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
Julian's cold gaze suddenly turned sharp. The trace of amusement in his voice disappeared entirely."Now I finally understand why she chose to leave you," he stated icily.That was the one thing Shayne could never figure out. Back then, Aralyn wasn't in a good situation. Logically, staying with him would have been the better choice, but she was adamant about divorcing him."Oh?" Shayne feigned indifference."I haven't known her for long, but I can already tell that she's not a woman who would disrespect herself. So, she must have her own reasons for betraying you."Shayne stared at Julian in shock."And yet, here you are, trying to badmouth her to me, someone she might have a better future with."Julian looked at Shayne piercingly. "Are you afraid of her ending up with me?"Shayne fell silent."Do you still love her?"Without thinking, Shayne shook his head. "How could I possibly love her? Don't joke around.""Good," Julian replied, clearly satisfied with the response.At h
I opened WhatsApp."But make sure Mr. Hughes never sees this," Mark reminded."Don't worry. He doesn't check my phone," I replied unhesitatingly.With his goal achieved and assured there was no risk of Julian discovering the group chat, Mark let out a sigh of relief. Then, he left the office and returned to work.I continued sketching my drafts.Just then, I received a WhatsApp notification. I picked up my phone and saw a message from Avery, my editor."Who is this?"Only then did I realize I hadn't introduced myself yet. "I'm the author of the comic 'Daily Life with My Daughter.'"Avery replied instantly, "My schedule is packed now. It'll probably be a few days before I have time to look at your work. You'll have to wait."Since I was fully focused on drawing my drafts, I hadn't thought much about anything else."No problem. I'm not in a rush," I replied.…Luna was lounging in her living room when she received a call from Avery. Surprised, she asked, "What made you think
Ever since I decided to take on a side hustle, my days had been completely filled with drawing. As soon as I finished the sketches, I moved on to coloring. Once the work was complete, I uploaded it online.And the cycle would repeat.The office door opened.I instinctively looked up and saw Julian walk in.When I was about to get back to work, Julian stood in front of me and said, "I'm making coffee. What would you like to drink?"I thought about it seriously for a moment before replying, "Tea, please."Julian made me a cup of tea. Originally, he was planning to make himself a cup of coffee, but as he looked at the delicate porcelain cup with green tea leaves floating inside, he ended up making himself tea as well.He placed the tea on my left side and sat down next to me. "How's work going lately?"I picked up the tea and took a sip. The initial bitterness carried a refreshing aftertaste, soothing both my body and mind."I can't seem to find a single free moment all day. It's
"Aralyn's aware of this. Moreover, since you two were married for over six years, even if you don't have feelings for her, you'd still be possessive of her. To get you back with her, she would definitely go to any lengths to provoke you."First, she'd pretend to have really given up on you, then be kind to another man. Once you see that, you'll definitely feel uncomfortable. And then you'll think about her all the time."If you can't hold back and go find her, she will act close with another man," Spencer continued disdainfully.Shayne hadn't considered that everything Aralyn had done was to intentionally set a trap to get him back. His restless heart began to calm down.Smiling, he asked, "So, what should I do?""Ignore her. When she realizes all her tricks and schemes don't work on you, she'll come crying to you, begging to get back together," Spencer suggested.Shayne couldn't help but imagine Aralyn's crying face, and he chuckled. If it really came to that, considering they
Shayne thought about it and felt that Spencer made sense.He had originally planned to drink more before Aralyn arrived to make the act more convincing, but he still had a lot of work to do in the afternoon.Although Shayne felt a bit regretful that he wouldn't get to see Aralyn's reaction to him, he didn't really mind. After all, he already knew that Aralyn still loved him.Since had gotten the answer he wanted, he decided to head back to the company to handle his work.Shayne stood up and said goodbye to his friends.Once he left, everyone gathered around Spencer. "What was that about?"Spencer hesitated before sharing his thoughts, "I think Aralyn is not pretending. I think she really doesn't love Shayne anymore.""Then just tell Shayne!" the others said in dissatisfaction.Spencer shot them a glare. "Didn't you see his expression? He looked devastated when I said Aralyn doesn't love him, and he smiled when I mentioned she still loves him."Everyone exchanged glances."Has
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