Although Esther was good-tempered, what Mallory said still angered her. Esther could not help but raise her voice. "My sister-in-law didn't give me anything. She's my brother's wife. She's the woman my brother wants to protect. So, she's also the woman I want to protect."Mallory was silent for a few seconds. Esther could then hear Mallory's voice again. It sounded like she was crying as she said, "Esther, you're scolding me again! You scolded me for a woman whom you just met not long ago. Is our over twenty years of friendship worthless to you?"Esther would not know what to do every time Mallory cried. She said, "Mallory, don't cry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have scolded you."Mallory responded, "Esther, you promised to help me win over your brother and you'll help me to become your sister-in-law so that we'll be together forever. You can't break your promise."Esther admitted she promised Mallory that. "Mallory, back then my brother wasn't married. So, I agreed when you wanted to b
Mallory wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her mouth. "Thank you for your guidance, Max. I'll pursue Xander more diligently from now on."Max's gaze was cold and disdainful. "Like mother, like daughter. Or, as we say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Seeing you swallow your anger, your meek submission, you're the spitting image of your homewrecker of a mother. No matter how brilliant your exterior, it cannot conceal the wretched blood running in your veins."Being beaten and humiliated, Mallory had to not only endure it, but also agree with him, or else endure another round of beatings. "Yes, Max. You're completely right. My mother and I are both worthless."After venting his frustrations on Mallory, Max finally left her bruised and battered. Even though he was gone, Mallory could not seek medical help. She had to let her injuries heal on their own. Just then, her fallen phone rang on the floor. Picking it up, she saw it was a call from her mother and, overwhelmed by
But what made Abigail blink was the price tag on the five-pound sack of flour. P$58. That was over C$400, making the price per pound extravagant to the point of ridiculousness. It made her wince just to think about it.Then, an idea sparked in her mind. 'What if I can find a few others to share the cost, each taking a pound? That would save a considerable sum.'Xander caught up with her after parking the car, finding Abigail staring at the sack of flour as if it held the secrets of the universe. He waved a hand in front of her face. "Abigail, what's got you so entranced in this bag of flour?"Abigail replied, "I'm wondering if we can find someone to split the purchase with us. This is too much flour. We can't possibly use it all."Being wealthy, Xander could not quite grasp why she was making such a fuss. "Do we really need to split a small purchase like this? We can take the five pounds back home, make a batch of ravioli, and store it in the freezer. Then you can cook up a few whe
After picking up the oil, salt, ricotta cheese, and spinach, Abigail prepared to head over to the fresh produce section. She then noticed that Xander had not selected anything yet. "Mr. Zane, is there anything you want to buy?"In order to spend more time with Abigail, Xander was neglecting his own shopping. "I don't have anything specific in mind. I mainly want to learn from you. This way, when I go shopping with my wife, she won't have to worry about everything. Could you explain to me how to use these ingredients we're buying?""Of course," Abigail was more than happy to help the boss chase his lady love. "Mr. Zane, let's head to the fresh produce area to get some lean meat and ingredients for our ravioli filling.""Okay." Xander followed closely, pushing the cart.Abigail picked out a promising cut of lean meat in the fresh produce section. As she handed it to the staff to weigh, she explained to Xander, "Mr. Zane, we mince this lean meat, mix it with some oil, salt, and voila!
Recognizing Abigail's concern about money, Xander suggested, "Then why don't you accompany me a little longer? I've got a few more items to buy.""Sure."Abigail had always known Xander never bothered about price tags. If he liked something, he would buy it no matter the cost. But she had not anticipated that even grocery shopping could follow the same principle.He proceeded to the aisles, placing one of each item in the cart. The large shopping cart was filled to the brim in no time.He then said, "Abigail, money is but a worldly possession. We earn it so we can spend it. Don't let a few thousand bucks dampen your spirit."Abigail chose not to respond. A few thousand dollars might be insignificant to Xander, but it was a few months' worth of living expenses for her. It was a substantial amount.Once one cart was filled, Xander motioned for the staff to bring over two more. Within moments, all three carts were filled to capacity with fresh beef, lamb, chicken, and a variety of c
Esther had not wanted to leave Abigail on her own, but her brother's instructions were something she could not dismiss lightly. "Abigail, I didn't mean to leave you," Esther said, her voice ringing sincere. "I was on the phone for too long and forgot about our shopping trip. It wasn't intentional.""Sure seems like it was to me," Abigail retorted.Esther's heart skipped a beat, wondering if Abigail had picked up on something. "Why would you think I left you on purpose?""Woman's intuition," Abigail replied simply.With no solid evidence to back up Abigail's claim, Esther relaxed. "A woman's intuition can be accurate but not always. Trust me, I didn't intentionally leave you to go shopping with my brother. Can you forgive me? I promise it won't happen again.""I'm not so sure I want to forgive you," Abigail said, a teasing glint in her eyes.Esther's heart stumbled in her chest. "Why won't you forgive me? Don't you like me anymore?"Hearing the tremble in Esther's voice, Abigail
Abigail promptly tucked her phone away. "Mr. Zane, are you coming down with a cold? If you're not feeling well to drive, let's swap. I can take the wheel."Silently, Xander protested in his mind, 'I'm not sick! I don't have a headache! I'm driving this slow because I want you to talk to me, not glued to your phone chatting with Esther.' He voiced none of his thoughts, only saying, "I'm not sick." He cast a glance at her. "Why are you so fond of Esther?"Abigail responded, "Essy is beautiful, adorable, and she has a good, straightforward heart. Any of those qualities are lovable. It would be more surprising if I didn't like her."Xander, finding himself jealous even of his own sister, could hardly contain his bitterness. "Esther is cunning. She's an expert at using her cute exterior to fool people. Don't let her fool you too."Abigail, puzzled by his negativity toward his sister, had to ask, "Mr. Zane, is Essy really your sister?"He responded, "She's my blood sister, born of the s
"Y-You like me, Abigail?" Xander stammered, sounding as nervous as a love-struck teenager. It was strange to see him like this, the man who could dominate any situation with his sheer presence now stumbling over words. "Could you, um, repeat what you just said?""Of course. I like you, Mr. Zane." Abigail's words washed over Xander like a wave of elation, the pure joy overwhelming him. But he barely had a moment to bask in this delight before Abigail added more. "Mr. Zane, I'm not sure how the other employees view you, but to Mr. Jackman and me, you're a great boss. You treat us well, ensure our salaries are paid on time, and give various rewards. You always stand up for your team. I started working at Zane Corporation right after graduating, so I haven't experienced other bosses, but I'm confident you're the best out there. How could I not like such a wonderful boss? Mr. Jackman often says he likes you a lot too."Xander was left speechless. 'I don't want to be just your boss forever