C11 'i Don't like You Anymore!'

The man suddenly leaned in close, prompting Lydia to instinctively recoil. Her heart hammered in her chest, a frantic rhythm set off by his proximity.

Realizing he was merely appraising her, Lydia's tension eased slightly.

"I'm still the Lydia you knew. The only thing that's changed is..." She paused, lifting her gaze to meet his icy stare without blinking. "I... don't... like... you... anymore. I want a divorce, and I'm leaving the Tillman family!"

Her voice was soft yet resonated with conviction.

Reece's eyes deepened as he regarded Lydia's resolute expression. She had made declarations like this before.

In the past, he had listened without it affecting him.

But today, something within him felt uncomfortably stirred.

"Heh, your affection means nothing to me!" Reece scoffed, dismissing her with a cold flick of his wrist. "But if you're thinking about divorce... I'm afraid it won't be so simple."

Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them like electricity.

"Reece, Reece, are you even listening to me, hmm?!" It wasn't until Old Mr. Tillman's voice, laced with concern, came through the phone that Reece's frosty gaze drifted from Lydia's face.

He softened his tone, "I'm here, Grandfather."

"What were you doing? It sounded like you were giving her a hard time. Are you bullying Lydia again?" Old Mr. Tillman's worry was palpable, almost as if he could reach through the phone line to shield her. "Let her talk to me; I want to speak with her."

"Okay."

Reece complied, turning his attention back to Lydia with a low, cautionary reminder, "You know what you should and shouldn't say."

He then handed her the phone.

Lydia masked her irritation with Reece, sweetly calling out, "Grandfather?"

"Lydia, my dear, has Reece been bullying you these past few days?" Old Mr. Tillman inquired with concern.

"He... has bullied me." Clutching the phone, Lydia cast a sidelong glance at Reece and feigned a couple of pitiful sobs.

The sound of Old Mr. Tillman's coughing erupted from the phone, while Reece's gaze darkened ominously, as if he were a fierce beast ready to pounce.

Reece stepped forward, intent on disconnecting the call from the woman's ear. But Lydia swiftly evaded his reach.

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Lydia hadn't anticipated her words would upset her grandfather so deeply. She bit her lip in guilt. "I'm sorry, Grandpa... I was only teasing. Reece has been treating me so well these past few days, and... we've even shared a bed."

Upon hearing this, Old Mr. Tillman's coughing ceased, his eyes lighting up with mirth. "Hahaha, you little rascal! It's a relief to hear you two are getting along. Lydia, you both better work hard on giving me a great-grandchild soon. I want to meet him with my own eyes before I go."

"Grandpa, don't say such things! You're going to live a very long life," Lydia chided, her eyes unexpectedly welling up with tears.

Since learning of Old Mr. Tillman's illness, she would have postponed the divorce regardless of Reece's use of the Blue Bay property as a bargaining chip.

In her previous life, Old Mr. Tillman had been as dear to her as a real grandfather, and she had wanted nothing more than to make his final days joyful.

"Ha, hahaha... That's right, I'll live to be a hundred, and then I'll be there to help you with the kids!"

Old Mr. Tillman's robust laughter echoed, the warmth in it melting away the chill that had settled around Reece.

It had been too long since his grandfather had shown such happiness.

The corners of Reece's usually stern mouth turned up ever so slightly in the soft glow of the dim light.

Watching Lydia and his grandfather deep in conversation, Reece shrugged off his jacket and headed for the bathroom. Exhausted from the day's work, he indulged in a long, hot bath.

When he emerged, clad in his robe, Lydia was already asleep on the makeshift bed on the floor. Her pale, delicate face was partially obscured by her dark hair, a sight both casual and strikingly beautiful. Reece found himself taking a few extra moments to watch his "wife," his gaze lingering with a newfound attentiveness.

Lydia's pallor, perhaps due to illness, made her appear fragile, stirring a protective instinct in those who saw her. In this quiet state, she seemed less irksome than usual.

Reece pondered to himself. If it hadn't been for the incident with Maria, perhaps he would have committed to Lydia and built a good life with her. Alas...

With effort, Reece pulled his gaze away from her face and lay back down on the bed. Once his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep instantly, so deeply that he didn't even dream.

The next day, early morning.

Lydia awoke before dawn. She glanced at Reece, who was still deeply asleep, and her brow furrowed. In her past life, she recalled his constant battle with insomnia. Yet, these past couple of nights, he had slept like a stone. Had his insomnia been cured? Regardless, it was no longer her concern.

After freshening up, Lydia headed straight to the barbershop. She was ready to cut off the long hair she had kept for a certain man for five years. More than that, it symbolized a fresh start.

Not far from the Tillman residence, she bumped into Viola. "Sister, where are you off to?" Viola asked, mustering a strained smile.

Lydia, seeing through Viola's insincere expression, replied with a weary indifference, "Just off to get a haircut."

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman emerged from behind Viola, her eyes brimming with hostility. "Oh, if it isn't Lydia, the very cause of my daughter's death!" she exclaimed. "The irony! My daughter died such a tragic death, and yet you, the disgrace, live in luxury as Mrs. Tillman!"

Lydia bit back her frustration as the woman's finger aggressively pointed at her chest.

The woman was none other than Maria's mother—Mildred. Understanding Mildred's grief, Lydia attempted to explain with a gentle tone, "Aunt Mildred, there's been a misunderstanding. I was framed."

Mildred scoffed with contempt. "Do you think lying through your teeth won't bring divine retribution?" she spat, her finger jabbing at Lydia's shoulder once more.

Lydia, with a slight purse of her lips, sidestepped the accusation, both physically and metaphorically.

Lydia deftly stepped aside to avoid the confrontation. However, Mildred, exerting too much force, stumbled and fell, scraping her knee on the ground.

As Lydia approached to offer assistance, Viola was already crouching by Mildred's side.

"Auntie, haven't you been looking for a chance to teach Lydia a lesson? Well, now's your opportunity," Viola whispered into Mildred's ear, her gaze deliberately shifting toward Reece's villa in the background.

Mildred, initially taken aback, quickly caught on to Viola's suggestion to use Reece as a means to reprimand Lydia.

In a swift motion, Mildred shoved Viola aside and began to wail dramatically, "Oh, the injustice! Lydia, you've harmed my daughter, and now you've turned against me too!"

Her outburst quickly drew the attention of the Tillman family's servants, who gathered around her.

Reece, who had been inside, heard the uproar. He rose from his seat and approached the window to see what was amiss.