Chapter 2 Which Man Did You Have A One-night Stand With

The rain kept pouring as it drenched Leona.

A sharp pain came from her right arm as her eyes slowly opened, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Leona gradually came back to her senses. The first thing she did was clasp the necklace and the one million dollars that was more symbolic of Caspar's humiliation than anything. Leona's pale mouth twitched as she muttered, "Leona, you can't give up. Grandpa is still waiting for you!"

Despite her subdued tone, it was enough to strengthen her—she couldn't afford to be weak now.

The winds were still howling almost as if it were getting stronger by the minute.

She struggled to get up. When she finally did, she staggered as the wind blew her forward. It was too strong for her.

At this moment...

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The whistle of a car came from behind, followed by the voice of a stranger. "Miss, it's crazy out here. Where are you going? Let me give you a ride."

He then hurriedly added, "Oh, I'm going towards the direction of the SY Road. I think that's where you're headed too if I'm not mistaken."

'SY Road!'

Leona, who had been a little hesitant, instantly calmed down.

'I was in such a hurry that I didn't even get to bring any money. I couldn't pay the fare so I'm walking now. No one in their right mind would go out for a drive in such a weather let alone give me a ride?

What a kind man. He stopped when he saw me. He was nice enough to assure me that he wasn't a bad guy. What a good man!'

As Leona thought of this, she smiled at the man in the car and said gratefully, "Thank you, sir. I'm also going to the SY Road. Drop me wherever's convenient for you."

At No. 5, SY Road.

In the villa of the Ling family.

In the corner of the living room on the first floor, the clock showed that it was already midnight.

In the deep night when one would expect silence, the sounds of heavy moaning could be heard from upstairs.

Leona had just closed the door behind her and this was what greeted her. She was still shivering from having just come from the outside where it was cold and stormy.

She frowned.

She clutched the antipyretic medicine in her hands before throwing it to the cabinet beside her as she made her way upstairs.

She just wanted to go back to her room right away.

She had no interest in staying in the living room any longer than necessary, not even to get some water so she could take her medicine.

However,

the people upstairs wouldn't let her go so easily.

"Sherman..."

Leona suddenly stopped and loosened her grip on the butterfly necklace and the check as they slowly slipped from her fingers.

Sherman

was her fiance.

And that speaker was undoubtedly Lena Ling, her elder sister.

"... Tell me, who's better, me or that flirt?"

Silence followed.

Then Sherman Lu said, sounding tired,

"That flirt's just nothing but trouble. Do you think I'd want someone like that? A troublesome flirt?"

"Of course you won't. You're so..." after a short pause, Lena continued, a malicious smile on her face, "...dedicated."

"Umm,"

Sherman replied lightly.

"But you still didn't answer me!"

Lena said coquettishly.

"You're better,"

Sherman finally answered affirmatively.

There was no way Leona could know all these. Upon hearing Lena ask Sherman who was better between the two of them, Leona couldn't help but

be offended.

'I'm sure Lena's referring to me. I'm the flirt she's talking about.

For some reason, Lena likes to call me that.

Who's better between the two of us?'

Leona smiled bitterly.

'Of course, Sherman wouldn't think I'm better.

I already knew three years ago that he didn't love me.

Love is a feeling and feelings are constantly changing.

I don't blame him.

He was the one my grandpa liked. I devoted myself to him for the sake of grandpa's health. I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted grandpa to feel better.'

The last thing Leona expected to happen was this.

Most of all, she didn't expect that it would be her own sister that would do this to her.

It hurt.

It made her chest ache.

She felt as if the pain had enveloped her and she was drowning.

Leona held on to the stair railing beside her as she gasped.

"Leona..."

Lena's familiar voice rang in Leona's ears, soft and hoarse.

"… Are you okay? It's already late. Why are you home so late?"

Enduring the shooting pain in her stomach, Leona raised her head. The look in her eyes was cold and unfathomable.

All of a sudden, Lena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

'I hate her.

I hate how Leona is innocent, smart, and noble at the same time.

We're both daughters of the Ling family but why is she better than me?

Why is she so arrogant anyway?

I'm obviously the winner here. I already have Sherman—the man she loves.'

"Are you seriously asking me why I'm home so late? Lena, do you really not know? You should take care of your own business. Keep in mind what you shouldn't touch what's not yours..." Leona said with a smile as she gazed at Lena who was gritting her teeth, her face white as a sheet. She then walked past Lena and made her way upstairs to head to her bedroom. She then added, "After all, there are things you can never make up once you've done."

'This is a warning for Lena.

No!

This is advice.

She's my sister.

I still hope that she'll be fine.'

However, Lena didn't seem to take it well.

"Ha-ah...

Ha-ah..."

Lena guffawed.

After a while, Lena wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and headed downstairs. As she stood next to Leona, she looked back at Sherman who was just walking out of her room, fully dressed. "But Sherman and I love each other. What else can I do?"

Leona raised her head at the exact moment Sherman walked out of the room, her eyebrows knitted together.

'I'm so tired.

This is terrible.

As much as I want to ignore them... I can't.... For Lena, this is a good opportunity. She always makes it a point to attack me. She'll never let it go.

I can't even live in peace even when I'm just home!'

With this in mind, Leona turned and walked towards the cabinet where she previously placed her antipyretic medicine. She picked it up and made her way towards the water dispenser where she poured herself a glass of water so she could take her medicine.

Then she headed to the kitchen and grabbed the biggest porcelain cup she could find from the cupboard. Casting a meaningful glance towards the living room, she warmed up a cup of milk in which she added honey. After a pause, she decided to add a spoonful of coffee too.

'If I have to deal with this, I need to cheer myself up.'

"Well, aren't you comfortable!"

Sherman said instinctively as he watched Leona busy herself in the kitchen.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was visibly surprised at himself.

'Why did I say that?

Is it because Leona seemed unaffected by me and Lena? Why wasn't she hurt?'

Sherman shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts away.

Leona raised her eyebrows upon hearing Sherman's voice come from behind her.

'What does he want? Why can't he just leave me alone?

Does he want to humiliate and hurt me that bad?

That's okay.

Let's settle it right here.'

Thinking of this, Leona turned around and took a sip from her drink. In a careless tone, she said, "Not bad."

In response, Sherman felt angry.

Sherman silently took a deep breath as he thought back to what had happened between him and Lena just now. To make himself feel better, he thought back to how he had just slept with Leona's sister and how all of Leona's accounts and assets were currently frozen.

"Looks like you're in a good mood,"

Sherman said sarcastically.

Then Sherman pointed at Leona's bandaged arm and her medicine. "I guess he's treating you well."

'Huh,'

Leona sneered inwardly as she glanced at her arm. She remembered how the kind-hearted man not only drove her home but also took her to a nearby clinic to have her bandaged up and buy her some medicine. He didn't even leave his name and phone number, which meant that she couldn't thank him and pay him back the money. She was a little disconcerted but more grateful than anything.

'I can't believe a stranger would be so kind to me. Meanwhile, my own sister and my fiance treat me like this. I devoted myself to my fiance only to have things end up like this. They're already together yet they're still bothering me.'

At the thought of this, Leona's chest tightened.

Leona lowered her head to take a few more sips from her drink—this was her way of making herself feel better. Then she raised her head and gazed at Sherman, her eyes clear and bright. "He was a good man. Even strangers know how to help people who are in trouble, unlike some people who are shameless and assume everyone else is like them."

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

Lena suddenly chimed in, her voice sharp.

Leona looked at Lena, who standing next to Sherman, resentfully. She smiled as she spoke, "Don't you owe me an explanation?"

"You..."

Lena stammered in anger.

'What explanation is she talking about?

Who does Leona think she is?

The legal wife?

Is she forgetting that I'm Lena? I'm the woman who landed Sherman, not her!'

Lena glanced at Sherman who had a straight look on his face. She flaunted the necklace and the check that she had picked up from where Leona stood earlier. When she spoke, she feigned disappointment. "I just want to remind you that you have a fiance already unlike before. Can't you restrain yourself a little? Do you not care about Sherman's feelings at all? One million! Huh... I guess he was generous. He gave you one million just for a one-night stand. Oh.... No..."

She then looked at the clock by the corner of the living room. "It's only midnight. Oh.... How silly of me to forget what my sister is capable of! After all, you're a flirt. I'd like to know though. Which one's more suitable to your taste? That man from three years ago or the one from tonight?"

"Taste?"

Leona smiled slightly but her eyes were cold as ice. "Are you really doing this in front of my fiance? How about I tell you now what I like? !"

'What does she mean?'

Lena was taken aback upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, Leona was quick as she raised her hand and a sharp pain shot in Lena's forehead.

The porcelain cup was shattered into pieces. Lena immediately covered her forehead with her hand as she glared at the seemingly innocent and harmless Leona. Startled, she spat, "Did you just hit me?"

Hearing this, Leona was speechless.

'Why do you need to ask? You already know I hit you.'

"Now does that answer your question?" Leona grinned as she continued, "Are you just saying all this because you've forgotten what you did? Do you have amnesia or something? Did you forget what I told you tonight before I left? But..." Leona pretended to be surprised. "No, you're only a few years older than me! You can't be that forgetful, right?"

"You..."

Lena's face turned red with anger. Lena felt embarrassed to be caught lying. Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, Sherman cut her off.

"Then how do you explain the one million? Who did you sleep with?"

Sherman was furious.

'Her bandage seems to have been done in a clinic or a hospital. I can't be wrong about this.

I said that on purpose just because Leona didn't even seem to be mad when she found out what happened between me and her sister. I just wanted her to get mad.

But I didn't expect this! She had a one-night stand with another man!'

Sherman frowned, disgust and disdain spread across his face. "Leona, I underestimated you! I didn't know you could be such a bitch !"