Chapter 2

Thaddeus told her he needed a wife, and if she agreed to be his secret wife for a few years, he would give her a lot of money when the marriage ended. His only condition was to listen to him and never interfere with his life. She agreed without a second thought when she heard ‘a lot of money’. Thaddeus kept her in the mansion and gave her a name— Mona Ortega. She knew very well that she was his mistress, and no man liked a mistress with children. So, she hid the fact that she had given birth before. That night, when she gave him her body, Thaddeus was actually mad that she was not a virgin. The man had severe OCD. He tossed her into the bathtub and washed and scrubbed her countless times until it chafed her skin. In the end, he gave her fifty thousand and left. She was physically in a lot of pain, but she was happy. She could not even make fifty thousand in a year. She used the money to buy her children milk powder and insulin shots. She even got them a caretaker. Mona was a drowning person who caught onto a float, and Thaddeus was that float that kept her alive. She was grateful for him, so she entertained him with her body. Fortunately, she did not invest her feelings into this relationship based on money. She knew she would have to leave Thaddeus one day. Now that her children were older, she wanted to spend more time with them. She had to divorce Thaddeus as soon as possible for the alimony, and she would use the money to treat Millie’s condition. After spending a night with the twins, Mona received a call from Thaddeus’s lawyer. “Mrs. Fontaine, Mr. Fontaine wishes to discuss the details of the divorce. Are you available to talk now?” “Yes, I am.” Mona got up from the bed. She made an appointment with the lawyer on the phone before she washed up and got prepared. It was soon after that Millie and Bobby woke up. They walked into her room hand in hand. Bobby looked at her and asked, “Mommy, are you going to work today?” Mona stroked her children’s heads. “Yes, but it’s likely I can make it back earlier tonight.” Bobby’s lips moved but no words came out of his mouth. He secretly tugged his mother’s shirt and dragged her to the other room. With a serious look on his face, he asked her, “Mommy, I have something to ask you.” “What is it, baby?” “Mommy, what do you do for a living?” Mona was stunned. She replied with a question, “Why do you ask?” “Our neighbor said that you don’t come home at night, and you have a lot of money to raise us. They said you’re doing something dirty.” Mona’s mind went numb after hearing her son’s words. How could those women badmouth her in front of her children? Why must they use such disgraceful words to describe her? Mona looked Bobby in the eye and said, “Mommy is going to quit this job soon and get a new job that will allow me to come home every day to accompany you and Millie.” Bobby’s eyes were shimmering in hope. “Really? That’s great! I’m going to tell Millie about it!” The smile on Bobby’s face strengthened Mona’s thought of getting a divorce. Thaddeus’s lawyer was waiting for her at Zero Time Coffee. “Mrs. Fontaine, these are the papers for the divorce. Have a look at it.” Mona went straight to the alimony section. A million. She was satisfied with the amount. “It’s okay with me.” “You don’t want to fight for it?” “No. He has given me enough.” “If you don’t mind me asking, Mrs. Fontaine, have you ever thought of fixing things with Mr. Fontaine? You two were the happiest couple, at least in my eyes.” Mona smiled gently at the lawyer. “Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. The happiness you see is not exactly real, but of course, Mr. Fontaine and I have maintained a good working relationship. While he has never mistreated me, I must know when to let go.” The lawyer knew the truth, so Mona decided to be honest with him. He sized up Mona’s delicate facial features for a moment and was somewhat impressed with her. Mona smiled. She flipped to the last page and signed her name on the paper without any hesitation. “I have to go now. Bye, Mr. Johnson.” After Mona left, the lawyer called Thaddeus immediately to update him about the papers. “Mr. Fontaine, Mrs. Fontaine… Uh… Ms. Ortega has signed the papers.” The man got up from his seat and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in his office. He peered down at the city beneath his feet with a condescending look. “What did she say?” “Ms. Ortega was happy with the amount, nothing else.” The man narrowed his charming eyes. Complicated emotions brewed behind his deep gaze. After a moment, he said in his deep voice, “A smart woman, indeed. Bring the papers here.” “Right away, sir.” … Mona went to the supermarket for some groceries. She had planned a feast for her children to celebrate the smooth divorce. Getting a million worth of alimony was worthy of a huge celebration, but when she signed off the papers, other than relief, she had some other emotions brewing inside her. As for what emotions exactly, she wished not to delve deeper. Mona returned home and saw the twins watching television with a beautiful box on the coffee table. “Bobby, what is this?” “A present for you from Flora’s dad.” A gentle and elegant face of a man immediately appeared in Mona’s mind. Flora’s father was a university professor and a gentleman due to his occupation and background. She heard from Bobby that Flora’s father was a single parent and had been raising her alone for two years. Mona picked up the box. She shook it, but it did not feel heavy at all. It seemed to be some sort of perfume or cosmetic. “Bobby, don’t simply take presents for me anymore, got it?” “Oh. Flora’s daddy said he wants to be our daddy too.” Bobby sneaked a glance at his mother before returning his attention to the cartoon on the television screen. Mona’s jaw fell. Were all men this straightforward? Unfortunately, she was not ready to start a new relationship. “Mommy, don’t be picky. You will lose a lot of opportunities in a second marriage as you grow older. Just because our daddy was a prick doesn’t mean there aren’t good men out there. Flora’s Daddy is one of them.” Mona looked at her son in shock. How could such words come out of a four-year-old’s mouth? Millie furrowed her brows and asked meekly, “Bobby, what’s a prick? Sounds scary.” Bobby pursed his lips and hugged his sister. “You won’t meet any prick in your life. I will protect you.” The twins leaned on each other and continued watching their favorite cartoon. Mona was left speechless by the boy’s mature thinking. She sighed helplessly and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After dinner, Mona’s phone rang. “You’re late. Where are you?” It was Thaddeus, and he sounded slightly angry. Mona was shocked. If he was asking, then he must be in Gold Coast. Should he not be with his Marianne on the red carpet of the movie premiere?