When we got home, Willow dragged the whole family along to exercise with her.After finishing, Willow took Pamela and her grandparents upstairs.Only Julian, Ximena, and I remained in the living room.Ximena glanced upstairs and said, "I thought Pamela would need to help her, but who would've guessed she'd recover on her own?""Yes," I agreed, sighing. "Children recover much faster than I ever imagined."Ximena couldn't help but chuckle. "Exactly. Look at Pamela. When she lived with her dad, she'd come home acting like a quail—so timid and cautious. But after just a few days with me, she's slowly returning to how she used to be."It was evident that Ximena loved Pamela. "If I had known that switching to a less stressful job would make life easier for my daughter, I definitely would've left my old company a long time ago."As a mother myself, I understood Ximena's guilt. Patting her shoulder reassuringly, I uttered, "It's not too late to change now."Ximena nodded. "Yeah."Juli
This question left me confused. I asked back, puzzled, "Why would I mind?"Julian knew full well that if a woman genuinely liked a man, she would inevitably feel possessive of him. The fact that I didn't mind now meant that I didn't love him yet.Julian felt rather dejected but knew that some things could not be rushed. So, he smiled and said, "That's true."…After sending Ximena back to her home and confirming that her ex-husband and Pamela weren't nearby, Julian and I finally left feeling at ease.Once I returned home, Willow immediately flung herself into my arms upon seeing me. "Mommy!"I bent down to pick her up."Yes?" I asked.She put her little cheek on my shoulder and asked, "Do you remember the goal I set for you? Back then, I said that I would definitely be able to talk with people other than you and Daddy normally within a month! It hasn't even been a month, and I've already reached my goal!"Willow then raised her head and looked at me expectantly. "I did so well
I said unhurriedly, "Think about what a doll looks like, and then think about the person you want to talk to. If you were to custom-make a doll like them, what would it look like?"Willow thought about it seriously and asked, "Then what?"I smiled and replied, "Wouldn't you be able to talk to them normally once you have the image of their doll in your mind?""That's true!" Willow exclaimed in amazement. She clearly didn't think there would be such a good solution. "However…" she added, her eyes sparkling. She seemed like she was thinking of something mischievous."What is it?" I asked quickly.She chuckled happily and replied, "Doesn't that mean everyone in the world would become dolls in my eyes?"Seeing her expectant expression, I played along and said, "That's right, a world of dolls just for you."Willow grew even more excited....Julian sat in the living room, quietly awaiting Aralyn. She would chat with him for a while every day in the past."She's accompanying Willo
"When I used to go out drinking with you guys, she would always worry about my health and remind me to drink as little as possible—or better yet, not drink at all. When I got home, she would carefully take care of me and even cook me some soup."Those memories were sealed away in his mind.Now that he was recalling what Aralyn had done, he finally realized that he had let go of someone who genuinely cared about him. "And now, it's over. No one will ever care for me the way she did."As he spoke, he started wailing.Seeing how heartbroken Shayne was, Spencer couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He said softly, "The main issue was your attitude toward Luna and Aralyn. It was too easy for others to misunderstand. Since you like Aralyn, then why was your attitude toward her so awful?"Back when they were still married, Shayne's attitude was mostly dismissive whenever he mentioned her in front of them. He even gave them the impression that Aralyn was throwing herself at him
Zach could no longer hold his tears back. They dripped down his face as he replied, "I do. I miss you so much right now. Mommy, when will you come back? It's okay if you hate Dad. Just take me with you."I'll bring along all the money and shop rentals you saved for me. With the rent and savings, it'll be enough for the two of us to live out the rest of our lives together."His tears were especially visible on his blanket. Zach knew that Aralyn no longer wanted him anymore, so no matter how hard he cried, she wouldn't comfort him anymore.He miserably wiped his tears away and continued through their chat history. He suddenly realized that before his parents had gotten divorced, it was always Aralyn who texted him first, and he barely replied to a single text.Zach couldn't put his feelings into words at that moment. His chest felt tight, and he wanted to cry.During that time, he remembered his dad would bring him to meet Luna every day. He would always praise Luna in front of hi
Eventually, we sat down in a dessert shop. The two men each ordered a small cake and tea for themselves.The driver used his fork to pick up a piece of the mille-feuille and placed it into his mouth. Once he swallowed, he mustered up the courage to speak. "Don't you think your attitude toward Zach is excessively cruel? He's only five this year. He's just a clueless little kid. Do you know that he cries silently every day at the school gate when he sees you picking up Willow? "He loves you so much. How can you bear to ignore him just because you divorced his father?"He didn't understand my decision. In his mind, a mother was supposed to love her child unconditionally.I was much calmer than he was in his agitated state. "Have both of you ever considered what he did to me before deciding to ask me this question?"The driver shook his head. "I don't know what he did, but how bad could a child's actions possibly be?"I used to think the same. That was why I always unconditionally
Only then was Alice satisfied. She looped her hand through mine and asked, "What's there to feel sorry about?"As she spoke, she looked around. Once she was sure that no one was around, she quickly pulled me into the office. She then closed the door and said, "Did you know that I've successfully infiltrated the gaming department? Whether it's the latest happenings or old gossip—I know it all very clearly!"However, after she knew everything, she didn't feel good keeping it bottled up inside her. After much consideration, she decided to skip work and come over to tell me.I sat on the couch and put my purse on the table beside me. "You're that good, huh?"Alice sat down next to me, lifting her chin proudly. "Of course!"I couldn't help but smile upon seeing her proud expression. Young ladies nowadays were full of life.She wasted no time and immediately began sharing the gossip she had overheard.I was stunned as I listened.Once she was done talking about her coworkers, she sud
Upon thinking that, I turned to glance at Julian.Mark told me two days ago that the company planned to spend money to drive engagement. Had they already started?I thought about it earnestly.A few days ago, when each platform only gained a few hundred followers a day, we were already selling five thousand dolls across all platforms combined. Now, the amount of followers I gained per day was over ten times higher than it used to be. Did that mean the number of dolls sold would also skyrocket? What about my revenue? I silently calculated the numbers in my head. Five thousand dolls were over 50 thousand dollars. Ten thousand dolls would be over 100 thousand dollars.I slowly sat up straight. So, earning money after my comic became popular was easier than I thought.Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Julian said coldly.Avery opened the door slightly. The moment she saw Julian, she thought of her countless interactions with him. In the end, she dared not enter his office
It only made him realize that Luna was very clearly after his money."Very fulfilling," he replied perfunctorily.He was so busy every day that his mind was filled with work; he had no time to spare to think about Luna. He felt happy that way."Do you have money to spend now? Do you need me to give you some?" Luna asked with concern."I do. And no, thank you for your concern." Rowan didn't want to talk to her now, but for Julian's sake, he forced himself to endure it.Luna suddenly felt a bit wronged. The man who used to dote on her now didn't care about her at all."You've become so cold. You said you forgave me, but you actually still resent me, right? I apologized to you, though. And I truly want to reconcile with you."After sending it, she stared at the screen.Rowan looked at it, unsure how to reply. He hesitated for a moment, deciding to use work as an excuse. "I know, but I've been really busy lately.""Then when you're free, can we have a good talk?""Mm."Rowan tos
"Alright," Luna agreed."I don't want to take risks, and I think neither do you."Emilia sighed. "The publishing industry is tough these days."Luna just smiled. "With me here, you can rest assured.""Then I'll have our company's staff create a book cover for you first, and you can put it up to see how it goes.""Alright."…As Luna had solved a problem that had troubled her for a long time, her mood naturally improved. She was even looking forward to tomorrow.Once the other party sent her the finished cover, she put it on her homepage.After that, she hired people to help hype it up, hoping for good sales. Even if it didn't sell well, she had to at least surpass Aralyn.She could then show off in front of Shayne and Julian, proving that she was better than Aralyn. Then, she could make them admire her and willingly abandon Aralyn to live a good life with her.Her career was her top priority. Only when her comic was recognized could she gain the admiration of others.A smil
His voice was low and affectionate. In the quiet of the night, it sounded even more pleasant.I leaned into his embrace and asked softly, "Does this feel better?""Yes," he replied without hesitation.…The marketing department acted swiftly. As soon as they received Mark's instructions, they immediately began executing the plan.In less than an hour, news of Aralyn's comic book release and strong sales emerged out of nowhere, dominating multiple charts. Photos of Aralyn signing copies of the book also appeared online.Luna had just been feeling relieved that the sales of her merchandise had already far surpassed Aralyn's.Even though the products hadn't been manufactured yet, plenty of people had already purchased them.Most importantly, she didn't have to share the profits with anyone.That meant she was making more money than Aralyn.Luna had thought that aside from men, she had already surpassed Aralyn in every other way.But when she saw that Aralyn's comic had somehow
I stroked her hair. "I love you too."With all the preparations made, Willow burrowed into the covers.As always, I read her a story. She always had all sorts of strange and curious questions, and I answered them every time.…Julian sat in the study, thinking.Luna had been keeping a close eye on Aralyn lately, and he was worried that she might do something outrageous—either hurting Aralyn or making her feel troubled.Hence, his solution was to keep Luna busy.Luna was jealous whenever she saw Aralyn living well, she was trying to outshine Aralyn desperately.All he had to do was make sure she had no time to focus on anything else.Julian took out his phone and dialed Mark.Mark had already finished his work for the day and was idly passing the time, so he was a bit surprised to receive the call. "Mr. Hughes, do you need something?""Yes. Have the marketing department send out some press releases saying that Aralyn's comic has been published and is selling well," Julian ans
As I looked at her, I felt that my marriage with Shayne was probably quite similar to her previous job.Before the divorce—before I had met normal men—I also thought Shayne treated me well.I even kept thinking that since he was rich and handsome, he was already much better than most people.If I hadn't gotten divorced and met Julian, I probably would have never realized that my standards were too low, not that Shayne was a great partner.At this moment, Ximena also realized just how much she had missed out on. "After joining Julian's company, I finally realized that it wasn't supposed to be like this. Sure, making money is important, but so is life."We earn money to enjoy life, not to throw ourselves entirely into work and abandon life itself."Watching as emotions filled her face, I couldn't help but feel happy for her. "Exactly. If we ignore our children and don't get to be there as they grow up, no matter how much money we make, what's the point?"When you look back one day
"Could it be Avery who told him?" Alice asked hesitantly.Mark shrugged. "I'm not sure either.""Since you saw them, it's a possibility. I'll ask her about it tomorrow."Mark didn't stop her. "Alright.""You really live up to your reputation as the most gossipy man in the company. You catch every key piece of information," Alice remarked."It's not talent; it's just hard work," Mark responded, looking embarrassed.Alice burst into laughter. "You're too modest!"The topic ended, and as she sipped her juice, her eyes were filled with sarcasm.Mark noticed the shift in her emotions and immediately asked, "What are you thinking about?""I just think Joseph is utterly shameless! We're not even a couple, yet he has the nerve to ask me for money. And when I give him some, he complains that it's too little and wants more."So what if I make a lot of money? That doesn't mean I should give it to him. I don't owe him anything. It's ridiculous!"Mark was just as indignant. "Exactly! Eve
Before Alice spoke, she also looked around carefully. After confirming that no familiar faces were nearby, she whispered back, "I suspect there's a mole in our company.""A mole?" Mark asked, his expression full of wariness. "Why do you say that?"Alice analyzed the situation. "Look, I never told anyone which project team I'm in, right?"Mark nodded. "You do keep a low profile.""But somehow, Joseph knows I'm making a lot of money. He's been pestering me every day lately." Alice frowned."I've been very careful to avoid him, but somehow, he always manages to track me down precisely and then acts pitiful in front of me. He says he's starving and asks me for money to buy food."The more Alice thought about it, the more frustrated she became. "I'm a kind person, so of course, I wouldn't just stand by and watch someone starve to death in front of me.""Right," Mark agreed.Alice became even angrier as she spoke. "So, I took ten dollars from my wallet and gave it to him so he could
Furious and humiliated, Shayne slapped Zach hard across the face.Zach's face turned red. He covered his cheek, staring at Shayne in disbelief."When did you become so cold that you don't even want your mother anymore?" Shayne asked in shock.Zach glared at Shayne, his voice dripping with disdain and mockery. "You're not qualified to say that to me. I got tricked into doing something bad because I didn't know how cruel the world could be. But I'm willing to take responsibility for my choices. And you? You chose to abandon your wife and child, and now you regret it."Zach sneered in contempt, "Rather than showing up in front of Mom, saying you love her and regret everything—which makes her hate you more—she'd much rather you just stay away from her."His words were like poison. "Shayne, honestly, you're really selfish. When you were married, you never gave Mom the love she wanted. You ignored her every day. After the divorce, you're still constantly bothering her instead of givin
Julian stood in front of me and said, "Mr. Pearce, this is my girlfriend. Please show some respect."Shayne locked eyes with Julian. "But Mr. Hughes, don't you think you're being despicable? You pursued her when she was still vulnerable, having just gotten divorced from me. You took advantage of the situation. A gentleman wouldn't do that!"Julian chuckled. "As far as I remember, I never said I wanted to be a gentleman, did I?"Shayne was at a loss for words."You and I have different mindsets. You value being a gentleman, while I think winning the heart of the one I love is more important. Aralyn is exceptional. While you're concerned about appearances and hesitate to take action, someone already swept her off her feet."Rather than being a gentleman praised by everyone but losing the one I love, I'd rather be a scoundrel. At least the one I love is by my side when I feel lonely."Julian's tone grew even calmer. "Besides, you said so much just now because you regret divorcing Ar