Chapter 148

Annie's POV

"Otherwise, wouldn't I seem ungrateful?" I had barely finished my sentence when Howard drew closer to me, gently cupping my face in his hands,his gaze slowly descending from my eyes to my lips. "So,how do you plan to express your gratitude?"

The playful challenge in his tone sent a shiver down my spine. I leaned into his touch, feeling the warmth of his palm against my cheek. The atmosphere in the office had shifted, becoming charged with tension that had nothing to do with work. I noticed Howard's eyes darkening with unmistakable desire.

He suddenly stood up, striding quickly to the door. With deliberate movements, he turned the lock. The crisp "click" sounded unusually pronounced in the quiet office. When he turned to face me again, his gaze burned with naked desire.

"No one will disturb us now," he said, his voice uncharacteristically husky.

We practically lunged toward each other. Urgent kisses, breathless gasps,and the sound of clothing being hastily removed filled the space between us. His suit jacket dropped to the floor, his tie loosened, several shirt buttons popping open. My blouse was pushed up, my skirt bunching around my waist.

Howard's strong hands gripped my thighs, lifting me effortlessly before setting me down on his spacious desk. Documents scattered,a pencil holder toppled over, but we were far beyond caring about such trivial

matters. His lips traveled from mine down my neck. alongmy collarbone.and lower still. I tilted my head back, unable to suppress the sounds

escaping from my throat.

I could feel his body heat, his strength, and his urgent desire.

"Are you sure?" Even consumed by passion,,he still sought my consent.

"Yes, now." I gasped in response, wrapping my legs around his waist.

When he finally joined with me, a wave of intense satisfaction coursed through my body. He began to move-slowly at first,then gradually increasing his pace. The desk swayed slightly with our movements,but neither of us paid it any mind. My fingers dug into his shoulders,nails pressing into his skin.

"Howard..." I breathed his name like a prayer.

He leaned down to kiss me, swallowing my whispers. Our bodies moved in perfect synchronization, finding a rhythm that belonged only to us. His arms encircled me completely, holding me tightly against him as though afraid I might vanish if he loosened his grip.

Pleasure built within me like an electrical current, growing more intense until that final moment-we reached the peak together, our bodies tensing before gradually relaxing into each other.

We held each other, catching our breath, skin glistening with perspiration.Howard placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, his fingers tenderly brushing away strands of hair that clung to my cheek.

"I love you, Annie," he whispered, his voice carrying a rare vulnerability.

"I love you too," I replied, resting against his chest, listening to his

gradually steadying heartbeat.

We slowly began to compose ourselves. He helped fasten my buttons while I fixed his tie, our mutual assistance carrying an intimate understanding as if we'd been together for years. As we restored order to the disheveled desk, exchanging knowing glances. I felt an unprecedented sense of contentment and security.

Just as we had finally restored the office to its original state,and I had picked up my pencil to continue sketching my illustration draft,Howard's phone rang, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

Howard glanced at the screen, then looked at me. "Annie, Susan wants to speak with you. She says it's important," he said, passing me his phone.his expression calm but eyes curious.

I casually took the phone, putting it on speaker so Howard could hear as well. I continued drawing, my pencil moving easily across the paper while waiting for Susan to speak.

Susan's professional voice came through clearly: "You need to pause what you're working on and check the trending news online right away."

Intrigued, I set down my pencil and picked up my own phone. Opening the news app, I was surprised to see Betty Baker's name trending. Clicking on the headline, I was shocked to discover it was a post by Betty Baker herself on a well-known Upper East Side social forum. She was seeking public "judgment" on whether her treatment of her "former daughter-in-law" had been reasonable. Though she hadn't mentioned me by name, the details in the post made it obvious to anyone familiar with the Baker family that she was talking about me.

As I scrolled through the post, its contents stunned me. Betty had writen:

"Is it wrong to expect a daughter-in-law to meet our family's standards?""What's wrong with pointing out when a daughter-in-law doesn't understand etiquette or the rules of our social circle?" "She came from an ordinary family in Boston and only knew how to draw childish pictures-she was completely unsuitable for my son's social status."

In the post. Betty also defended her actions: "I prepared clothing guidelines for various occasions, but she claimed I was interfering with her freedom; I corrected her dining etiquette, but she called me harsh.Is it wrong to maintain the Baker family's dignity?"

Most surprisingly, Betty openly admitted: "I did tell my son that if she couldn't give the Baker family an intelligent heir, it would be better to end the marriage early. Isn't thecontinuation of the family bloodline the most important thing?"

The comments below the post mostly took my side, with users easily deducing that the "former daughter-in-law" was me:

"You're talking about Annie Baker, right? She's now a rising star in children's illustration!"

"Betty, your statements are simply unbelievable. No wonder your son's marriage failed."

"Look at Annie's relationship with Howard Thompson now, and it's clear the problem wasn't with her."

Someone had even uncovered more details: "According to my sources.Betty once deliberately arranged incorrect cutlery at a dinner just to embarrass Annie. That behavior is absolutely despicable."

The comment section had exploded:

"Is this the true face of Upper East Side socialites? Disgusting!"

"Betty Bakeris the epitome of the evil mother-in-law. And her son never stood up for his wife?"

"No wonder Annie Baker ultimately chose to leave. Who could live in such a family environment?"

"Howard Thompson and Annie Baker are truly a perfect match. It's obvious how much he values her."

The post also revealed details of Betty's various "social tests," with one user commenting: "My friend was once a guest at Betty's home and witnessed firsthand how she mistreated her former daughter-in-law, such as deliberately setting complicated Western cutlery on the table and then mocking her for not knowing how to use them."

Another commenter added: "She also frequently arranged for her daughter-in-law to be seated in corner positions at important social events, making her feel isolated."

Reading these comments, I felt a strange sense of calm. All those questions that had once troubled me, those suspicions I hadn't dared confirm,now had answers.

Just as I was about to close my phone, a new comment appeared:

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. What Betty Baker did to Annie goes far beyond this."

My fingers froze.

"Annie?" Howard's voice pulled me back to reality. "Susan is still waiting for your response."