Pamela was puzzled. "You suddenly look so serious.""I just think Zach is working so hard, so I definitely can't lose to him!" Willow responded solemnly."Why do you need to compete with him?""Because he's the hardest-working student in our class," Willow replied unhesitatingly.Pamela felt something was off about what Willow said, but she couldn't pinpoint it.After thinking for a while, she said, "Then I'll learn from you both."Willow lifted her chin. "No problem! To make sure you don't slack off, I've decided to supervise you personally!"…At the company, I saw Amber standing at the door of the office and asked Julian, "Is she here for you? I'll go somewhere else, then. I don't want to interrupt you."Before Julian could respond, Amber had already spoken. "No, I'm here to see you! Aralyn, I've spent the past few days reflecting on my behavior, and I've realized it's my overthinking that led to me misunderstanding you."That's why I kept finding faults with you and alway
I looked at him."Just last night, it got two to three hundred thousand views! With the animation bringing in traffic, your followers on all platforms will likely grow rapidly and dramatically!" Mark exclaimed.After that, he urged me, "Take a look at the animation first and see if it meets your expectations."Hearing that, I opened the video platform and clicked on the animation. The voice actress for Willow had a tone completely different from Willow's, yet strangely, her way of speaking felt exactly the same.Even the voice actors for Julian and me had the same effect.I was a bit stunned.How did they manage that?When the video began, I felt that the storyline looked exactly like my comic. But once the characters started moving, it felt as if they had come to life.As the plot progressed, memories of the day I left Shayne's house suddenly came to mind.At that time, I thought I had lost everything. I assumed life would be hard for a while before it slowly improved.But
"How do you feel about it?"I had been in shock just moments ago, but now I was starting to recover. "I used to think that even if a lot of money was spent promoting my work, it would be turned into physical books for sale at most. I never imagined that a comic could actually come to life."This experience made me feel delighted.Julian chuckled. "This is just the beginning."I nodded. "So, I'm really looking forward to it."As the two of us were talking, someone knocked on the door. Julian assumed it was an employee looking for him.Suppressing his smile, he said coldly, "Come in."The office door was pushed open, and Luna strode in.She glanced around, finding no one else present before walking to the desk area.Julian frowned.She was neither an employee nor a business partner of anyone in the company. How did she even get into the building?Julian suppressed the annoyance rising in his heart. Remembering what Alice and Mark said, he decided to take this opportunity to st
I took a deep breath. "I've made my reasons clear! Luna, just because you're sick enough to love being a homewrecker and seduce married men doesn't mean everyone else is like you. Understand?"Tears welled up in Luna's eyes.Seeing her like this reminded me of when I returned home after my miscarriage.Even though it was her and her family who hurt me, her pitiful expression somehow made everything seem as though it was my fault.I took another deep breath."People say you're gentle and easy to talk to. But why are you so horrible to me? Is your gentleness only an act? Are you actually a fake?""So what if I am? I don't care why you're suddenly here, but let me make one thing clear—if you keep showing up in front of me, I'll post everything you've done online."Luna's tears began falling as if she were the victim.I continued, "That way, everyone will know about all the horrible things you did!"Her voice quivered slightly. "But I'm here to make peace with you. You're so cruel
Mark listened to Julian and immediately pinpointed the issue. "Could she be giving up on Shayne and trying to pursue you instead?"Julian frowned. "What?""You're better looking than Shayne, wealthier, and most importantly, you're a better person. She's about to be abandoned. Thinking about finding a better man isn't unreasonable, right?"Julian raised a finger and lightly tapped the table.Mark continued, "Otherwise, why else would she put on an act in front of Aralyn?"As Julian realized this, his expression turned colder. He immediately called Shayne.When Shayne picked up the call, he instinctively thought it was about work. "Mr. Hughes, are you calling to discuss our collaboration?""No. I just wanted you to tell Luna that I'm not interested in her."…Shayne stared at his phone. There could only be one reason why Julian was suddenly calling him about Luna—Luna had gone to Hughes Group to find Julian.And perhaps, she had even hinted at being interested in Julian.Other
I had just finished my morning tasks and was planning to take a short break when a group of people burst into the office.They walked up to me and turned to Julian, asking, "Mr. Hughes, is it her?"Julian nodded. "Yes.""What are they here for?" I asked in confusion."Didn't you agree to accompany me to a banquet this afternoon? They're here to style you," Julian explained, walking over to me.As soon as he finished speaking, a young woman stood in front of me. "Close your eyes," she said.Then, they began applying makeup to my face, brushing over my skin with soft brushes. Someone was also working on my hair behind me.Bored, I sat there quietly and made a mental note to avoid attending banquets in the future. Otherwise, I'd waste so much time every day like this.It was such a hindrance to making money.When the makeup was done, someone said gently, "Wake up."I opened my eyes.Before I knew it, someone handed me a dress and urged, "Hurry up and change."In a daze, I walk
Julian chuckled. "Reminds me of when Alice used to pester me every day."As his words fell, Alice said, "What are you two saying about me?"Her father had been invited to the banquet today. To broaden her horizons, he decided to bring her along.Alice had initially thought the event would be boring, but as soon as she arrived, she spotted Aralyn.She ran over and heard Julian mention her name before she could even greet them.Alice's intuition told her that Julian wasn't saying anything good about her.Though caught in the act, Julian didn't seem embarrassed. "Just using you as an example."Alice glared at Julian in dissatisfaction.Julian slowed his pace.When Alice eventually went off to find her father, he continued nonchalantly, "Back then, I felt the same way you do now. But I also understood one thing—if you don't find a way to resolve this issue, Shayne will keep bothering you."I really didn't want to deal with Shayne more than necessary. "Do you have any solution?"
"She's my woman, Aralyn Jaffe." Julian introduced me to everyone.Someone immediately handed me a glass of wine. "Oh! My apologies. Let me toast to you."I accepted the glass and watched as he tilted his head back and drank the entire glass. Taking a deep breath, I was just about to take a sip when Julian took the glass from my hand. "She doesn't drink. Anyone who tries to make her drink is going against me," he stated emotionlessly.The people who had been eager to persuade me to drink immediately gave up. In their eyes, I was someone they couldn't provoke, as Julian was protecting me.They began to flatter me. "Ms. Jaffe, you're so lucky to have won over Mr. Hughes."Since Julian and I were only pretending to be in a relationship, I didn't know how to respond to their compliments, so I just smiled politely.Once the crowd around us dispersed, I quietly asked, "Is it really okay not to drink?""Of course," Julian said, his typically cold tone now tinged with a hint of amuseme
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