The Year I Was the Other Woman To Myself novel Chapter 147

It looked bitter, and as she knew from experience, it tasted even worse. Penelope had grown to dread the medicinal soup, reaching the point where the mere sight of it brought tears to her eyes.

She glanced over at Theodore. After heating the tonic and setting it before her, he had settled onto the sofa to take a call. He was laughing and talking with someone, completely at ease. Every so often, he’d shoot her a look—a look of perfect, unconcerned detachment.

Why should he get to be so carefree?

A wave of indignation washed over her. After forcing down the foul-tasting liquid, her mouth filled with a lingering bitterness. An idea sparked in her mind, and she ran towards him.

Theodore saw the mischievous glint in her eye and instantly knew what she was planning. As she pounced, he calmly raised a hand and pressed it against her forehead, stopping her in her tracks.

Undeterred, Penelope squirmed until she managed to land in his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist to keep from falling off. Then, she puckered her lips and lunged forward.

A smirk played on Theodore’s lips as he held her at bay, his large hand easily controlling her head. She kicked and flailed, but she couldn’t get any closer.

“Twenty-five points, a hundred million, wired directly to your company’s account. No strings attached,” he said into the phone. “Sir, the fact that I’m taking your personal call means I’m trying to discuss this as a friend.”

He juggled the phone call and Penelope with ease, but he wasn’t prepared for her secret weapon.

“Honey…”

The single, purred word made his hand falter for a split second. She seized the opportunity and lunged, but misjudged the angle and slammed her teeth into his chin.

Theodore hissed in pain, quickly clamping a hand on the back of her neck and pinning her against his shoulder.

“Ahem, Mr. Stapleton, am I interrupting something?” the man on the phone asked, a laugh in his voice.

Theodore took a deep breath. “Just a stray cat that got in.”

The man on the other end went silent for a moment, probably thinking, A stray cat that calls you ‘honey’? Who do you think you’re fooling?

“Twenty-four points. If you agree, I’ll hang up right now and stop wasting your precious time.”

“So you admit you’re wasting my time.”

“…”

“Are you still questioning it?”

Penelope blinked, and as his meaning dawned on her, she became acutely aware that the spot where she was sitting was no longer flat. Her face flushed a deep red, and she tried to scramble off his lap, but he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back down and pressing her into the sofa cushions.

This time, it was he who kissed her, a fierce, passionate storm that left her breathless.

“No, we can’t… I’ve been drinking that tonic for twenty days… It can’t all be for nothing…” Penelope managed to gasp, a sliver of reason remaining.

“I know.”

“Theodore!”

“Shh. Trust me.”

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