Marriage Resumption (Valeria and Hackett)

As minutes ticked by with no response from Valeria, Keith's voice on the other end of the phone broke the silence, "Why? Are you reneging on your promise?

Valeria sat on the bed and played with her hair absentmindedly. "Nope. I just don't understand why you asked for such a demand. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you aren't the type of..."

"You mean, I am not a domineering man, right? But this time, I just want to be domineering for once. Only then can I marry you quickly."

Keith had made up his mind this time around; he wasn't going to miss this opportunity again.

As the reality of the situation began to crystallize, the man grew increasingly anxious. He feared that if things were to carry on the way they were, he would be left with no opportunity of his own. Eventually, Hackett would take Valeria down; after all, they had a child. "Keith, you and Sherri..."

Valeria had a strong hunch that Sherri wouldn't easily let go of him. Additionally, considering Sherri was already divorced, it was clear that she had returned home to reconcile with Keith.

"Valeria, let me make this clear once and for all. There is no chance for Sherri and me. Our relationship concluded when she chose to marry someone else. Meanwhile, instead of marrying a stranger, why not consider marrying me? We already know each other. I also have genuine feelings for Alex. If you were to find someone else, can you guarantee that they would care for Alex as much as I do?"

Her apprehension was due to the fear that her new husband wouldn't accept the baby.

"Valeria, please say yes to me."

A turmoil of emotions and internal conflict raged within her. It was impossible to be with Hackett again, she knew it. Why not choose Keith instead?

"Okay. Yes."

As she ruminated over how badly Alex longed for a father, she couldn't help but agree. She didn't want Alex to grow up

without a father.

Keith let out a boisterous laugh over the phone. "Fantastic! Thanks a lot. I'll see you later at the law office"

After ending the call, Valeria puzzled over why she didn't feel the slightest bit elated. It was a peculiar feeling. She even detected a twinge of disappointment, but couldn't fathom why.

After freshening up, and changing into fresh clothes, Valeria readied herself to head downstairs for breakfast.

In the dining ro

Ella and Alex were having their breakfast.

"Good morning, Mommy."

"Good morning." She patted her son's head and sat down beside him.

She took a bite of her sandwich and then turned to Alex, sitting beside her. "Alex, would you like Keith to be your father?" she asked, her gaze fixed on him.

"Really? That's amazing! Keith is the best!" Alex exclaimed, taken aback.

Even though she had anticipated the response, she still couldn't help but feel disturbed by his shouting.

III

ti G.

"Well, if things go according to plan, Keith should be your legal father in the future," Valeria declared, chomping down on another mouthful of her sandwich before taking a gulp of milk. +5 Keith was

competent in his role as a father, and he and Alex had grown quite close over the past four years. While they were not biologically father and son, they shared a bond akin to that of one. Ella was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Valeria, did you manage to find a father for Alex so soon?

"Yes, the man you spoke highly of just now."

"Oh? The man who found the evidence for you, and your superior? That's wonderful! He had exerted so much effort on you. Surely, he will treat you exceptionally well in the days to come." A smile spread across Valeria's face as she reminisced, "He has been treating me well enough. He's truly a good person."

Undeniably, Keith was a man with a strong sense of responsibility, emotional stability, and maturity, making him an ideal candidate for matrimony.

The James Manor.

The man, who had endured a sleepless night, had just slumped onto his bed, trying to catch a few winks when Tyler's call came in.

Impatiently, he grabbed the phone. "Mr. James, take a look at the news I just sent you. There's fresh evidence regarding Ms. Yeats' disfigurement." Hackett ended the call and opened WhatsApp on his phone, only to find a piece of gossip news sent by Tyler.

The more he went through the news and listened to the recorded call, the more his expression soured.

He mused, "Cheryl had intentionally caused her own disfigurement?

"From start to finish, this woman had been deceiving me! She had been manipulating me like a complete fool!

"Just like the night of the celebratory banquet, she had deceived me once again.

"Abbot was such an upright person. How could her sister be such a vicious liar?"

At the same time...

Cheryl, who was still in the hospital, was on the verge of going insane.Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Ah! Bitch! Scum! They're actually on the same side!"

Cheryl was overwhelmed by a sense of madness. She ruthlessly shattered anything within reach in the ward, leaving debris scattered on the floor. Doctors and nurses hurriedly rushed to the scene upon hearing the disturbance, but their attempts to calm her down proved futile.

"Ms. Yeats, please try to remain calm. Your wound could reopen and it's not good for healing."

As the nurse attempted to intervene and hold Cheryl back, she shrugged her off with brute force. "Leave me alone! You fucking bitches! All of you!"

Cheryl's mind was still preoccupied with her recent phone conversation with Keith, leaving her trembling with anxiety. Her state worsened as she came across a barrage of derogatory and malicious social media posts branding her a lunatic and a malevolent woman, leaving her feeling like she was descending into the depths of hell.

Considering how quickly the news had been spreading, it was quite possible that Hackett had already caught wind of it,

tiG.

The thought of this drove her to scream out in anguish. Her life had been entirely ruined.

Apart from the scar that marred her beautiful face, she had nothing left. Absolutely nothing. Keith and Valeria had completely destroyed her life!

Why was this happening?

Why did she believe Keith? She knew that Keith liked Valeria. Why did fall into his trap?

Cheryl wished she could turn back time, but there was nothing she could do.

13

"Where is my phone? Where is it?" Cheryl frantically rummaged around, desperately searching for her phone. She needed to call Hackett and explain herself; otherwise, she was certain that Hackett would harbor intense resentment towards her.

The nurse picked up the phone from the floor and handed it to her, urging caution. "Here's your phone, it's alright now. Ms. Yeats, you really mustn't get worked up any further. The stitches on your face have come undone. They'll need to be re-stitched later." Cheryl couldn't care less now. She grabbed her phone to call Hackett.

Unfortunately, regardless of how many times she tried reaching out via telephone, the line was continuously busy and she struggled to connect.

Cheryl attempted to reach Tyler, but this time, the call went through immediately. She held onto her phone tightly as she spoke, "Tyler, could you please pass the phone to Hackett? I need to talk to him. Why hasn't he been answering my calls? Why does his line keep appearing busy?"

"Ms. Yeats, Mr. James doesn't want to answer your call or talk to you now. You'd better stop calling."

"I can explain it to him. Please, give him the phone..." Tears streamed down Cheryl's face. She was as pathetic as a dog. "Ms. Yeats, Mr. James is in a fit of anger. He could kill you if you were here. How can he answer your call? Give up."

With that, Tyler hung up.