"Mom, can you please divorce Dad?"It was 9:00 pm. I was trying to put Zach to sleep. Just when I thought he was about to drift off, he suddenly asked that question.That short question left me stunned for a long minute. My hand patting on his back also froze.I felt a painful twinge in my chest.Over the years, my relationship with my child's father had been pretty good. Logically, a child nurtured by love should feel happy living in such an environment.And yet…Why did he have such thoughts?Puzzled, I asked, "Why do you say that?" I softened my voice in case I unintentionally scared him."You never let me eat fried chicken or ice cream..."As he was almost asleep, his voice was unclear and tinged with the innocence typical of his age.I didn't know whether to feel amused or disappointed.To think that he wanted me to divorce his dad because of something so trivial...Children sure were naive.As I listened to his breathing gradually grow steady, I knew he had fallen as
With the tablet in my hands, I left Zach's bedroom and headed straight for Shayne's study.But I couldn't understand...Out of everyone, why Luna?The first time I heard about Luna was at my wedding.Shayne treated me well back then. When I was feeling down, he would tell me it was okay, and that nobody was perfect. He would patiently stay with me until I felt better. When I got sick, he would drop everything to take care of me.Because of that, I resolutely decided to marry for love, even if that meant moving far away from home.Just as I was in a pure white wedding dress, holding a bouquet that signified purity and looking forward to our life together, I overheard his friends discussing his first love."I always thought Shayne and Luna would end up together. They were so passionately in love back then.""Exactly. They looked like a match made in heaven.""What a pity."The regret in their voices was genuine.At that moment, I began to doubt whether Shayne truly loved me.
Shayne's other hand pinched my chin, forcing me not to evade, and then his lips pressed down on mine."You'll like it."…Zach was in the senior class of kindergarten.School started at 8:00 am every day.It took about 20 minutes to drive to the kindergarten. To avoid being late, he would leave home at 7:30 am every day.I, on the other hand, got up at 6:30 am to cook breakfast.Today's breakfast was a bit simpler. It was ravioli that I prepared last night.The broth was the troublesome part. I needed to simmer fresh chicken broth.I lay bay leaves at the bottom of the ceramic pot, placed a whole cleaned chicken inside, and finally placed a few sprigs of thyme on top. I then covered it and turned the heat to high.Once the water boiled, I lifted the lid, and the rich aroma of chicken broth wafted up to greet me.After adding a bit of salt, I turn the heat down to simmer.Now that I was done with this, I happily left the kitchen and went to the dressing room to help the boys
Did Shayne write Luna this letter on the eve of our wedding?The other letter was Luna's reply to him."I'm sending back your letter with mine. Shayne, I am happy now. I hope you wish me happiness. And please don't contact me in the future; I'm afraid my husband will misunderstand."After I read these two letters, I could connect almost all the information in a way that made sense.Luna was clearly Shayne's first love. And yet, Shayne hated Luna so much.I subconsciously tightened my grip on the mop.So, it was because Luna had once betrayed Shayne. However, he convinced himself not to dwell on the mistakes Luna had made or the hurt she had caused him. All he wanted was for her to return to him.Unfortunately, Luna still rejected him.It was only at this moment that I finally understood why he was so emotional when his friends mentioned Luna at our wedding.But what about now?Why did he bring out these two letters?Was he trying to remind himself of Luna's heartlessness a
What?That short sentence left me in shock. I couldn't regain my composure for a long time.I only stared at Shayne in disbelief.He said he took Zach to his mother's place, didn't he?Zach's grandmother should know about Zach's condition. She wouldn't let Zach eat just anything.So, why was Zach in the hospital?And how did Luna know about Zach's condition?"Which hospital is it?" Shayne hurriedly picked up the clothes that had fallen on the floor and put them on in a panic.Luna cried on the phone while telling him the name of the hospital.Worried about Zach, I could only follow behind Shayne.It was then that Shayne noticed my presence.I knew my expression was grim as if I was on the verge of exploding, but I ultimately held it in.He opened the car door and got in immediately.I also got into the passenger seat.We were silent the entire journey.My head, messy with information, slowly started to clear up during this 20-minute journey.In other words, Shayne was s
Zach's innocent yet blunt words pierced my heart like a needle. While sick and in his most vulnerable moment, the person he thought of was still the very woman responsible for making him ill.I looked down at him. The illness had clearly taken a toll on him. After saying just two sentences, he had already fallen back asleep.Shayne had heard Zach's words too. He took my hand, uttering, "Honey."I didn't feel like talking to him and tried to pull my hand away.However, he tightened his grip, refusing to let go. "What happened today was just an accident. Mom acted on her own. Zach only said that because he's sick; he didn't mean to say that—""I can understand where Zach's coming from," I said as I carried Zach and headed toward the exit. "He's infatuated with Luna, so naturally, he thinks she's perfect in every way."I paused for a moment before continuing, "And yet, I've strictly forbidden Zach from seeing Luna. He's bound to react strongly against it at first. "Zach is not a b
With his head tilted, he looked up at Shayne. His teary eyes held the unique innocence and confusion of a child. He looked both pitiable and endearing.When Shayne squatted down, Zach no longer had to look up. Zach met Shayne's gaze and sobbed, "Dad, won't you say yes?""You're still young." Shayne sighed, clearly affectionate toward his son. He reached up to ruffle Zach's hair. "Zach, if you keep losing your temper at Mom like this, you'll regret it in the future."Zach shook his head. "No, I won't!" As if worried that Shayne wouldn't believe him, he wiped away his tears. "Dad, let's leave Mom and live with Ms. Luna. I dream of having Ms. Luna as my mom!"Every word he spoke was firm and resolute.Instead of responding, Shayne only patted Zach on the shoulder before standing up. I bitterly turned to look at Zach. I had always thought his desire to be a family with Luna was just a fleeting whim... However, he had had more than one outburst. His attitude didn't seem like a joke
At the school gate, in front of so many other parents, my son repeatedly denied that I was his mother and insisted that Luna was his mom.Even though my heart was already shattered into pieces and bleeding profusely, I forced myself to remember that he was just a child. He had no idea what the consequences of his words were."Zach, I'm giving you one more chance! I want you to look at me, calm down, and think hard. Who should you choose between her and me?"Everyone's eyes turned to Zach.Zach hid behind Luna, pressing his forehead against her back. "Of course, I choose my mom."As soon as the words left his mouth, Luna gave me a strange look, then hugged him tightly and began to walk away. "What a lunatic."I couldn't let her leave. Panicked, I tried to catch up and stop them, but someone stepped in front of me.Losing control, I shouted, "I need to go after my child. You can't stop me!"The crowd around me began gossiping about me disdainfully."Have child traffickers' tacti
Julian chuckled. "Not eating breakfast until now is bad for your health.""I don't think I've been working for that long," I said as I picked up my phone to check the time. It was 10:10 am. I instantly felt a bit baffled.Julian's lips curved into a subtle smile. "For the sake of your health, you should eat some breakfast. I made scrambled eggs and some sides. Come downstairs and eat before you continue working.""Alright," I agreed immediately.I knew that skipping breakfast was bad for my health. Besides, as an adult, I should set a good example for the younger ones.Otherwise, if they saw me skipping breakfast, they might not want to eat either. That would be a problem.I walked downstairs alongside Julian."People used to call me a workaholic, saying my mind was always occupied with work. But you seem even more deserving of that title than I am." Julian sighed.I joked, "If I hadn't met you, I probably would never have found a boss as good as you. So, of course, I have to s
"How much is the internship salary for each employee? If they exceed their task requirements, how much of a commission do they get? You have to figure all of this out yourself. Once you have thought through these questions, your company will be ready for official operation," Danny concluded.Alice nodded, somewhat understanding. "Thank you, Dad.""You're welcome." Danny looked at Alice, feeling that the girl he and his wife had always cherished and protected seemed to have finally grown up.The corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. "If you run into problems you can't solve, you can always come to me. I will definitely help you.""You're the best, Dad!" Alice remarked playfully."Of course. You're my only daughter. If I don't treat you well, who else would I treat well?" Danny said proudly.After chatting with Danny a bit, Alice returned to her room. She took out her phone and sent a message to Joseph."I've written a lot of stuff. How about we meet tomorrow to go over eve
"If they're truly talented, they wouldn't need to take over the company. They might as well go find a job elsewhere. After all, it's more promising than working for us. The only people you can hire are those unqualified yet overconfident ones," Joseph remarked, smiling.Lucas sighed. "Why did you come back? Need something?"Did he suddenly realize how tough it was outside and decide to return home for an easier life?Joseph took out a notebook and said, "Of course! I want to start a company. We already have a project. But we don't know how to manage it, so we wanted to ask you first."As Lucas stared at Joseph, he realized that Joseph had really improved after being away from the family.Before, when he tried to get Joseph to join his company, Joseph always said he wasn't interested.But now, he wanted to start his own business.Lucas sat down and shared all the knowledge he had accumulated over the years.Joseph didn't bother filtering what was good or bad; he just wrote every
"Otherwise, at the slightest disturbance, we'd start worrying about what we'll do in the future if their company goes bankrupt.""That's true." Joseph imagined himself running a major company and becoming number one in the industry, surrounded by people treating him like a star.He couldn't help but smile. "Alright! We'll do as you say!""Then go home and ask your dad how to manage a company. Remember to take detailed notes so you don't forget the most crucial and important points. I'll ask my dad as well. Don't worry. I'll write everything down."We'll have a discussion afterward. For the parts that are the same, we'll follow them. For the differences, we'll combine the best of both," uttered Alice.Joseph responded excitedly, "Alright."He had been troubled emotionally, thinking he shouldn't waver for another woman just because of what Alice said.But now, his mind was entirely focused on business.He believed that once he succeeded, women would naturally come to him and purs
But when he saw the high prices, he suddenly felt like it wasn't worth it. A regular apartment only cost a few thousand dollars a month. One night in a hotel cost tens of thousands of dollars. It was enough to rent a place for a whole year and even hire a housekeeper to clean up the place.In the end, Joseph booked a hotel for 200 dollars. After checking in, he realized that while it wasn't as luxurious as the expensive ones, there wasn't that big of a difference. It was still inhabitable.…Alice had finally found such a good way to earn money, so she wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity. Even though she was already very frugal with her spending, and her salary and bonuses from the company were quite high, she had to admit that making a lot of money on her own still made her feel really happy.As she lay under the covers, her mind was filled with thoughts of how to expand her and Joseph's business. She also thought of how to make more people aware of them.However, A
So, Avery choosing another man was the reason he was so upset. Joseph suddenly stopped in his tracks. However, he remembered that Avery had never actually said she loved him. It was Alice who said it.It was because he saw Avery trying to please him that he naturally assumed Alice was right—that Avery had a crush on him.Joseph had a vague sense of unease. He turned around and went back to Alice's house. He raised his hand and rang the doorbell. "Hello?"Upon hearing this, Alice walked to the gate with a yawn. "What is it?"Joseph stared at Alice as he asked, "I wanted to ask… Avery has never loved me, right?"Alice was stumped by his question. How did he figure it out?She looked away, feeling a little guilty.Joseph's voice rose. "So, you've been lying to me from the very beginning? Why did you do it? Was it for revenge?"Since she had been exposed, Alice had no intention of hiding it anymore. "Yeah, why else? You suddenly found a woman to date and called her my substitute. Y
"However, you need to let me finish. Being handsome is important, but it's not the most important thing. You and I both know that."Joseph was still very upset. "Yeah?"Alice continued, "A man's career is also very important. The reason she chose someone else now is probably because your career isn't successful enough. If you became the CEO of a publicly listed company right now and approached her, she'll think she hit the jackpot!"Joseph sneered and replied, "I get it now. When I return, I will do everything I can to build my career. Once I've succeeded, I will find her and tell her about the great man she missed out on!"Alice awkwardly looked away. If he went to find Avery, she would be confused because she never liked him in the first place. However, Alice dared not say that. She merely smiled and said, "Then work hard!"Joseph was still feeling miserable.Alice thought that in this state, Joseph was particularly suited to working for her and helping her make money. "Constan
However, Joseph saw Avery open the door. She then wrapped her arms around the man's neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.Joseph felt like he had been struck by lightning. Didn't Avery like him? Why was she so affectionate with another man? Could it be that she was stringing him along?Joseph quickly turned around in a panic, took the elevator down, and left the building.…The man heard the noise and turned around. He looked at Joseph's retreating figure and asked, "Do you know him?"Avery shook her head and replied, "No."The man smiled and said, "Then he must have gone to the wrong floor. Avery, I miss you so much."Avery pulled the man into her room forcefully. She then slammed the door shut behind them.…Joseph ran out of the neighborhood. However, his face felt a little cold. He was crying.He had been abandoned by his family, and his friends weren't generous with him. He once thought there were still people who loved him, but the only person who secretly liked
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