The following day, Nancy had just been released from prison. On the flight back home, she bumped into a man that was all too familiar, Ryan. Long ago, she ended up in bed with him after a cruel trick played by her stepsister. She ended up pregnant after, giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. She had just barely gotten out of the hospital when she was thrown into prison. Now that she was free, she had no other intention in mind but to get her daughter back. Left with no choice, she would have to do everything in her power to get her daughter back whom Ryan had taken away.
Standing at the gate of the prison in Montreal in the late winter, her cheeks ached from the cold wind.
The woman had taken off her prison uniform and was wearing a long cotton coat that was a little worn out and probably went out of style two or three years ago. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail and reached her waist. Devoid of any makeup, her skin looked dry and ashen. But even so, her delicate features and temperament were hard to conceal.
The male warden handed the document to her. Her hands were riddled with frostbites and scars.
"I hope you won't do something like this again. Forget what happened and start a new life now." The warden spoke Mandarin fluently.
"How can I just erase the bitter past from my mind?" Nancy Luo smiled sadly. There was no emotion in her eyes, but her words revealed her wounded pride.
"Well, I hope we won't meet again."
The warden reached out and patted her on the shoulder. Then he turned around and left, leaving her standing there alone with the document in her hand.
She had been in prison for three years. Today, her mind was blank, and all she could think of was that scene in the court more than three years ago.
Back then, the judge had sentenced her to three years in prison for kidnapping and child trafficking.
Coming back to reality, she took a deep breath and walked out of the prison in Montreal, as a free woman.
She took out her phone, which had been lying in the coat pocket a year-and-a-half ago, and dialed a number.
After a few rings, a man answered. He was usually cool as a cucumber, but when he saw the number, his voice trembled. "Hello, Nancy?"
"Aron, I haven't heard your voice in such a long time." She stood alone shivering in the cold wind, not intending to move.
Maybe she would sober up in the cold.
"Nancy... Are you released from prison?" His voice was calm, but his stutter gave away his nervousness.
He was jumpy, wasn't he?
Nancy couldn't help sneering.
"Yes, I'm finally free after three years. Have you forgotten me?" Nancy Luo tried to hold back her tears, but her eyes ached as the strong wind shook her.
"Are you coming back? Let me book the flight ticket for you! Or better yet, wait for me there, and I'll come to Montreal to pick you up now!" he quickly offered, feeling guilty and panicky.
"I don't want to impose, Mr. Gu. I just wanted to hear your voice," said Nancy Luo politely, taking a fortifying breath as her eyes turned red.
"Nancy, please don't say that." He sounded remorseful. If this had happened in the past, she would have been moved to tears.
But no more! What he had done was unforgivable. She knew by now that whenever he spoke in this tone, he was lying!
"Don't get me wrong. I really only wanted to hear your voice. I just can't forget about the pain I have suffered all these years and the unfair accusation you and Jenny put on me."
She suddenly felt very tired. All her strength had left her body.
Before Aron Gu could say anything, she hung up and threw the phone into a trash can.
She found her old bank card and went to downtown to withdraw some money. Then she bought a ticket for a morning flight for the next day.
During these past few years, the thought of ending her life crossed her mind countless times, but the hatred in her heart made her live on.
Especially the child that she had never met. That baby should be about two years old now.
Nancy Luo sat in the airport waiting lounge all night in her flimsy overcoat. The next morning, she boarded the plane.
She planned to sleep through the 12-hour flight.
Exhaustion took over and she soon fell asleep. She dreamed about what had happened three years ago. It wasn't a dream, but a nightmare, which had lasted for more than ten months. The nightmare had snatched away her sleep for the three years she was in prison.
The horrible memories jolted her awake and she was drenched in sweat. She went to the washroom and splashed some cool water on her face. When she opened the door to come out, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness pass over her and fell to the ground in an instant.
The man, who was waiting to use the washroom, was startled to see her collapsing. He quickly leaned in to help her.
"Are you okay?" asked the man in English. He was patting her cheek anxiously in an attempt to revive her.
Nancy Luo's mind went blank. Her hair was plastered to her forehead because of the sweat. She tried to shake it off and stand, but she couldn't.
"Wake up!" The man pinched her, but still got no reaction. Several stewardesses rushed over. When they saw her pale face, they immediately became nervous.
"Let's help her to her seat first." said the man as he bent over and lifted her. He headed for the first-class cabin.
"Sir, this passenger was from the economy class," a stewardess kindly reminded him, worried about disturbing the other passengers in the first-class cabin.
He frowned and said, "The seat in the economy class doesn't recline. She needs to lie down right now."
The stewardesses looked at each other apprehensively. The man was already carrying Nancy Luo to his seat in the first-class cabin.
He gently laid her down on it. Her forehead was still soaked with sweat, and her face was ashen.
"Bring me some hot water. And a hot towel." The man issued orders like a doctor-skillfully and calmly.
The stewardesses, who were bustling about in the first-class cabin, were afraid that Nancy Luo would not wake up again.
A few minutes later, she opened her eyes and everyone was relieved. The man signaled the airline stewardesses to let her rest there. The hubbub in the first-class cabin finally died down.
Nancy Luo gazed at the man in a daze. She frowned slightly. When she was about to speak, another man's voice came from the seat beside her.
"When did you become such a busybody?" His voice was mellow and a little sullen.
The man who had just saved Nancy Luo took the towel next to him to wipe the perspiration on his forehead and frowned. "Doctors are supposed to be kind by nature. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."
The man next to Nancy took off his sleep mask. Out of the corner of her eye, she eyed the man. He was very handsome and, as a matter of fact, looked a little familiar.
She squinted but couldn't see clearly because her eyes hadn't fully opened. She simply turned her head and looked at the man.
He threw his black silk sleep mask aside. Then he opened an English newspaper and began to read, ignoring her gaze.
She tilted her head to look at his profile. His face was so perfect as if it were sculpted by an artisan. He had an icy demeanor and seemed to carry a mature man's taste.
"Miss, how are you feeling?" asked the doctor with concern.
She quickly turned around to look at him and nodded expressionlessly. "I'm fine."
For the nearly five years they had been married, Cory had never stayed in their house long. He would come back once a month and ruthlessly pull Susanna into bed as if it was nothing more than routine and what was his to take! She had spent their entire marriage trying to please him and doing her best to be a good wife. And yet, he would still rather enjoy the company of photos and posters of another woman pasted all over the room. Eventually, her hopes were shattered and her stupidity stopped getting the best of her and she signed the divorce agreement. It was only once she had left that he realized he'd lost a piece of his heart when he lost her.
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."