Chapter 1

“Mr. Fontaine, I’m in Worchester to promote my new movie. Are you free for a drink tonight?” Mona rubbed her blurry eyes, only to realize she had answered the wrong phone. However, since she had already answered it, it was better for her to say something rather than hang up. “Ms. Colister, Thaddeus is in the shower. Do you need me to pass him a message?” The lady on the other end of the phone went silent before crying out in shock. “How do you know my name?” Mona giggled and said, “Of course I know you are. Ms. Marianne Colister, the famous movie star. The scandal between you and Thaddeus has been in the headline for days now. A new couple in the block, or so they say.” “Who are you? Why do you have Thaddeus’s phone?” Marianne sounded hostile. Mona was amused by Marianne’s tone. It was as though Marianne was the wife questioning the mistress. “I’m in his bed, so it isn’t surprising that I’m able to answer his phone. What’s wrong? Did I upset you, Ms. Colister?” Marianne grunted coldly. “I’ve not been feeling well for the past couple of days. I actually support Thaddeus going to meet you, at least it’s cleaner than those ladies on the streets.” In other words, Marianne just called Mona a substitute and a tool for Thaddeus to vent his sexual desire. Mona chuckled. “Is that so?” She put the phone aside and called towards the bathroom affectionately. “Thaddeus, could you please hurry?” The door opened and Thaddeus came out with only a towel covering his lower body. His strong muscles were a symbol of testosterone overflowing in his body, and they were covered with hickeys and claw marks that Mona had left on his body last night. “What’s wrong?” Mona laid on the bed with her fingers pinching the edge of the sheets. Her crystal clear eyes which resembled black pearls blinked at him, casting her enchantment spell on the man. The man’s eyes were instantly glued to her. “I feel uncomfortable.” The man put his wide palm on her forehead. “Where?” She slightly tugged his towel closer to herself. “Kiss it better.” Thaddeus held her hand, leaned over, and kissed her from her eyes to lips. Mona responded passionately, which Thaddeus enjoyed immensely. The kiss sparked the sexual flame in both of them, and they started having sex on bed with Mona moaning in the loudest voice. On the other end of the phone, Marianne heard everything. The astonishment stunned her, causing her phone to slip off her hand. The only downside of tickling a man’s desire early in the morning was the exhaustion that came after for the rest of the day. An hour of passionate sex later, Mona knelt on one side of the bed, helping the man with his tie. He was 6’3, and it was strenuous for her to reach up to his neck. She playfully punched his chest and said, “Honey, lower down.” Thaddeus looked down at her with a hawk-like gaze. His deep eyes were like a black hole in the brightest galaxy. One could easily lose themselves in his gaze when stared at. Mona sharply captured the hint of anger that he hid behind his deep gaze. “Honey, I’m sorry for making your new girlfriend mad.” The man mercilessly pushed her away. “My lawyer will contact you about the divorce in two days.” Mona’s eyes gleamed brightly. Thaddeus always resented her for poking her nose into his matter, and it seemed like making Marianne mad worked effectively. She put on an obedient look and said, “Honey, I’m going to miss you.” Thaddeus frowned impatiently. “Mona, you know very well why I chose you.” Mona looked at the man’s frosty back. She collapsed onto the soft bed and sighed a long breath of relief. She had been his secret wife for three years, and she knew him more than she knew herself. The reason why Thaddeus chose her as his secret wife was because she knew her place and understood when to do the right things. As long as she was paid, she would do everything within her capabilities. Mona over-delivered her end of the deal. She never caused a problem for him, she was smart, obedient, and neglected every single affair he had with other women. Thaddeus would get caught in a scandal with movie stars or Instagram models once every few days, but as long as he paid her to shut up, she would turn away counting money. After some thought, Mona went into the bathroom to clean herself up. As soon as she stepped out, the phone rang. “Mommy, it’s Millie. Bobby asked when you were coming back.” Mona cradled the phone to her shoulder and quickly got dressed in the dressing room. “Baby, I’ll be back in an hour.” The girl said in her adorable voice, “Okay. Take care, Mommy. Bobby and I are waiting for you.” Mona came out from Gold Coast and got onto the bus. The bus traveled from the wealthy district to the old district, where she had built her little den with her children. Her heart warmed as she got closer to her destination. When she opened the door to her apartment and took off her shoes at the foyer, she heard her children talking inside. “Sis, it’s time for your injection!” “Uh-oh! Bobby, you better get it this time!” “I won’t make the same mistake!” Mona swapped into her slippers and entered the house. She saw her son trying to extract some liquid from a glass bottle using a syringe. He looked very professional. He even shook the bottle before carefully adjusting the volume. Millie looked away, seeing as she was afraid of the needle. Her eyes and fists were tightly clenched. Bobby wiped the alcohol-dipped cotton on her skin and aimed the needle at her arm. Millie cheered for herself. “Millie is strong, Millie is brave.” Bobby concentrated and carefully performed the injection. The last time he helped his sister with her shot, she cried. She had been scared, which made him nervous, and they ended up wasting a bottle of medicine. He knew better than to waste it. After all, their mother bought the medicine using her hard-earned money. “Bobby, are you done?” Millie asked with her eyes closed. “I’m done.” Millie rubbed her eyes and looked at the little bump on her arm. She sighed a breath of relief but also broke out in tears. “Ouch! It’s so painful! Bobby, when will I be a normal girl?” Bobby hugged his sister into his arms and patted her back. “You’re different from other girls. You’re our angel.” Mona’s heart clenched when she saw the heart-warming scene. Her twins were only four years old. Millie had Type-1 diabetes and had to take insulin shots every day; Bobby was like a mature adult given his age and always shared his mother’s burden. She recalled the scene where she gave birth to the two of them. She was in the delivery room alone, surrounded by four white walls and nothing else. Her mind was as blank as a piece of paper. She had forgotten about her family or her relatives, and she did not remember where she came from or what she had been doing in the past. When the doctor came to her with the twins, he told her that she had been saved by a fishing boat in the ocean, and she was already nine months pregnant. Once she was sent to the hospital, her water broke, and was ready to give birth. Mona hugged her children tightly, looking at their adorable faces. They were like the warmest sunshine in the coldest weather. They were her everything in this world. When she was discharged with the twins, she wandered around the unfamiliar city aimlessly, trying to survive. Millie was born weak and diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes three months after she was born. With immense despair pressuring her, Thaddeus appeared in her life. It was he who brought the overworked Mona back into his mansion.