Tiffany looked at Arianne and felt embittered. “If my daughter hadn’t had any problems, I would’ve really just given her to you. However, it’s a pity… that things didn’t turn out as expected. I’ll take care of her myself.”When she saw Tiffany’s reddened eyes, Arianne shot a glance at Jackson and knew in her heart that Tiffany knew about everything. “Tiffany, don’t say things like that. If they’re fated to be together, I don’t have any complaints, so why don’t we see how the kids develop? Mark and I still want to have a daughter as well, but it’s a pity that we won’t be able to do so in this life.”Smore was slightly disappointed. “Why? Why can’t Mommy give birth to a sister for me?”Arianne had no idea how she should explain it to him. “You go along and play with Plato and stop asking so many questions. Little kids shouldn’t interfere in adult matters.”Smore took Plato’s hand and headed outside to find Little Bean to play with after leaving with a “hmph”. When Tiffany looked at
Jackson could not control himself and laughed hysterically, causing everyone to shoot glances at him. Hence, he forcefully stifled his laughter. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold it in for a moment there. Please ignore me and continue…”That night, at Alejandro’s manor.Melanie paced around in her bedroom. She was waiting for Alejandro to return home. She kept on calling and texting him, but Alejandro replied to neither. It had been a few days since Melanie had seriously told him she wanted to have a divorce, yet he had no intention of showing up at all. She no longer wanted to delay the matter; she had steeled her heart for it.However, when she finally received a call, Melanie did not expected it to be from Mrs. Lark. ‘I suppose the only reason they’re calling me now is because they want money. They’ve been used to living extravagantly in the past, so now that the Larks have no more capital, they’re bound to fall short of money sooner or later. Therefore, they’ve now thrown everything o
As her eyes grazed her daughter’s profile, beads of tears fell from Melanie’s eyes. “Millie, my sweet girl… Will you blame your Mommy for leaving you and your Dad one day? Mommy’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think she will find happiness in her life here. I want to try another way, a different life. But know that your Mommy won’t go far from you, and all of my love is always for you. When Mommy finally finds her footing while she lives alone, when she finally has surplus money, I’ll come and try talking your Dad into releasing you into my care, okay? Mommy really wants to bring you with her; it’s just that there’s too many uncertainties…”Melissa’s little hand reached out to her mother’s cheek before wiping the tears away. “Mommy, what’s ‘happiness’?” she asked innocently. “Is it very big and important?”Melanie found herself grasping at air for an answer. Is happiness ever “big and important”? She did not know; heck, she did not even know what it meant to be happy—it was cryptic, al
Jett furrowed his eyebrows. His voice was marked with hesitance when he said, “Uh, Mr. Smith, he didn’t—”She cut into his sentence before he could finish. “No, it’s all right. Doesn’t matter anymore.”Jett held back any words he might have wanted to say, turned around, and left.It was surprisingly toilsome work to remove Alejandro’s shirt from his sleeping body. Her eyes were glued to the lipstick stain on its collar, her body slumped into a defeated seat by his bedside. She gravely wanted to discuss their divorce, and for that, she braved through long, drawn-out hours waiting for him to come home. He, on the other hand, had a woman in his arm while drinking himself stupid out there.Even a somber moment like this did not dull his mood, did it…?Another imperceptibly long period of inertia later, Melanie washed the shirt by hand, making sure it was spotless before airing it outside. It was wet and a little warm—and not at all enough to thaw her icy heart and her determination to
As the car was heading to the company, Alejandro closed his eyes and tried to salvage any reprieve this way, but his headache persisted while his mood remained incredibly sour.Jett, from the driver’s seat, watched him through the rearview mirror and remarked carefully, “Mr. Smith? Madam caught that red lipstick stain on your collar last night.”The man’s body froze. His eyes snapped open. “When was there a lipstick stain?”Jett steeled himself. “Uh-hem. You drank too much last night, and then you met someone you used to know, and then you two went upstairs. Uh, she had her arms around you, and then she kissed you. You pushed her away… That was when I quickly hauled you out of there.”A quiet but broiling flame flared within Alejandro. “Melanie… She saw… What was her reaction?”Jett shrugged. “She was just… neutral. I wanted to help you change your clothes, but she insisted in the end. I wanted to explain the stain but she wouldn’t let me…”Neutral?Alejandro cast his eyes down
Mark cocked his brow. “Melanie Lark? Hmph, who’s surprised that she’s finally had enough of you and wants to part with you? You mistreat her. And of course, the whole trial of being bound to a man who doesn’t love you—must be hell. Maybe you should learn how to love someone first before thinking you’re viable for marriage, punk, so don’t keep her and waste her away. I mean, haven’t we been here before? You messed Tiffany up, and now you mess Melanie up. Seriously, can you ever act like a decent human being?”He did not upset Alejandro—in fact, the latter had made enough mental preparations for the sort of mockeries Mark would definitely cast at him, so Alejandro could take them. “Yo, I’m here to ask you for solutions; I’m not here to be ‘educated’. I mean, pop’s gone, so maybe your big brother instincts compel you to be the fill-in, but eh, hard pass on the lectures. You claim I didn’t treat Melanie good enough, but what’s good, then? I bought her a limited edition sports car, gave he
Now, who would say no to a vacation? Arianne immediately waved her phone before chirping, “Well, then! Lemme ask for a half-day break from my Fearless Leader. Relax, I’ll have it settled in one late afternoon. Anything that’s gotta sway things to your favor, I’ll say ‘em. Remember to treat me to a good hearty meal for this!”...After her lunch with Mark, Arianne headed straight to the Smith Estate.Melanie was tidying Alejandro’s clothes in the bedroom. Every shirt and suit she had touched was spotless and mint as though it were bought yesterday, stacked in the most orderly row one could imagine. Each of them had a scent, too; a faint, but distinct fragrance resembling Melanie herself—refined, prim, fetching, and a little bit mulish deep inside.“All this is your handiwork?” Arianne exclaimed in shock. Ever since things were official between Mark and her, Arianne had never deigned herself to any of these chores. With her mind always trained toward developing her career, domestic c
Melanie drew a deep breath. “Well, then, Arianne. Do you actually believe that all a man needs to do to make a woman stay is to gift her a car, some fancy jewellery, some chic designer bags, what-have-you? Is that all what love amounts to? Oh, no… No. Men do that so that you’d wanna stay with them. Once you’ve gotten all pleased and charmed by their bait, he’ll revert to how he’s always been. Why? Because you’re just an objective, and he’s achieved it. Why even waste energy coddling you now? …Don’t you see? There’s not a scintilla of genuine affection in it.“I can tell, you know, if he loves me or not. I’m not seduced by all these materialistic trappings. I only ever wanted him, as a human being—be it Alejandro or Ethan. And yet, it doesn’t matter who he is; he simply isn’t mine. You don’t know the half of all those days and nights I’ve spent since I was bound to him by marriage, do you? I have had suitors—throngs of them, and I’ve never needed to lower myself to such submission, nev