Chapter 1 The Wheel Of Life Turns

• There was a deafening thunderclap, as lightning illuminated the dark, jet-black sky. A blinding light briefly filled the room, before sinking back into darkness. Bean-sized drops of water began to fall, hitting the window of the villa with a rhythmic "tick no" sound. The air became humid, permeating the entire room.
• "What is it that you want?!" Alexander, inebriated and frustrated, shouted. His tall and imposing figure lacked any strength as he pressed Felicia against the expensive marble wall. His calloused hands almost crushed her thin and fragile shoulders.
• Why is this woman so blind to him? From the beginning, Alexander never loved her. Since their marriage a year ago, he had never touched her. How could she still not understand?
• "I want you!" Felicia cried, her heart shattered, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Alexander. "Alexander, I want you, I only want you!"
• "You want me, huh?!" Alexander snapped, his eyes cold and sharp like an eagle's, causing Felicia to tremble. "Fine, I'll give myself to you! Until you no longer want it!"
• Before he finished his sentence, his large hand forcefully tore Felicia's nightgown.
• Felicia's body was suddenly exposed to the humid air. Her smooth back was pressed tightly against the wall by Alexander. Felicia shook her head vigorously, then whimpered, "Alexander, why do you have to treat me like this?"
• "Isn't this what you wanted?" Alexander asked, his eyes piercing like a knife as he stared into Felicia's eyes. At the same time, he forcefully entered her body.
• "Uh..." Felicia sighed, feeling her body ache as if it were being torn apart. She reached out her hand to push Alexander's chest, but realized it was futile.
• "Didn't you say you wanted me?" Alexander persisted, pressing Felicia against the wall, his movements relentless. The vibrations and sounds of Felicia's body only fueled Alexander's drunken excitement.
• "Why... Why does it have to be like this?" Felicia groaned, looking at Alexander who had become a stranger. She stopped fighting, closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face.
• Felicia never expected that on the day of her college graduation at the age of 21, her husband of one year would give her a graduation gift like this!
• In the past, Alexander had always been cold towards her, but never to this extent. He tormented her like a devil.
• "Why... Why..." Felicia muttered repeatedly, her gaze fixed on the giant crystal chandelier hanging from the room's ceiling.
• However, Alexander didn't answer. He continued to forcefully enter Felicia's body, his roughness and cruelty almost causing her to faint from the pain. Felicia never expected that the physical intimacy she had longed for in her heart would turn out like this!
• Who knows how much time had passed, but Alexander, after satisfying his desires multiple times, finally stopped. Upon receiving a woman's call, Alexander left without hesitation.
• Meanwhile, Felicia lay on the bed, her eyes staring blankly into space, her tears dried.
• Now, Felicia finally admitted that Alexander had never loved her from the start. He married her solely to take over his father's company, driving away his stepmother and younger half-brother who had just graduated from high school.
• Now that he had succeeded and no longer needed her, Felicia's heart felt as if it had turned to dust, as if it had been reduced to ashes.
• Felicia got out of bed and saw the divorce certificate placed on the table beside her. She reached out her slender arm and took the divorce certificate.
• The explanation in the divorce letter was clear, especially regarding the division of property. Alexander did not hesitate to give Felicia her share.
• Seeing this, Felicia smiled bitterly. If she had only cared about wealth, her heart wouldn't ache like this.
• Felicia picked up a pen, smoothed out the letter, and looked at the legally binding black writing on the divorce certificate. She then signed her name.
• Setting the divorce papers aside, she left the room barefoot, not even sparing a glance at the bank check...
• ******
• Four years later...
• In the Lindolf family villa, on the white marble floor that shone like a mirror, various luxurious dishes were neatly arranged on a red tablecloth. The guests in attendance were elite figures from the business world and esteemed guests, their conversations and laughter adding to the lively atmosphere.
• Now, Felicia had changed her name to Fellis Andy. She wore a formal white dress that covered her chest down, made of high-quality fabric and designed with a gold chain around the waist. The dress's hem, which hung above her knees, was embroidered with several flower petals. The light color made her appear as if she had emerged from a sea of flowers. Her every movement exuded grace and a sweet aura.
• Fellis held a wine glass and observed the important guests mingling at the party, her heart beating slightly.
• Today was the birthday party of Warren Lindolf, the son of a leader in the jewelry industry.
• Coincidentally, Fellis worked at the Tsundere Family Garment Company, which collaborated with the Big Lindolf Company. As an employee of the Tsundere Family Garment Company, she was fortunate to attend this grand party alongside the deputy manager.
• Originally, as a new designer, Fellis was not worthy of attending such an extravagant event.
• However, after Fellis' design caught the attention of the new center manager, she was directly appointed by the manager to transfer from the branch company in Southampton to the headquarters in Houston. The plan was for her to be given an important task after this internship.
• Four years ago, after signing the divorce papers with Alexander, Fellis left Houston for Southampton. There, relying on her own perseverance, she supported herself and her son, Joy.
• Now, in order to pursue her dreams and earn more money, she had returned to Houston.
• Thinking about this, Fellis' eyes darkened slightly. In Houston, there was that person, Alexander Gunner.
• What Fellis feared most now was that he would try to take her son away.
• Although she disliked keeping up with the news, Fellis was aware of it. Four years ago, after divorcing her, Alexander married his current wife, Ellie Zoha, with a lavish celebration.
• However, the wheel of life continued to turn, and fate was not on anyone's side. Despite Alexander's wealth and high position, he and his wife had been unable to conceive for years.
• This worried Fellis. If Alexander were to discover Joy's whereabouts, he might immediately come and try to take him away!
• But she wouldn't allow it!
• Fellis frowned, determined not to let that happen. Her son, Joy, meant everything to her. No one should take him away from her grasp!
• Taking a deep breath, Fellis tried to calm her mind and avoid any strange thoughts. Houston was vast, how could it be possible to encounter him?
• "Fellis, why are you standing here? Come with me to greet the directors!" Deputy Director Hudson urged when he noticed her lost in thought, walking beside him.
• "Alright, I'll join you right away," Fellis hastily replied, nodding, and followed Deputy Director Hudson.
• Deputy Director Hudson turned to glance at the beautiful Fellis, then looked at the chatting bosses. Fellis tried to put on a sweet smile and walked after Deputy Director Hudson.
• "Director William, it's been a while!" Deputy Director Hudson greeted with a smile, raising his glass to the round-faced Director William.
• "Yes," Director William replied with a smile, seemingly addressing Deputy Director Hudson. However, his gaze unintentionally wandered and landed on Fellis' figure.
• The white dress that covered only her chest and stomach revealed her shoulders, highlighting the proportionate ratio between her neck and collarbone. It captivated anyone who laid eyes on it. Not only that, Fellis had beautiful round eyes and delicately arched eyebrows. Even a slight smile enhanced her charm, making it impossible for passersby to look away. Her sharp nose resembled gold, and her soft lips radiated a gentle glow, giving her a perfectly attractive face.
• Director William's eyes lit up upon seeing her. He asked Deputy Director Hudson, "Deputy Director Hudson, who is this...?"
• "This is a designer who is new to our company. General Manager Tsundere liked her design from the first sight, so he appointed her himself to attend this party," stated Deputy Director Hudson. With a quick assessment, he recognized Director William's interest in Fellis and promptly stepped aside, gesturing for Fellis to approach Director William.
• "Hello, Director William. My name is Fellis Andy," introduced Fellis as she extended her hand to shake Director William's hand.
• "Director William is the largest fabric distributor in our company," Deputy Director Hudson added.
• Fellis smiled in understanding and approached Director William to offer a toast. "Hopefully we can continue to work together with Director William in the future."
• Observing the smile on Director William's face, Deputy Director Hudson remarked, "You two can chat. I will go and greet Director Lucas."
• After Deputy Director Hudson departed, Director William took a step forward, almost invading Fellis' personal space, and stated, "Miss Andy, this is my business card..."
• Fellis's alluring scent wafted towards Director William, stirring his emotions.
• "Thank you, Director William," responded Fellis, accepting the business card and discreetly taking a step back to maintain an appropriate distance from Director William.
• During their conversation, Fellis adeptly provided Director William with a deeper understanding of the Tsundere Family Garment Company. Director William soon realized that Fellis possessed not only beauty but also remarkable abilities, causing him to revise his opinion of her.
• Having obtained valuable information from Director William, Fellis bid him farewell and approached Deputy Director Hudson.
• "Did everything go well?" inquired Deputy Manager Hudson upon seeing Director William's departure.
• "Not bad," replied Fellis modestly. "Director William mentioned that if our companies cooperate sincerely and increase the demand for goods, he is willing to reduce the price by up to 80% for our company."
• "Excellent!" praised Deputy Director Hudson, nodding in satisfaction. "Our company plans to increase the production quota, so the orders we place with Director William's company will undoubtedly increase. With the lowered fabric prices, our company's profits will soar."
• "Fellis, your performance has been outstanding. From now on, you will be responsible for handling Director William's matters," declared Deputy Director Hudson, recognizing Fellis's capabilities and intending to reward her accordingly.
• Subsequently, Fellis accompanied Deputy Director Hudson in meeting and conversing with several influential bosses. Throughout the encounters, Fellis displayed appropriate etiquette and professionalism.
• Finally, after meeting almost all the important individuals, Fellis, feeling the strain of continuously smiling, excused herself to fix her makeup in the bathroom, with Deputy Director Hudson's permission.
• In the private bathroom of the Lindolf family's villa on the second floor...
• Alexander gently patted Ellie's back, his concern evident as he asked, "Ellie, are you feeling better?"
• "Cough..." Ellie could only respond with a painful cough.
• Clutching her chest, Ellie's brows furrowed slightly, and her once-rosy lips turned pale.
• Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes as she struggled with her continuous vomiting. Her rosy-like cheeks lost their usual smoothness, evoking great pity from Alexander.
• "Alexander, don't worry too much. Ellie is just feeling a little unwell," reassured Ellie's older cousin, Wayne Zoha, who also served as the manager of the marketing department at the Gunner Family Big Company and the caretaker of the Gunner family villa. Though his face mirrored Alexander's concern, he made sure to calm Alexander's anxieties.
• "I should have insisted on Ellie resting at home. Despite knowing her delicate health, I still asked her to come," lamented Alexander, his tone filled with apology as he witnessed Ellie's suffering.
• "N, it's okay..." Ellie replied, lifting her pale face to look at Alexander. She mustered a weak smile and understood the feelings of those around her. "Alexander, I'm fine. Don't worry. I..."
• Before she could finish speaking, Ellie's stomach revolted once again. In pain, she clutched her chest, unable to relieve herself.
• Last night, Ellie had not slept well, and today's activities had taken a toll on her weakened body. The variety of food at the party had initially caused discomfort, and now she was experiencing stomach pains.
• "Ellie, after this, we will go home immediately. I will call your personal doctor," Alexander suggested gently, his arm still around Ellie's shoulder.
• "No need," Ellie replied, vomiting again. She raised her head, her voice weak and strained. "This is your best friend's party. I don't want to ruin the fun."
• "Alexander, Ellie is right. After all, this is your best friend's birthday party, and as your wife, Ellie should be here. You don't need to blame yourself," Wayne reassured, attempting to ease Alexander's guilt. He observed Alexander's hand still embracing Ellie's shoulder, sensing an indescribable emotion in his eyes.
• "But I can't stay calm when you're like this," Alexander persisted, patiently persuading Ellie while shaking his head. "Ellie, in my opinion, let's go home, alright?"
• "But..."
• "No, no, no..."
• The sound of heels clicking against the floor interrupted Ellie's words. Fellis, slightly intoxicated, noticed the long line for the bathroom on the first floor. With blurred vision, she spotted three figures in the bathroom.
• Concerned about Ellie's condition, Alexander didn't pay attention to who was approaching. He simply turned to Wayne, gesturing for him to handle the situation.
• Wayne nodded and approached Fellis. "Miss, this bathroom is private. Please leave," he firmly stated.
• "Eh? Why is there a man here?" Fellis blinked her watery eyes, not paying attention to Wayne's words. She pointed her slender finger at Wayne and asked, "Sir, please leave."
• At that moment, Ellie, clutching her chest, turned to look at the woman arguing with Wayne in the distance. A slight unease crept into her heart as she glanced up at Alexander. In a weak, pleading voice, she said, "Alexander, that woman is causing trouble for no reason."
• "Don't be upset. I will handle it and chase her away," Alexander calmly assured Ellie as he patted her back. He then turned and walked towards Fellis.
• Alexander maintained a gentle smile in front of Ellie, but in the presence of others, he exuded an icy demeanor. As he approached Fellis, his cold voice could already be heard, "Leave."
• Fellis, engaged in an argument with Wayne, chuckled upon hearing the cold voice. She looked at the approaching figure and asked defiantly, "What if I refuse to leave?"