One of the teachers walked over and explained, "This is Willow's mother. She's here to drop off Willow today. You've probably had some misunderstanding.""That's impossible!" Zach retorted instantly, "She's my mom!""You shouldn't just call anyone your mom." I cut him off. "I don't remember ever giving birth to a child like you."Zach was struck speechless.The teacher tried to remind Zach. "Have you forgotten? You said you didn't know this lady when she came to pick you up last time."Inwardly, the teacher found it strange since Zach was suddenly claiming that he was my son today.On the other hand, Zach was extremely delighted as he watched me get into the car without sparing him another look.With me no longer wanting any involvement with him, Zach figured he could finally enjoy a happy life with Luna as his mother now.Zach had forgotten all about his displeasure of seeing me here just now. Instead, he was brimming with joy."Great! I'm finally free from that ever-so-annoy
Many patients were staying in the hospital wards. A lot of them were even forced to rest on hospital beds placed along the corridors since the wards were fully occupied.A majority of these patients faced serious health issues and had to stay at the hospital for an extended period. Most of them were already staying here when I got admitted to the hospital previously, and they were still here even after I got discharged.I saw a few familiar faces the instant I came near a ward.An elderly man asked, "Didn't you get discharged the other day? Why are you visiting the hospital again?""I fell down the stairs a few days ago, right?" I did not hide from them the reason why I was here. Ultimately, I also wanted to find out if anyone saw or took photos of what happened that day.Still, I could not divulge all of the details of the incident to them. "I noticed the floor was really slippery back then. It was as if someone made it that way on purpose."So, I'm thinking of checking if there
Then, I would have a lovely and considerate daughter… She would even love me sincerely and wholeheartedly.I could not help smiling at the thought of that. "I will."Julian turned his gaze away and concentrated on his work again. "I don't think you've had time to unpack your things yet."I got to my feet. "I'm going to do that now."…My bedroom was located farthest to the east on the second floor. The room was spacious, and it even had a dressing room attached to it. In addition, the room had good lighting and a huge balcony.As the curtains were pulled back, shafts of bright sunlight fell on the bed, creating a warm ambiance in the room.I did not unpack and organize my things right away. Instead, I lay on the bed and enjoyed the peace and tranquility that I had not felt in a long while.At that moment, I had this feeling that it would not be a bad thing if I could spend my days like this for the rest of my life.Once I was done resting, I dragged my suitcase into the dressi
After saying that, the person introduced themselves. "I'm Zach's teacher. Classes are already over for today, but no one's here to pick him up yet."So, I was wondering if something had happened at home to have held you up?" The teacher asked politely.Before Shayne and I separated, had Luna not picked Zach up from school every day diligently? Yet, she started neglecting Zach as soon as Shayne and I had gotten divorced?I was quite surprised to hear that. Still…These people and their familial matters had nothing to do with me now. I had no intention of poking my nose in their business either."I'm actually one of your students, Willow Hughes' mother. I'm not related to Zach Pearce." I smiled and replied, "I think you've called the wrong number."The teacher apologized immediately. "I'm sorry for the mix-up.""It's alright." I ended the call right away.When I entered the elevator, I could hear my phone ringing again. This time, it was a call from Shayne.I answered the phone.
Willow sat next to Julian. Then, she patted on the empty seat beside her. "Mommy, sit here!"I sat down beside her.Willow turned her body slightly so that she was facing me. "Make a wish, Mommy."I looked at the flickering candles and closed my eyes."I hope that Willow will get better with time. I also hope that we can enjoy a good and happy life for a long long time," I slowly muttered those words inwardly.Then, I opened my eyes and blew out the candles in one go.Willow leaned closer toward me at once. It was as though she wanted to stick herself onto me like glue. "What did you wish for, Mommy?"I was about to answer her, but Julian did not want to see me get pressured. He interrupted, "Willow, her wishes won't come true if she says them out loud."It was difficult for young children to hide their emotions. Willow was visibly disappointed. "Alright."I could not help grinning at the adorable sight of Willow pouting indignantly. I sliced a small piece of cake for her. "Le
Shayne shouted furiously down the line.I checked who the caller was and realized I had not blocked Shayne's number yet. "Why should I?"Shayne was infuriated by the hint of nonchalance in my tone. He said through gritted teeth, "Did you know that Zach had to wait all by himself outside the kindergarten and only got home after 9:00 pm just because you didn't go and pick him up?"I replied calmly, "Mr. Pearce, I think you're blaming the wrong person. Luna Sider is his mother now. As for me…"I got up, walked over to the balcony, and looked into the distance.It was dark outside. I could only see the stars in the sky and the lights coming from faraway houses. I continued, "I'm just a stranger to you and your family now."Shayne took a deep breath. "Are you still blaming us?""No." I said unhurriedly, "It's simply because I have a new life now. I don't see the need to be overly involved with people and things that are in the past now. Don't you think so?"Without allowing Shayne
"Just like Mom. Is that okay?"Willow was put into a difficult position.I put down some bait. "As long as you agree, then you can sleep in my room tonight." Willow looked at me. She then turned her head to look at the spacious room and threw her caution to the wind. "Okay!"Once Willow had brushed her teeth, she placed her cup and toothbrush in my bathroom. She then walked to the door with her head held high and reached out to Julian."Daddy."Julian was stunned. He then squatted in disbelief. He even wondered if he had misheard her. "Did you just speak to me?"Willow looked at me as I stood behind Julian. Although it was difficult, she replied, "That's right."Julian picked her up immediately.After he learned Willow was autistic, he took her to visit the doctor to receive all kinds of treatment. However, she still refused to speak.Back then, he'd thought it was fine as long as she lived a good life. Later on, she met me. Only then was she willing to speak to me. Howeve
Willow was clearly upset. She sobbed as she said, "I woke up and didn't see you. I thought you didn't want me anymore."I held her hand and led her to the living room.Willow obediently sat on the sofa, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.I helped her wipe her tears and comforted her in a gentle voice. "It's my fault for waking up early. I wanted to prepare breakfast for you, but I forgot that you would be upset if you couldn't see me."Willow's eyes were brimming with tears. "Is that true?""Of course, it's true."I then comforted her patiently. "So, can you please stop crying?"Willow stopped crying and nodded lightly. She then threw herself into my arms and said in a muffled voice, "But, Mom, getting up early to cook is too tiring. I want you to sleep a little longer."Since there was someone making breakfast, there was no need for me to take over someone else's job.I gently ruffled her hair and replied, "You're so thoughtful."Willow blushed and gave me a shy s
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
"If you had even a shred of sense and thought about everything you did to me, you couldn't possibly think I still have the slightest attachment to you."Shayne slammed the table and stood up. "Is this about me making you sleep with Rowan?"I leaned back on the couch and looked up at him. "Is that the only thing?"Shayne acted as if he couldn't hear me. "But I don't care about it anymore!""Heh." I realized I shouldn't have come to talk to him at all.Seeing me get up, Shayne hurriedly ran in front of me. "Aralyn…"I ignored him and walked straight past. Glancing back at his dejected figure, I calmly said, "I've always been thankful that I chose to leave you."…Back in the office, Julian, who had been focused on work, set his tasks aside and approached me. "Are you okay?"I nodded. "I'm fine. I just don't know what got into him. He suddenly said he regrets the divorce as if it would make any difference had he refused back then."I didn't bother to hide the disdain in my eyes.
"Strictly speaking, she's not an employee of Hughes Group," Mark said in a friendly manner.Shayne frowned. Seeing that this approach wasn't working, he simply stated his reason for coming, "I want to see her."Mark smiled politely. "You can call her and ask if she's willing to meet you."Mr. Pearce, I'm just an employee. Please don't make things difficult for me."Shayne stared at Mark. "She blocked me.""Then I'm sorry. I can't help you," Mark uttered in a professional tone.Shayne tried to bypass Mark to go find Aralyn, but Mark stepped forward to block him.Just then, the office door opened.…I stood at the door, looking at Shayne.Shayne looked at me. "Aralyn.""Don't say my name as if we're close," I said coldly, staring at him in disdain. "We're nothing more than strangers."For once, Shayne's expression showed sadness.But I didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy. Instead, I found him pretentious and turned my gaze away.Mark stepped up to me and whispered, "D
Julian then noticed that, in addition to the commonly seen merchandise on the market, the applicants had also created some everyday products that hadn't been made into merchandise before. "Very professional," he commented, quite satisfied."Yes. Now that we've hired people for both the merchandise and comic departments, if all goes smoothly, we'll be able to produce the rest of the merchandise within the next couple of days. I think the comic's followers aren't growing fast enough."So, I'm suggesting the finance department allocate more funds to the promotions team. After all, early-stage promotion mainly relies on spending money," Mark voiced his opinions.Julian, who never lacked money, replied, "Approved."It was because of Aralyn that Mark learned just how many ways there were to make money in the comic industry.And the prospects looked so promising."There are very few applicants for the translation department, which handles international promotions, but I'll keep an eye
In the office, I started working seriously.…Julian walked out of the office and went to a secluded corner, dialing Amber's number."Yes? What's the matter?" Amber asked."Didn't I tell you not to contact Aralyn unless there was a reason? Looks like you still haven't learned your lesson. Do I really have to cut off all of the family's living expenses?"Each word from Julian was colder than the last."I'm your mother! I'm not happy with Aralyn as my daughter-in-law. Can't I say something about it?" Amber asked sharply, sounding as if she were perfectly justified.But Julian wasn't buying it at all. "No, you can't."Amber was almost choked speechless by Julian's words, but she knew Julian meant what he said."You don't even have the right to cut off our living expenses. Don't forget that we're the ones who handed the company to you. You're enjoying the results of our hard work, and yet you don't want to support us? How do you think that's fair?"Julian sneered, "Mom, I guess y
Willow lifted her chin. "It's a secret."Lilia and Gabriel immediately clapped. "You're amazing, Willow. You're able to keep a secret at such a young age."Willow smiled shyly.After exercising and taking a bath, the whole family sat at the dining table for breakfast.Now that Willow could talk to her grandparents, she couldn't wait to tell them everything as she talked non-stop. "Grandpa, Grandma, the chef we hired makes really delicious food. You can ask him to make anything, and he'll make it for you. Don't be shy!"Lilia still felt as if she was dreaming. Just yesterday, they had only suggested something to Willow, and she had already improved now."Alright," said Gabriel.Lilia suddenly thought of something and quickly said, "To celebrate you finally being able to chat with us, why don't we take you out to have some fun after school?""I think I can't," Willow uttered immediately. Lilia looked at Willow in confusion. "Why not?""I have to go home and train with my coa
Willow lay in bed, with Lilia sitting beside her.Willow's eyes shimmered. "Grandpa, Grandma, are you still sad now?"Afraid she hadn't expressed herself clearly enough, she quickly added, "Mom's been gone for so many years...""We're still a bit sad. But it's getting better now that it has been so long," Lilia replied emotionally.Willow looked a little downcast. "I feel the same. Mom was so kind and gentle to me. I really loved her, so I could never understand why she left me."And her father as well. The two people she loved deeply left her suddenly.Just thinking about it made Willow so upset that tears welled up."It's okay, Willow. You have a new mom now," Gabriel said, not wanting Willow to cry.Though Willow still felt sad, her emotions started to improve after she heard Gabriel's words. "Yes, this mom also treats me really well."…In the morning, Willow woke up and found her grandparents gone.She panicked so much that she didn't even change her clothes as she slip