design. But, the customer is always right, even if their taste is all wrong. Dealing with clueless clients wasn’t new for Bella, but Calvin’s sudden bout of madness had left her too frazzled to handle them. Sighing resignedly, she grabbed the mouse again. Her marriage was teetering on the edge, but she couldn’t afford to lose her job. At that moment, the sound of a swivel chair sliding nearby was followed by a face peeking over the partition. Glancing at her screen, she was somewhat surprised, “You've only changed the background color of the poster all morning? That woman is com
When Bella got home, Calvin was watching TV. Logic would dictate that a workaholic like him wouldn't be interested in entertainment, least of all idol dramas. Yet, there he was, strangely engrossed in one. It baffled her; what was a grown man doing watching idol dramas? His posture was relaxed against the couch, expressionless, his eyes unchanging as he watched the main characters share a passionate kiss on the screen. The kissing scene wasn’t particularly special, but such scenes tend to stir emotions in viewers, Bella included. She might not have thought much of it alone, but with Calvin there, she oddly felt her cheeks warm. "TV dramas these days can hardly progress without hugging, kissing, or rolling in bed," Bella commented as she dumped her shopping bags onto the sofa, relieved to be rid of the weight. "The audience likes these things." Bella was surprised by his response and retorted, "You like watching this?" She couldn’t grasp what had gotten into him. She remembered him
Bella shot Fiona a sideways glance. Not only was Fiona risqué, but she was also lewd. However, their compatibility indicated that Bella was no innocent flower either, just differently lewd. Fiona immediately caught Bella’s look and defended herself, "Crude but true! I can't stand your faux purity, married lady pretending to be a maiden!" "Can't you be more subtle?" Bella criticized the crass language. She had never introduced Calvin to Fiona, and such words seemed far removed from him. Raising an eyebrow, Fiona suggested, "If you prefer, we could call it 'lotus arm.' Is that subtle enough?" Bella couldn’t help but cover her face. Was it even possible to have a normal conversation with her? Everything Fiona said was tinged with innuendo. Meanwhile, Bella noticed Jessica leading two new faces into the conference room. Fiona’s eyes followed, murmuring sounds of disapproval, probably cooking up some sleazy thoughts. Bella nudged her, "Come on, haven't you seen men before?" Just a coupl
Bella frowned, the pleasant mood brought by the cake vanishing instantly. What did he mean by that? Did he think she was so desperate to marry him? She stabbed the fork into the cake angrily, "How come I never noticed how venomous your words could be before? Every sentence stabs at my heart! Proposing wasn’t hard? Then maybe divorce should be harder for you!" His face, always so cool and detached, yet his words ignited her anger like nothing else.Calvin's expression remained unchanged, as if oblivious to her anger, calmly stating, "What do you want? I'll try my best to fulfill it."Bella swirled the fork in the cake, uncovering the chocolate beneath the cream and tasting the slight bitterness. It reminded her of her current mood, subtly bitter. She wondered if his heart was as dark as the cake. Glancing at his handsome profile, she retorted, "I want you.""Aren't you tired of my dullness?""I care about looks!" With his poison tongue, better he keeps silent.Calvin smiled for once, "