Chapter 614

613
The voice on the phone was soft and calm , telling Irene not to get the wrong idea . She said she was a friend of Yorick’s and wanted to offer him a job at a big company . She asked if Irene knew the Onlyora Group .
Irene’s gut told her this woman had to be connected to Onlyora Group . What shocked Irene even more was that this woman was the chairman’s daughter .
Her name was Liora . She was a year younger than Irene and the same age as Yorick’s younger brother , Werner .
Irene felt she could never measure up to her . Liora’s family lived in a mansion and drove fancy cars . Irene had nothing . Her dowry was small because her biological dad , Gordon , after losing Fiona , spent all the family money .
They had never been rich . Gordon was already sick , and Irene’s stepmom had died long ago . She only had her little sister Heidi . Both of them were young and poor .
The only reason Irene stayed with Yorick was because they grew up together and knew each other’s past . Otherwise , she doubted Yorick would’ve ever chosen her .
Because of her background and situation , Irene always felt insecure . So she worked hard around the house , doing chores and taking care of things .
Everyone said she was a hardworking , capable wife who could handle tough times . She believed hard work was her best quality .
She thought if she kept suffering and played the role of a good wife and mom , she could hold onto Yorick forever . But Liora’s arrival and all her advantages hit Irene’s insecurities hard .
Irene used some tricks and finally met Liora , the young woman from Onlyora Group who had admired Yorick for a long time .
Liora had a strong presence . She wore designer clothes and carried a designer purse . Seeing her made Irene feel even more insecure .
She said little and went home . Looking at herself in the mirror , she touched her face and thought that if she dressed up , she could be beautiful too . She believed she was no less attractive than Liora .
But Liora had the confidence of a rich girl , something Irene didn’t have . Even Liora’s name sounded better . Irene always thought her own name sounded plain , but it was what her parents gave her . She could do nothing .
The more she thought about it , the more she felt she was inferior to Liora in every way . She felt like Liora could take Yorick away whenever she wanted .
Liora knew how to play her game . She often showed up secretly at Yorick’s workplace , pretending their meetings were accidental . Then she made sure Irene saw them together , acting innocent just to get a reaction .
Even though Yorick kept insisting nothing was going on between Liora and him , Irene’s suspicion had already taken root and kept growing .
The happy marriage they once shared slowly began to crack and fall apart under the heavy weight of doubt and suspicion brought on by Liora’s actions .
Yorick realized Irene would never fully trust him . To prove nothing was going on , he talked to Irene , and they decided to move away .
They took their newborn Jonathan and left their old home . The three of them lived in a new city for a while . Slowly , Irene’s anxiety began to ease .
Only Irene knew it . Liora was like a painful thorn stuck deep in her heart . Her presence was like a ticking landmine that might go off unexpectedly .
Irene kept wondering how Liora got Yorick’s phone number , how she kept running into him , and whether their first meeting was planned or just a coincidence .
Yorick said Werner had leaked his number because Werner and Liora were old classmates . But when Irene asked Werner , he denied ever sharing it and claimed he had nothing to do with it .
Irene didn’t know who to believe . She wanted to trust Yorick , the man who knew her best . But she didn’t know what to do if he had already fallen out of
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love .
Feeling more insecure , she threw herself into working harder . She wanted Yorick to see all the sacrifices she made for the family . She was worn out. She even pushed to get a job .
Yorick told her not to work yet and to wait until Jonathan turned three . But Irene thought differently . She wanted Yorick to understand how hard it was to
raise a kid and work .
She wanted him to recognize all she did . She ignored the fact that Yorick was already responsible and wouldn’t change based on whether she worked or
not .
Her insecurity made her suspicious and distrustful . She felt like a scared bird , always on edge . Every time Yorick came home and his phone rang , she’d tense up , afraid it was Liora calling .
She had reached her limit . Then one day at work , a manager flirted with her and touched her shoulder . Yorick saw it when he came to pick her up . Usually calm , he suddenly lost it and confronted the man .
Irene told him to stop . He grabbed her hand and said he’d quit his job . He pulled her away from the factory angrily .
Back home , Irene still felt uneasy . She said she wanted to apologize to the manager the next day . The job paid well and had good benefits . She didn’t want to lose it .
Yorick got furious . He asked why she was so stubborn about the job . Finally , Irene spoke what she had kept inside for so long : “ Only if I have my own money will Liora respect me .
“ She’s better and stronger than I in every way . I don’t want her thinking I’m not good enough for you . ”
Yorick said , “ Why do you care what she thinks ? As long as you’re good enough for me , that’s all that matters . ”
Irene replied , “ How can I not care ? She’s rich and powerful and obsessed with you . She keeps bothering you , trying to break our family . She’s a real threat . I want her gone . ”
Yorick sighed . “ Don’t be so extreme . We’ve been together for years . Now we have Jonathan . I just want to build our family . She is rich and powerful .
“ She even tried to hire me as a senior architect . But I said no , because I don’t want you to doubt me all the time . ”
“ But- ” Irene started .
“ Enough , ” Yorick interrupted , pulling her close . He sighed again . “ Don’t go back to that factory . Wait until Jonathan starts kindergarten . For now , I’ll take care of you . I’ll bring in the money . ”
Irene finatly nodded . Things calmed down for a while . But the peace didn’t last long . Something happened that made Irene hate Liora even more . It was Irene’s birthday that day .
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