To avoid any meddling from his overbearing mother, Max decided to purchase a bus ticket for her the following day. He accompanied her to the bus station, bidding her farewell.With the presence of the unpleasant person out of the house, the atmosphere became noticeably more refreshing.Meanwhile, I prepared a cup of warm milk for myself and put on my headphones. I then launched the app that Teacher Wendy had recommended to me, allowing me to discreetly listen in on the device hidden in Max's car.The conversation between Max and his mother during their car ride proved to be quite intriguing. Concerned, Max's mom inquired, "Max, now that I'm leaving, who will keep an eye on that despicable woman? What if she tries something while you're at work?""Don't worry, Mom. I have everything under control. I've installed cameras at home, enabling me to monitor her every move," Max reassured her.He must have shown his mother the live feed from the surveillance cameras on his phone, saying,

Upon hearing Max's explanation, Cindy's disbelief was evident. She smiled and retorted, "Come on, Max, do you think I'm stupid?""Seriously, Cindy, that night I..."Max began to explain, but Cindy interrupted him abruptly, issuing an ultimatum, "Here's the deal, Max. I'll give you a month. If you can't resolve things with Jen within that time, then it's over between us."Max asked solemnly, "Cindy, don't you love me anymore?"Suddenly, it reminded me of that night when he knelt before me, asking in the same tone, "Honey, don't you love me anymore?"I felt nauseated."I don't blame you. I was just a step too late to meet you. I thought after that night, we wouldn't see each other again. But who knew when we met again, you were already someone else's husband. Maybe we just don't have enough fate, Max."After saying this, Cindy hung up the phone.Max repeated "hello" several times, then cursed in frustration, "Damn it."Indeed, with such a grand opportunity within reach, everythi

The name Luke crossed my mind, and I felt a surge of gratitude.Max didn't seem suspicious. He assumed it was one of my dad's former students paying their respects. After all, my dad had a wide circle of influence from his teaching days.At my parents' graves, Max knelt down first, tearfully apologizing and admitting his mistakes. He even turned to me while on his knees."Honey, in front of your parents today, I beg for your forgiveness... I swear, I'll never betray you again in my life!"Tears streamed down my face as I choked out, "Really?"Max earnestly replied, "Yes, honey, I swear. If I ever betray you again, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"I wanted to laugh. Max, this scumbag, actually dared to say that.Wasn't he afraid that my parents in heaven would be displeased and send a bolt of lightning to strike him dead?But I had to keep up the act, crying as if heartbroken, pleading, "Max, I've lost my mom and dad. You're the only family I have left in

Stephen's voice had the air of a prominent lawyer, reminiscent of a character fresh off a TV drama: formal, authoritative, with a hint of aloofness.I assumed that Wendy must have briefed him beforehand. Lawyers like him value their time and prefer to get straight to the point. After all, elites in society generally despise wasting time, and top lawyers bill their consultation fees by the minute.Without hesitation, I eagerly replied, "I'm available now, Mr. York."Almost immediately, Stephen called.I answered and politely introduced myself, "Hello, Mr. York, I'm Jen Middleton, and I-""Miss Middleton, I am well aware of your situation," Stephen interrupted before I could finish, asking, "What are your divorce demands?"Getting straight to the point, I said, "I want Max to leave with nothing."Stephen promptly dashed my hopes, "Miss Middleton, there is no such thing as leaving with nothing."I stood my ground, "But he cannot have a penny of the inheritance my parents left me."

Early the next morning, Max prepared breakfast for me and called me into the room. My head felt a bit heavy, likely because I had slept with the air conditioning on all night.Max gently touched my forehead and then brought me a cup of hot milk, placing it on the bedside table for me to drink. In that moment, I caught a fleeting glimpse of malice in his eyes.Suddenly, Steven's warning came rushing back to me: I should be wary of casually accepting anything from Max, particularly nutritional supplements or medications.As I stared at the milk in Max's hand, my mind couldn't help but think of how villains in soap operas often tamper with protagonists' drinks, using poison or drugs, especially in milk or juice.Although I didn't believe Max would actually try to poison me, I couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility of him adding something else. After all, cunning and ruthless criminals are often more intelligent.Putting on a coquettish act, I said, "I'm not hungry at the moment, a