Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“Do you want me to beat you up as well?” Regina retorted without missing a beat.
Surprisingly, Dorian backed down. He did not dare provoke her any further.
Regina had always been a gentle and understanding wife, always supportive of his endeavors. But before marrying him, she had been quite capable herself. She had given up her career to take care of their home and be a good wife and mother to their family.
Dorian loved her dearly-worshipped her, really. He understood all too well that her actions just now were not purely impulsive.
Yolanda had indeed gone too far.
Regina turned to Yolanda and spoke in a soft but firm voice. “I took great care in raising you to be strong and independent, not someone who would lose their head over a doomed relationship. What, are you planning to starve yourself next just to make a point? In that case, stay hungry. You won’t even get a drop of water until you admit your mistake.”
In the face of her mother’s ire, Yolanda merely sneered. “Do you think that can threaten me? Guess what? I’m not afraid of death!”
“Let’s see how long you can hold out, then,” Regina said, her face and voice devoid of emotion. She then called for one of their maids, Patti. “Take Yolanda to her room, Patti. No one is allowed to see her without my permission.”
Dorian couldn’t help but protest. “Honey!”
“One more word,” Regina warned, “and you’ll face the same consequences.”
He knew that she was still furious. He reached out and rubbed her palm, which had turned red from the slap.
He could tell his wife hadn’t held back her strength. It meant that Yolanda must be terribly hurt too.
Dorian felt sorry for both his wife and daughter. “You’re free to educate her as you see fit,” he pointed out. “But why resort to raising your hand against her?”
Regina lowered her gaze, her heart roiling with mixed emotions.
“Are you regretting it now?” Dorian asked with a helpless sigh.
“That’s right,” Regina replied in the same quiet voice. “I regret not using force to educate her sooner.”
Spare the rod and spoil the child, as the saying went. An undisciplined child was bound to make serious mistakes without proper guidance.
Once Regina calmed down, she ushered Caden to the kitchen and eagerly began teaching him how to make the dessert. She wasn’t naturally gifted in the culinary field, but through hard work, she had become quite skilled over time.
Caden knew of Regina’s past-how she had been a force to be reckoned with in her youth. But for Dorian, she had willingly given up her accomplishments and become a devoted housewife.
“Marriage and parenthood are significant commitments, Caden,” Regina said suddenly. “Do you think you’re ready?”
Caden stared at the chopped strawberries in the bowl. “Emotions can be fleeting, Mrs. Moss. I can’t promise that Alicia and I will be together forever.”
Regina smiled. “Is it Alicia you don’t trust, or is it yourself?”
“Neither.”
“Living with clarity is a good thing,” Regina relented. “Giving in to your emotions isn’t always wise.”
Caden simply hummed in agreement.
He was a quick learner, and they managed to finish the dessert in just a short time.
It was already dark outside when Caden prepared to leave. Despite everything that had happened, he still bid farewell to Dorian, who refused to acknowledge him. Upstairs in her room, Yolanda stood by the window and watched as Caden drove away.
His silhouette alone was enough to drive her mad.
She did admire him for his good looks and his impeccable skills, but more than anything, it was the attachment she had fostered over the years that made it hard for her to let go.
They were equally matched in their field. Weren’t they meant to be together?
Yolanda balled her hands into fists and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t let things end like this.
That night, she buttered up her father, and the two had a heartfelt conversation.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Yolanda whined, looking remorseful. “I shouldn’t have treated Mom that way.”
Just as she had expected, her admission softened Dorian’s heart.
Despite this, he understood that the matter regarding Caden was serious.
“My dear, you should look for someone else,” Dorian said. “There are others out there who are far better than Caden.”
Yolanda bit her lip until it turned white and nodded. “I understand, Dad.” Then she asked casually, “Caden handed over Lina’s chip. How will that affect him?”
Dorian harrumphed, clearly unhappy. “He spent nearly two years and a boatload of money and effort on its development. Just getting the project approved took him over half a year. Imagine throwing all that away-what a great loss.”
Yolanda’s heart ached with jealousy.
Caden had indeed thrown it all away-for Alicia.
“But didn’t he create Lina for his mother?” Yolanda murmured.
“Perhaps he has found another emotional anchor, so he no longer relies on a cold, emotionless robot. It’s a pity, though. Once Lina is modified and launched in the market, Caden would have been at the top of the game.”
That made Yolanda wonder… Did that mean Caden’s position in the industry was now under threat of collapse once he handed over the ownership of the chip?
If he continued his research, he would have to invest exorbitant amounts of resources again.
What if she found an obstacle-something to drag him down?
It became painfully clear to Yolanda that kindness alone wouldn’t win her his attention.
But if she became his enemy, Caden would have no choice but to focus on her.
Yolanda’s lips slowly curled into a cunning smile. After Dorian left, she retrieved a phone number she hadn’t used in a long time.
When the call connected, a cool, magnetic voice came through the line. “Miss Moss?”
Yolanda smiled. “Mr. Hampton. Are you interested in meeting up, by any chance?”
Corey’s ties with the Moss family were tangled and complicated.
While he and Caden shared similar abilities, they couldn’t have been more different. Caden was naturally talented, achieving success with ease. Corey, on the other hand, had climbed the ranks through sheer determination and hard work.
Only under Dorian’s guidance in recent years had Corey finally earned a place beside Caden.
Rumors about him and Yolanda only added to the intrigue.
Despite the rumors being hushed, Yolanda was fully aware of Corey’s feelings toward her. She had even caught him quietly investigating her once. Now, with Yolanda reaching out to him, Corey couldn’t bring himself to decline.
He arranged to meet her the following day.
After ending the call, Corey set his phone aside and moved to the floor-to-ceiling window of his presidential suite. He stood silently, gazing out over the luminous city of Warrington, his eyes half-closed as he absorbed the view.
The city below was alive, its skyscrapers stretching into the night. Warrington was a place that never truly slept, bursting with energy and possibility. A knock at the door broke his reverie.
“Mr. Hampton?” His secretary, Kyler Turner, stood in the doorway, nodding respectfully. “We’ve received the results from our investigation.”
Corey held out his hand for the file.
Inside, he found postnatal records for two women: one was Regina, who had given birth to Yolanda in Warrington; the other was a woman with the last name Bennett, who had given birth to a girl named Alicia Bennett.
The report was brief, including only basic information-height, weight, and exact birth times of the babies.
The specific details he needed were missing.
“Were the Moss and Bennett families close back then?” Corey asked, his brow furrowing.
He wondered why Regina, originally from Devarlton, had ended up delivering her child in Warrington.
Kyler glanced at his notes. “I looked into it, sir. Mrs. Moss was vacationing in Warrington when she suffered a fall, which led to early labor. Coincidentally, she gave birth on the same day as Mrs. Bennett. The two families hardly interacted at all.”
Corey narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Yolanda does have the look of a premature baby,” he murmured, closing the file. “But… what a pity.”
A pity? He didn’t elaborate, and Kyler raised a questioning brow.
“Should we investigate the Bennett family?” Kyler ventured.
Corey’s brow creased slightly at the mention of the name Alicia. It felt oddly familiar.
A face flashed in his mind.
“Do you have a photo of Alicia Bennett?” he asked.
Kyler swiftly pulled one up.
“She’s a rising young entrepreneur. In fact, she just received an award last month,” Kyler noted.
Recognition dawned on Corey. Alicia was Caden’s girlfriend.
His brow furrowed.
“What a coincidence,” he said, his voice laced with irony.
Kyler hesitated. “Yes. Investigating her might prove… complicated.”
At the moment, Caden and Alicia were practically inseparable.
If they decided to dig deeper, Caden would undoubtedly retaliate, putting them at a disadvantage and making the risk hardly worth it.
Only Kyler knew Corey’s true purpose in coming to Warrington.
Silence settled between them as Corey’s thoughts shifted to Yolanda. A shadow flickered in his eyes. “There’s someone who can help me.”