Cora was only overreacting because Zoe touched a nerve.Jay had basically paved Cora's path to stardom, and without him, she would not enjoy the success she had now.It was why she found it unacceptable that Jay was with Zoe now—what if Jay suddenly changed sides and helped Zoe instead?Cora knew all too well about Zoe's strength in showbiz before. If she even had the slightest backing, her career would develop with leaps and bounds, most likely knocking Cora off her pedestal… Cora certainly could not accept being surpassed by Zoe! She had to admit that she had been constantly comparing herself to Zoe ever so quietly, even in the years Zoe left showbiz. She would always compare her own numbers to Zoe's in almost every aspect: Twitter followers, peak viewership numbers in TV shows, box office, nominations and awards—even commercials.And just as she was about to surpass those numbers, Zoe had to make a comeback!It was absolutely unacceptable if Zoe surpassed her—she took away
Everyone's jokes only made Zoe very awkward.She was certainly confused with what Jay was doing, running around this late at night especially with his lame foot!"Sorry, I couldn't join the party since I was a little busy. I'll make it up to everyone next time." He smiled."The little one keeps clinging to you, is it?" one of the actors teased."Well, I just managed to coax her to sleep," Jay replied—Yelena had certainly been clingy ever since they moved in together, and he basically could not leave the house once he reached home."And you couldn't wait to get Zoe once you did, huh?" someone added.Jay admitted to it openly too. "Yeah, I'm worried she drank too much and was lucky to make it in time. Well, it is quite late, so I'm taking Zoe home for now. Let's have a gathering when we can.""Bye, Mr. Parker!""Bye, Zoe!"As Zoe followed Jay to the MPV, Jay took her hand—she could not refuse with so many others watching, and they locked fingers while they walked and everyone wa
Zoe turned toward Jay, completely surprised that he would agree to taking part in Journey of Love.While he had the excuse of picking actors for his films in Actors on Set, it was simply confusing why he would take part in Journey of Love at all.Maybe he was planning to throw her to the wolves, like she planned to do to him?Zoe certainly would not upset a producer like Ruby, however, since she wanted to be friends with everyone. She had therefore wanted to paint Jay as the villain in this respect, especially since she planned to develop her career on her own following their inevitable divorce anyway. But it had to be Jay who made the first move—there was just no beating his cunning!"Since that's alright with you, Ms. Jones, I'll visit tomorrow to discuss your contract," Ruby said eagerly. "Well, it's very late, so I won't disturb you anymore. See you, bye."Ruby hung up before Zoe had a chance to refuse.Zoe put away her phone and turned toward Jay, who sensed her stare and
Ruby naturally brought the contract, though Jay did not even read a single page before pushing it to Zoe. "Your call."Zoe was left gritting her teeth—it was such a cheap move on his part! To anyone else, this would look as if he respected her, even spoiled her.But he was obviously trying to paint her as the villain!Still, Zoe restrained herself and opened the contract, reading every clause carefully… until her eyes sparkled when she reached the part of monetary rewards.It really was eight figures… she was going to be rich overnight even if she had to split it with Jay! And she was unaffiliated, so she did not have to pay anyone aside from the tax people, and she would still keep a lot.She would be able to afford a house immediately! And with her interested, there was just no way she would say no."What do you think, Ms. York?" Ruby asked politely. "We can amend any clauses you find inappropriate. My lawyer is waiting downstairs."Ruby was certainly sincere about this,
Jay nodded, seemingly unconcerned. "Sure."Zoe in turn feigned nonchalance, since she was not the one losing out in their 'marriage' anyway."Have you read the program schedule?" Jay suddenly reminded her. "What schedule? This one?" Zoe glanced at the document in front of her—she was too preoccupied with the contract to check the specifics of the schedule."Take a look," Jay said.Zoe picked it up and read it seriously, but the program scheduling was still reasonable. Unlike other reality shows, there were no tasks or missions involved, and no survival skills needed—it was nothing more than a trip for couples, a relatively conscientious variety show in that sense.As such, Zoe was not at all affected when she was done reading."That's it?" Jay asked her. "What's the issue?" Zoe asked, perplexed.Jay said begrudgingly, "Filming starts the day after tomorrow. They'll be bringing cameras when they come to interview us.""So?" Zoe was still mystified—they could come all they wa
Yelena had been sleeping together with her daddy every night since they moved in.But if her mommy slept with her daddy, where was she supposed to sleep? She loved her mommy, but she did not want her mommy to steal her daddy."You're old enough to sleep alone," Zoe replied in annoyance—since when did Yelena become so reliant on Jay? Jay had just spent days with Yelena, and she was totally on his side already."But you're older than me, Mommy. You should sleep alone more than I do," Yelena argued with righteous indignation.Zoe was actually speechless, while Jay chuckled subtly nearby, having zero intentions to defend Zoe.It was Clara who quickly told Yelena, "How could you argue with your mommy about rooms, Yelena? You can sleep with me if you want. It's been a while since we slept together, and I'm beginning to miss you.""But…" Yelena was left in a dilemma. "I really like sleeping with Daddy.""Then what about me?" Clara pressed, though it was just teasing at that point.
Zoe did not refuse—what could she do since she had already agreed to it?!"Then I'm getting in bed," Zoe said, adding before she did, "I've taken a bath, and my clothes are fresh."Jay was taken aback, but soon realized that Zoe was aware of his hygienic tendencies and was worried he would hate it. But he would never hate her, whenever or wherever. He did not have the courage to say it, however.Soon, Zoe lay down on the very edge of the bed and slept there, reluctant to have any body contact with Jay.Jay did not move closer either, and the space between them could fit three Yelenas.Silence ensued, and even though it was soon very late, neither fell asleep.The last time they shared a bed was that one time.Jay gulped—he decided that he must not dwell on it and gently turned around to look at Zoe.They had been keeping their backs to one another, but he stared at her back quietly anyway.The silhouette of her form was especially clear under the soft lights kept on in the
Two days later, the production crew arrived for the prelude interview at Jay's apartment.Zoe had Clara leave the house with Yelena, since she was not eager to let her daughter make a public appearance just yet. The production crew was also ethical enough to censor Yelena's face during the occasional glimpse of her in the camera.The host asked, "Who usually cooks at home?""Neither," Zoe replied. "Jay is busier, and I can't cook. Moreover, we don't stay home that much, let alone cook."The host could not help grinning, surprised that her response was so candid—the other couples tended to keep up appearances, making themselves appear more affectionate for the sake of appearances.He then asked, "Who's usually taking care of the child?" "Jay does when he's at home. I do it when he's not around," Zoe replied.Once again, it was no lie—ever since Yelena and Zoe moved in, Yelena actually spent more time with Jay than even Clara."What do you think of your better half?" the host