Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

Everett furrowed his brow, grabbing the trash can with one hand while gently patting her back with the other. Luckily, Selena's stomach was empty, so she didn't actually throw up, but she strained so hard her cheeks turned red and the veins on her temples popped out. After a moment, she slumped weakly in front of him, barely catching her breath. Everett wrapped an arm around her, then used a tissue to clean her mouth before offering her some lukewarm water. Selena sipped half a cup with his help, and the nausea eased a bit, though she still felt dizzy.

"Feeling any better? Are you coming down with something?" Everett pressed his forehead to hers, checking her temperature, which seemed normal.

Too tired to open her eyes, Selena mumbled, "Maybe I didn't sleep well and got up too early. It's making me queasy."

"Didn't sleep well?" Everett's gaze darkened, his fingers playfully tracing her lips, his voice low and teasing, "We only made love once last night, and you're already wiped out? You're too fragile, you really need to build up some stamina..." Before he could finish, Selena's eyes snapped open, and she shot him a fierce glare. He chuckled softly, glad to see her spirit returning, and let the matter drop.

"Try to get some more sleep. I'll bring breakfast up when it's ready."

Selena, not one to argue with comfort, nodded and let Everett tuck her back into bed. He watched her for a moment, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear and kissing her forehead before leaving the room.

She turned over, and sleep quickly overtook her again. Before drifting off, she mused about how staying cooped up in the villa for so long, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, was making her feel like she was fattening up like a pig...

When she woke again, daylight was streaming in. After breakfast, the fog of grogginess lifted. She quickly put on some light makeup and changed into a proper black dress before heading downstairs.

Arriving at the chapel, she found the Bennett family already gathered, their usual disdainful glances all too familiar. But Selena had learned not to let their opinions bother her anymore; she was at peace with herself.

She quietly moved to Everett's side, playing her role as Mrs. Bennett. Everett glanced at her with his dark eyes, asking softly, "Can you handle it?"

"I can," Selena whispered back. Everett didn't say anything more.

Their brief exchange caught the attention of Carolina, who was standing on the other side of Everett. She shot Selena a nearly invisible glance, but when Selena looked back, Carolina had already turned away, leaving her wondering if she'd imagined it.

Soon, the entire Bennett clan filled

the hall. Josh was wheeled in by the butler, with Callum, his doctor, by his side. Given Josh's condition, he technically shouldn't have been out of the hospital or moving around, but he was determined, so Callum had to be there, just in case.

Selena glanced at them briefly before lowering her gaze again. The Bennett family's memorial ceremony was elaborate and drawn-out, with a somber atmosphere. Aside from Josh and a few elders who participated earnestly, most just went through the motions, looking bored by the end.

Thankfully, after the initial part of the ceremony, the rest was men's business, allowing the women to step out to the courtyard for a break Unbeknownst to her, the morning had passed, and even though Selena had eaten breakfast, it was well past two now, and she was hungry again. Her recent habit of getting hungry quickly meant dizziness kicked in whenever her blood sugar dropped.

And with the ceremony dragging on for a few more hours, even though there wasn't a strict rule against eating, no one else was eating, and Selena didn't want to be the first to break the unspoken rule, avoiding giving the restless ladies any reason to pick on her. Leaning against a pillar for a rest, her vision suddenly darkened, and her legs wobbled. Just as she was about to fall, an arm swooped in, catching her and stopping her from hitting the ground.

Once she steadied herself, still a bit shaken, she looked up into a pair of warm eyes.

"Dr. Campbell, thanks! I almost made a complete fool of myself!"NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.