Author: john

Sydney felt utterly suffocated, but she could not afford to blow things up–not when she still needed a smooth divorce. She could not risk falling out with Caleb. Her fingertips pressed lightly against her palm as she met his gaze. “How do you want me to clarify it? The photos are already out there.” Caleb looked weary, probably worn down from dealing with Penelope. “But they didn’t catch Penny’s face clearly.” A heavy weight clogged Sydney’s chest. Her voice came out dry. “So you want me to lie? Tell the public that I’m the woman in the photo?” Her question was simple. Too direct, maybe. She had not expected such a ridiculous request. At most, she had assumed he would ask her to say it was a friend in the photo or just a misunderstanding. Caleb pressed his lips together and answered rationally, “I can’t think of a better would calm the public quickly–for Hampton Corp., and for everyone. It’s the lesser evil.” way. This ‘Everyone?‘ Sydney clenched the bedsheet. By “everyone,” he meant Penelope. Of course. Caleb always protected her. No matter what. But Sydney? She was the one thrown under the bus without a second thought. She gave a crooked, miserable smile. “Fine. I’ll do it.” The moment he brought it up, she knew there was never really a choice. Caleb had already decided. “I know this puts you in a difficult spot,” he added, voice calm. “So let this be my way of making it up to you. Go out with Tiffany tomorrow. Buy whatever you want.” As he spoke, he handed her a check. 1/3 5:34 AM Sun 24 Aug Chapter 91% +15 BONUS Sydney did not move, so he placed it on her pillow. Without another word, he got up and left the room–smooth and clean, like he could not wait to escape, as if any delay might get him in trouble with the woman he really cared about. Only after he left did Sydney pick up the check and glance at it. Its value was 2.5 million dollars.. ‘Neat,‘ she thought. For Caleb, it was a steal. Two and a half million for a zero–risk PR fix? Anytime. For her? Not bad either. Sydney opened her social media app, switched to her alternate account, and typed a short post: Sydney: [No need to guess anymore. Yeah, that was me in the photo. Just a little married- couple fun.] The money was hers now. She tucked the check away, turned off the lights, and lay down to sleep. But the moment she closed her eyes, she saw herself at seven years old, kneeling on the familiar gravel path at the Sterling estate–the same spot where she had been punished so many times. She remembered it clearly. Back then… Eloise ordered the maids to hit her when a 13–year–old boy wearing a black mourning armband stepped in front of her. “If she bothers you that much, then she can come live at my place instead,” he said firmly. He took her hand and pulled her away, muttering how useless she was, always getting beaten up. Even now, Sydney could still recall that boy’s frail, upright figure standing protectively in front of her. 2/3 5:35 AM Sun 24 Aug Chapter 11

When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 10 Chapter 10 When Caleb stood before Sydney, the harsh edge in his demeanor faded. He softened visibly, though an unreadable shadow lingered behind his eyes. “You’re back.” Sydney took half a step back and spoke softly. “Have you eaten yet? Nancy made dinner-” “Sydney,” he cut in, his voice tight as he chose his words carefully. “About what’s online… It’s not what it looks like. I can explain.” “Mm. I believe you,” she replied calmly, without hesitation. Caleb froze. He had always known Sydney was obedient, but this was not a scenario he had prepared for. Before coming home, his friends had told him he was doomed. No woman, no matter how gentle, would stay silent after learning her husband had cheated. But Sydney did not cry. She did not scream or slap him. Nothing. That calm, almost perfunctory trust twisted something inside him. Something was wrong. He frowned, and a word surfaced in his mind. ‘Indifference.‘ Sydney did not care. She did not care whether he cheated or kissed another woman. Her face showed no emotion. She looked as serene as ever. She grabbed a coat casually. “I’m heading to the hospital to check on Grandma.” Caleb suddenly felt something slipping away. Without thinking, he reached out, gently caught her wrist, and carefully probed, “Syd, aren’t you even a little angry?” Sydney blinked, slightly surprised. Being the Hampton family’s daughter–in–law was no easy task. She thought this calm reaction would ease Caleb’s mind. But no, it wasn’t relief he sought. He wanted her anger. 1/3 5:34 AM Sun 24 Aug Chapter 10 23170 +15 BONUS As he waited anxiously, she looked at him calmly and asked slowly, “If I said I was angry, would you cut ties with Penelope?” Caleb’s expression faltered. After a beat, he said, “Sydney, believe it or not, there’s really nothing going on between us. After my birthday, I’ll have her move out.” “And you?” Sydney asked, looking him straight in the eye. Caleb frowned in frustration. “What do you mean? Of course I’ll stay. This is our home.” He added, as if to emphasize, “Sydney, I’m your husband.” “Cal,” she said with a faint smile, “I wasn’t asking where your

When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 9 Chapter 9 Nancy ignored Timothy’s crying and focused on Sydney’s face. “Ms. Wilson, are you alright? You know how nasty the Internet can be. Those photos could be fake. Just wait for Mr. Hampton to come home and talk to him in person.” Sydney hummed softly, spooned her stew, and took slow, careful sips. Real or not, it didn’t matter. She had seen it all with her own eyes last night. There was nothing left to ask. Only then did Nancy notice the swelling around her eyes. After a brief pause, she turned and went upstairs to call the Hampton residence. “Yes, Madam. Ms. Wilson probably saw the news already. She skipped lunch, and her eyes are swollen from crying,” she reported. No one at the Hampton residence had been following celebrity gossip. But once the news reached them, chaos erupted. The younger brother and the widowed sister–in–law? What kind of scandal was that? How was the family supposed to face society now? Dorothy popped two heart pills, but they didn’t help. Furious, she fainted on the spot. The entire household was in disarray. In contrast, Sydney seemed strangely calm. She finished her soup at an easy pace, then went upstairs under Nancy’s watchful eye, her swollen eyes adding to her pitiful air. As soon as her bedroom door shut, a call came in from Tiffany. “Okay, listen, it wasn’t me!” Her voice was tense, desperate to clear her name. “Did you see the angle of those pics? Completely different from the ones I took.” 1/3 5:34 AM Sun 24 Aug Chapter 9 91% +15 BONUS “I know,” Sydney said as she stepped into the bathroom and switched to speaker. She took an eye mask from the mini fridge. “You didn’t leak them right away. And even if you had, you’d definitely blackmail Caleb first.” She’d already looked into it. The photos had started circulating last night but only went viral a few hours ago. The spread had been too natural. Too clean. Someone had planned it. It was most likely a business rival of Caleb’s. Tiffany scoffed. “Ugh, don’t say that. I’m a lawyer, alright? A real one. I don’t do blackmail.” “Mm, sure,” Sydney said, smoothing the eye mask over her face. “You’d just charge a management fee for proof of cheating.” “Unbelievable,” Tiffany muttered with a half–laugh. Then she paused, her

When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 8 Chapter 8 “Sydney…” Her name slipped out before he could stop himself. She smiled suddenly, her voice soft and light. “Relax. Why are you so tense? I know you and Penelope have known each other a long time. It’s

Sydney did not deny it. For three years, she had kept a spot in the closet just for that dress. Each year, she had it professionally cleaned and preserved. She had treasured it because she believed people married only once in a lifetime, and a wedding dress was something to keep. But now, they were

What Caleb did not realize was that each time he “proved his devotion” to the woman he loved, he pushed Sydney one step closer to ruin. The Sterling family had no use for a weak woman who could not keep her husband’s heart. Jason sighed. “You could have lied, you know? Made up something harsher.

Sydney’s eyes shimmered with false hurt. “Penelope, what are you talking about? I was upstairs just now, preparing a gift for Cal. Why blame me?” At that moment, the Hampton family’s butler, George Baker, entered and found chaos. His gaze swept the wrecked villa before settling on Penelope. “Ms. Penelope, Madam Hampton asked me to

The forecast hadn’t said a word about snow. Yet this wasn’t some light dusting—it was a full-on storm. Even through the glass, she could feel the cold. She changed into a knit dress and had just started washing up when loud noises echoed through the hallway. They were jarring. If she didn’t know better, she

But what stunned her more was that scumbag Caleb actually had the nerve to humiliate Sydney like this. Tiffany muttered a curse under her breath, then said, “Screw delivery. I’ll bring the agreement myself. Then I’ll head back to the office and work overtime.” There was no way she was letting some two-wheeled courier outrun