"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
Dylan trusted Scarlett to keep her promise and not go back on her word since she'd accepted his proposal. However, what he truly wanted was her heart, and he was worried that it would go to Jonathan. It didn’t feel good, and he didn’t like it. If that day came, he probably wouldn’t know what to do. He would be unwilling to let go. Jonathan was the only one who made him feel threatened. Back in Amerstica, Scarlett had been friendly with a few men too, but he knew that they were just platonic. Scarlett had always said Jonathan was just a friend, but he could sense that wasn’t the truth. Dylan might be sensitive and jealous, but that was because he loved her. He had stood silently beside her for the past six years, wanting to give her the world, but she didn’t need it. He knew she was a headstrong and stubborn woman; that's why he’d stood by her side, patiently waiting for her to look back, so that when she got tired, she could nestle into his arms for warmth and dependence. But s
Scarlett remembered the phone call a little too late. She only realized the call had ended when she hastily looked at her phone. "He wouldn't have heard anything, right? Otherwise, he would've called again," she thought. It would be weird to call back just to ask if he heard anything, so she suppressed her guilt and disregarded the situation in the end. “He probably didn’t hear anything.” She comforted herself. This made Scarlett pissed at Jonathan again. Why did he have to speak so loud? “Did he have to shout just for a bottle of vinegar?” She cursed at him while getting up to get the keys and go out."You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Lucas casually asked Jonathan. While Jonathan was smart and understood what Lucas meant, he hadn't expected him to figure it out that quickly. He usually didn't like it when other people could see through him, but it was different with Lucas. "Why ask when you know the answer?"Although he wanted Jonathan to end up with his mother, Lucas could
The both of them noticed Scarlett as well, but they continued cooking in silence. Scarlett surveyed the dishes, which were an assortment of her favorites. Grilled rib-eye steak, spaghetti carbonara, classic meatballs, fish casserole, and even her top favorite—baked potato with sour cream. When she'd lived in Amerstica, she’d missed Atville’s local dishes but wasn’t particularly good at cooking. The only dish she knew how to make was baked potatoes, and she never got tired of it no matter how many times she made it.Her mouth was watering just looking at all the dishes before her, and she was getting increasingly hungry. Without realizing it, she'd walked right in front of the baked potatoes. Just as she was about to take a bite, Lucas stopped her. Scarlett looked at Lucas with a pitiful expression, her gaze protesting, as if saying, “Why are you stopping me? I’m hungry!” Scarlett looked just like a shepherd dog in Lucas’ eyes—pitifully cute—and his heart softened. “Mommy, you
“Why don’t you guess?” Jonathan countered.“Come on, if I knew, I wouldn’t have bothered to ask.” Lucas griped to himself. He then replied smoothly, “Why don’t you guess what I’m guessing?” “Why don’t you guess what my guess will be?” Jonathan retorted immediately. “Are you having fun?” Lucas rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe a grown man could be this childish. Jonathan wasn’t the type to give in. He said dejectedly, “I answered only because I was afraid you might feel lonely. Usually, I wouldn’t even bother to answer when someone asked.”Why did that sound so familiar? That’s right; he’d said the same thing to Mommy before. He looked disdainfully at Jonathan. “Is this what they mean by blood connections?” After further reflection, he realized he was probably overthinking things since strange coincidences weren't uncommon.Scarlett lounged on the couch ungracefully, holding the plate of baked potatoes and savoring each bite deliciously. Feeling content that she could f
“Alright, time to eat. Sit down now, or the food will get cold.” Scarlett gestured for Lucas to sit down as she stopped dwelling on the matter. Initially, both Scarlett and Lucas dined with poise and grace. But it wasn’t long before they abandoned their manners and ate messily. Jonathan raised an eyebrow, wondering if they had been pretending to be cultured all along. Before he knew it, he was eating just like them, even fighting over food like a child.It took them two hours to finish dinner, which was quite a feat in Scarlett and Jonathan’s books. They rubbed their satisfied tummies, both of them feeling very full. "Lucas, clean up," Scarlett ordered.Lucas wouldn't compromise so easily. "Uncle Jonathan, clean up."Jonathan silently gave them a vicious stare, then stood up and cleared the table. Even his movements while cleaning up were elegant, and he did it so skillfully. The house was restored to its clean state in no time, leaving both Scarlett and Lucas impressed. They t
Macy Fairmont was Dylan’s sister. Even though Macy wished Scarlett would end up with her brother, she never pressured Scarlett and always advised her to go with the flow. She'd been Scarlett’s best friend for the past six years. They were of the same age, but Macy was more optimistic. She’d once been abandoned by a trashy guy she’d loved immensely and had been devastated when they broke up. However, it only took her three days to return to the happy and lively Macy. Perhaps she wasn’t that deeply in love, or she'd buried her feelings deep in her heart.There were many things that Scarlett only shared with Macy. Even though Dylan was her brother, Macy was extremely loyal and never revealed Scarlett’s secrets to him. She knew how to keep her personal and professional lives separate and would never let her emotions tie her down or hinder her thoughts. That was probably why they had a good relationship. There were times when Scarlett was lost, not knowing what to do next. There we
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