Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Samantha reached the last turn before the tearoom and was about to walk back in.

However, her heart trembled for an unknown reason and she halted her footsteps. The next second, she saw a figure slowly walk over from the other side.

Even though she was some distance away from the figure; adding to the fact that the corridor lights were very dim; not to mention she could only vaguely see a silhouette of that person's figure, she could still recognize it at a glance.

It was none other than Timothy.

Samantha had difficulty standing steadily at that moment. She staggered backward a few steps and had to support herself on the wall to avoid falling over.

She had even confidently told Harmony earlier that Timothy would not come.

Timothy's arrival was a resounding slap in her face hence why she was a little stunned at that moment.

The door of the VIP room opened suddenly and Harmony walked out of it.

Samantha's face was pale at that moment and she naturally could not let them see her like that. She moved her to the side and used the wall as a shield.

When Timothy walked to the door of the VIP room, Harmony saw him and looked up at him with a sweet smile.

Since Timothy's body had turned to the side, Samantha could not get a clear look at his expression but could sense no avoidance or alienation.

The two of them were talking with each other, with Timothy lowering his gaze while Harmony looked up at him.

She could not hear the contents of their conversation, but the scene in front of her was particularly stinging.

Harmony could get him to come to her with just a phone call.

To make things worse, he went to Harmony even after saying that he would wait for Samantha at home.

Was that how he should be treating someone who was 'just a friend?'

However, Samantha still held on to her last trace of reason. She could give Timothy one last chance and trust Timothy one last time.

She hoped that he would not let her down.

Samantha took a deep breath and tried to steady her shaking hands. She then took her cell phone from her bag and dialed Timothy's number.

While doing so, she looked intently at Timothy without blinking.

Timothy's cell phone rang, interrupting his chat with Harmony at the VIP room entrance.

Samantha watched as the man took out his phone from his trouser pocket. He lowered his eyes and looked at the phone screen for a second.

Then, he swiped his finger on the screen.

Samantha heard a cold robotic reminder from her cell phone: 'The number you have dialed cannot be reached at the moment...'

Her call had been rejected.

The hand that was holding her phone fell limply to her side.

It was the same as that night.

That was how it was, it seemed…

Timothy would refuse her calls whenever he was with Harmony.

The impact she was witnessing was a thousand—no, ten thousand times more uncomfortable than she had ever imagined.

She was able to remain unfazed by Harmony's taunts, but that one simple action from Timothy had practically knocked her down.

Harmony's words were all true, then?

The reason why he married Samantha was so she could give birth to his heir and pave the way for the love between him and Harmony.

Doing so allowed him to fulfill his filial piety to Old Madam Barker and fulfill his love for Harmony.

Was Samantha the only one who had to be sacrificed?

Was she the only one who did not warrant concern or consideration?

Were his sweet words and affectionate love all a lie?

How could he treat her like that?

Why would he hurt her so willfully?

Samantha clenched her hands tightly as her entire body trembled fiercely. Even her eyes were starting to turn red.

In front of her, Timothy and Harmony had walked into the VIP room together.

There was a murderous gaze in Samantha's eyes as she lifted her feet to charge over.

Before she could reach the room, however, her nausea rushed up uncontrollably. It was much stronger than before and she was unable to endure it.

Samantha bent over uncomfortably and retched.

Aside from wanting to vomit, her head was spinning, and her vision was blurry. She could not even support herself properly on the wall so she squatted on the ground as her knees softened.

When a passing waitress saw her, she ran over and asked her worriedly, "Are you alright, Miss? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"I... I feel like vomiting," Samantha said with difficulty.

"Vomiting, you say? In that case... I'll help you to the bathroom." The waitress helped her up carefully and walked her towards the restroom.

Once they entered the restroom cubicle, Samantha vomited into the toilet.

The waitress grabbed some tissues and handed them to her while patting her back. "Do you feel better now, Miss? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Samantha's stomach was empty, so the only thing she vomited was stomach acid. The entire ordeal was just so uncomfortable that she was completely listless.

She was unable to speak for a moment.

The phone in Samantha's hand rang suddenly.

The waitress saw the cell phone Samantha was holding and suggested, "Perhaps you can call a family member or a friend to come over?"

Family?

She originally thought that she had a new family.

Unfortunately, it was just another joke.

"None."

Her voice was too soft, so the waitress had to ask again because it was difficult to hear clearly. "What's that?"

"None... No family."

"Ah... Well..." Samantha's face was pale and she looked like she was crying, although there were no tears at all. The waitress was a little helpless to see that and sensed Samantha's great despair.

Unfortunately, the waitress did not know how to comfort or help her.

Samantha glanced at the phone screen. She thought it was Harmony who called to urge her, but she did not expect it to be Rochelle.

Her nose tingled and she immediately answered the phone. It was difficult for her to control her crying when she spoke. "Chelle..."

She did not want to cry, but Rochelle was the only friend she trusted and relied on. So that made it even more difficult to suppress her emotions.

It had been ages since Rochelle heard Samantha cry, and it was understandable that Rochelle practically jumped up in fright. She was briefly lost for words, but reacted quickly enough and asked in a serious tone, "Where are you?"

Samantha reported the address in a hoarse voice.

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

20 minutes later, Rochelle appeared in front of Samantha. A murderous aura enveloped her entire body when she saw Samantha's colorless face and swollen, slightly red eyes.

Her tone, however, was very soft and gentle when she walked up to Samantha. "What happened, Sammy?"

Samantha was still dizzy. Both her body and mood were uncomfortable, she shook her head lightly while saying, "Let's just leave this place first."

It was important for her to not make a fool of herself.

If she wanted to face Harmony and Timothy, she must make sure to not do so in such an embarrassing and vulnerable state.

Rochelle could only set aside the desire to ask further and helped Samantha up before leaving.

After getting into the car, Rochelle started the engine and drove off.

Then, she glanced at Samantha from the side and asked, "Shall I send you home?"

The word 'home' inevitably brought up the picture of Timothy and Harmony in Samantha's mind, causing her nausea to return once more.

Since there was nothing for her to vomit, she could only purse her lips and retched violently.

Rochelle was taken aback and hurriedly pulled over at the side of the road. She asked concernedly, "What's going on, Sammy? The waitress said that you had been vomiting, why do you still feel like vom—"

A thought suddenly occurred to Rochelle and her expression sank slightly. "Sammy.... You're not pregnant, are you?"