Chapter 6

Mona could not grasp the man’s thoughts at the moment. Did he just offer her to be his mistress or sex partner after the divorce? She looked down and kept her emotions at bay. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. After all, you’re busy and can’t possibly have sex with me every day.” Thaddeus was slightly taken aback by her answer. The layer of frost in his eyes grew thicker. He spew a single word out of his gritted teeth. “Disgraceful.” Disgraceful? Was it not disgraceful being his mistress or sex partner? Mona was not in an arguing mood. She had to pick up her kids from kindergarten. She stared at her feet in silence for a while, and when she looked up once more, the man had already left. She walked into the toilet to wash the paint off her face. She then glanced at her watch and noticed there was half an hour left before her kids finished kindergarten. When she returned to the venue, she was startled by a sudden scream. There were a large number of fans at the entrance with LED signs spelling Marianne’s name. Security officers had been sent to maintain the order but for the time being, the people inside the venue were stuck inside, including Mona. “Marianne Colister is here! She’s in Thaddeus Fontaine’s car! It’s confirmed! They have confirmed their relationship!” The group of fans screamed their lungs out. Mona looked in the same direction as them and saw a black MPV opening the road for the Bentley behind it; Thaddeus and Marianne were inside the car. Mona took another glance at her watch. She was running late to pick her kids up, which fueled her anxiety. The tumultuous crowd got out of control, and she was pushed forward. She lost her balance and fell on the red carpet in front of the moving Bentley. The fanatic fans swarmed the car and surrounded it like bees harvesting honey. Mona endured the pain and slowly got up, but one of her heels was stuck in a crevice. She tried to pull it out but failed several times. Several bodyguards came out from the black MPV and started to push the fans away, including Mona, who had now been separated from her stuck heel. Her ankle felt painful and inflamed. It seemed she had sprained it during all the commotion. She bent over to remove her remaining shoe, broke the heel, and used it as flats. Since she would be stuck here for a while, she informed the babysitter to pick her kids up first. Then, she called a ride for herself and waited for the crowd to disperse. Back inside the Bentley, Thaddeus was already in a sour mood from the brief meeting with Mona earlier. The tumultuous crowd outside the car only exacerbated the situation. The driver turned around and said in a small voice, “Sir, I think Ms. Ortega just bumped into the car.” Marianne sharply noticed the name. “Who’s Ms. Ortega?” Thaddeus narrowed his sharp eyes. He ignored Marianne and stared outside the window, watching a crippled figure limp away. “Ignore her. Just drive,” he said. The Bentley drove off by Mona’s side. She lowered her head shyly, and for some reason, an indescribable bitterness rose from her heart. She held up against the wall and limped away like a snail. Each step demanded a great deal of strength. It took her five whole minutes to reach a hundred meters away from the crowd. It was then a car stopped in front of her. She looked up and saw Thaddeus’s handsome face popping out from the wound-down window. “Get in,” the man said coldly. Mona glanced into the car and noticed Marianne’s absence. She sighed in relief and got into the car before heading to the hospital. After consulting a physician, she was diagnosed with a dislocated ankle. A chiropractor then helped her fix her ankle to ease the pain. She was in a hurry to go back to her kids, but Thaddeus held her back. He squatted down and helped her put on a new pair of flats that his assistant had bought. “Where are you going now? I’ll drive you.” Mona’s mind went blank momentarily as she stared at the man’s back. As far as she knew, the man had never lowered himself to anyone before, yet he squatted down to help her put on a pair of shoes. She did not know how to react. Should she be flattered? Or surprised? “It’s okay. I can go back on my own.” Thaddeus stood up and looked down at her from a condescending angle. “Are you sure? I’ll leave, then.” Mona continued to stare at him. For some reason, she decided to call out to him. “Mr. Fontaine.” Thaddeus turned around, waiting for her question. Mona asked tentatively, “Do you not want to divorce me?”