Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Samantha’s breathing stopped abruptly and her knee-jerk reaction was to deny it. “That’s impossible…”

If Timothy liked her, why would he denounce their marriage two years ago? Why would he hurt her all the time and embarrass her so much?

All she saw from him was hatred, and perhaps even resentment…

“Why would it be impossible?!” Old Madam Barker raised her voice all of a sudden. “Sammy, you can be certain that you have a place in Tim’s heart, otherwise he wouldn’t have been willing to make your marriage public. I swear I wasn’t the one who forced him into doing it!”

Aunt Julia quickly agreed from beside her. “I can vouch for that as well. The old madam previously told Mr. Barker that she would allow the two of you to get a divorce if he really doesn’t have any feelings for you. But Mr. Barker didn’t do that. Instead, he made your marriage public! If that isn’t a sign that he likes you, I don’t know what is!”

Old Madam Barker had once told Timothy that she allowed him to divorce Samantha?

Samantha’s heartbeat skipped a beat and she could not help but ask softly, “Grandma, when did you talk to him?”

Aunt Julia immediately answered, “There was one night he came back drunk and Old Madam took care of him the entire night. When the next day came, she told him that a divorce would be better if you can’t get along with him. At least you’ll both have freedom and neither of you will continue wasting each other’s time.”

Old Madam Barker added, “When I was done with him, he immediately went to the hospital and kept you company. Don’t you think he did that because he cared about you?”

“Yeah! That’s right!” Aunt Julia continued to reveal even more information. “Do you remember when Old Madam and I went to the hospital and delivered food to you? It was Mr. Barker who called us and requested it.”

“…Was it?”

Samantha was dumbfounded when she heard everything that they told her.

She could not believe that the person they talked about was the very same Timothy that she had seen before her very eyes.

Old Madam Barker sighed softly, “Sammy, Tim is the kind of person who keeps a lot of things to himself. He’s not willing to let anyone see them and he can be very harsh when he does stuff. I may be his grandma, but I still feel like smacking him sometimes when I hear the stuff that comes out of his mouth. But he’s like that because he doesn’t know how to express himself. Deep down, he doesn’t really mean it.

“If, and I say if, he still has a place in your heart, I’m hoping that you can look at him for who he is and give him another chance.”

…

Samantha entered into deep thought as soon as the call ended.

The words from Old Madam Barker and Aunt Julia floated around her consciousness and lingered there.

The drunken night they mentioned was probably the same night that Timothy forced himself on her. Did he actually get himself drunk after that?

He later showed up all of a sudden at the hospital, saying that the old lady was the one who told him to go.

The old lady had even allowed him to get a divorce, but rather than doing so, he disclosed his marriage at the press conference and bound her to him.

When they were on Barrkjaer Island, he had also asserted that he had no plans to divorce!

He did all those things because he wanted to, not because Old Madam Barker told him to. Could the old lady have been a mere excuse for him all along?

Did Timothy really care about her and like her, just as Old Madam Barker said he did?

The shock that Samantha felt was so great that it took her a long time before she could return to her senses.

It was not until she remembered the called-off marriage two years ago that her confused mind started to calm down gradually.

During the time they were together, she was incredibly certain and unhesitatingly confident that Timothy liked her, but sadly, turned his back on her in the blink of an eye and abandoned her just like that.

What was really on his mind? She did not dare to come to a conclusion as of yet.

The notification tone from Samantha’s cell phone pulled her back to the present. She glanced over and saw that it was another WeTalk message from Rochelle.

[I’ve landed. See you later, babe.]

Samantha’s lips curled up. She had actually sat there in a daze and spent a few hours being preoccupied with thoughts of Timothy. That man sure was trouble!

She gathered herself and got up.

…

At the bar, Rochelle was already waiting when Samantha arrived. She sat at the bar and waved at Sammy, saying, “Over here, Sammy!”

Samantha smiled and walked over.

As soon as she took her seat on the high stool, Rochelle slid a rainbow-colored cocktail to her. “They have a new drink. Try it, it tastes pretty good.”

Samantha picked up the glass and took a sip.

It tasted refreshing and sweet at first, but that was replaced a few seconds later by a sourish and astringent taste. Samantha frowned slightly as a result.

Far from being unpalatable, there was an aftertaste that was worth savoring.

Samantha nodded. “Not bad.”

Rochelle chuckled softly. “According to the bartender, it takes someone with plenty of life experience to appreciate this drink.”

“…Then I’d rather not be able to enjoy it.”

Rochelle answered, “Tell me about it.”

Who would choose to grow old if one could be a carefree child forever?

“Alright, time to get serious.” Rochelle rested her hands on the bar. Her beautiful eyes swirled over to Samantha before asking, “Tell me. What happened to you and that scumbag?”

Samantha’s anxiety came like waves when that topic was brought up.

Before she started talking, she picked up the cocktail glass, raised her head, and drank it all in one breath.

…

They were so engrossed in the conversation that neither of them noticed Penelope sitting on the left side of the round-shaped bar. Her hair was disheveled and she looked like a wreck.

Her father had lost his temper completely after the Summer Group banned all further dealings with the Schmidt Group. He had long despised his wife and daughter, and under Sheena’s instigation, he chased both Violet and Penelope out of the house. Violet then brought Penelope to seek refuge with Violet’s family, but Violet’s parents—who used to love Penelope so much—refused to take the two women in for fear of being implicated with them.

In the end, Violet was forced to rent a house and bring Penelope along. Having grown accustomed to spending extravagant amounts of money, it was undoubtedly difficult for them to adapt to such a poor life. It did not take long for their money to run out, and Violet either spent her days crying or running back to the Schmidts and kicking up a storm. Penelope initially tried to advise her against it, but after persuading her countless times to no avail, she decided that it was better for her mother to be out of sight and out of mind.

That was how she came to spend her days in the bar almost every night.

Being drunk rid her of her troubles, allowing her to continue her delusions of being the Schmidts’ darling daughter and Timothy’s beloved woman!

All of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice and could not resist raising her head to look in that direction.

The lights were dim, but she was able to recognize Samantha at a glance. That woman could be reduced to ash for all she knew and she could still recognize that those ashes were Samantha!

Penelope sat there and listened to Samantha’s words, but her anger and jealousy began building up even more as she continued to listen.

She never expected Timothy to have done so many things for Samantha! To think that he accompanied her at the hospital, took care of her younger brother Corey, brought her to a sacred marriage destination, gave her a wedding ceremony, and even wanted to have a baby with her!

Penelope felt that all of that belonged to her! All of it!

Had Samantha never returned, Timothy would look at Penelope sooner or later, be moved by her, marry her, have children with her, and live a happy life with her.

Samantha was the one who took all that away.

As if having that taken away was not bad enough, Penelope ended up becoming utterly and thoroughly disgraced.

Penelope had no home. Her father was no longer a father, and her mother was fast spiraling down the path of insanity.. She was no longer the rich daughter that she used to be, and was no better than dirt that everyone could trample on!