He seemed to have the urge to talk, and all I needed to do was listen and encourage him to continue. "Hmm?"My head was spinning. I raised my hand to rub my temple. I'd never had alcohol before, so I was a little shocked. Was my tolerance this low?Julian watched me. "Ever since I climbed into this position, I've had to focus all my attention on work every single day—planning the company's future, managing its development, and figuring out how to handle crises."Plus, there are other companies eyeing us like hawks. They're practically waiting for mine to collapse so they can take over."And then there was the matter with Willow. He had so much to think about every day.It wasn't until he brought me home to help care for Willow that he started feeling a little relief.I tilted my head as I looked at him. "That's a lot of pressure."Julian just smiled before pouring me another glass.I waved my hand. "I can't drink anymore."Julian sighed. "Alright. We'll stop. But it's only whe
He drove back to the home he had shared with Aralyn for six years and pushed open the door.The house was pitch black.Shayne instinctively called out, "Honey, I'm home. Why didn't you come to greet me? Are you feeling unwell?"As he took a couple of steps, he suddenly remembered that they were divorced.Shayne slumped onto the couch despondently, glancing around the living room. He told himself he shouldn't feel sad.They had been together for so many years, but the person he had always loved was Luna. Now that his dream had come true, he should have been happy. But why couldn't he feel a shred of joy?Shayne placed his hand over his chest. He didn't understand.Just then, his phone buzzed. He answered it absentmindedly—the call was from Luna.In the past, when he came home late and Aralyn called to check on him, he would never say much, but he always secretly looked forward to hearing from her. He would even smile unconsciously. But now, all he felt was irritation. "What?"
Willow pondered for a moment before saying, "Maybe I didn't explain clearly. My goal isn't to suddenly become a normal person who can chat with everyone. I just want to have one person I can talk to."After hearing that, I realized I had misunderstood. "I understand now."With that, I helped her get dressed.Willow took my hand and we went downstairs.Breakfast had been prepared by the chef. The food was rich and nutritious.As Willow ate, she glanced around the room. When it was time to drink milk, she jumped off her seat and approached Derrick, wanting to talk to him.Unfortunately, the words were stuck in her throat. She still couldn't say anything.Willow thought that maybe she simply didn't want to talk to Derrick, so she went over to someone else.The others looked at Willow, confused. What was she doing? After trying everyone, Willow returned to her seat and sighed. "Why can't I talk to anyone?"She couldn't understand.When she spoke to Julian and Aralyn, she felt n
The receptionist saw Alice and smiled, stopping her. "Hello, may I ask if you have an appointment?"This receptionist had witnessed how the guards had thrown her out before, so she knew Julian didn't welcome her. Hence, she couldn't let Alice go upstairs.Alice yawned. "I'm here for Aralyn."The receptionist was stunned. Alice walked straight to the elevator and pressed the close-door button.By the time the receptionist regained her composure, the elevator had already gone up. Her face turned pale. What should she do?…Alice pushed the door open and walked into the office.Julian saw her.Before he could speak, Alice said, "I'm here for Aralyn."I had just opened my laptop and was about to start working on a design when I heard Alice's words.I turned around in surprise.Alice sat right next to me. "Can we add each other on WhatsApp?"Didn't she treat me as her rival just a few days ago?Though I was confused, I still took out my phone and handed it to Alice. Alice add
Alice was fast asleep. I didn't want to affect her rest with any loud movements, so I quietly adjusted her body to lay flat on the couch.I then took my thermos and left the cubicle with Julian. My voice remained soft as I asked, "Where did it come from?""I cooked it at home this morning." Julian's expression remained unchanging as he stood beside me. He sounded a little guilty as he continued, "You wouldn't have had so much to drink last night if it wasn't for the sake of accompanying me. So, you wouldn't have a headache today either.""Yeah…" I opened the thermos and took a sip. The soup was still hot.After much hesitation, I decided to speak. "If you'd like to chat and relax with me next time, let's not drink alcohol. Non-alcoholic drinks are good enough.""Alright," agreed Julian.I sat down and gently blew on my scalding hot soup. Julian, on the other hand, stood behind me. He helped massage my temples. His actions were gentle.Although my head ached, his actions help
Mark noticed my disbelief. He smiled and said, "This isn't considered a lot. Once they are done creating a full promotional strategy for you, and the company starts pouring resources into it, your followers could increase by tens of thousands in a single day."Mark was clearly accustomed to these scenarios. He added, "In less than a month, you could probably become a top influencer with over a million followers. When that happens, there will be people who envy you; they will put your life under a magnifying glass."If you don't want them finding faults with you, then it's best to start being mindful of your actions and words."He then patted my shoulder and said with a tone full of sympathy, "So, enjoy having a smaller follower count while you can. This might be one of your few remaining moments of freedom."With that, he walked out of the office.I sat quietly, reflecting on what Mark had said.So, being liked by a lot of people isn't all good after all.…Once Julian had fi
While everyone was passionately discussing the news, a message appeared. "I'd like to know, too."The moment Mark saw those words, he had a bad premonition. He looked at the sender's name. It was Julian.He then looked at the name of the group chat. It was "Hughes Group."He was over. He was completely over.Didn't he send it to their gossip group chat? How did it end up in the company's group chat?He clutched his phone with trembling hands. Would this cost him his job?"Is it that obvious?" asked Julian.Mark heard Julian's voice behind him and turned around as his heart pounded.Julian's expression was as calm as usual. "Hmm?"Mark nodded as he replied, "Yeah."He then took a deep breath and continued, "Those who have worked here long enough can see it."Julian seemed thoughtful as he replied, "I thought I hid it well."Mark lowered his head."Everyone in the group is still waiting for your answer," said Julian as he gripped the handle of the office door. His cold ton
Shayne couldn't help but think that if he and Aralyn hadn't divorced, she would've been elated to receive this ring from him.Unfortunately, he couldn't go back in time.He looked down and felt increasingly lost.Didn't he like Luna? So, why had he been thinking about Aralyn so much lately?…When it was time for dinner, the private elevator reserved for executives happened to be out of service. Julian and I had no choice but to take the public elevator. Unfortunately, it was the end of the work day. As the elevator descended, the number of people in the elevator increased.I stood in the corner, but people would bump into me occasionally due to how cramped it was inside.Julian was worried that I would feel uncomfortable, so he got closer to me. He then placed his arm in front of me, creating a safe zone.I no longer had to be hit by stray arms, so I finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you.""You're welcome."…Julian had practically encased Aralyn within his arms. He
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