"I just feel that you'll go back to Zach and be his mom again." Willow sobbed."Why would you think that?" I asked in surprise.She stifled her tears and replied, "Because you gave birth to him."Upon hearing this, I realized that Willow still felt insecure.Even though she usually played happily with me, any small stir from Zach would make her tense and worried that I would abandon her.I carefully considered how to reassure her."I know what it's like not to have a mom. It's not easy. But I also feel selfish… It's as if I stole someone else's mom. But I love you so much, Mommy. I don't want to give you back to him." Her voice trembled.I held her small hand gently and said, "Actually, I think being a little selfish is okay. You don't need to sacrifice your own happiness just to make someone else's life better."Willow looked at me, confused.I smiled. "I let go of Zach because he hurt me. No matter how much he changes afterward, it has nothing to do with me anymore. I chose
"I'm planning to sign you under my comic company. That way, you won't need to worry about promotion or publicity anymore. In the future, all you need to focus on is drawing your work," Julian uttered.These past few days, I had indeed been incredibly busy. Besides sketching, I had to color the completed line art. After finishing all that, I barely had any time left. Whatever time I did have, I spent brainstorming ways to get my work seen by a larger audience. My original plan was to set aside a few hours daily to learn promotional techniques. But now, Julian had saved me from that time-consuming effort."Thank you," I uttered, thrilled.Julian looked into my eyes. "Lyn, you don't have to be so formal with me."…Luna sat in her bedroom, growing increasingly frustrated. She still wanted to reclaim the golden lucky charm that had been gifted to Zach.Her initial plan had been to bring it up in passing when Shayne came to find her. But it was already 10:30 pm, and he still hadn't
It wouldn't be long before Shayne grew tired of her and found an excuse to kick her out.There was absolutely no way that Luna was going to let that happen.She made up her mind. She needed to find more opportunities to strengthen her bond with Shayne. Only by doing so could she stay by his side a little longer.…To help Willow improve her health, I made a point of waking her up ten minutes earlier than usual.Willow was still sleepy, but she still got out of bed.First, I had her walk a few hundred meters. Once she was fully awake, we started jogging together. When she got tired, we took breaks.After repeating this a few times, Willow was so exhausted she could barely breathe, let alone walk.She flopped down onto the grass, completely motionless.Knowing she was worn out, I carried her back to her room. Once she had washed up, I helped her take a bath.After putting on her clothes, Willow said solemnly, "It seems like getting healthier isn't something that can be achieved
For the first time, Zach despised his own foolishness. Why did he have to wait until now to realize how amazing Aralyn was?"Can you forgive me?" he pleaded.…Watching his heart-wrenching sobs, I was surprised to find my own heart completely calm. "Does it matter if I forgive you or not?"Zach's crying came to an abrupt halt, and he stared at me in shock."No matter who it is, before doing anything, they should think carefully about the consequences because some mistakes can never be undone." "But I'm just a kid…" Zach wiped his tears, panicking."Kids also need to take responsibility for their choices," I replied calmly.Zach tried hard to stifle his sobs, but he couldn't stop himself."Hopefully, after experiencing all this, you'll think more carefully before making decisions in the future," I uttered slowly."Okay." Zach nodded, still gasping for breath between his tears.I glanced over at Julian, who stood nearby. "Let's go."Julian nodded. "Alright."…Shayne leane
Shayne waited for Luna to respond, but when she didn't, his expression darkened slightly. He pressed further, "Did you hear me?""Yes," Luna replied half-heartedly, brushing him off.She had no interest in discussing anything related to Aralyn with Shayne, so she quickly changed the subject. "By the way, you have a gathering tonight. Don't forget to attend."The event was being hosted by one of his friends.Shayne hadn't been in the best of moods over the past few days. Thinking it might be a chance to relax and unwind with his friends, he smiled faintly."Are you coming?" he asked lightly.Luna shook her head and placed her hand over her stomach gently. "No. Going out and having too much fun might not be good for the baby, so you go by yourself."Shayne, considerate as always, said, "Make sure to take care of yourself."Luna shook her head and chuckled. "It's just for a little while. You don't need to worry about me that much."Even though she was only with Shayne for his mon
Amber followed Julian into the office, unable to contain her frustration.…"My son is here to work. What are you doing here?" She was clearly targeting me, as her tone was dripping with malice.I had just placed my laptop down when I heard Amber's voice. Looking up, I calmly replied, "Designing."Julian knew his mother was just looking for a way to vent her displeasure. He had to intervene. "Mom," Julian said firmly."What?" Amber asked in dissatisfaction. "I need to work now," Julian emphasized each word.Amber understood immediately—Julian was trying to get her to leave. She shot me a fierce glare before storming off.As she stepped out of Hughes Group, a thought suddenly struck her.There were plenty of empty offices in the company. Why did Julian insist on sharing one with Aralyn?Could he… have feelings for Aralyn?…I stared at the laptop screen before turning to look at Julian.From the day of my divorce until now, both Julian and Willow had taken great care of me
Shayne leaned closer to Luna and whispered, "Go and pick something first. I saw someone I know, so I'm going to go greet her. I'll pay when I come back."Luna, entirely focused on the gold jewelry in front of her, replied absentmindedly, "Alright."Shayne strode upstairs.…I was staring at the various ties in front of me, carefully considering which one to get.Julian's suits were typically a steady black. And there were plenty of tie options that matched black. Taking his personality into account, I eventually decided on a deep blue tie and was about to take it to the cashier."Pick another one. I don't like that color."I heard a voice behind me. When I turned around, I saw Shayne standing there, smiling.What he liked or didn't like had nothing to do with me. It wasn't as if I was buying for him.I gave him a puzzled glance before striding toward the cashier. "Excuse me, how much is this?"The cashier replied with a cheerful smile, "16 thousand."Though not cheap, it was
I took two steps back, examining Julian.He stood there openly, letting me size him up. "Well?"His features were already sharp and striking. The black suit emphasized his aloof demeanor, while the deep blue tie added a touch of mystery and a faint melancholic air.I gave him a thumbs up. "Looks great."Julian seemed quite pleased as well. "I'm heading to a meeting to discuss a collaboration. Since you say it looks great, I won't change it, then?""Yeah," I agreed.When Julian was almost at the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to me. "Mark should be coming to talk to you later. He'll inform you who will be overseeing your projects in the future."He had just mentioned yesterday that the recruitment process was almost complete. And today, someone was already assigned to liaise with me?I was surprised at how outstanding his company's efficiency was. "Alright." I nodded.After Julian left, I returned to my desk and focused on sketching out my drafts.…Julian sat in t
Zach could no longer hold his tears back. They dripped down his face as he replied, "I do. I miss you so much right now. Mommy, when will you come back? It's okay if you hate Dad. Just take me with you."I'll bring along all the money and shop rentals you saved for me. With the rent and savings, it'll be enough for the two of us to live out the rest of our lives together."His tears were especially visible on his blanket. Zach knew that Aralyn no longer wanted him anymore, so no matter how hard he cried, she wouldn't comfort him anymore.He miserably wiped his tears away and continued through their chat history. He suddenly realized that before his parents had gotten divorced, it was always Aralyn who texted him first, and he barely replied to a single text.Zach couldn't put his feelings into words at that moment. His chest felt tight, and he wanted to cry.During that time, he remembered his dad would bring him to meet Luna every day. He would always praise Luna in front of hi
"When I used to go out drinking with you guys, she would always worry about my health and remind me to drink as little as possible—or better yet, not drink at all. When I got home, she would carefully take care of me and even cook me some soup."Those memories were sealed away in his mind.Now that he was recalling what Aralyn had done, he finally realized that he had let go of someone who genuinely cared about him. "And now, it's over. No one will ever care for me the way she did."As he spoke, he started wailing.Seeing how heartbroken Shayne was, Spencer couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He said softly, "The main issue was your attitude toward Luna and Aralyn. It was too easy for others to misunderstand. Since you like Aralyn, then why was your attitude toward her so awful?"Back when they were still married, Shayne's attitude was mostly dismissive whenever he mentioned her in front of them. He even gave them the impression that Aralyn was throwing herself at him
I said unhurriedly, "Think about what a doll looks like, and then think about the person you want to talk to. If you were to custom-make a doll like them, what would it look like?"Willow thought about it seriously and asked, "Then what?"I smiled and replied, "Wouldn't you be able to talk to them normally once you have the image of their doll in your mind?""That's true!" Willow exclaimed in amazement. She clearly didn't think there would be such a good solution. "However…" she added, her eyes sparkling. She seemed like she was thinking of something mischievous."What is it?" I asked quickly.She chuckled happily and replied, "Doesn't that mean everyone in the world would become dolls in my eyes?"Seeing her expectant expression, I played along and said, "That's right, a world of dolls just for you."Willow grew even more excited....Julian sat in the living room, quietly awaiting Aralyn. She would chat with him for a while every day in the past."She's accompanying Willo
This question left me confused. I asked back, puzzled, "Why would I mind?"Julian knew full well that if a woman genuinely liked a man, she would inevitably feel possessive of him. The fact that I didn't mind now meant that I didn't love him yet.Julian felt rather dejected but knew that some things could not be rushed. So, he smiled and said, "That's true."…After sending Ximena back to her home and confirming that her ex-husband and Pamela weren't nearby, Julian and I finally left feeling at ease.Once I returned home, Willow immediately flung herself into my arms upon seeing me. "Mommy!"I bent down to pick her up."Yes?" I asked.She put her little cheek on my shoulder and asked, "Do you remember the goal I set for you? Back then, I said that I would definitely be able to talk with people other than you and Daddy normally within a month! It hasn't even been a month, and I've already reached my goal!"Willow then raised her head and looked at me expectantly. "I did so well
When we got home, Willow dragged the whole family along to exercise with her.After finishing, Willow took Pamela and her grandparents upstairs.Only Julian, Ximena, and I remained in the living room.Ximena glanced upstairs and said, "I thought Pamela would need to help her, but who would've guessed she'd recover on her own?""Yes," I agreed, sighing. "Children recover much faster than I ever imagined."Ximena couldn't help but chuckle. "Exactly. Look at Pamela. When she lived with her dad, she'd come home acting like a quail—so timid and cautious. But after just a few days with me, she's slowly returning to how she used to be."It was evident that Ximena loved Pamela. "If I had known that switching to a less stressful job would make life easier for my daughter, I definitely would've left my old company a long time ago."As a mother myself, I understood Ximena's guilt. Patting her shoulder reassuringly, I uttered, "It's not too late to change now."Ximena nodded. "Yeah."Juli
Hughes Group had excellent landscaping. The green plants on both sides were lush and flourishing.The tree shade blocked the harsh sunlight, creating a tranquil atmosphere.I turned to look at Julian. "Have you finished all your work?"As he did not like someone to lie, Julian replied honestly, "Not yet."He hadn't forgotten Gabriel and Lilia's advice—to appear vulnerable in front of Aralyn. "I just feel a bit tired.""It's a pity I can't help you much," I said regretfully. "But the account and selling peripheral products could bring me a lot of income."This was an answer I had thought about for a long time. "If your company runs into trouble and can't hold on, you can come to me for help. I can take care of you and Willow."Julian was very confident that his company wouldn't run into any problems, but he hadn't expected that Aralyn would already consider such a scenario.He even thought that if the company really did go bankrupt, wouldn't that also bring him closer to Araly
As soon as he finished speaking, the server brought over a large bowl of broth fondue and placed it on the table. "Enjoy your meal," he said with a smile."Thank you!" I picked up a piece of the beef. The crunchy and tender texture was simply irresistible.I ate several big bites in a row, only to notice that Julian still hadn't started eating. Curious, I asked, "Are you not going to eat?""Of course I am," Julian said, picking up his cutlery.…Shayne returned to his office, thinking about the things Aralyn had said. It dawned on him that he had indeed made far too many mistakes.Ever since he'd married Aralyn, he had taken her for granted because she was too sensible and understanding. He hadn't even noticed how much she had suffered.At this moment, Shayne was desperate to divorce Luna and make amends to Aralyn.Resolute, he called Luna."Yes? Miss me?" Luna's sweet voice came through the phone."I'm sorry." After saying those words, Shayne felt a sense of relief.Why was
"So, you think I should pay for every meal Julian and I have together?" I countered.The people around us started whispering, all saying that Amber was being shameless.Amber was so furious that she nearly lost her composure. "That's not the point! The point is my son refuses to support us because of you!"Standing up, Julian took out the bank transaction statements he had specifically asked Mark to print earlier. "Why don't you tell everyone how much you spend each month?"Amber had always gotten away with this kind of behavior before, so she never expected Julian to fight back this time.She froze on the spot.Julian unfolded the statements. To make sure everyone could see, he even handed out a few copies to the crowd.The onlookers opened the papers. The monthly expenses amounted to over five million. Then, they looked back at Amber, thinking she was being unreasonable.They thought she was being ungrateful by making a scene here when she received that much money; she hadn't
Mark didn't even think before replying, "Well, the company has a rule—if you complete three days' work in one day, the remaining two days are vacation."I found it a bit hard to believe. "Does such a great company really exist?"Mark teased with a smile, "Well, you've seen one now. The average price for these peripheral products is ten dollars, and your royalty margin is still 15%. The company just decided to spend a large sum of money to boost traffic."If all goes as planned, the sales of these peripheral products should break records day by day. We're worried that when the demand surges, production might not keep up."So, we're planning to stock up in advance to avoid running out of inventory when the comic goes viral. You just sit back and wait for the royalty money to roll in."When I heard that, I couldn't help but anticipate it. "Thank you.""You're welcome."With that, he left, not daring to glance at Julian.Julian followed him. "Help me print out the bank transfer rec