"Lyn, I think life as it is right now is pretty good."…In the morning, I once again woke Willow up ten minutes earlier than usual. Clearly well-rested, Willow looked energetic and excited as she opened the door. "I've been looking forward to this moment for so long!" she exclaimed.She then ran to Julian's door and raised her hand to knock on it. "Daddy, time to get up and go running with us!"Julian opened the door, chuckling as he picked her up. "Alright."Willow wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling mischievously. The morning run was just as intense as last night's.Willow started off enthusiastically, but by the end of the run, her smile had completely disappeared. She dragged herself back into the living room and plopped down, looking completely drained.I watched her expressions change throughout and couldn't help but laugh.Willow waved me over. "Mommy."I sat down next to her.She gripped my hand and psyched herself up, "Running isn't tiring. I can do this!
I remained silent."Let's go," Julian uttered calmly.…Upon arriving at the company, I wasn't in the best mood. As soon as I reached my cubicle, I turned on my computer and buried myself in drawing.By the time I finished the final line art, my mood had improved somewhat. I continued by coloring the sketches.…Julian sat in the conference room, checking the analytics for Aralyn on various platforms.She was diligent and meticulous in her artwork. Even though her story focused on warm, everyday slice-of-life themes, the daily mini-stories had started to draw in readers, even without any promotion.Some were already leaving comments, eagerly asking for more updates.Julian tapped the table with his fingers before taking out his phone and messaging Mark. "You can start planning a promotion strategy for Aralyn's comic.""Mr. Hughes."Avery knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, she pushed it open and walked straight to him. Sitting down across from him, she said,
Many comments mentioned how heartwarming the comic was and expressed hope that the little one would recover.I replied to each one with a simple "Thank you." There were also a few negative comments, but I ignored them entirely.Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Mark walked in. I looked at him in confusion. Usually, he only came to report when Julian was around. What was going on today? Mark pulled a chair to sit across from me and said, "From now on, my assistant and I will be handling your work."Why the sudden change?"Wasn't the previous editor fine?" I asked, confused.Mark muttered under his breath, "Avery didn't even want to promote you, and you think she was fine?"His voice was so low that I didn't catch it. "Huh?"He immediately switched to a professional smile. "It's mainly because I really like your work."I was a little taken aback by his direct expression of appreciation. "Thank you!""You're welcome." He leaned in slightly and asked in a lower voic
Shayne was stumped by the question.After a long silence, he finally said, "You're right."Spencer let out a relieved sigh. "From now on, I'll focus all my attention on Luna. I'll cherish every moment I spend with her. Maybe if I do that, I won't think about Aralyn anymore. And I'll feel better because of it.""That's the spirit!" Spencer uttered.…Having completed my tasks for the day, I packed everything up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, contemplating Willow's current situation.Her autism was severe.Asking her to speak with others wasn't working. She couldn't open up.Previously, I had planned activities to encourage her to show off and connect with others in that way. But that approach had failed as well.The next step was to see if her grandparents could connect with her. Perhaps she'd be willing to talk to them.If not… I had another idea in mind.After saving my completed drawings to my phone, I walked over to Julian. In the past few days, I'd never le
After much effort, Avery finally managed to calm herself down. She then took out her phone and dialed Luna's number. "You need to get your work to me as soon as possible.""Why?" Luna asked.Avery took a deep breath. "I want to start promoting your work as soon as possible to prove to Julian that my judgment is right!"Luna picked up on Avery's unusual tone. "Is he still hoping you'll prioritize Aralyn's work?"Avery's expression gradually turned grim. "No, he doesn't even allow me to meet him in his office."Luna was speechless.Avery snorted, "I think if I produce a hit comic, he'll have no choice but to acknowledge my abilities. He might even come to me himself!"Luna was silent for a moment before responding, "Then I'll get started right away.""Alright."After hanging up, Avery felt slightly better.…Since Julian wanted Willow to meet her grandparents, he had to contact them in advance. Taking the initiative, he called Willow's grandfather."Julian, we were just think
Julian hung up the phone and walked over to me. "Could you come with us tonight?"I nodded. "Sure."He sat down next to me and started telling me about Willow's grandparents.He was slightly emotional as he spoke of the past. "Ever since Willow's mother passed away, her grandparents have been deeply affected. Their health has deteriorated significantly."I didn't know how to comfort him, so I simply said, "Maybe they'll feel better if they spend more time with Willow."Julian chuckled. "Let's hope so."Then, he stood up. "Come on. Let's go grab lunch."This time, we didn't go to the company's cafeteria. Julian led me to a nearby restaurant, where he ordered a few dishes. "These are the restaurant's specialties."As he worked here for years, he knew all the best spots nearby.I felt unusually relaxed. "I'll give them a try.""Julian, you're here too! What a coincidence."A familiar voice caught my attention. I looked over to see Alice covering her mouth with her hand, fei
Alice left the restaurant and hid off to the side, secretly watching the two of them. She noticed a hint of happiness in Julian's eyes as he stared at Aralyn.Could he like Aralyn?She gritted her teeth. No! Julian was hers! She wouldn't allow anyone to take him away from her! As her anger rose, she suddenly felt a chill wash over her. Alice looked toward Julian, who had clearly noticed her presence, as he was now staring in her direction.The smile on his face had vanished, replaced by coldness and danger.A sense of panic surged within Alice. She quickly turned around, walking a few steps forward before confirming that she had moved out of Julian's line of sight. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.She quickly took out her phone and called Amber. "I've been doing what you asked. I've been trying to create accidental encounters outside the company every day, but your son still ignores me!""A woman has to be patient when pursuing a man," Amber advised."I want to be!
"He's a bit shy." Julian made up an excuse.After lunch, Julian and I returned to the office. He buried himself in work, while I continued drawing. Although my skills had improved significantly, I still hoped to speed up my process.If I could draw faster, I'd have more time to focus on other things.…When it was time for school to end, Julian and I arrived at the kindergarten entrance. We had an important matter to address today.When Julian saw Cynthia come out, he immediately approached her. Aware of Julian's concerns, Cynthia reassured him that everything had been arranged and that he didn't need to worry that much. Julian maintained his serious expression, though it was evident he had relaxed a bit.Once most of the other parents had left, the children in Willow's class began coming out.Willow seemed to be in a good mood as she waved at us enthusiastically. I quickly raised my hand to wave back at her.Willow darted out of the school gate and threw herself into my arms
Luna was just that attractive to men.She couldn't stop smiling at the thought."Then what kind of men do you think would like me?" Yasmin asked.Luna was momentarily stumped as she looked Yasmin up and down. Even though Yasmin was the same age as Aralyn, she lacked Aralyn's composure and calmness.Instead, she seemed a bit foolish.Luna found Yasmin somewhat annoying, but she didn't show it.She just smiled faintly and said, "Probably more mature and experienced men."Yasmin pressed her lips together. Those kinds of men were usually older, and she wasn't interested in them.Of course, Luna knew what Yasmin was thinking about but didn't show it. "I think most men aren't worthy of you, of course. Someone like Julian is just right.""That's right!" Yasmin agreed instantly.Luna nodded. "Yeah."Frowning, Yasmin muttered, "But the men who are worthy of me don't like me.""With diligence and persistence, anything is possible," Luna answered patiently.After finishing work, teas
Shayne had no other way to relieve his feelings now.Although drinking could make him forget Aralyn, he would feel like his heart had been hollowed out the very next day. It was unbearably miserable.Hence, he wanted to meet Zach. Zach was one of the few family members he had in this world.Once Shayne made the decision, he drove to Zach's place.…Luna never knew that pregnancy could be so exhausting. The animation project had just ended, but she had to design drafts for trendy toys now. She was dead tired.And now, someone was knocking on the door in the middle of the night.Luna opened the door.The person standing at the door was Yasmin, someone she had seen on TV.Recently, Luna had also learned a bit about Yasmin. Although she was rather fierce and seemed immature, she was about the same age as Aralyn."What are you here for?" Luna asked in surprise."To chat with you."Without even waiting for Luna to invite her in, Yasmin walked straight into the living room and s
Julian walked out, having just finished his shower. When he heard my conversation with Willow, he explained, "Your mommy is even more amazing than you think. Tens of millions is actually just a safe guess."Willow's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Wow, she can make even more?"Julian remained composed. "Yeah, these designer toys are selling really well, and they've also boosted sales of related merchandise and some comic books."Willow looked at me with even more admiration.Smiling, I uttered, "It's all thanks to your daddy."However, Julian was humble. "It's clearly because of your own hard work."I didn't deny it.Julian then asked, "The toys you designed yourself are also making a lot of money, right?""I heard from Mark that their sales are catching up to the designer toys. They've also made a huge profit. When the hype starts dying down, I'll release a new set of dolls. Based on my current inventory, I think I can keep the momentum going for at least another year," I s
"Alice doesn't know much, but these manufacturers definitely do. If you contact them and ask for a list, do you think they'll help you?" I asked.Mark hesitated for a moment. If everyone took advantage of this trend and increased production, they could make more money.And the more people knew about it and discussed it, the longer the hype would last, and the more money everyone could earn.Of course, they would be willing to introduce their peers.Once Mark understood this, he excitedly said, "Got it! I'll contact them right away!""Okay." My tone finally relaxed.…Mark was dedicated to this job. He proactively reached out to the factory owners. After explaining the pros and cons to them, he asked them to introduce other factory owners to him.Each of them was enthusiastic. Within just a few dozen minutes, he had already gotten at least ten phone numbers.He called them one by one, explaining his needs.To ease their concerns, he mentioned his referrers and emphasized that
Aralyn had always been the one to soothe them, including Charlotte.Shayne had now come to realize that Charlotte wasn't as great as he had once imagined.It was just that, when Aralyn was by his side, she had been afraid of affecting his work. So, no matter how much trouble Charlotte caused, Aralyn always covered for her.Yet, he refused to cherish the woman who had cared so much for him.Shayne took a deep breath, suddenly feeling exhausted."What's there to think about?" Charlotte asked."In all the years Aralyn was with me, the money she spent didn't even add up to what you both spend in a month, or even a week. Wait, even a day," Shayne said coldly.Charlotte felt that Shayne had become stingy. "But you're supposed to spend the money you make.""My son and wife didn't get to spend it. It all went to you." Shayne's voice was filled with self-mockery.Charlotte was a little annoyed. What did he mean by that?She had worked so hard to raise Shayne. It was only right that he
"Other people don't know the truth, so I can understand if they blame me. But Shayne knows, yet he still blames me!" Charlotte said.Luna sighed. "Don't let others sow discord between you. As for Shayne, he's still dreaming about getting back together with Aralyn. He's probably still hoping to have more children with her."But Aralyn no longer had any interest in Shayne.Luna understood this very well. If she were married to a man like Julian—gentle, rich, handsome, and loving—she wouldn't even consider someone like Shayne.Sure, Shayne was somewhat good-looking, but he was also stingy and emotionally unavailable.The contrast was just too brutal.If Aralyn broke up with Julian and got back together with Shayne, Luna would seriously question whether Aralyn had a mental illness.Charlotte, of course, didn't think her son had done anything wrong. Hence, in her mind, Aralyn was the one at fault."Aralyn must have been secretly contacting Shayne! Otherwise, why would he still be th
"That's right," Julian said.It seemed Donald coming here wasn't entirely in vain. At the very least, he had helped Willow learn something.Julian was extremely pleased.When Donald heard that, his face grew darker, and he tried to explain, "I didn't…"Julian had no interest in listening. After years of navigating the business world, he could tell a person's intentions the moment they spoke.Not wanting to waste time on Donald's nonsense, Julian uttered, "It's late. My daughter needs to sleep. You should leave."Donald was forced to swallow all the words he wanted to say.He stared at Julian in a daze for a long time. But in the end, he could only leave.Once he disappeared from the living room, Julian asked, "Can you guess why he went through all this trouble?""What else could it be? He wants you to think I'm a terrible person and ruin our relationship."Julian's voice grew colder. "If he were only trying to sabotage our relationship, I might call him clever. But he even pu
Mom should have fought a fair and just lawsuit and demanded more money from them.Donald remained silent, unable to say a word."Besides, Mom had a job at the beginning. Even after you two got married, she rarely asked you for money."Honestly, I always felt that my personality was similar to Mom's.Both of us were highly independent."Even after you made Mom a housewife, you rarely gave her money. She spent almost entirely from her own savings. So, can you tell me the 'good things' you've done for me?"Donald hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I admit, when I was with your mom, I really didn't treat her well. But you wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me. I'm your elder! Even if you ignore everything else, just the fact that I gave you life means you should respect me!"I laughed. "If Mom wasn't with you, she would have been with someone else. And I would still have been born just the same. You're not exactly irreplaceable."Donald stared at me for a long tim
Shayne showed no emotion, yet it struck Charlotte like a bolt of lightning.Charlotte's lips moved. After a long time, she finally said, "I never expected things to turn out this way.""Not expecting it means you can wash your hands of responsibility?" Shayne mocked coldly.Charlotte didn't know what to say."No, you can't. Zach won't forgive you, and neither will I. You should just focus on the baby in Luna's belly and live your life," Shayne added.Before he could hang up, Charlotte hurriedly said, "But didn't you already forgive us before?""The fact that you can still reach me by phone is proof that I don't hate you."Charlotte let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that."It's just that, for now, I can't forget that I will never be able to have another child for the rest of my life."Charlotte's mood grew heavier.…Donald rushed to Julian's house in the middle of the night.When Julian saw him come in, he was a little surprised.Just as he was about to ask what Donald