After I heard why Gavin was calling, I didn't intend to chat for long. "I've been doing pretty well."Back when I divorced Shayne, I left with nothing and only wanted to ask Gavin for an advance of one month's salary. Not only did he refuse, but he also scolded me.He said that the market was bad, and the fact that he was even willing to give a housewife like me a job was already an act of kindness. How could I possibly dare to ask for an advance? If he made an exception for me, what should he do when others started asking for advances too? Should he give it to everyone?He then told me I was selfish and didn't care about the company's growth. As such, I quit on the spot.At the time, Gavin even said that an employee like me was useless to the company anyway and my leaving would actually free up a position so they could hire someone better. I felt rather emotional about it at that time.In the end, after trying to hire someone to fill up my position, he was trying to get me back.
Now that Gavin's company was about to collapse, the way he spoke to me was rather polite. However, he still couldn't hide his condescending attitude. If I really went back, he would probably find a way to kick me out.I understood his train of thought too well. "Do you want me to be a little more direct? I have a new job, Mr. Zolt. I've never planned on going back."Gavin asked in disbelief, "How is that possible? You only left our company recently, and you don't have much work experience. Your new boss actually hired you? Is he an idiot or did you join a small company?"This dismissiveness and thinking that no one would want me after I left their company, was Gavin's real opinion.I replied casually, "If Hughes Group is a small company, then I suppose so."Gavin let out a mocking laugh. "Everyone knows Hughes Group has incredibly high hiring standards. Why would they ever want you?"His words were full of contempt.I didn't mind. He had said worse things when he was my boss. I
At that moment, Gavin finally felt a deep sense of regret. "If I had gotten along with Aralyn back then, maybe she would've put in a good word for me in front of Mr. Hughes. That way, my company wouldn't have ended up like this."His friend heard the regret in his voice and sighed. "You should've thought of that earlier."…Lucas stood by the balcony, gazing at the distant scenery. Ever since Joseph had disappointed him, he had started selecting other children to train as his company's successor. However, since they weren't his biological children, their visions were narrow. They only cared about short-term gains. They wanted to make money for their families the moment there was an opportunity to do so. They never considered the company, let alone its future.Lucas had already sent all of them back home. He was considering whether to pick another child from his relatives to see if there was anyone worthy of being nurtured, but Joseph sent him another sum of money.Lucas picked u
"I subtly inquired about Alice's attitude toward Joseph. She doesn't seem to have any particular fondness for him. She even started to hate him after he found a stand-in. Besides…"Samuel trailed off. After some hesitation, he decided to be frank. "If Alice truly liked Joseph, she would never have allowed him to live with another woman. Also, I suspect that it was Alice who persuaded Joseph to move in with Avery."Lucas was a little incredulous. "Are you sure?"Samuel replied, "No, but after Joseph spoke with Alice, he moved into Avery's place. I made this inference based on the results."He reported everything he knew to Lucas. Only then did Lucas realize that Joseph's change had just happened that day. If he brought Joseph back now, there was a good chance he would revert to his old ways. So, letting him suffer was still the best course of action.Lucas paced in the living room. He was still curious—what exactly had Alice said to Joseph? After some hesitation, he decided to
"Only when you earn your salary through your own abilities can you truly be independent. Otherwise, if you spend your whole life relying on others to support you, they'll eventually get tired of it."Lucas was very pleased when he heard this. "Thank you. He has grown a lot."Alice wondered if Lucas would still be thanking her when Joseph brought Avery home. However, she didn't express any of that. She merely laughed it off, trying to fool him. "He's smart."Lucas continued, "It seems like my son will come to you again whenever he faces any difficulties in the future. I hope you'll look out for him when that happens."Alice answered without hesitation, "Of course, don't worry."After all, she still needed to use Joseph to get her revenge on Avery. She would keep tabs on the progress of Joseph and Avery's relationship at all times. Even if Joseph didn't seek her out, she would take the initiative to do so.Lucas said, moved, "You're wonderful. Feel free to find me if you ever need
Although Alice was using Joseph, he wasn't exactly innocent either. Back then, he had found a stand-in and would constantly show up in front of her acting crazy.Compared to that, her approach was much milder. "But why did you call me?"Hearing Alice's question, Joseph finally remembered why he was calling her. "I got a side gig. It's to help people who don't have the background or connections to access our social circles. They can then reach out to the people they want to reach and form opportunities to work together with them."Alice was surprised. "That's a good business idea. Then what?"Joseph asked a little uneasily, "It's just that not enough places are granting me access, so I wanted to ask if you have any membership cards I could borrow?"Alice didn't reject him immediately. "Let me check.""Alright."Alice opened a drawer filled with membership cards for all sorts of high-profile events. She couldn't help but furrow her brows.In the past, she loved attending variou
What Joseph didn't expect was that his friends just so happened to be struggling to find the right people to take charge of their projects, so he introduced them to his clients. In the end, they sealed a deal. Some of them even met up late at night to sign contracts on the spot.Once everything was finalized, both his friends and the clients sent Joseph large tips as thanks. He didn't try to be polite and accepted all of it. Once he did so, he checked his account balance and could hardly believe his eyes. Had he really made money this easily?By the time the cab stopped in front of Alice's building, Joseph was still in a daze. It wasn't until the driver reminded him that they had arrived that he snapped out of it. He then called Alice to notify her of his arrival.Alice came down and handed him all of her membership cards.Joseph was stunned. "You won't believe how much money I made on the way here.""How much?" she asked, puzzled."300 thousand dollars." Joseph felt like he was
Alice knew she could help. She knew her friends were inexperienced, so when they started their businesses, they were full of passion. However, they suddenly realized they didn't know what kind of projects to do once they had secured the venue, hired the people, and wanted to start the project.Alice thought that starting with them would be a good option. Sure enough, after sending out her message, she received responses full of complaints about how hard entrepreneurship was, how they were completely in the dark, and had no idea what projects to pursue or how to find business partners.She actively messaged them, carefully confirming their needs, and then passed the information on to Joseph one by one. Once Joseph received the information, he found that a large portion of it perfectly matched his friends' projects. Even if his friends were not working on related projects, he would find other people who could work with them.The both of them were very happy once they ensured that ev
Shayne was unwilling to give up and wanted to talk more. But whenever he tried, Aralyn would find an excuse to leave.Bitterness filled Shayne.He persisted day after day, treating Aralyn well bit by bit. After a long time, Aralyn was finally moved.She finally agreed to date him.But what happened after that?As their relationship deepened, he should have normally fallen in love with Aralyn and naturally stepped into marriage with her.But there was no such memory in Shayne's mind.Their relationship suddenly took a strange turn—Aralyn was the one pursuing him, while he was always avoiding her.Shayne frowned, seriously trying to recall what had happened.It was probably the day before he decided to forget about Luna and sincerely start a life with Aralyn when Luna called him.She said she was living a hard life and wanted to come back and reconcile with him.The smile on Shayne's face gradually turned bitter.At that time, Rowan was still incredibly wealthy. His family sh
The living room was spacious and bright.The food on the dining table was already cold.Even the candles had burned down completely.Aralyn sat quietly at the table. It was only when she heard his footsteps that she lifted her head and looked at him."Didn't you say you would come back to celebrate our anniversary with me? Why are you only back now?" she questioned.It was only then that Shayne realized he hadn't even told Aralyn where he had been.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, honey. Something came up at work; I was swamped. I couldn't come back and be with you. I'm really sorry."At the time, Shayne had still been serious about maintaining this family.Aralyn stared straight at him, her eyes carrying a calmness as if she saw through everything. "Are you sure you were working? You know I don't like being lied to. If you're lying, you know what happens."For some reason, Shayne had suddenly chickened out. "I went to pick up a friend."Aralyn didn't show whether she belie
In the past, I would never have dared to imagine that a plush doll I casually designed could turn out so well."Wait a minute."A thought suddenly struck me, and I stared at Julian.Julian didn't understand why I had such an expression on my face."Since the animation can release an entire series of products, then can't my plush dolls also be made into smaller versions? Or maybe I could launch a whole line of merchandise like mugs, keychains, and so on?"Julian hadn't considered this before, but after hearing what I said, he replied, "That could work.""I'll tell Mark right away!" I exclaimed excitedly, about to sit up and grab my phone. But when I glanced at the time, I realized it was too late.Although Mark was dedicated to his work, it didn't seem right to bring this up so late at night.I had no choice but to suppress my excitement and lie back down. "I'll tell him tomorrow."Julian looked at me with deep affection. "Alright."He raised his hand and stroked my hair. "Ara
Did he have to tell Luna that he wouldn't separate from her and Mason in the future?No.Shayne had already decided he loved Aralyn. He couldn't waver anymore.Remaining silent for a long time, Shayne said, "You're right."Luna hadn't expected Shayne to respond like this. She was momentarily stunned and immediately sat up, staring at him in disbelief."So, should I still take him out tomorrow?" Shayne asked.Luna finally realized that all her previous tactics were useless against Shayne now. "Go ahead, or you'll disappoint him since you've already promised him."Shayne didn't refuse. "Alright."Luna helped Shayne find some clothes and then led him to the master bedroom. "Are you planning to sleep in the same room as me tonight, or…"Shayne shook his head. "I'll stay by myself. If Aralyn finds out, she'll definitely be upset."This was exactly what Luna wanted to hear; she didn't want to sleep with him either."Then, I'll sleep in the guest bedroom tonight. Get some rest."W
"You were by Mason's side, and you treated him well. He was happy."Luna lowered her eyes, her gaze incredibly gentle. "He thinks you're the best dad in the world."Shayne suddenly felt a bit guilty.He hadn't been a good husband and father."But I wasn't good to him," he replied softly.Luna felt it was time for Shayne to bond with Mason. "He doesn't think so. Why don't I call him over? You can ask him."Shayne thought that was a good idea. Kids understood other kids' feelings best. "Then I'll trouble you with that.""Alright." Luna got up and walked forward while holding her belly.Shayne sat where he was, feeling a bit anxious.Luna walked to Mason's bedroom door and knocked. "Mason, Dad's here!"Upon hearing that, Mason was thrilled and rushed out of his room. But when he saw Shayne not far away, his expression froze. Then, he turned to look at Luna.He had thought his biological dad was here.Luna patted Mason's back gently.Mason instantly understood what Luna meant
Thinking it was Yasmin again, Luna grew a bit annoyed. But she still forced a smile. "Why are you here again?"Shayne narrowed his eyes instinctively. "Again? Was someone else here just now?""Yasmin." Luna stepped aside to let Shayne in. Her belly was already quite large, and she had to support her waist while walking."She said she wants to pursue Julian and asked me for some advice."After saying that, she realized her tone toward Shayne had been a bit cold.Hence, she softened her voice and asked, "What are you doing here?""I want to ask you some questions about kids," Shayne answered."Kids? I know a lot about kids." Luna placed her hand on her belly, stroking it gently.As she spoke, she pulled Shayne's arm, making him sit beside her. "But before you ask me anything, come and listen first. Our baby should have a heartbeat by now."Shayne no longer felt love for Luna, but he couldn't deny that he still cared a lot about the baby.It was his baby, after all.He pressed
Maisy stared at Shayne.Shayne remained silent for a long time before saying, "No matter what, he's my son.""So, now you consider him your son? Too late! I'm warning you, the only reason you got to talk to him today is because I didn't notice you in time! If I catch you near Zach again, I won't let you off!" Maisy snapped.For Shayne, Zach was the only connection left between him and Aralyn.If he lost Zach too, then he would truly have nothing.Shayne looked straight at Maisy and said, "But do you have the right to interfere? You're his grandmother. I'm his father. It's already kind enough of me to let him live with you."Maisy almost laughed in anger. "Me? Interfering? First of all, you were the one who gave up custody of Zach. You were also the one who refused to give him a single cent! And now you're telling me this? Do I look like a pushover?"She had managed to carve out her own path after her divorce, despite Donald trying to blacklist her from the industry.That alone
Shayne followed behind Zach into the bedroom, only to discover that the entire room was covered with photos of Aralyn.Every wall was plastered with them.He stood there, stunned.On the desk, a small robot said in Aralyn's uniquely gentle voice, "You're home, sweetheart."Shayne looked over in disbelief.Zach sat in front of the robot, looking at it with a smile. "Yes, Mom, I'm home.""Welcome home," said the robot softly."But there's an unwelcome guest in the house," Zach said.The little robot immediately suggested, "Why don't we call someone else over to kick him out?"Zach looked at Shayne.His longing for Aralyn had only gotten better because of the robot and the countless photos surrounding him.But when he noticed Shayne was also staring at the robot, his expression darkened. "Did you hear that? You're not welcome here. Please leave."Shayne stood there, dazed. "Can I ask who gave you this robot?""No, you can't," Zach replied sternly.Shayne averted his gaze and
Yasmin narrowed her eyes.So, Luna had indeed pursued Julian.Yasmin found it oddly amusing.Since Luna was also interested in Julian, would she really help Yasmin sincerely?Yasmin wasn't sure, but she decided to put it aside for now.Either way, she would just stay vigilant.…Zach returned home, only to see Shayne standing at the door. He merely glanced at Shayne before looking away and pushing the door open to enter the house.Shayne followed behind him.As soon as Zach stepped inside, he intended to close the door.But Shayne stuck his hand in the doorway. "Can we talk?""About what? Last time we met, you hit me. What about this time?" Zach asked coldly.He didn't believe for a second that Shayne had come for anything good.After all, Shayne was an idiot who always believed whatever people told him.There was a high chance that this time, Shayne had been manipulated again and had come looking for trouble."I'm here to talk about your mother," Shayne muttered.At hi