"Calla, you're an idiot. You can go to the orphanage and investigate it yourself. There's a set of formal procedures that must be followed when adopting orphans," Alicia said."That's right, but I don't know which orphanage Mercer adopted Casper from." Calla expressed her distress.Alicia thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you think Hazel, Casper's nanny, might know?"After contemplating, Calla said, "I heard she's been taking care of Casper since the beginning. I'll go there one day and try to get some information from her. Honestly, I miss Casper a lot." "Oh Calla, you're done for. Mercer used to have you head over heels, and now his son has you pining for him day and night. If they team up, you won't stand a chance," Alicia teased."You're always making fun of me about this. I'd like to see what kind of person will come and sweep you off your feet someday." Calla rolled her eyes at Alicia."He probably hasn't been born yet!" Alicia laughed heartily.A moment later, Calla
"You..." Calla's words nearly drove Sophie mad. She raised her hand, ready to strike."I advise you not to make a scene here. There are cameras everywhere, and our altercation has been recorded in full. I'm working for one of the best lawyers in Riverford. I don't mind taking this to court!" Calla warned, pointing to the camera above her.Calla's words reminded Sophie of her surroundings. She lowered her hand and smirked. Her face twisted into a malicious grin. "Oh right! How could I forget? You've latched onto Pierre, haven't you? I'll have you know that Pierre and Mercer are first cousins."Do you think Mercer is unaware of your little fling with Pierre? Mercer will not play this game of sharing the same woman with his cousin. You should give up on that idea!"The mention of sharing the same woman made Calla's hair stand on end. When Mercer used that phrase, she had a huge reaction. She couldn't believe Sophie had repeated the same phrase now—and it was the last straw."Get
"Ms. Sherman?"Calla knew her visit was somewhat abrupt, considering she had no direct relationship with Casper."Hazel, I was in the neighborhood for some errands today, so I thought I'd drop by to see Casper. I’ve been missing him." Calla plastered a smile onto her face, for she was truly not good at lying."Please come in. Casper is sleeping right now." Hazel led Calla inside, gesturing for her to keep quiet.Calla tiptoed into the living room. Seeing the cute little one asleep in his crib, she couldn’t help but walk over. Casper lay under a blue blanket with cartoon prints, sleeping soundly. There was a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth, and his chubby little hands were raised above his head. He looked both silly and adorable.Calla took a tissue and gently wiped away the drool from Casper’s mouth. Her eyes were filled with deep affection."Ms. Sherman, have a glass of water." Hazel placed a glass of water on the coffee table."Thank you." Calla turned and sat on the
In the evening, Calla was resting on her bed. She leaned against the headboard, pondering how she could find out which orphanage Casper was adopted from. Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a sudden phone call. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Alicia calling, so she quickly answered."Hello?""Calla, I've had the worst luck today! What rotten luck!" Alicia's voice came through, immediately venting."Who upset you this time?" Calla didn't take it too seriously, as Alicia often complained like this."Who else? The third wheel between you and the scrooge!" Alicia was still fuming."Did Sophie give you a hard time?" Calla asked, suddenly tense.Alicia angrily replied, "I was late by half an hour when I went back to work this afternoon. She caught me red-handed. Not only did my bonus for this month go down the drain, but I'm also being tasked with writing a self-review report!""Did she call Atlas Enterprises to report you?" Calla hadn't expected Sophie to be s
This time, Calla had an unexpected gain. Hazel casually mentioned that Casper was adopted from Happy Hearts Orphanage in Riverford.Hearing this news, Calla was so excited that she couldn't sleep all night. The next morning, she skipped work and headed straight to Happy Hearts Orphanage.Everything went smoothly at the orphanage, and Calla soon met the principal. She explained her purpose, saying that she once had a child whose fate was unknown. She wanted to check the adoption records from the previous winter.The principal, Betty, was a woman in her 50s. She wore gold-rimmed glasses and was neatly dressed, with a kind face and approachable demeanor.Hearing Calla's request, Betty readily agreed. She had someone bring the records of infants received and adopted at that time. When Betty handed the record book to Calla, she felt its weight, and her hands trembled slightly."Ms. Sherman, please take a look," Betty said with a smile. Calla lowered her head and began to leaf thro
Seeing Calla, the other person also seemed surprised. Already feeling down, Calla didn't want any additional trouble. She intended to ignore the person, turning to head back to her office. But the other person wouldn't let her have her way, stepping forward to block Calla's path."It's not like we don't know each other. Why are you running away so quickly? Are you afraid of me?" The woman taunted Calla, as unreasonable as ever.Thinking Calla wouldn't stand up for herself, Peggy acted like a bully.Calla turned and glared at the woman before her. She retorted, "Avoiding a vicious dog isn't about fear; it's about not wanting to be bitten!""Who are you calling a dog?" Peggy snapped, angered."Whoever barks is the dog," Calla replied coldly."You... you're asking for it!" Peggy raised her hand to slap Calla's face.But Calla was quick to react. She grabbed Peggy's wrist, warning her, "If you're here to sell insurance, I can tell you there's no business for you here. You'd bett
Peggy was still envious of Calla for winning over Mercer. After all, Peggy had used every trick in the book to charm Mercer, but he never spared her a glance."I bet you don't even have a chance to fly," Calla sneered. "What did you just say?" Peggy exploded in anger. "I don't repeat myself." Calla glared at her. Seething, Peggy stepped forward and raised her hand to slap Calla again. At that moment, a figure swiftly approached and seized Peggy's wrist. Calla didn't feel the pain on her face. When she looked up, she saw Pierre standing in front of her. With a push of his hand, Peggy sprawled onto the ground. "Ouch!" Peggy yelped, landing hard and grimacing in pain."Are you alright?" Pierre asked Calla. His voice filled with concern as he noticed the blood at the corner of her mouth. "I'm fine." Calla shook her head, looking down to see that her collar had been torn by Peggy. "Who are you? Are you even a man? How dare you hit a woman!" Peggy had already gotten to her fe
Calla knew Peggy was a troublemaker, and she didn't want to drag Pierre into the mess. Thus, she stepped forward and said, "Peggy, this is between us. We don't need to involve anyone else!""Oh really? Your lover just hit me, didn't you see?" Peggy's arrogance grew as she noticed Calla's qualms.The word "lover" made Calla's face flush with embarrassment. It was even more mortifying with dozens of colleagues watching.Pierre wasn't one to be bullied. He stepped forward, pointing at Peggy angrily, "Are you going to keep running your mouth? Fine, try me!"Seeing the extent of Pierre's anger, Peggy quickly covered her face and stepped back a few paces. Feigning calmness, she said, "Y-You're ganging up to bully a weak woman like me!"At this point, two lawyers from Brightway stepped forward to reason with Peggy. They explained the consequences to Peggy and agreed to compensate her for medical expenses.Peggy, being clever, knew fighting with lawyers wouldn't end well for her. So afte