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Chapter 62

Author: Walking on Clouds
As I was forced to stop, I took two steps back, creating some distance between us. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

Shayne tried to remain patient. "I thought after I exposed your little act yesterday, you'd come to your senses. I thought you'd stop finding random people to play along with you just to prove you're doing fine without me."

I couldn't help but laugh at his confidence. In his eyes, I wasn't an independent person but merely an extension of him. It was as if everything I did revolved around him, and my emotions were all under his control.

I scoffed, "Even if you're right…"

Shayne nodded smugly as if I had admitted to it.

"Willow has been at this school, in the same class as your son, for over two years now," I continued nonchalantly.

"Willow's father picks her up and drops her off every day. When you dropped Zach off, you must've at least seen him albeit not speaking to him. Judging by his clothes and car, do you think those are things someone who plays
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    I thought seriously for a while but couldn't come up with a definite answer, so I let it go in the end.…Hughes Group owned the entire building. The first floor was a lobby, the second floor a huge cafeteria, and the third floor upward were all office spaces.Julian led me to his office.His office was spacious, with a large desk and an entire wall lined with bookshelves. Most of the books were about finance.On another side of the office, separated by a white screen, was a cozy nook with a set of tables and chairs, seemingly a space for Julian to rest."Before Willow finishes school, you can work on your drawings here," Julian said calmly."Alright." I sat down and opened my laptop, starting to sketch a scene from when I first met Willow.Perhaps it was because spending time with Willow was truly delightful, but I found myself smiling unconsciously as I drew her.I didn't know how long I worked, but by the time I added this to what I had drawn over the past few days, I had c

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    "And I don't really have expenses. Basically, I can save the salary you give me, so I'll have the money to do whatever I want. I'm not short of money at all, so let your company employees just stick with their usual designers."Julian looked at me in surprise but eventually nodded and agreed, "Alright.""The main thing is, I already have two jobs," I said, understanding what he was thinking. He was probably wondering why I wasn't jumping at such a great opportunity being handed to me."One is taking care of Willow—that's my primary job. You mentioned that she didn't used to talk to anyone, but now she's willing to communicate with both of us. She even enjoys showing off to others. "Since she's showing signs of improving, I of course want to do my best to guide her further along. The other is drawing the daily moments between me and Willow. That also takes a lot of time."I paused, speaking more calmly now. "We all have limited energy. If I split my focus to take on other things,

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    Shayne nearly collapsed onto the couch, staring at the ceiling with reddened eyes.The thing he feared the most had happened.Julian's secret crush was Aralyn.That meant he had no chance anymore.His tears fell in big drops.He didn't understand why he hadn't realized that someone had been eyeing Aralyn.If he had noticed earlier, would he have realized that Aralyn was someone others wanted too? Would he have realized that leaving him didn't mean she'd be alone, and that she was never bound to him?Would he have felt a sense of crisis then, which might have made him decide to cherish Aralyn, settle down, and build a life with her?Shayne was filled with deep regret. He couldn't understand how Julian had endured this long.All these years, he knew that Aralyn had been married, yet he still waited for her. He didn't even waver when she watched him get married and have a child later on.Shayne closed his eyes numbly. After a long time, he let out a bitter laugh.Sure enough.

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    "In order to verify everything, I went to ask the local residents, and I found out that it was all true after asking around. There wasn't a single fabricated detail."Robert sighed. "She's a legendary figure—she's someone we could strive our whole lives to emulate but never will. Of course, she wasn't satisfied with just doing this. She even compiled her successful methods and handed them over to the teachers at her school."She kept an eye on the next two graduating classes as well. As a result, the school she attended ranked first in the city for three consecutive years."Shayne chuckled. "I initially thought Julian liked housewives. I didn't expect that he also admired strong-willed women."To be honest, he also had some admiration for a woman this strong and independent.Robert didn't respond to Shayne's comment but continued, "She wasn't just determined and capable; she was incredibly motivated. When she graduated, she ranked first in the entire province. Then, during an inte

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    The more Robert spoke, the more he felt that the mistress was out of her mind.She had already stolen someone else's father, and she wouldn't even let his kid study properly."At the time, the whole school started looking at the first love differently, and some people even gave her a hard time. But the first love never paid them any attention. Not gonna lie, she had an incredibly strong mindset."She knew exactly what her goals were, so she wouldn't let external factors affect her grades because she understood that only through studying could she change her life."Robert sighed. "After looking into all this, I feel as if I'm starting to fall for the first love myself. Even after everything that happened, her grades didn't drop at all in the next exam. In fact, they improved significantly. During a school meeting, they even selected her to give a speech on stage."Suddenly, Shayne could understand why this kind of woman could become Julian's first love.She was smart enough. Her a

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