Maybe rent was worth too much money. Based on Alice's expression, the answer must be ridiculous.After hesitating for a while, I said, "Coffee?""No, it was mineral water, the kind that costs two dollars per bottle. And also one dollar pack of tissues."I could hardly believe my ears. "Really?""Yes. He calculated every penny he spent on the woman. After five years of dating, he only spent a little over a thousand dollars on her," Alice said disdainfully. I blinked."The woman saw how ruthless he was and couldn't stand him anymore, so she broke up with him. She also added up all the money she had spent on him over the years, and she found out she had spent no less than 200 thousand dollars on him."The woman was furious at that point and threw the bill in his face, demanding him to pay her back," Alice added, clearly enjoying the gossip.This was the first time I had heard of such a situation. "Did he agree to pay her back?""Of course not! He just bought flowers for the woma
Although Luna hadn't interacted much with Aralyn, judging from how Aralyn hadn't contacted Shayne at all after their divorce, it was clear she was a very decisive woman.It was highly likely that Aralyn truly wouldn't get back with Shayne. And Shayne, who was deeply in love with Aralyn, didn't realize his true feelings. The situation was predictable in the short term. Luna was safe.Initially, Luna had planned to find Shayne after dropping Mason off. That way, even if Shayne eventually realized who he truly loved, she could guide him and make Shayne believe that she was the one he loved.But now, she didn't feel like going to Shayne anymore. After all, with the card Shayne had given her, she could buy whatever she wanted. Instead of going to Shayne and inviting trouble, she could live in luxury.As Luna thought this, she glanced at her coffee. She wasn't sure if she had bought good coffee or if it was for some other reason, but the coffee tasted especially fragrant and rich.…
Displeased, Alice walked up to Joanna. "I like flowers, and someone gave me flowers. Isn't that enough? Why does it have to be from a man? Do flowers from men smell better? Are they more valuable?"Alice couldn't understand Joanna's way of thinking at all.Joanna blushed and shyly replied, "Because if a man is willing to give you flowers, it means he loves you."Alice was rendered speechless. She nearly rolled her eyes but managed to hold back and instead put on a smile."My friend sent me flowers because she loves me too. Otherwise, why would she bother spending the money?"With that, Alice hugged her bouquet and returned to her desk.…During lunchtime, I hadn't even finished organizing my laptop when Alice stormed into the office. She sneaked a glance at Julian, making sure he was still seriously focused on work. Then, she leaned in to whisper to me about the latest gossip she'd just overheard.I stared at her in disbelief. She had only been in the gaming department for on
Alice chose the restaurant where we were going to eat. It was a trendy place that had been advertised all over a certain video-sharing platform recently.Before the meal, Alice confidently assured us that her friends had tried it and all said it tasted great.When the dishes were served, both the color combinations and the aroma were top-notch. After finishing the meal, we walked out of the restaurant in silence."Let me choose where we eat next time," Julian said expressionlessly.Alice had to admit that Julian usually seemed like a distant, unapproachable being, but there was no denying that the restaurants he picked always guaranteed good food.As for her choice of restaurant, it really fell short.Alice reluctantly gave in. "Alright."When we returned to the company, Alice waved goodbye to us. As I watched her bounce away, my mood lifted as well.Julian and I walked side by side.When I saw the man standing outside the office door, my steps halted.Shayne looked up and wa
I didn't say anything; I only stared at him.Shayne slowly raised his head to meet my eyes.After a moment of thought, I decided it was better to clarify things now and end this conversation sooner rather than later. "Maybe it's because I used to love you wholeheartedly. We spent six years together, seeing each other day and night. Even if you didn't love me, your possessiveness likely made you see me as yours subconsciously."You were convinced I would never leave you. But in the end, we still reached the point of divorce. That's why you feel a bit unsettled," I stated, my voice devoid of any emotion."But that's normal. Even if a vase that's been in your house for years suddenly breaks, you'd feel reluctant to let it go, let alone a person."With that, I stood up and walked away. At the door, I found Julian standing nearby. Surprised, I stopped in front of him."Aren't you super busy with work? How do you have time to come here?" I asked.Julian sighed in relief. "I was worr
"And then?" Spencer asked."I asked her if she thought I loved her," Shayne said, his voice filled with confusion. He truly believed Aralyn was the one he loved. Yet, everyone around him, including Aralyn, believed he loved Luna.Spencer, with no patience for Aralyn, said irritably, "She probably said you loved her."He had always disliked Aralyn and instinctively assumed she would say or do something to make him dislike her more."No, she said I loved Luna," Shayne uttered, his eyes unusually vacant.What? Spencer couldn't believe his ears.Shayne asked, "Does that mean I was a terrible husband? In the six years I was with her, I never made her feel loved."The private room fell into an instant silence.Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say. To be honest, it did seem like the fault lay with Shayne.But as his friends, they naturally wanted to side with him.While everyone was struggling to think of a way to console Shayne, Spencer had already figured out how
As I recalled that moment, I couldn't help but feel speechless. "Did he forget we got divorced because he loved Luna?"Julian didn't say anything.Suddenly, a thought came to me. "Do you think it's possible…"Julian raised an eyebrow. "Oh?""That he came to me specifically to brag about how good his relationship with Luna is?"Other than that, I couldn't think of any reason why Shayne would want to see me."That's possible." "He's so childish." I rolled my eyes.When it was time to get off work, Alice rushed into the office and told me her friend had invited her out, so she was leaving first.Before I could respond, she was already out the door.Shaking my head, I packed up and followed Julian to pick up Willow.…Willow got out of school right on time.However, Pamela's parents were absent again.Julian called Pamela's parents and told them directly that Willow really liked Pamela, so we could also take Pamela with us whenever we fetched Willow.We thought they might r
Pamela stared at me and asked, "Really?""Of course."…The car stopped a short distance from the villa. Zach sat inside. Noah brought a tutor over, who was teaching Zach seriously. Zach glanced in the direction of the villa, then turned his attention back to the lesson.He didn't know why, but studying near Aralyn's home made him feel a deep sense of peace. It was as if Aralyn had returned to him.Zach made up his mind—he was going to learn whatever Willow learned. He could convince himself that these were courses Aralyn had chosen for him.As a good child, he would study hard and not let Aralyn down.This time, there was a lot to learn, but Zach was smart and mastered everything. The tutor was delighted and wanted to teach Zach more.Just then, someone tapped the car window. Zach turned his head and saw Shayne standing outside. He opened the door and hopped out. "You can drive the tutor home," Zach said to Noah."Alright.""Don't forget to come back for me," Zach remind
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