What made her angry was that her cousin, Daniel Mane, was already ten years old. And yet, he still went to her room and rummaged through her belongings. He opened a set of skin care products she just bought. And he even spilled the contents all over the floor.Melody angrily confronted Charmayne. But to her surprise, Charmayne actually defended her son. She said, "Is there gold or something precious inside this thing of yours? This is worth ten thousand dollars? Mel, I may not be knowledgeable. But you can't just lie to me."Melody showed her the empty bottle. She responded, "I lied to you? Can't you see? Just take it and look it up on the internet. This bottle of essence itself is worth a few thousand dollars.""A few thousand dollars for a bottle of essence? Is there such an expensive essence?" Charmayne denied it. But she thought, 'No wonder her skin looks more hydrated each year. Turns out she's using such expensive skin care products. If my husband is willing to buy me such exp
Melody was so angry that she wanted to tear Charmayne's mouth apart. "Charmayne, look at how badly your son is behaving before talking about someone else. Caterpie is great. Not only can she earn money herself, but she also married a great husband. People like you can't imagine that, not even in a few lifetimes.""Ah... There's a man who wants that slut?" Charmayne was one of the culprits for what happened to Abigail back then. And she was the main person to be blamed for.But she showed no remorse at all. She even slandered Abigail whenever she met someone who would listen to her. She said, "If we're not mistaken, when that little bitch seduced that guy back then, her boyfriend from Florivera immediately dumped her after he knew about it. I wonder if the man she seduced this time knows about the dirty things she did back then. If he knows about it, he probably will kick her out of his life.""I'll make you regret making false accusations." Melody was furious. She took her shoe off
Charmayne, the guilty person, made the first accusation, "Tom, Mel and Jodie dislike us for eating too much. Jodie wanted to use a broom to kick us out. She even said we're not allowed to step into your house ever again."Melody could not care less about her image. She pointed at Charmayne to scold her, "Nonsense! Your son spilled my skin care products. And you even insulted my best friend..."Charmayne spat on the floor. She said, "Pooh! You chose that little bitch Abigail as your best friend among all people. She's shameless. Everyone here within a hundred miles knows all the dirty things she did. She daringly did it. But you don't allow people to talk about her?"Melody responded, "Shut up!"Tom yelled, "Melody, you shut up!"Melody looked at Tom. She felt so wronged that her eyes were red. "Dad, their family had been feeding on you. And now you even discriminately helped them?"Tom glanced at Melody before looking at his wife who was wiping off tears at the side. He pondered
"Dad, Mom, both of you even gave them money?" This was Melody's first time hearing that. Her temper was sparked by her parents' stupid behavior.She knew her father was a doormat. He would help whoever asked him for help. He would get it done even if he had to pay out of his own pocket. He had suffered a great deal over the years.Melody thought, 'If he continues to do this, my parents' retirement savings will be drained by other people completely in the future.'Today, I must get rid of Charmayne, the cancer. I have to wake my dad up.' She said, "Dad, you're not kicking them out, right? I'll call the police then. I'll ask the police to get rid of them. This is our house. Why should Mom and I leave?""Call the police? Pooh! You even learned this from that bitch." Charmayne spat again. She just kept addressing Abigail as the "bitch". She continued to say, "Call the police if you want to. Just have us jailed for a few days. No big deal. I heard we don't have to pay for meals there. W
Charmayne targeted Abigail again. "Felix, you're a young, promising, handsome guy. Why did you get bewitched by that little slut Abigail? Back then when everyone was blaming that cheap girl, you guys stood up for her. Look, all of you are bewitched by her and can't distinguish between a good person and a bad person. You all are constantly thinking about money."Felix looked cold suddenly. "Charmayne, if you dare to speak about Caterpie again, I'll chop off your tongue."Charmayne said, "Oh, have you slept with her too? What's her body made of that she could make people who slept with her go crazy for her?"A slapping sound was heard.Felix mercilessly slapped Charmayne's face. He said, "Charmayne, you can freaking scold me. But if you dare to defame Caterpie, I'll kill you!"Charmayne did not think that Felix would hit her. Shrewish women like her were most afraid of people who were more ruthless than them, not the law. Felix looked intimidating at that moment. He looked so terrif
Melody was so scared that her hands trembled. She asked, "Fee, what should we do? Caterpie sent us a video call request."Felix took her phone and held her shoulder with his other hand. He said, "Mel, don't panic. I'll accept the video call and chat with her. You go wash your face and compose yourself. After that, ask your parents to have supper together. Don't let Caterpie notice something is wrong.""Okay." Melody hurriedly rushed to the washroom.Felix cleared his throat before accepting the video call. "Caterpie, Happy Easter! You must make everyone jealous of you this year by being extremely happy!""We must all be happy together." Abigail noticed from the video call that Felix's background was not his house. She asked, "Are you in Mel's house? Where is she? Why didn't she accept the video call? Did she go on a blind date behind my back?"Felix said, "What blind date? I'm spending Easter Eve with Mel at her house tonight. Her parents were worried that we'd be hungry. They wan
Abigail said, "He said it's up to his wife whether she wants to give birth to a child, and no one can force her. Nowadays many ordinary men want their wives to give birth to a son. It's like there's a throne in their family to inherit. And look at him, he's the CEO of the Zane Corporation. His family really has a fortune that needs someone to inherit. But the thing that he cares about the most is his wife's wishes."Melody responded, "Wealthy, handsome, loyal men like him are almost extinct. His wife probably saved the galaxy in her previous life. And that's why she got to marry him."Abigail replied, "So, stop thinking about it."Melody said, "He's such a nice man. I should actually think more about it."Abigail was speechless.Melody continued saying, "Hey Fee, just say it if you have something to say. Stop being weird."Felix said, "I've told you two that Xander isn't a good man. But you two didn't listen to me."Abigail responded, "All right. Let's not talk about others. Let
They grew up together. So, Abigail knew very well what Melody and Felix were worried about.She smiled as she said, "Mel, Fee, don't worry. I'm not the old Abigail anymore. I know very clearly what I'm doing. Nathan is my legal husband. I'm his legal wife. He's treating me well. So, I want to treat him well too. And I've thought about it. When I meet up with him, I'll tell him honestly about what happened back then. If he minds my past and doesn't want to spend his life with me, I'll respect his decision."Felix supported Abigail's decision. "Caterpie, no matter what, you should always protect yourself. Don't allow anyone who's unworthy to hurt you."Melody said, "Caterpie, you must remember that you have us."Abigail responded, "I know."They then chatted for a while before ending the video call.Abigail put down her phone and laid on the bed. But she could not fall asleep.Abigail knew in her heart what Felix and Melody were worried about. She was also unwilling to trust any m
Emma turned and dashed into the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on and splashed water on her face, aiming to soothe her nerves.Although they were engaged, they were still too young, with countless uncertainties looming over their future. The possibility of actually walking down the aisle was up in the air.Decisions made in a rush of happiness could eventually become sources of regret. And Emma knew all too well that she couldn't afford any regrets.She thought that fortunately, Ron hadn't pushed things further, which gave her time to cool off.After freshening up, Emma stepped out to find Ron on the balcony, a cigarette in hand.She couldn't resist chiding him, "I've told you to cut down on smoking. Why can't you seem to remember?"This time, Ron complied, snuffing out the cigarette. "We should get some sleep. We've got to put our best foot forward when we meet your family tomorrow.""Okay, I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed," Emma responded.Ron simply replied, "As y
Ron looked at her dawdling pace with disdain. "If you, a lady, can handle it, why can't I, a grown man, stay?"His words sounded noble, but Ron regretted them the moment they arrived at the hotel.Despite now earning a decent income, Emma was still reluctant to spend money.This place was hardly a hotel; it was clearly a budget inn charging only a few dozen bucks a night. The hygiene was questionable at best, and safety seemed like a gamble.Ron turned on his heel, dragging her suitcase behind him. "We're leaving, now.""It's too late, and we can't get a refund for the room.""Are you trying to get us killed?"Emma fell silent, her thoughts a whirlwind of frustration. 'I told him he wouldn't be used to cheap places. He insisted on coming with me, and now he won't even let me stay here alone. Why is he so annoying?'However, considering Ron had rushed over in the middle of the night to help her, Emma decided not to hold it against him.Ron picked the best hotel in the area—the
Rebekah glanced over at Ron; she exchanged a knowing look with him before saying, "I'll have someone tidy up the rooms. Why don't you two stay here tonight and keep me company?"Ron replied simply, "Sure."Emma had purchased a midnight flight back to South Florivera, necessitating a rush to the airport, which made staying over after dinner impossible.Yet, she found herself at a loss for words, struggling to decline Rebekah's kind offer.As she hesitated, Ron stepped in to clear the air. "Mom, I've got something on tonight. After dinner, I'll drive Emma back to her dorm."Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?" she wondered aloud, thinking, 'Wasn't he the one insisting Emma stay over? What's he up to now?'Ron kept it mysterious. "Life stuff."Rebekah could not help but chide him lightly, "You, always the joker."Right after dinner, Ron insisted on leaving to take Emma back to her dormitory. But as soon as they were out of the gated community, he asked, "So, you reall
Ron chuckled. "I didn't know you were aware that even a cornered rat will fight."Emma shot him a glare. "Are we going or not?"Ron quickly said, "Of course. When Miss Blue commands, how can I dare not obey?"Fearing another of his notorious driving escapades, Emma hastily buckled her seatbelt as she settled into the car.Thankfully, this time Ron kept it smooth, driving steadily.As they neared their destination, Ron finally spoke up, "You know, that Tucker guy is a married man. Don't let his kindness fool you into being the other woman."Emma's gaze on Ron was fiery, seething with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? Is that what you think of me? For the last time: Tucker and I share nothing more than a mentor-mentee relationship. There's nothing else between us.""I'm just looking out for you, worried you might get deceived," Ron said, witnessing Emma's fury for the first time. Yet, he could not help but find her anger not at all intimidating, but rather endearingly foolish.R
The two sisters had a pact: no cell phones at home to keep their secrets from the prying eyes of the Blue family. Thus, Emma could call only at prearranged times, the sole window for Rihanna to catch up.Rihanna's voice bubbled with excitement over the phone, as she chattered away about her life's minutiae.Knowing Rihanna was doing well eased Emma's mind.Just as Emma was about to end the call, she heard Rihanna's voice, soft and wistful. "You're really not coming home for the holidays? If you don't, I'll be all alone."Emma's heart clenched at those words, and she made up her mind in an instant. "I'll come back the day before New Year's Eve."The Blue family had their hands full with festivities that day, too busy to notice Rihanna's absence. Emma figured slipping back unnoticed then would be her best shot.After hanging up, Emma immediately booked a flight from Valtara to South Florivera. With her ticket secured and her last bit of work finished, Emma prepared to leave her off
Emma had no interest in romance, let alone the audacity to dream that Ron might fancy her.This time, she did not pick up the thread of conversation.After dinner, Ron, as usual, drove Emma back to the university.Before parting, Ron said, "Winter break is almost upon us, and the dorms might be off-limits. Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a couple of months?"Emma offered a smile in response. "Thanks for the offer. I've spoken with the dorm supervisor and submitted an application in advance. I'll be able to stay over the holiday period."Ron paused before saying, "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll text you my number in a bit; make sure you save it."Emma nodded. "Sure."Without further ado, Ron drove off.Upon returning to her dorm, Emma saw Evelyn and Cassie, busy packing their bags, surrounded by gifts for their parents bought from Valtara.Evelyn asked Emma, "Are you really not going home for the winter break?"Emma replied, "No, I won't
Emma did not have the guts to risk failure because she did not have a safe haven to fall back on.Lucas kicked Ron in the shin. "Come on, if you fancy her, out with it. No Hagrid heir dithers like this."Ron glared at him. "Mind your own business." In his head, Emma was already his. The thought of losing her was unimaginable.Lucas said, "Without my meddling, she'd never be yours."Ron changed the subject. "I called you here for a serious discussion."Lucas replied, "No matter how serious, it can't outweigh the matter of your lifetime happiness."Ron was exasperated. "Lucas!"Lucas relented. "Alright, alright, you talk, I'm all ears."Ron spelled out Emma's music venture with Tucker. After hearing it all, Lucas could not help but see Emma in a new light."Never pegged Emma as such a dark horse," Lucas said.Silently listening to their conversation, Emma was thrilled to have her work recognized.Lucas said, "But, getting back to it, whether a song makes money, and how much, d
Ron barked, "Lucas!"With a chuckle, Lucas responded, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing Emma. I'm starving. Let's grab some food and talk business while we eat."Ron snapped, "Get lost!"Lucas could not help but revel in Ron's frustration. "Ron, have you fallen so quickly? Who was it that told me they would never accept an arranged marriage?"Emma was increasingly confused by their banter. "If it's inconvenient for me to be here, I can just take a cab and leave."Ron said, "Call you dumb and you won't admit it!"Emma thought to herself, 'I didn't want to be a third wheel, cramping their style. Was that really so wrong? No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.'Suddenly, Ron grabbed Emma's hand and led her inside. "It's cold out; let's go inside."Emma had to quicken her pace, practically being dragged along.Seeing them together, Lucas laughed heartily from behind. "Ron, oh Ron, never thought I'd see the day.""Don't laugh too soon. Your day is coming," Ron shot back.Th
Emma said, "Okay."Ron asked, "Have you won over your crush?"Lucas responded, "Secret."Ron replied, "Looks like you haven't won her over."Lucas said, "As long as I make a move, there's no girl I can't win over. But I haven't made a move yet because the timing isn't right."Ron asked, "Is it because of the Sandow family?"Lucas answered, "The Sandow family wants to marry their daughter to me, and my family wants me to marry her too. But I've told them long ago that I'm not willing to do that. Nobody can make me marry a girl I don't like."Emma remained silent. 'I didn't expect that Lucas would also have the same problem as me and Ron.'It seems like the wealthier the family, the more they'll arrange marriages based on social status without considering personal preferences.'Lucas seemed to sense Emma's thoughts. "Emma, my situation with the Sandow girl is different from yours and Ron's. Don't lump us together."Ron looked at Emma and suddenly said, "There isn't any other gi