That was the moment I learned the truth. Tyler’s best friend hadn’t died in an accident.
Regina had gotten pregnant by another man from the village.
When her husband found out and demanded a divorce, she and her lover staged a car crash that killed him.
“How did you even find out? And what happened to Regina’s guy?”
Surprisingly, I felt nothing but mild curiosity. It was like I was listening to a piece of gossip.
Tyler noticed and smirked. “You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still as nosy as ever.”
Three days after I left, the real estate agent came knocking on the door.
Regina had kicked and screamed, refusing to leave. In the end, the real estate agent had her and all her belongings thrown out
onto the street.
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Chapter 8
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For Tyler, the whole thing had been humiliating. But at the same time, he’d pitied her. So, he rented a place for her and the baby.
And after a while, things between them just progressed. They became husband and wife in every sense of the word.
Tyler had wanted to make it official, to get legally married, and to build a life together. But Regina had grown too used to luxury
after moving to the city.
Tyler was drowning. He was struggling to pay off his boss‘ loan while funding her extravagant lifestyle. 1
His life went from bad to worse.
Then, out of nowhere, Regina started demanding compensation from me. Every time she looked at her baby’s scarred little hand, she became obsessed with making me pay.
Tyler had been tempted by the idea, too. So the two of them marched straight to the police station and filed charges against me.
But before the station could even call me in, an anonymous tip came in, reporting a murder case.
The case was the car crash that had killed Tyler’s best friend.
The police already had physical evidence, and that same night, they tracked down a witness–Regina’s lover.
Under interrogation, the man confessed everything. Regina was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
At the same time, footage of her shoving me and deliberately scalding her child went viral.
‘The Children and Women’s Protection Agency stepped in, took custody of the baby, and pushed for a harsher sentence.
Her total time in prison? 15 years. It was long enough to rot in there.
Tyler let out a bitter chuckle. “I was a damn fool. That slap… Did it hurt?”
He looked up at me with guilt written all over his face.
“Lisa… I was wrong. I shouldn’t have let her manipulate me. I shouldn’t have ignored your feelings over and over again. I even humiliated you right to your face because of that woman. I swear, Lisa, if you give me one more chance, I will never let you down again. I’ll work hard, I’ll build a better life for you…”
He choked up, and his eyes were red with emotion. Then as if to prove his sincerity, he dropped to his knees with a loud thud.
“Lisa… please, forgive me.”
Tyler’s sudden move startled me. It left me frozen for a few seconds.
And just then, a man stepped out of a nearby car.
Dressed in a gray overcoat, he was broad–shouldered and lean–waisted. He walked toward me with long, confident strides.
Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning in close to my ear.
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Chapter 8
“Lisa, I was wondering what was taking you so long… Turns out you got held up by a stray dog?”
His tone was playful–dangerously so. My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my face neutral and refused to react.
Then, without another word, I followed his lead and slipped into the Rolls–Royce parked nearby.
My driver walked up to Tyler with his arms crossed.
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“Old man, take a good look at yourself. Someone like you isn’t even fit to hold Ms. Wade’s shoes, let alone marry her. Keep
dreaming.”
Tyler stared after me, stunned. And then as if something inside him snapped, he let out a broken laugh–half a sob and half hysteria. His hands covered his face.
Maybe he had finally lost it.
Inside the car, I immediately put some distance between myself and Nigel.
“Thanks for that,” I muttered. My cheeks were still burning.
I figured he had just done it to help me out of the situation.
But he only smirked. Then, leaning in slightly, he spoke with deliberate slowness. His voice was dripping with amusement.
“Just a verbal thank you? That feels a little insincere, don’t you think?”
‘The closer he got, the further I backed away. My voice wavered. “Then how about this… You sponsor my agriculture and livestock
center, and I’ll give you a share of the company.”
Nigel scoffed, then suddenly laughed. “Your mind is always on business, huh? Fine. I’ll invest. But you better give me more than just a small share.”
The tension eased, and the car cruised smoothly down the road.
I exhaled deeply, then struck a victory pose. “New Year’s reunion, here we come!”
Something soft flickered in Nigel’s eyes. There was one thing he hadn’t said out loud–one thought he kept to himself.
“Idiot… Do you really not know? I like you.”
