"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
He had no one to blame but himself. Zach's tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. He really missed Aralyn.…Luna arrived late. When she saw Julian and me standing at the entrance, her steps slowed noticeably.She hesitated before walking over to Cynthia. "Mason, let's go home.""Mom…" Mason hid behind Luna.Sensing something was wrong, Luna tried to leave with her son warily.Julian blocked her path. "Your son has been spreading rumors in class, leading the other kids to ostracize my daughter. How do you plan to resolve this?" Though there was no expression on Julian's face, he exuded an undeniable pressure.Luna felt Mason trembling behind her and patted his arm reassuringly, signaling that she was there for him.She scoffed, "And how can you be so sure it was my son?"I looked at Luna in surprise. Was she planning to deny it?"The children in class all said it was him," Cynthia replied gently.Luna turned to look at Mason, and the latter nodded reluctantly. Luna
I was a bit surprised, as I didn't think Julian had already thought of how to handle this situation if Luna refused to cooperate."But Daddy, being isolated by the whole class isn't a good feeling," Willow uttered softly.Julian was slightly taken aback. Was Willow feeling softhearted? Did she not want him to use the same method to retaliate against Mason?"Willow…" Julian spoke in hesitation."I think that's a great solution, Daddy. He'll only change his behavior when he experiences the same thing," Willow continued.Julian felt relieved. Although Willow was a kid, she wasn't naive.He patted Willow on the arm. "Trust Daddy to handle this in a way you'll be happy with.""Okay." Willow nodded, then looked out the window. "But Daddy, where are we going?"She knew this wasn't the way home. Julian smiled and replied, "We're going to visit your grandparents."At his words, Willow immediately burrowed into my arms. I could feel her small body trembling, which was strange. Didn'
She picked up the card and opened it. There were only two words on the card—"I'm sorry."Luna sat next to Shayne. "Why are you apologizing to me?""These past few days, I've been focusing all my attention on Aralyn, and I ended up neglecting you," Shayne said as he held Luna's hand."Luna, you're the woman I've loved my whole life. Even after I married Aralyn, my heart has always been with you. I feel so guilty…" Shayne paused."I should have cherished you and treated you better."Spencer had told him that if he focused all his attention on Luna, he might stop thinking about Aralyn. Shayne wanted to see if it would work.Luna shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind, Shayne."As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks, which would evoke anyone's sympathy.Strangely, though, Shayne didn't feel any heartache as he watched her cry.Instead, Aralyn's face surfaced in his mind.When Aralyn cried, she wouldn't say a word. She would only look at him quietly.As that scene replayed
"No need. You stay home with Mama Luna and Mason. I can handle this myself," Zach refused firmly.…At the hospital, people came and went. Willow was visibly tense. She held my hand tightly, her eyes fixed straight ahead."Willow, don't you want to see your grandparents?" I asked gently.Willow answered without hesitation, "I do!"I could sense how tightly wound she was. Julian had already stopped at the door of the ward.I crouched down and gently patted Willow's back. "But you don't seem happy."Willow finally turned to look at me."Can you tell Mommy why that is?" I asked softly.Willow lowered her head."It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," I added with a smile."I'll tell you tonight when we get home," Willow whispered.I was glad she was willing to share. That way, I could better understand and help her open up. Ruffling her hair, I uttered, "Alright."Julian waited until we were finished before opening the door and stepping inside.Willow followed but sne
Since that day, Willow felt that whenever her grandparents saw her, they would be reminded of her parents' death. Terrified they might hate her, she dared not to speak to them anymore.The more I listened, the more my heart ached. "But Willow, accidents are beyond your control."Willow's eyes filled with tears."On the day of the accident, whether you were in the car or not… There was no way to prevent what happened. So, it's not your fault."I hugged her tightly. "You're a victim too."Willow burst into tears. "But… That day, Mom died trying to protect me.""Your mom loved you very much, Willow. You need to understand that even if she could go back, she would make the same choice." I smoothed her hair gently.Willow stopped crying and stared at me intently."Even in her final moments, she must have been grateful that her daughter survived."After some hesitation, Willow asked, "Really?""Yes. Even though she's no longer with you, she would want you to live well and not be
Hearing that, I realized that in the car earlier, I had focused only on explaining how the accident wasn't her fault. But I had forgotten to tell her what her grandparents truly thought.I spoke slowly and gently. "Do you remember what I told you earlier?"Willow nodded. "Of course.""Your grandparents were heartbroken because your mom was their daughter. And she left them forever. Just like…"I paused, stroking her cheek. "You were deeply hurt too, right?"Willow thought back to that day, her gaze lowering."But later, they must have also felt grateful that you survived."Willow sat up straight. "Really?""Yes." I nodded firmly.Willow spun in circles, her joy spilling over. "That's great!"As I watched her, I asked, "Now that you know your grandparents have always loved you and never blamed you, do you think you can talk to them?"Willow stopped spinning, her face serious as she pondered for a long moment.Then, she shook her head. "I don't think I can yet.""That's okay
Julian's eyes sparkled with amusement as he continued enjoying the meal.…Zach sat in the car, staring at the brightly lit villa. What were they doing now? Having dinner?Or was Aralyn holding Willow in her arms, watching TV with her, and explaining life lessons to her as the story unfolded? When Zach imagined how the mother who had once cared for him unconditionally was now giving all her patience and love to someone else, he felt his heart was sliced apart.Noah gripped the steering wheel and looked at Zach through the rearview mirror. Noticing Zach's gloomy mood, he asked, "Should we head home?""Yeah."…Amber arrived at the villa at 9:00 pm.Willow had already finished washing up and was lying in bed on time. I sat by her side, reading her a bedtime story from a picture book. Amber strode into the living room, glancing around as she walked in. When she saw Julian sitting there, she immediately scanned the area.Julian put down the book he was reading. "Mom, who are y
"That's right. At the time, the divorce happened so suddenly that even if I went back to my previous job, it would take a long time to start making money again. I had no resources to solve the immediate problem," I replied."Do you want to go back to your previous line of work?" Julian asked.Without even thinking, I shook my head. "Of course not. I have a job I enjoy more now, and it pays better. There's no reason to go back."Julian's smile widened.…When it was time for the lunch break, Joseph was already waiting in the café downstairs.Alice rushed over, and Joseph remarked sarcastically, "Look at you, all busy and important now. I waited for so long."Hearing that, Alice rolled her eyes at him. "Most companies have the same lunch hour. If you insist on coming this early, what do you expect me to do? Besides, I came straight here as soon as I got off work."Alice shot him a sideways glance. "That's already giving you enough respect. You'd better appreciate it."Joseph qui
"That's alright. I can treat you," Alice replied.As long as it meant making Avery suffer, spending a little money was no big deal.Even though Alice had started working and understood how hard it was to earn money, she could still afford something like this.Joseph swallowed and asked, "Can I order anything I want?"Alice recalled how Joseph used to spend money like water and worried that he'd order a massive amount of food, possibly exceeding her entire month's salary."As long as the total doesn't exceed 100 dollars, order whatever you want. If it's over that amount, I can't afford it. You'll have to pay for yourself."Alice figured it was better to be upfront to prevent Joseph from causing trouble later."You have a job now and even bonuses. Do you really have to be this stingy?" Joseph asked in annoyance.Without hesitation, Alice replied, "My salary isn't that high. You should be grateful I'm treating you at all. If you think I'm being too cheap, then forget it."100 dol
With that, she turned and walked out.Avery suddenly had a bad feeling about it. "What are you planning to do?"Alice turned back to look at Avery. "I don't need to tell you, do I? All you need to know is that since you came after me, I won't let you have it easy either."She straightened her back and walked away.Just as she reached the elevator, she saw Mark stepping out.She glanced up subtly.Mark gave a small nod. After silently reaching an agreement, Mark walked out of the elevator.Alice stepped in, taking the elevator to the top floor.Their project had just wrapped up, bringing in a huge profit. The other employees in the company, who had been idly coasting along, now saw how lucrative these projects could be. It far surpassed the company's usual earnings.One by one, they started to get tempted.Alice's direct supervisor had initially planned to take on another intense workload. But when they finally went to pick up a new project, they realized those same employees
Shayne lifted his head and stared at Maisy.Maisy felt that Shayne hitting Zach couldn't be brushed off so easily. Otherwise, people would think Zach was easy to bully and pile on him.Realizing this, she stepped forward and slapped Shayne hard. "That's payback for Zach. Now we're even."Shayne took a deep breath. "I've tolerated you again and again only because you're Aralyn's mother. Don't push your luck!"Maisy glared at Shayne coldly. "Hmph! She has nothing to do with you anymore, and neither do I. You don't need to consider anyone's feelings."With that, Maisy turned and walked away with ease.Shayne watched her departing figure, bitterness filling his heart.Maisy used to be fond of him.Every time he and Aralyn visited, Maisy would cook all his favorite dishes.Even Aralyn would get jealous and pout, saying, "Mom, you treat your son-in-law better than me now. I'm jealous!"Every time, Maisy would tap Aralyn's cheek gently and say, "You're a grown woman. Is this really
"If he makes a mistake, I will point it out. It's not your place to interfere. Do you understand?"Shayne was indeed in the wrong this time, and he felt a bit guilty. "I was afraid you were spoiling him too much."Maisy let out a cold laugh. "His father drives his mother away for the sake of a mistress, and in the end, even his father doesn't want him. He's so young, yet he's already gone through so much. It's justified that I spoil him."She only felt sorry for Zach. He had been through too much at such a young age. "Besides, being afraid that I'm spoiling him too much doesn't give you the right to lay your hand on him."Tell me, did you hit him because he did something wrong? If you can say what it was, and if he was truly in the wrong, I'd take your side no matter what."Shayne fell silent.Seeing his expression, Maisy immediately understood and became even more furious."He said he never contacted his mother," Shayne explained.Maisy was so speechless she almost laughed. "T
"Of course!" Zach answered without hesitation."All my classmates' parents are coming. Only mine are not. But since Noah and Ms. Harper are around the same age as Mom and Dad, the kids in my class might mistake them for my parents."That should make me feel a little better. And you're a family member, Granny. I won't be too different from the other kids."Maisy's heart ached at Zach's words. "Alright, don't worry. I'll be there."Getting Maisy's confirmation, Zach quickly jumped off his chair and took out his suit, handing it to Maisy. "This is the outfit I picked out earlier. I have to wear it! I look really good in it. Make sure to bring it in the afternoon, okay?"Maisy smiled at him lovingly. "Okay."Zach finally felt at ease. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and left.Maisy held onto the little suit and followed behind Zach.Zach looked at Maisy in confusion and asked, "Why are you coming too?"Maisy ruffled Zach's hair. "I'll send you to school and pick up some gr
The other party was a professional marketer. As soon as they received the money, they got to work immediately.Before long, Luna's new book release was trending.Luna's works were already of decent quality, and with several rounds of hype, she had gained a large fan base. When people heard that her book was about to be published, many rushed in, eager to buy it.Orders started coming in through various channels.Luna's mood improved when she saw the rapidly increasing numbers. Then, she reached out to Emilia. "Did you see the sales of my new book?"Emilia had just come out of a meeting. Glancing at the numbers, she stated in surprise, "That's a lot.""I had a bit of a reputation overseas. Back then, our publishing house handled my books, so you should know," Luna replied confidently.Emilia was well aware of that.Luna continued, "This book has both a great plot and stunning visuals. Of course, plenty of people would love it."After thinking for a while, Emilia said, "Judging
Both of them tried to persuade Maisy.Maisy was feeling emotional. Her precious grandson had grown up and now knew how to care for his grandmother. "Alright, then. I'll go tomorrow."Zach smiled happily. "Okay."Maisy pulled Zach to sit beside the couch and began helping him reduce the swelling. Her eyes were full of distress. "It must have hurt so much. Shayne practically hit you as though he wanted you dead. You're his son, not his enemy. Did he really have to go that far?"Zach didn't argue and simply said, "Maybe his brain's gone bad now that he's all alone because he lost his wife due to his stupidity. And now, he doesn't want his child either."Maisy raised an eyebrow and looked at Zach. "I think so."Seeing that his grandmother agreed with him, Zach grinned widely. But his face hurt a lot. The moment he smiled, he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.…Shayne sat alone in his car. After hanging up and comforting Luna, he finally felt a little better.Because of Lun
But Luna had no intention of exposing him. After all, her goal was to spend Shayne's money.As long as Shayne was willing to support her, that was all that mattered. She didn't care about anything else.Still uneasy, Shayne reminded again, "So, we've agreed—you can't be with other men.""You can rest assured about that. As long as you're willing to support me, of course, I'm happy to maintain this arrangement," replied Luna patiently. The most important thing was that Shayne never interfered with any of her decisions. And he didn't live with her. She had plenty of time to build relationships with other men.Even if Aralyn really was foolish enough to break up with Julian and go back to Shayne, it wouldn't affect Luna much.At the very least, she could still act pitiful in front of Rowan and make him take her in.Before doing anything, Luna always liked to leave herself a way out.…Zach pushed open the door and walked into the living room with his head down.Maisy heard the