Lillian sighed, exasperated, "It was just a little rain; I'm fine."
After speaking, she stepped forward and placed the previous day's work summary on the desk.
"Here's the summary of the work from yesterday. I've sorted everything out. I won't keep you from catching up with each other," Lillian said, glancing towards Serena who immediately returned a warm smile.
Once Lillian left, Oliver's brows knitted together in concern.
"Oliver?" Serena called out to him, snapping him out of his reverie.
Seeing Oliver's expression, Serena, with soft concern, advised, "I see Lillian isn't feeling well. She might be your secretary now, but she was once the dignified Miss of the Shen family. Please don't be too harsh on her."
Harsh? Oliver scoffed to himself. Who would dare to be harsh to that family deity? But he kept his thoughts to himself and simply grunted in acknowledgment.
Lillian returned to her office, feeling heavy and listless. She barely sat down before giving in to the urge to rest her head.
The dizziness intensified.
Time felt suspended until Lillian heard Yolanda's voice, "Lillian, why don't you go back and rest?"
Truly feeling unwell, Lillian whispered, "Yolanda, I need to sleep."
She succumbed to a deep slumber and found herself dreaming.
In her dream, Lillian was eighteen again, at her and Oliver's coming-of-age party. She had dressed in her favorite blue dress, her hair styled in soft waves, and had her nails done, all in preparation to confess her feelings to Oliver.
She had searched for him and found him in the garden. As she was about to approach, she overheard his friends teasing him.
"Oliver, you're an adult now. Got any girl in mind? It might be time to consider engagement."
"What about Lillian? She's always following you around."
Lillian paused, eavesdropping for Oliver's response, which would dictate her next steps.
But before Oliver could answer, someone blurted out, "Lillian? No, she's like a sister to him. Everyone knows Oliver's heart belongs to one person—Serena."
Serena...
Lillian sneakily glanced at Oliver. Under the night sky, he sat on a stone bench, his long legs stretched out, a smile on his handsome face, and he did not deny it.
"Indeed, Serena has a certain gentleness, a womanly charm. And most importantly, she's Oliver's lifesaver," said Mason Mo, Oliver's best friend who enjoyed teasing Lillian.
How dare he call her a little girl!
"Yeah, Serena saved your life. If she hadn't jumped into the raging river, Oliver might not be with us."
The young man nodded, a rare sound of agreement escaping his lips in the moonlight, "Her place by my side is forever reserved."
Boom—Lillian's face drained of color. Her planned confession was dead before arrival.
Serena's act of saving Oliver was a celebrated tale, a beauty saving the gallant youth, yet Lillian was oblivious to the entire event.
She had fallen into the water that year too, woken up feverish and forgetful of many things, including the accident.
As the memory of the dream faded, Lillian's current emotions merged with her past self’s. Why wasn't it her who had saved Oliver?
Then, suddenly, Oliver's face appeared, his eyes cold and merciless, "Lillian, have an abortion."
Serena was there too, clinging to him like ivy, "You're not thinking of keeping the child to come between us, are you?"
Oliver's gaze turned icy at the mention of sabotage, and he stepped forward, gripping her chin, "Be sensible, or don't blame me for being harsh."
His grip was crushing, almost breaking her jaw.
Struggling, Lillian snapped awake, covered in cold sweat.
She was in a car, the road passing by outside the window. Was that all just a dream?
It had felt so vivid...
"Thank God you're awake," Serena's soft voice came from the front. Lillian looked up to see Serena's concerned face looking back at her, "I was worried the whole way here."
Serena? Why was she here?
Then it hit her, and she glanced beside Serena.
As expected, Oliver was driving, and Serena occupied the passenger seat. Hearing Lillian's awakening, Oliver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Feeling better? If there's still discomfort, we'll tell the doctor once we get to the hospital."
Lillian's recently settled heartbeat spiked at Oliver's words.
"No, I don't need the hospital. I'm fine."
Oliver shot her another look, "What's this about? Don't you realize you have a fever?"
Serena chimed in, "Yes, Lillian, you're burning up. We need to get you to a hospital. What exactly happened yesterday with the rain?"
What happened?
Lillian’s pale lips parted but closed without a word.
Yesterday's events—Serena must have been there, witnessing.
Her questioning seemed to have an underlying insinuation.
Lost in thought, Serena's look of worry returned, "Was it because of yesterday that..."
Oliver cut her off, his voice steady, "We're going to the hospital first. You can rest up for a few days, no need to come into the office."
Surprised, Serena looked at Oliver, her sentence left hanging.
Lillian's eyes cast down, a deep chill settling in them.
There was no doubt—Serena was the one Oliver cherished above all.
After a while, Lillian finally raised her head, "I'm not going to the hospital."
Oliver's brows furrowed, sensing her unusual stubbornness today.
"What do you plan to do? Refusing the hospital when you're sick."
Lillian pressed her lips together, "I know my own body."
She couldn't go to the hospital.If she did, her secret would be exposed. It was almost laughable—she didn't want anyone to know about the baby because she wanted to hold on to the last shreds of her dignity. Despite knowing that her so-called dignity had been non-existent since the day she agreed to a sham marriage with Oliver.Now, in front of him, in front of the woman he cherished, what dignity did she have left?But still...Lillian lowered her gaze, unable to lay bare all the humiliating truths.Upon hearing her refusal, Oliver's brow furrowed deeply, and he abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road. Lillian thought he intended for her to get out and reached for the door handle.Click—The car doors locked at once.Oliver's eyes met hers in the rearview mirror, unreadable. "Why won't you go to the hospital?"Ever since she came back from the rain last night, she'd been acting strangely.Lillian maintained her composure, "If I'm not feeling well, I can see a doctor on
Pretentious?Lillian paused, a scoff rising silently in her heart. "Surely, I can't compare to your understanding Serena."The words slipped out before she could stop them.Oliver froze.Lillian froze too.What was she saying?While Lillian was regretting her misplaced words, Oliver had already tilted her chin up, forcing her gaze into his deep, ink-like eyes.His eyes narrowed like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. "Are you jealous of her?"Lillian's brow twitched with a mix of alarm and annoyance as she tried to push his hand away."What nonsense are you talking about?"But her attempt was feeble, her strength failing her.Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her weak resistance, a smirk playing on his lips as he caught her wrist. "This weak?""Weak your head," Lillian retorted, yanking her hand back so fiercely she toppled backwards into the couch, unable to get up again.No strength left.Oliver stood over her, his eyes a complex mosaic of emotions, before he dropped a stoic "Wait here," and
Her words were blunt—not at all like Serena's tactful manner.Serena appeared slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean that."Lillian wasn't interested in interpreting her meaning.Before she left, Derek had prescribed some medicine, instructing Serena, "Even though your friend is reluctant, if she can drink the medicine, she should. It's a herbal concoction; it won't harm her body. A few doses should do.""Okay," Serena took the herbal medicine.The trio left the clinic and returned to the Qin residence.Qin ResidenceThe car door opened, and Lillian, fighting discomfort, stepped out, eager to go upstairs and sleep.But as she alighted from the car, she stumbled, nearly falling forward, caught just in time by Oliver who had stepped out behind her.His brows furrowed as he looked at her, "Still refusing medicine and injections when you're like this... you really are something."Serena, following them out of the car, hastened to Lillian's side and took her from Oliver."Oliver, let me help
In that instant, Lillian's heart skipped a beat, and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes, the sensation of being caught red-handed washing over her. Yet, she quickly regained her composure, pressing her pale lips together and stating plainly without any attempt to conceal, "You saw everything, didn't you?"Her candid demeanor slightly softened the inquisitive look in Oliver's eyes. He approached, his gaze fixating on the now-empty medicine bowl in her hands."The medicine I had the kitchen painstakingly prepare—you discarded it all without a single sip?"Lillian spared him a glance. "I've made it clear I wouldn't drink it."With that, she walked out with the empty bowl.Oliver followed, his voice crisp. "Last night, did you intentionally get caught in the rain?"Hearing this, Lillian hesitated, then shook her head in denial. "Why would I do such a thing?"Yet Oliver remained skeptical, eyeing her closely. "Is that so? Then why refuse to go to the hospital and also refuse the medicine?
The question drained the color from the servant's face. "Sir, the report has already been disposed of."Oliver's brows furrowed deeply."What did you say?"The oppressive aura emanating from him nearly brought the servant to tears as she hurriedly explained, "I'm sorry, sir, I didn’t intentionally get rid of it. It’s just that the report was so damaged, I didn’t think much of it at the time and..."Curiosity about the discarded items of the household wasn't something she indulged in, especially when Oliver's company routinely shredded confidential documents. Having stumbled upon the report while clearing out the bins, she thought little of it until the recent brewing of the medicine made her wonder—why was it for a fever?Her words only caused Oliver's frown to deepen. There was something off about her.With the rain that heavy, even if she had given her umbrella away, she could have sought shelter and called a driver or waited for the rain to stop before returning home.Why trudge th
For a long time, Lillian sighed inwardly. It was probably for the best that he didn’t know, sparing them both from awkwardness. Let it be a transaction, each taking what they needed. With that thought, Lillian pushed Oliver, who was almost within touching distance, away and said indifferently, "It certainly won't be you."Oliver’s brows drew together at her response. "What do you mean it won’t be me? Is there someone who knows you better? Who is it?"Unbeknownst to him, his mood had flared up with her words. Lillian remained silent.Seeing she wasn't engaging, Oliver grasped her shoulders somewhat aggressively and demanded, "Is it a man or a woman?"His grip was firm, causing her some pain.Lillian frowned and pushed him away, "Ouch, don't touch."Oliver eased his grip, but his pursuit of answers did not relent. "Fine, I won't touch, but clarify who knows you better? And what’s with that report?"Lillian, cornered and exasperated, could only say, "Nobody knows me, only I understand my
After Oliver left, Lillian spent a moment in a daze before resuming her work. Some choices were hers alone to bear, willingly undertaken.Her phone rang, and Lillian glanced at the screen—it was a call from Nolan. She steadied her emotions before answering."What's up?""Lillian, did the vice secretary from Lin Group call you?"Lillian, having just located the email she needed, clicked into it while nodding, "Yes, they did. What about it?""Let me handle that work for you; I'll take care of it."At his words, Lillian paused, confusion clear in her tone, "Huh?""I heard from Yolanda that you're sick. Why didn't you tell me?" Nolan's voice was incredibly soft, almost sighing with concern, "You should rest when you're not well. Why not set your phone to 'Do Not Disturb'? Do you think your body's made of steel?"Before the Shen family's downfall, Nolan had worked at Shen Corporation, Oliver's most prized assistant. He was destined for greatness, but the abrupt bankruptcy changed everythin
Sophie had initially felt Lillian's reaction was too calm to be natural. But the mention of Serena's name had struck her silent, left speechless as if frozen.It took a while for her to process the information. "I... I thought she wasn't coming back."There was silence between them. Sophie, as Lillian's confidant, knew the high society well enough and was familiar with the public’s admiration for Serena's heroic save of Oliver—a handsome man and a beautiful woman made for a good narrative. But as Lillian’s best friend, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for her.It was a sad truth that unrequited loves often faded into oblivion.Sophie bit her lip, indignant on her friend’s behalf. "Actually, what does it matter if she's back now? If I were you, I wouldn’t let go so easily. After all, she and Oliver aren't a couple, and you are married to him, with a child on the way. I refuse to believe that Oliver will make you have an abortion!"Lillian, who had been quiet, finally looked