"Maybe I'm not up to your standards right now, and you don't feel like you want to marry me immediately, but please believe that the feelings I have for you are all genuine." Dylan's confession came straight from the bottom of his heart.Scarlett's tears had started flowing freely down her face since he began his confession. She was so touched. She had always known that Dylan had done many things for her but hearing him describe his love for her had moved her immensely. He had sacrificed so much in the past six years for her and had never shown interest in any other woman besides her. Furthermore, he had even assured her that he would treat Lucas like his own son and could even sacrifice having children of his own just to prove his point. Not many people could treat someone else's son as their own.Maybe he was lying to her, and he would regret his words in the future, but right now, Scarlett was moved to tears by his confession."Yes, I will marry you." There was no reason for he
Lucas noticed the ring on Scarlett’s finger and thoughtlessly asked, “Did Uncle Dylan give you that ring? Did you accept his proposal?”Scarlett blushed, scratching her head. “I guess you can say that.”“What do you mean you guess? Then what about...” Lucas almost blurted out Jonathan's name, but he managed to seal his lips just in time. “What about what?” Scarlett got curious now that Lucas brought it up.“What about me?” Lucas wondered why his mother had accepted Dylan’s proposal. Did she really not have any feelings for Jonathan?“Pfft.” Scarlett chuckled. “You’re my son; what about it? You can call him Daddy then.”“But he’s not my dad!” Lucas grumbled inwardly. Lucas thought this was all Jonathan’s fault because he was so bad at flirting. Dylan was much better, judging by how quickly Mommy had fallen for him. This was bad; he would have to talk to Jonathan tonight. “Can I not call him Daddy? It’s so awkward.” Lucas whined softly. “Then do you want to continue calling
Jonathan's lack of confidence last night made him look subpar compared to Dylan, who was beaming today. Dylan was skilled at navigating interpersonal relationships, whereas Jonathan only knew how to act tough. If only he were more gentle towards Mommy, he would definitely get her. That's why it's crucial to be a gentleman to win a woman's heart. Someone once said that a woman in love would expect her man to treat her well. That was exactly Dylan’s strategy, and it was also what would keep a relationship going. "Lucas, can you get me a tissue?" Scarlett asked because it was right beside him, but Lucas was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't answer."Lucas…Lucas! Snap out of it!" Scarlett cried out loudly.Lucas looked at Scarlett in a daze. "What's wrong, Mommy?""I should be asking you that. You were daydreaming when I asked you to pass me a tissue. What were you thinking about? A beautiful girl?" Scarlett asked, clearly amused.Lucas wasn't embarrassed as he candidly replie
“Baby, I’m not sure if it's possible to win this case... How about you find the evidence, and I’ll just appear in court? I know I won’t be able to manage. 100 million dollars? This is my biggest case yet.” She could guess what type of client she had for this case, and she was fortunate to have Lucas when things got tough for her.Although the sum of money involved was tempting, Scarlett wasn’t the type to accept a case she wasn’t confident she could win. The money was secondary to her; her main concern was whether she could win the case. A case that needed 100 million dollars had Scarlett thinking that there was a slim chance of winning it. However, since they’d already taken on this case, it was her responsibility to look deeper into it. “Lucas, tell me about this case.”Lucas pretended he didn’t hear her and looked at Scarlett pitifully, his eyes shifting. Scarlett wasn’t dumb, and she suddenly realized something. “Lucas, please don’t tell me you accepted it without taking a look a
Both mother and son spent the whole afternoon in the office, decorating the place and whatnot. They had worked up a sweat and were about to leave when they had an unexpected visitor. Only Scarlett was surprised; Lucas seemed unperturbed since he'd just encouraged the man to make more effort to win his mother over last night."Why are you here?" Scarlett asked, puzzled.Jonathan wasn't sure how he'd ended up here either. He’d ordered someone to tail her since he was afraid Phoebe and Tristan wouldn't let her go. He'd heard that she'd opened her own law firm in this area, and after he was done with work, he inadvertently found himself here. If he was honest, he had waited downstairs for half an hour, contemplating whether to come up. Upon seeing both mother and son bonding so happily, he immediately felt better, his heart filling with warmth. "I just… I was just passing by." Jonathan made the most pathetic excuse."Mr. Leonard, this is the 32nd floor. How could you just have been
Scarlett’s ruffled state brought Jonathan so much joy that he was already humming a tune in his head. He looked pleased, and his good mood was palpable. Lucas heard his mother screaming behind them, and he also noticed the obvious change in Jonathan's mood. He wondered if Jonathan found joy in his mother’s anger. Usually, Lucas would be terrified when his mother got angry and would try to make her happy, but Jonathan was happy instead. He believed that was the reason Lucas was loved by his mother while Jonathan was unable to win her over. He was delighted when he thought about it.They were both difficult people—one was domineering and the other was stubborn. Their personalities were like fire and water, and if they didn’t find a balance, it would be hard for them to get along. Seeing that Scarlett was still five feet away when the elevator doors began to close, Jonathan surreptitiously pressed the button for the doors to reopen. Scarlett assumed that Lucas had pressed the button
"Exactly. We'll go meet up with her later." Scarlett was so happy, she forgot there was someone else with them. "Macy? Who's that?" Jonathan wondered. From how Lucas addressed her, he knew Macy was a woman, but he was still vexed. Scarlett always smiled in front of other people but never at him, and he wanted an explanation. Even if Macy was a woman, he still felt uneasy about it. Yet he’d never considered why he felt uneasy. He gloomily stood at one side and listened to them chatter away without uttering a word. The heavy atmosphere that hung in the air finally made the mother-son duo realize something was amiss, and Lucas asked despondently, "Mommy, are we going home for dinner first before meeting Auntie Macy, or are we going straight to meet her?"“That’s a good question,” Scarlett thought. If she were to meet up with Macy, she'd have to get rid of Jonathan since she wasn't going to take him along with her, and that made her feel bad. She then decided there was only one w
"I'll be your assistant then. You can prepare today's dishes." Lucas generously passed the position of head chef to Jonathan, and he graciously accepted.Jonathan picked up the knife and skillfully cut up the carrots, with every piece equally sized, not one too big nor too small. Lucas was impressed with Jonathan's skills, and even though he still thought he was better, he was reassured that tonight’s dinner was in good hands. Scarlett was watching TV on the couch, but she wasn't paying attention as her gaze kept wandering over to the kitchen. It was a heartwarming sight for her to see the two of them busy together.The ring on her finger suddenly felt like it was exuding heat, as if it were burning her skin and punishing her for her infidelity. She glanced at the ring and touched it gently. She knew she should stop having second thoughts when she'd already accepted Dylan's proposal. Yet, if Lucas wanted to acknowledge Jonathan as his father, she would just let him be. She had me
Scarlett knew there was no real solution to the problem between her and Jonathan. The both of them were just choosing to ignore what had happened between them.There was nothing left for them to do to fix what had been broken.Until now, she still felt as if she was in a dream. Was she really married to Jonathan? Was she really living with him in such a lavish house? She found it hard to wrap her mind around it because it was all so surreal.The warm water in the tub sloshed gently over her body, and she felt her eyelids droop. These few days have been tough, and she hadn't been able to sleep well. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in this tub. If she were any less rational than she was right now, she probably would've just fallen asleep in the tub.Scarlett changed into a simple set of pajamas after her bath, completely ignoring the sexy lingerie set that Jonathan had picked out for her. She could probably wear that lingerie set if she were alone but she couldn't possibly w
Jonathan's tone was loving and teasing, and she was immediately transported back to the carefree times she had spent with Jonathan at university. Back then, they didn't have much to worry about and could just enjoy dating each other without reality holding them back."Have you had breakfast? I'm making breakfast right now. Do you want some?" Scarlett asked."No, thank you. I don't like eating in the morning. You can go ahead and enjoy your breakfast," Jonathan replied. Jonathan never got into the habit of eating breakfast; after he went overseas, he had less reason to have breakfast. As such, he never ate breakfast anymore. After Scarlett had finished her food, Jonathan drove them to city hall to sign the necessary documents for their marriage.The entire time, Scarlett felt as if she were in a dream. Everything that was happening seemed so surrea. The absurdity of the events and the fact that she had not slept well in two days only made her more dazed. Scarlett hadn't realize
Scarlett immediately understood what he was trying to say and bashfully lowered her gaze. Since when had he become so sleazy? Going overseas had done nothing to teach him to be a better man. Scarlett didn't know how to answer him, so she stared silently at the ground. Suddenly, she thought of something and raised her head to say, "Jonathan, I have to tell you something. I can marry you, but you must promise me one thing. We won't have a wedding ceremony."Jonathan was upset by that suggestion, and he huffed, "What? No ceremony? Are you planning on just getting married in secret? Is it that embarrassing to be married to me? Is that why you don't want a ceremony? If you don't want to marry me, just tell me! You don't have to do all this to show how reluctant you are to marry me!" Jonathan had no idea what was going on in her head. What woman would outright refuse to have a wedding ceremony? Any woman would love to have a grand ceremony to celebrate her marriage, but now that Sca
Just then, Scarlett heard someone call her name from behind her, "Scarlett?"Scarlett turned in confusion and realized that it was the school counselor. She never expected to see him here, and her heart was filled with warmth at the sight of him. She hadn't seen him since graduating, so she didn't think he would still remember her. She hastily wiped the tears from her face before greeting him with a brilliant smile, "Mr. Brown! Why are you here?""I had nothing to do today, so I thought I would drop by to play basketball. How's work? Why aren't you here with Jonathan? I can't believe it's been a year already. Time really flies … I still remember when Jonathan would play basketball, and you would cheer for him from the sidelines. I miss all of you, so come by with Jonathan next time! By the way, don't forget to send me a wedding invitation when both of you get married. After all, I've got my eye on both of you, and I'm sure you will end up together. I remember how nice Jonathan trea
"Hey! What are you doing? Are you going home now?" Scarlett asked."Of course! Where else would I go? Didn't we just break up? Why are you calling me again? Don't tell me that you miss me already!" Teresa's voice which was filled with glee, came from the other end of the receiver. Hearing her voice made Scarlett feel much better than before, but Scarlett was worried that she would no longer be so happy after Scarlett tells her the truth. She didn't want her problems to affect the lives of those around her. Since she made a mistake, she would be the one to bear responsibility, and no one else should have to suffer because of her … especially not her best friend.Scarlett hesitated before asking, " Teresa, do you like your job?""What's not to like? I love it! Being a teacher is my dream! My students are obedient and understanding. My job also gives me a sense of accomplishment! Why are you asking me this now? I've told you before that my dream is to be one of the best teachers in
As she spoke, Scarlett attempted to push Jonathan away, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight back at all. She felt like a fragile child in front of Jonathan, and he could crush her into pieces with just a little force. Jonathan leaned in and whispered coldly, "Do you think I’m still as compliant as before, allowing you to push me away repeatedly? Let me tell you, I’m not the same. How well do you think you know me? Let me make it clear, I will get what I want, including you!" Scarlett sensed the threat in Jonathan's words and looked at this unfamiliar man with some caution. She asked cautiously, "Jonathan, are you threatening me? What exactly do you mean? Why don't you just tell me instead of playing games? My time is not free, so let me go if you won't talk. I still have to work tomorrow." Scarlett was truly exhausted at this moment. Listening to her colleagues discuss Jonathan in the office had already put her on edge. After work, she spent so much time walking aroun
Jonathan did not take her comments to heart and continued coldly, "You came home quite late, Scarlett. It seems like you've learned to enjoy life more now, huh? Weren't you just a bookworm before? Why are you so late today? You've changed a lot after starting work and made more friends, huh? Tell me, who were you out having dinner with just now? A colleague? Your boss? Or is it your boyfriend? Whoever it is, it seems like he takes good care of you, and since you were having so much fun with him, why bother coming back home in the evening?" Scarlett could hardly believe the cruel words that came from his mouth. When did Jonathan become so heartless? Although he could be a bit carefree before, he would never say such things to her. In Scarlett's eyes, Jonathan had always been gentle and caring, completely different from the person uttering these words now. Scarlett felt infuriated and couldn't help defending herself, "It's not what you think! I was just having a cup of coffee with
The two best friends chatted, and before they knew it, time had passed as they enjoyed their coffee. Soon, night fell, and the sky that was once adorned with the setting sun was now full of twinkling stars. It was beautiful, but it also reminded Scarlett of the day she parted ways with Jonathan. That day was just like today, a beautiful night with bright stars. However, things had changed, and she could never sit here and talk with Jonathan as she did that day. Teressa noticed the shift in mood from across the table. After hesitating, Teresa couldn't help but speak up, "Scarlett, Jonathan ... He's coming back soon." Teresa didn’t know the details of Scarlett and Jonathan’s relationship, but she knew they went on a trip together during their final year while everyone was looking for internships. It was quite sudden since Scarlett barely hung out with Jonathan. Then, there were rumors that they were dating, but Jonathan went abroad to study soon after, and Scarlett never menti
Scarlett sighed heavily at these words. “Yeah, there’s no way our small magazine can get an interview with the great Jonathan Leonard. Only those major news outlets have the qualifications for that. It’s his first time returning to the country after going abroad, so this is big news. The media would be busy with this, but it’s certainly not for us to handle.” Just then, the editor-in-chief of the office suddenly appeared. He must have overheard their discussions outside and sternly said, “Am I paying you to gossip around? You’re all good for nothing. You’re all itching to gossip now that I’ve eased up on you?” Once he roared, everyone fell silent. They either looked down at their computers or pretended to be busy with their work. No one responded to him. Who dared to oppose the editor? His words were final. However, Scarlett, who had always disliked this editor, felt grateful to him at this moment. She thanked him silently for saving her from her colleague’s gossiping. This wa