Ch. 3101..3110

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3101

Not This Time

The pair of them were soon playing catch like children.

Though they were being loud, the customers could not bear to disrupt their sweet time together. They placed the money for their bill on the tables and left quietly.

“I have customers to serve!” Gabriella cried, suddenly remembering that she was still at work. She ran back into the store.

Jake couldn’t help but chuckle as she did so.

Why do I always feel happy and relaxed around Gabriella? No! I must persevere for Joan! My feelings can’t sway! Jake regained his composure and put on his usual cold demeanor before walking into the eatery.

“The customers were happy to see you being happy and instead of bothering you, they left their bill on the table. Just collect them and put them in the cash register,” Joan yelled from the far end of the kitchen, looking very happy.

It’s all Jake’s fault! If not for that scumbag, I wouldn’t have left the eatery! Gabriella turned around and glared fiercely at Jake, who was entering through the front door. Her eyes gleamed with coldness.

“You! You’re banned from this eatery!” Gabriella shouted as she pointed a finger at him.

Oh, come on! How would she get to be with Jake if he doesn’t come and tease her? Joan hurriedly set down the tools in her hand and ran out.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly with a pat on Gabriella’s arm.

What? Is she still unwilling to let go? Gabriella bit her lip and gazed at Joan angrily.

Jake witnessed the entire scene. Though he did not appear to be bothered by it, he felt very anxious. This silly girl, why is she speaking about this here? If I didn’t come down, who would be here to entertain her?

At that thought, Jake smiled involuntarily with a warm gaze at Gabriella. He had never even looked at Joan with such tenderness before.

“Stop arguing now!” Joan stated sternly as she shoved Gabriella.

“No, I won’t, Joan. Don’t you see? He keeps interrupting our work. We’re losing money here,” Gabriella mumbled indignantly.

Jake burst out laughing at that.

“How much have I cost you today? I’ll pay you back!” he said as he took out his wallet.

Joan smiled at the sight of the warm and peaceful interaction before her. These two are pretty good together.

At Norton Corporation, Larry was seated on his couch deep in thought. To the side, Jessica and Caspian appeared thoroughly excited.

“What is it?” Dustin strode in with Abelyn.

“Has anything happened? It’s really early to be here,” he continued.

Doing such a thing wasn’t Larry’s style. Knowing so, Abelyn gazed around the others in the room curiously.

Before long, Nancy and Jory joined them. Only Gabriella, Joan, and Jake were absent.

At that moment, the three of them were bantering at the eatery.

“I’m thinking of proposing to Joan this weekend,” Larry said in a plain voice to those gathered in his office.

Yes, his previous attempt at a proposal had been sabotaged by Jake. Both he and Joan were thoroughly unhappy about that. When Larry learned that Jake had developed feelings for Gabriella, the man inferred that Jake would not sabotage his proposal this time.

At that moment, Jake was about to confess his feelings to Gabriella.

“What’s the situation here?” Jake appeared suddenly.

What’s he doing here? Jessica eyed the man before her in confusion. Shouldn’t he be busy in his office?

Larry, however, just laughed lightly and said nothing. He must have come over from the eatery. For the past few days, Larry had been hearing from Joan that Jake had frequented the eatery to seek out Gabriella’s company.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3102

Gabriella And Jake

“What’re you guys planning?” Jake rubbed his nose, looking apologetic.

“What has anything got to do with you?” Nancy shouted rudely.

Suddenly, the office went deathly quiet.

Larry got up slowly and faced the group with a smile.

“That’s enough, stop picking on him. Jake, you’re here for Gabriella, aren’t you?” Larry asked inquisitively.

Jake scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

The group understood at once. Jake is into Gabriella! That’s great! Joan is finally free from her troubles!

Abelyn eyed the scene excitedly, looking very pleased.

Actually, Jake wasn’t a bad person. He was merely impetuous; he had acted rashly in the past.

“So, you like Gabriella! Larry, when you propose to Joan, Jake can confess to Gabriella too at the same time,” Nancy suggested all of a sudden.

At that, the entire group began chattering merrily. What an excellent idea to celebrate two relationships.

They discussed a little longer before departing.

Soon, the weekend rolled around while Joan and Gabriella were kept busy in the eatery. It seemed like they had no idea what was in store for them.

“Hurry up, Gabriella! The customers are getting impatient.”

“I know, I know! Stop rushing me. I’m swamped!” The eatery was suddenly crowded, causing Gabriella to feel overwhelmed.

“We’re here to help!”

“That’s right. I knew that you two are busy here.”

Nancy, Jessica, and Abelyn had turned up to lend them a helping hand.

The sight of all of them invoked Joan and Gabriella’s curiosity for the girls’ motive. Could they want to discuss something?

Soon, the men entered as well.

With the arrival of extra hands, the entire eatery operated smoothly.

Two hours later, the customers began to depart. Once the last satisfied customer left, Gabriella and Joan slumped onto the couch in the corner, looking exhausted.

“Hey, we’re thinking of going to the beach. Are you coming?” Nancy gave Joan a light shove on the arm.

What nonsense is she suggesting? We’re exhausted from work!

“I want to take a nap,” Joan whined. At her answer, everyone looked at Larry, at a loss of what to do.

“You know what, I could nap at the beach too!” Joan yelled suddenly.

“What? Joan, are you crazy? Why would you want to sleep at the beach? I’m dead tired, and I’m not going anywhere! You can go if you want to!” Gabriella snapped.

“What are you guys doing? I’m not going…”

Because the woman could finish her sentence, however, she was carried off to the car.

“Joan, I love you! Marry me!”

The moment she arrived at the beach, Joan saw a spot set up not far away. Adorable balloons were floating, and the area was lit by enticing candles. An intoxicating scent of roses filled the air, and multicolored lights illuminated the scene in all its splendor.

All of those combined with the presence of the man she loved.

Joan was touched. Why did they not inform me about this? She wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes and ran into Larry’s arms.

“Will you marry me?” Larry asked as he knelt on one knee and presented her with an engagement ring.

“Yes!” Joan was touched by his gesture.

This time, no one was there to raise objections. Everybody present wished them well.

“I’m so jealous!” Gabriella squealed. She clasped her hands together and gazed longingly at the newly engaged couple with bright eyes. It would be nice if someone would propose to me like this! Gabriella fluttered her eyelids at admiration at the couple.

“Gabriella! I like you!” Suddenly, a familiar male voice came from behind her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3103

The Private Proposal

What’s going on? Gabriella spun around and saw Jake approaching her with a large bouquet of roses.

Is my crush… proposing to me? Am I dreaming? The woman rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Jake asked softly.

The others who were witnessing the scene smiled. At last, Jake found his soulmate, and Gabriella got the happy ending she’d always dreamed of.

Dustin hugged Abelyn tightly, Jory held Nancy in his arms, and Caspian supported a pregnant Jessica. They all looked at peace with the world.

“I will!” Gabriella cried.

The crowd erupted with cheers.

“I thought I didn’t stand a chance,” Gabriella said softly as her voice broke.

The thing about feelings was that they were unexpectedly magical. Before, Jake had thought that Joan would be in his heart for the rest of his life. Gabriella had taken her spot.

Jake had thought it through. His feelings for Joan were nothing more than a deep-seated dissatisfaction. He was dissatisfied to lose to Larry and unwilling to accept that Joan did not return his feelings.

At that point, those feelings did not matter anymore. He already had Gabriella, who was his everything.

“Congratulations!” Nancy said happily as she bounded over to them.

“May you spend the rest of your lives together!” Abelyn wished them in a soft voice.

At the sight of the happiness of all her well-wishers, Gabriella’s heart swelled with gratitude. Her acquaintances with them had begun with hostile disagreement, but she soon grew so close to them that they gave her their blessing on the day she found love. She thought her heart would burst with joy.

Finally, all of them had reconciled their differences and became fast friends.

Nobody had any idea that Jake would work together with Larry. As for Dustin, he had managed to let go of Joan. Everybody was with the people they belonged with.

But the good news did not end there.

“What? What did you just say? You’re pregnant? You’re joking, are you?” Nancy squealed in delight, holding onto Jessica’s arm tightly.

“What are you talking about? Pregnancy is not something to joke about!” Jessica answered.

In an instant, another cheer erupted from the group at Jessica’s news.

“Guys, let me tell you something. Jessica is pregnant! It’s true! Caspian is a dad now!” Nancy yelled as she ran around to spread the news.

In an instant, the news had landed on everyone’s ears. Larry looked at Caspian proudly. At last, the couple had reconciled and had a child on the way.

“You’re a quick worker! Good job!” Dustin punched Caspian’s chest playfully.

“That’s right! Hey Caspian, are you going to propose to Jessica soon?” Jory suddenly asked.

In an instant, all the men stared hard at Caspian, which made him uncomfortable. “What’re you talking about? I’ve already proposed to her.”

What? Caspian has already proposed to Jessica? When did this happen? Not far away, Nancy watched this scene curiously.

“Jessica, come here. There’s something I want to ask you,” Nancy called with a serious look on her face.

Jessica smoothed her dress and walked over expectantly.

“What’s the situation now? Why didn’t you tell us that Caspian proposed to you?” Nancy asked deliberately.

Jessica stared at the other woman incredulously. What’s there to talk about? A proposal is between two people. It’s between Caspian and I. Why should I tell everyone?

Besides, Jessica was an introvert who did not enjoy crowds.

“You know, I’m not too fond of large crowds,” Jessica replied as she tugged her dress absent-mindedly.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3104

Triple Wedding

Nancy could see from Jessica’s point of view, so she simply looked at the latter and forced a smile. She was not upset about the fact that Caspian and Jessica kept their proposal from her. In fact, she was already scheming for a romantic proposal for the pair of them.

“I don’t ask for much, except for happiness and health,” Jessica continued.

Why does she sound like an old lady? Nancy looked up and studied Jessica curiously.

Ever since the fiasco with Lisa and Caspian, Jessica had become more reserved and serious; it was as though nothing in the world surprised her anymore.

“Do you regret anything?” Abelyn suddenly asked in a low voice as she approached the two women.

“What regrets does she have? As long as she’s happy, she will have the strength to overcome anything,” Joan interjected with a smile.

In this world, Joan was probably the only one who understood Jessica the most.

She was not short on money. The only thing she wanted was a man to love her and spend the rest of their lives together. That would suffice.

After all, what could be more important than that?

“When are you planning on getting married?” Joan asked as she patted Jessica on the shoulder gently.

At that point, the bookstore was doing well. Coupled with Jessica’s pregnancy, things could not be going more smoothly. It was the perfect time to plan her wedding.

Jessica looked down and smiled with satisfaction. Before, she had rejected the idea of marriage. But she was not afraid anymore.

What she wanted most of all was a child and a husband — one big, happy family.

“Good job on locking down Jessica!” Larry congratulated Caspian back in his office. “She used to not believe in marriage,” the former remarked.

Caspian merely smiled uncomfortably.

“I respect her, all right? Larry, please don’t get the wrong idea. Jessica was willing! I did not force her into it.”

Caspian, you rascal. Who said anything about forcing Jessica into it? Larry understood the woman’s character very well. He shook his head sternly, but the happy expression on his face gave his true feelings away.

Three celebrations for three pairs of couples. It was indeed fate.

“What are you saying? Get married together?” Abelyn shouted at Dustin in the living room, her eyes wide with confusion.

Dustin was already prepared for an overreaction on Abelyn’s part.

“Yes. You see, Joan is going to marry Larry. Jessica and Caspian are getting married for their child. Even Jake wants to marry Gabriella. Since we aren’t married yet, I was thinking about hosting a triple wedding for us,” Dustin responded.

It was a pity that Nancy and Jory already had their wedding ceremony, or they could participate as well.

It sounded like a splendid idea, but Dustin had not proposed to Abelyn. How could they skip that part and jump straight to the marriage ceremony? Abelyn pouted unhappily.

Dustin knew what she was thinking. He covered her eyes and led her into the living room.

When he removed his hands to reveal the scene, Abelyn was stunned.

“Abelyn, I love you. Marry me!” Dustin cried as he suddenly dropped a knee in front of her.

The woman was not able to contain her emotions; her tears came flowing.

Soon, the dates for the ceremony had been finalized. Perhaps she was feeling envious of all the other’s happy times, but Nancy insisted that she and Jory get married again together with their friends.

The day of the ceremony came a week later.

“Let’s go! We aren’t going to make it!” Jory tugged on Nancy’s hand to leave, looking panic-stricken. He couldn’t believe that she was still dawdling.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3105

Wedding Flight

What’s going on? Isn’t it still early? Nancy gazed at her watch and looked most displeased. She was not a morning person.

“Slow down a little. I’m a woman. I can’t run as fast as you!” she yelled, trying hard to keep up with his pace.

The fact that Nancy was a woman was the last thing on Jory’s mind at that moment. No matter how tired she was, they could not afford to be late on such an important day.

At the same time, it was exactly the same scenario with Dustin and Abelyn, and Caspian and Jessica.

“Why are you in such a hurry! It’s still early!” Jessica panted.

“We’re late! If we don’t get a move on, we’re going to miss the plane,” Caspian answered patiently as he helped her to her feet.

The plane? What’s going on? Jessica turned to stare suspiciously at Caspian. It’s our wedding ceremony today! Why are we going to the airport?

What the hell is Caspian up to? Jessica stopped in her tracks and looked at the man with annoyance.

“Stop hiding things from me! What is going on? Why are we catching a plane? Aren’t we getting married today?” Jessica yelled.

Caspian fell silent. He had intended for it to be a surprise, but circumstances dictated that he told her the truth.

“Us boys have planned a surprise for you girls.”

In an instant, Jessica understood.

She patted Caspian on the shoulder and smiled sweetly, seemingly a little embarrassed for her outburst earlier. These boys really know their way around a girl’s heart!

At that moment, Joan and Larry were already at the airport. They exchanged an uneasy gaze as they waited for the rest.

“Why aren’t they here yet?” Joan asked as she glanced around.

Who knows? The girls always took their time dressing up when they were about to leave the house. Joan was an exception as she always dressed simply.

Larry tugged her arm and pulled her close to him.

He had been honest with her about the plan of getting married abroad from the start. That was why they were the couple who had arrived the earliest.

“How horrible of you to not have told us about this sooner!” Nancy yelled as she ran toward them.

“That’s right. I only got the news today too.” Abelyn arrived next, looking most displeased.

Soon Jessica emerged as well, with one hand on her belly. Caspian held her as they walked over carefully. After a brief respite, the group boarded the plane.

Getting married on vacation was something Joan had always wanted. Her wish had finally been granted.

“Thank you,” she said to Larry as she snuggled against him. The man gave her waist a little squeeze, looking as happy as he could ever be.

He planted a light kiss on her forehead, his heart bursting with joy. As long as she was happy, he was too.

Soon, the plane landed, and the group headed to the beach.

The girls had thought that, upon landing, they would have to plan their itinerary. Little did they know that everything had been arranged in advance by Larry and the men.

“Wow!” Nancy exclaimed when they caught sight of the scene.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3106

Craving Barbeque

When Abelyn, Jessica, and Joan heard Nancy’s exclamation, they turned to look at what caught her attention. They all smiled in surprise.

Even Joan did not know that everything had been planned out.

Suddenly, the wedding waltz sounded.

“Mr. Norton, everything is in place. We can begin now,” a young fellow ran over to Larry and reported smartly.

Larry nodded to the rest as he took Joan by the hand and led her away.

“Where are we going? Slow down!” Nancy yelled. She was the loudest one in the group.

“Where’s Gabriella?” Joan turned to Larry.

“Relax. She and Jake got here last night,” Larry answered softly.

In the dressing room, the girls were busy with their makeup.

Dong! The clock sounded from outside.

The girls smoothed their wedding gowns and applied their finishing touches before hurrying out.

Joan, Nancy, Jessica, Abelyn, and Gabriella stood side by side on the stage. All of them looked ravishing.

The men below the stage looked stupefied at their beauty but were nonetheless very excited.

“Gentlemen, are you willing to take the ladies on the stage to be your lawfully wedded wives?” the emcee shouted happily.

“We do!” the men shouted before the emcee could finish speaking. The ladies stood dazzling on the stage, drawing envy from the spectators below.

The sun went down soon after. Despite that, there was not a trace of tiredness on each of their faces.

“I’m craving some barbeque!” Nancy stood up suddenly and shouted without consideration for the people around her. Those in her vicinity shot scandalized glares at her sudden outburst.

When Jory heard that, he immediately went up to Nancy and held one hand over her mouth. He grinned sheepishly at the indignant onlookers, his eyes apologetic.

“Today is our wedding! Why barbeque of all things? Be good and sit tight!” Jory forced her down on the beach.

“No! Jory, do you love me or not?” Nancy demanded.

“I do!” he answered at once.

“Then let me have some barbeque.”

The man gazed at the woman he loved in his arms with a troubled look, looking evidently torn.

It’s our wedding, and she wants to have a barbeque. How would this look to others? He awkwardly glanced at the others, feeling at a loss of what to do.

“What’s there to think about? Let her have some,” Joan said.

Larry gazed at her affectionally. “Let’s get some barbeque since Joan wants some as well.”

The man got up, followed by the rest. They all then headed toward a restaurant nearby.

“Excuse me, sir. We would like some barbeque for dinner. I was wondering if we could borrow your…”

“Of course! The brides are the bosses today,” the owner said jovially, even before Nancy could complete her request.

This is what a hospitable man should be like! Nancy patted Jory’s arm and looked up proudly.

“Let’s celebrate the conclusion of the perfect wedding!”

The glasses clinked merrily as wine spilled in abundance. It was happily ever after; each of them had someone they loved who loved them back.

But their story was far from over…

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3107

Public Apology

“Hey, have you heard? Megan went viral!”

The man grunted in response, engrossed with his phone.

“Bloody hell. Boss, this is Megan! Damn, send me that photo with that pose.”

The phrase “Megan Rockford’s leaked” stole the number one spot for most popular searches on Twitter, followed by the word “hot.” Amongst the other popular searches were “leaks source,” “Megan Rockford family,” and “Megan Rockford boyfriend.” It was the same throughout all social media platforms.

Megan was perplexed by the sight of her manager’s furious gaze. She had been home this entire time and had not received any notifications, nor had she met anybody.

She was not aware of what she had done to earn her manager’s chagrin. That was why she was shocked speechless when she picked up the photos slammed by her manager on her desk.

It was a stack of raunchy photos of a couple in the midst of intercourse. The tangled mass of limbs made it unable to tell where the woman’s skin ended and the man’s began. It was enough to make anybody blush with embarrassment.

The thing that shocked Megan the most was the fact that all of the photos were of herself.

“Look at what you’ve done!” the manager yelled with bulging eyes whilst jabbing a furious finger at her nose.

Megan hurriedly flipped through the photos in search of something to prove her innocence. “No, this is not me! I’ve never done anything like this! I don’t even know this man!”

I’m still a virgin!

The woman hurriedly turned on her computer and entered her own name into a search engine. She was immediately greeted by many more photos of the same theme.

The comments around the office were unflattering to hear.

“How revolting…”

Megan felt her head pounding, and she leaned on the couch dejectedly.

She did not know who had gone to such lengths to destroy her reputation like that.

A month ago, she had begun a relationship with a wealthy heir of the show business industry. That was when she found her name being implicated in tabloids. As her career was on the rise, she had hoped it would be aided by her sudden burst of fame. To Megan’s surprise, the man in the raunchy photos was the man she had dated.

His assistant had blackmailed her for stemming the damage she had done to his reputation by threatening her future in the industry.

That was why she had spent a long time at home in quarantine and rejected any attempts to reach her. She had hoped that her hype would die down with time.

However, she did not expect the photos to surface. Megan gazed at her manager, as though hoping that the latter would be able to explain the situation.

Megan’s manager sat across from her irritably. With a roll of her eyes, she said, “What are you looking at me like that for? The company has arranged for a press conference for you to apologize to the public and the media. Get ready and come with me.”

“These photos are fake! Why should I apologize? Shouldn’t I be attesting to my innocence and getting to the bottom of this?” Megan jumped to her feet in a fit of anger and anxiety. She had a bad feeling that the company wasn’t going to bail her out of this one.

True enough, the manager let out a cold laugh. “Megan, consider the circumstances. You’re a newcomer. Why should the company devote resources to clear your name? Do you know who you’ve offended? You have two options now. Either apologize or get lost!”

Megan was stunned. She had worked hard in show business for so many years. Was this going to be what ended her career? These photos are all fake!

However, Megan had zero authority over the matter. The only way was to apologize and bide her time. She would explain the situation when she became popular and influential again. Besides, she could not afford the massive legal fees to take action immediately.

After cleaning herself up, Megan followed her manager to the venue of the press conference. As soon as the door opened, she was blinded by the flashes of cameras pointed in her direction. Reporters hurried over to hound her with questions.

Megan was unable to answer most of the distasteful and intrusive questions. In a daze, she staggered away in an attempt to shield herself from the paparazzi.

Before the words of apology came out of her mouth, the paparazzi had already set the tone for the press conference.

“Megan, rumor has it that you leaked the photos yourself to go viral. Is that true?” a reporter asked as he brandished the scandalous photos in front of her.

“Ms. Rockford, in regards to the pornography you leaked…”

The event soon became out of control due to the leaked images from just an hour before. The hostess on stage was a lady in a red dress. At the sight of the carnage below, she grew pale and seemed at a loss.

Megan had no idea that her day would spiral downward like that.

The photos in the paparazzi’s hands looked familiar, but she felt that it was inappropriate for them to be displayed out in the open.

“Let’s go…” her manager ordered.

The paparazzi surrounded Megan as though they would like nothing more than to swallow her whole. They were relentless and determined to do anything for a slice of gossip.

“Ms. Rockford, I’m a representative of Yale Silverware. Our boss has an idea…” a voice came to Megan’s ear, but she did not register it.

Her mind was a blank.

Go? Where to?

As expected, the venue was already packed.

Megan hurriedly snatched the microphone from the stunned hostess. “Everyone, shut up!”

At that, the crowd fell deathly silent. “Where did the photos come from?” Megan willed her voice to be calm, taking advantage of the paparazzi’s momentary silence.

At her query, the crowd erupted again. I shouldn’t have said that.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3108

Caught In Bed

“If you don’t want people to learn about your affairs, perhaps you shouldn’t have leaked them! Megan, I had no idea your private life was so depraved.”

“Megan, are you into BDSM?”

The paparazzi already viewed her as someone with no morals, judging by the disdainful way they looked at her. They left no stone unturned about her private life. She was a sl*t, after all.

Megan did not remember how she exited the venue.

Her limp hair hung disheveled over her pale and tired face; the incident had drained her greatly. She was determined to find out about the origins of the incriminating photographs.

Once the elevator doors opened to the top floor of the hotel, Megan relaxed slightly before entering her suite. She threw the doors open without thinking. At the sight of the red heels on the floor, her mind turned blank.

Before she could process what she had seen, her ears alerted her to the next piece of the puzzle.

A rhythmic moan came from the bed.

“Herman, give it to me. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Little minx. Your sister…”

“Don’t talk about her. You’re mine now,” a feminine voice interrupted.

“Yes, I’m yours. Get up here and start riding…”

It was warm and intimate on one side of the wall but cold and icy on the other.

Megan turned deathly pale. She wasn’t even aware that her lip had bled from her biting down on it. “I’m back.” She was in a daze. She had no idea how she managed to open the bedroom door.

The couple writhed on the bed passionately. A girl who looked like Meegan with an innocent face widened her eyes in shock and confusion.

The naked woman soon regained her senses and hurriedly pull the sheets over herself. “Megan, why are you back?”

It was her sister, Mia. They shared a father but had different fathers. Megan had just caught Mia having sex with her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend of eight years wasn’t even fazed when he was caught. Aside from a look of contempt, he did not appear bothered as he proceeded to collect his clothes from the floor without even sparing Megan another glance.

“How was the press conference?” Mia asked Megan with a glare. “Since you’ve already seen it…”

“Were those photos your doing?” Megan asked at once. She had always thought she could count on Herman. She knew deep down that Herman was in possession of those photos; it had occurred to her on her way up. She just could not believe that the man would betray her like that.

“As you saw, I’ve made quite a bit from it.”

Megan took an involuntary step backward the moment her worst fears were confirmed. “You…” She pointed a shaking finger at Herman. Her throat felt constricted, rendering her incapable of uttering another syllable.

“Your career was booming, so how could I let you step away from the spotlight?” Herman lit a cigarette. “Besides, Mr. Yale thinks you have potential.”

“That’s right, Megan,” Mia added eagerly. “Mr. Yale really wants you! If only you’d speak to him…”

“Shut up!”

Megan glared at Mia. She knew her sister had never respected her, but she did not expect Mia to have taken a liking to her boyfriend, let alone sleep with him behind her back for a long time.

“Megan, what’re you doing?” Herman stepped forward and gripped her wrist tightly. “You dare lay a finger on Mia?”

“Why? Have I done anything wrong to you these past eight years?”

“You?”

“You sleep with whoever you want. Have you ever treated me like your girlfriend?”

“You left me with no choice!”

Megan was a simple girl from the village. He was the one who had guided her step by step to where become the star that she was. Megan had endured his disdain for seven years but always thought that Herman knew how she felt about him.

“I did not expect you to be so frank about it. How does being in bed with her make you feel?” she retorted bitterly.

As though she felt that the situation was still tense, Mia spoke up, “Megan, since the photos have already been leaked, there’s no harm in sleeping with Mr. Yale. Besides, if you no longer have any use, why would Herman keep you around?”

“Keep me?”

Megan had finally seen the true colors of them both.

Herman stepped forward swiftly and grabbed her throat. “B*tch, if this is how you want to play, I won’t apologize for what I’m about to do.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3109

Where We Left Off

“Herman, Mr. Wilson only wants Megan dead, but he didn’t say when,” Mia said as she procured a syringe from the bedside drawer. It was filled with a blue liquid that looked menacing under the light. “Besides, Megan is a loose woman now.”

Megan did not know what the syringe contained, but at the sight of Mia’s wicked smile, she took another step back. However, she couldn’t get far as she was gripped firmly by Herman on her throat.

“No!” Megan screamed as Mia injected the contents of the syringe into her arm.

“Megan, have you heard of what whores like to be high on when they do it? I wouldn’t know. I’m not as slutty as you to enjoy it to the fullest.”

Herman loosened his grip, and Megan collapsed onto the floor. The two had drugged her to sell her body to a man named Mr. Yale. Megan recalled the recent tragedy of that celebrity who was found dead in her hotel room.

No, my life can’t end like that!

She looked up at her sister and caught sight of the lake outside through the window. In an instant, she had made up her mind.

“If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!”

As soon as Megan touched Mia’s arm, Herman sensed her intentions. “You want to die? I’m not going to make it that easy for you!” He grabbed the woman by the hair so hard that her scalp went numb from pain.

To Megan, death was the sweetest relief she could experience in her miserable life. With strength that she didn’t know she had, she broke free of his grasp and leaped out of the window.

If there is indeed an afterlife, I will haunt these two f*ckers forever!

The next thing Megan remembered was feeling sore all over; it felt as though she had been whipped. She gazed up at the ceiling. I didn’t even die from that?

Megan instinctively curled up in a ball on the ground. She couldn’t help but notice that the straw roof looked familiar. It was her home in her previous life. The yellowish lamps lent the scene a sepia tone of nostalgia.

As she came to that conclusion, a loud came from outside the door.

It was her stepmother, Garret.

Megan regained her senses. Did God give her another chance?

“Hmm, you’re finally awake?” Garret glared down at her as she spat, “Stop lazing around. Get out there and chop up some firewood.”

Megan got up under her stepmother’s stern gaze. Her body was still sore, but it was nothing compared to what she had felt before. Her heart was bursting with joy. She had been reborn!

“I’m going,” Megan told Garret as she pushed open the door. Memories came rushing back from the corners of her mind. It has been eight years since I’ve come back to this house. Everything there was just the way she had remembered it.

“Let the sheep out after you’re done with the firewood!” Garret shouted behind her. She had a cloth of such a brilliant shade of red in her hands that dazzled Megan.

Garret was about to make a dress for Mia. Over the next few days, there would be a wealthy man from the city visiting their village. The gossip of his arrival had already spread like wildfire, each one farther fetched than the last. Some said he wanted to find a wife, while others said he was solely coming to perform…

However, Megan had lived through this phase before. She knew that the visitors were a filming crew who had been charmed by the picturesque scenery of their village. They wanted to shoot a commercial. In her past life, she and Mia had left their village with the crew. The only difference was that Mia was beautiful, and Megan was deemed repulsive to look at.

Mia!

All of a sudden, the painful memories came rushing back. Megan stood rooted on the spot, not even aware of her sharp nails digging into her palms.

Her previous life was like a tragic comedy. She had worked so hard just to be taken advantage of by Herman and Mia.

Thankfully, God had not forsaken her. With this new life, she would not let go of Mia and Herman that easily. Blood for blood. They will suffer as I did, only a hundred times worse.

“You stupid girl, what are you still standing there for? Get a move on!” Garret’s shrill voice snapped Megan out of her reverie, and the latter started and hurried toward her tasks.

As Megan dashed forward, Garret suddenly grabbed a fistful of her neck from the back. Her filthy, mud-caked fingernails dug into Megan’s flesh painfully. It stung so badly that tears ran down her cheeks.

Despite the pain, she endured it. She was used to days like this in the past.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3110

The Plan In Motion

Before Megan’s father died, Garret would at least pretend to be a caring stepmother. As soon as he passed, Megan’s nightmare began.

The villagers all had vicious tongues. They put out the rumor that Megan was cursed; that curse had supposedly led to the death of her mother followed by her father. Garret had hated Megan before, but she became even more brutal in her abuse when she heard the villagers’ impression of Megan.

Megan did not blame anybody but her own luck.

Garret kept up her verbal abuse the entire journey. The other villagers pointed at them openly, but nobody stood up for Megan. She was cursed; nobody dared approach her for fear of contacting her ill luck.

Megan smelled the sharp scent of nail varnish before they entered the house. With a frown, she peered through the door and found Mia busy with painting her nails a vivid red.

Megan had no love for her half-sister either. In her previous life, Megan had received more than her fair share of abuse from Mia. She was also the one to have leaked Megan’s scandalous photos to the public.

I’m not going to be that naive this time.

Megan stared coldly at Mia with a knowing smile on her lips.

When Mia had completed the last fingernail, she held up her hands and strode towards Megan. Examining Megan’s torn clothing, Mia chuckled. “Don’t feel bad about the new clothes that my mother had bought for me. You were supposed to receive a new set of clothes, too, but I told my mother that nothing you wear would look good, so she saved herself some money. Besides, you’re a middle school dropout. You wouldn’t need to use any makeup, am I right?”

Mia’s arrogance was the same as it had been in Megan’s past life. However, Megan wasn’t affected this time.

“Oh, really? Well then, enjoy your new clothes!” Megan said with cold indifference.

Upon hearing her, Mia’s jaw dropped in astonishment. She could not believe Megan could appear that apathetic and emotionless to the point of sounding disdainful.

Mia watched in a rage as Megan walked past her. Having failed to provoke and upset the other woman, she felt frustrated and angry.

“Megan, you’re only fit to be my servant for the rest of your life! You’re uncultured and ugly!”

Megan did not feel stung by Mia’s tirade. The only thing she felt was exasperation at her sister’s immaturity.

Megan grabbed the ax and headed up the hill for wood. At the village entrance, she saw a group of girls in the distance. They were led by Mia, who was clad in a light green jacket with two red flowers in her hair. Though Mia didn’t have the glamor of a movie star in Megan’s previous life, she was still pretty in a girl next door sort of way, which drew people to her.

Megan knew she was unable to do anything to Mia at that moment, so she fought hard to control the rage within her every time she caught sight of her sister. Thankfully, the days were long. Megan had plenty of time to take back everything that Mia robbed from her.

Mia was not the type who would leave one alone if one stayed out of her way. The scars of a whip on Megan’s body were proof of that.

When Mia caught sight of Megan walking toward them, she led her friends over. “Hey, isn’t that my dear sister? Are you feeling better?”

Megan knew where Mia was heading with this. She clenched her fists and glared at the other woman.

“Hmm, she appears to be mute. Never mind, Mom will marry you to that dimwit Leeroy,” Mia said. Her friends laughed delightedly at that insult as they always did.

The air up on the hill was crisp. As Megan ascended, she schemed on what she would do next.

Judging from the rate at which Garret was preparing, the arrival of the film crew over the next couple of days would be her best bet.

Megan had been working in the show business for eight years. Though she had been coerced by Herman for not being able to film a good pilot, all of her auditions had fallen short with people taking advantage of her one way or another. However, that didn’t mean Megan was not shrewd.

As an actress, she was conscious of her posture and knew how to create, handle, and navigate emotional chemistry. Megan had always wanted to be an actual actress, but her talents were never utilized fully.