Wendy stood calmly in front of Ang, nodding slightly. "That''s right."


    Ang pulled out a check and handed it to her. "This is for you. Whatever amount you want to leave my son, just fill it in."


    Wendy shook her head. "I don''t want it."


    Ang scoffed.


    "I''m sure you''ve heard about the engagement between the Hawk and Larson families. My son is meant to marry Jessica, the daughter of the Larson family. Only Jessica is worthy of him.


    "The interests of the wealthy areplicated. This is the path Stanley should take, and it''s the right one.


    "I''ve also heard you''re with another man now, and that you''re carrying his child. Given that, are you still nning to juggle two rtionships? As long as I''m around, you will never step foot into the Hawk family''s door! So forget about that idea.


    "If you''re smart, you''ll take the check I''m offering and leave far, far away."


    Wendy looked at Ang. On the way here, she had expected Ang to be harsh with her, but the words weren''t as biting as she had imagined.


    Wendy found it hard to dislike Ang, perhaps because she had heard of Ang''s story. She saw no reason to make life harder for another woman.


    Wendy nced at Ang and gave her a small, faint smile. "You''ve misunderstood. I don''t want the check because Stanley and I are over."


    Over?


    Ang froze.


    Ang had seen her share of mistresses, especially the one who had hurt her deeply-the one her husband had always cherished. That woman had been a master at maniption, ruthless and calcting. It was why Ang despised all mistresses.


    However, Wendy wasn''t like the others Ang had encountered.


    Ang took a moment to recover.


    "Then what do you want? I want you topletely leave my son."


    "I don''t want anything. I''ll leave Stanley, so you can rest easy."


    11


    Ang wasn''t reassured at all. The more Wendy refused, the more unsettled she became. "Then why-"


    Wendy interrupted her. "When I was with Stanley, I didn''t want his money, his power, or his status. I married him when he was in a vegetative state."


    Ang stiffened.">


    1. e. Because


    know the


    "I''m not trying to get credit for that," Wendy continued. "I just don''t want you to misundersta once you do, it will create a rift between you and Stanley. I understand your deep love for him,plicated and difficult path of a wealthy family. I lost my father, so I understand the value of family."


    Wendy had lost Jerry; thus, she didn''t want Ang to lose her son.


    3


    In this world, besides romantic love, there was also family.


    Stanley was a filial son, so Wendy didn''t want to make him choose between love and family. He was the child Ang had given everything for. In the years since losing her husband, Stanley had been Ang''s only hope. Wendy didn''t want to let Ang lose her son, too.


    Ang stood frozen and stared at Wendy. 1


    Wendy, dressed in a white coat, her long ck hair cascading over her shoulders, looked pure and ethereal. Her small face, untouched by makeup, glowed softly in the light, almost otherworldly.


    She looked at Ang calmly and added gently, "As I wasing here, I calcted the time. I''ve been married to Stanley for exactly four years. For the first three years, he was bedridden, a vegetable. At that time, all I wanted was to help him recover.


    "After he got better, we had to adjust to each other, stumbling along. Now that I think back, I realize there haven''t been many happy moments between us.


    "So, like I said, there''s no need for the check. I''ll leave him." Chapter 554