As Calla passed through the living room, she noticed Zoey sitting on the couch. Zoey was cradling her newborn daughter in her arms. She shot Calla a cold glance, then patted the baby gently. "Sweetheart, your meddlesome aunt is finally leaving our home. I hope she never comes back. Every time she shows up, our house is thrown into chaos. From now on, we're going to have such a great time as a family of three with Daddy."Hearing this, Calla frowned. She never imagined Zoey would turn into someone like this. With a heavy heart, Calla wiped away a tear, grabbed her suitcase, and stormed out the door.As Calla stepped into the elevator, she still couldn't fathom that Zoey had said and done those things. Calla tugged at her hair, the sting a harsh reminder of reality. Their relationship had frayed to this extent.It seemed she no longer had a sister.The elevator reached the ground floor, and the doors slid open.Calla saw Harlan waiting outside, holding a bag of pretzels. Calla's
Calla stared at Harlan in shock after hearing what he said. How did he know Zoey so well? It seemed Calla was the one who had no clue who Zoey was anymore.Harlan continued, "I know Zoey all too well. She'll always push the blame onto others. It's always someone else's fault, and she's never wrong."Calla's first instinct was to defend Zoey. "Harlan, you can't talk about Zoey that way. Don't forget, she's your wife!"Harlan saw Calla's agitation and remained silent for a moment. Instead of arguing with her, he calmly said, "Calla, you'll understand eventually. You'll see that what I'm saying is true."For a moment, Calla felt lost. As Calla reflected on Harlan's words, a wave of anxiety washed over her. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Zoey had shifted all the blame onto her."Harlan, do you have something against Zoey?" Calla's heart was still inclined toward Zoey.Knowing that Calla wasn't on his side to begin with, Harlan smiled bitterly. "I know that if I
"Hello?" Calla answered the phone a moment later."Calla, I heard from Miriam that you quit your job. What's going on? You were doing so well, why did you suddenly resign? And where are you right now? I've searched all over Greendale for you." Pierre bombarded her with questions.Faced with so many queries, Calla didn't know which one to answer first. In the end, she responded vaguely, "My sister gave birth, and there was no one to take care of her at home. So I came back to Riverford to look after her during her recovery period."Pierre was silent for a moment, then asked, "Does that mean you're not coming back to Greendale? Are you planning to stay in Riverford for a long time?"Calla didn't know how to answer him because she wasn't sure what her future held. "I don't have any specific plans yet," Calla said with a bitter smile.Pierre chuckled and said, "No rush on the plan; you can take your time on that. Take good care of your sister while she's getting better. Let me treat
Calla was taken aback by Carol's words. But she quickly smiled and replied, "Mom, I've already been divorced once. It's not that easy to find someone suitable again.""You were only married for a short time and don't have children. If it doesn't work out, you can lower your standards a bit. As long as the person is honest and reliable, we can compromise on looks and financial stability." Carol was now frowning.Having been hurt before, Calla was hesitant to love again. Given her current circumstances, she was afraid of becoming a burden to someone else.With a playful smile, Calla said, "Mom, Zoey's already married. Don't you want me to stay home and keep you company?"Carol rolled her eyes and whined, "It doesn't matter whether you get married or not. You've hardly been home to spend time with me.""Mom, I'm taking a long break this time. I'll stay home and keep you company," Calla said, trying to please her mother. Hearing this, Carol pursed her lips and said, "You've been ass
Calla walked along the lake, only the rippling sounds of water accompanying her. Her mind was in turmoil, and she was fighting a whirlwind of emotions.Though this baby had just arrived, she wanted to keep it. The pain of her previous loss was still very raw, and she felt like this was a second chance.That said, this child was Mercer's. He probably knew her whereabouts like the back of his hand now. Could she give birth to the child right under his nose?Moreover, this child was born out of wedlock. She couldn't offer the baby a complete family, nor could she provide them a normal life. Would this be unfair to the baby growing inside her? Would it affect the child's life in the future?As Calla wrestled with these thoughts, someone she recognized appeared before her. Her heart tightened, and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the person's tall figure.Calla wasn't too surprised to see him, though. If he wanted to, he could easily track her every move. Judging from recen
Calla's provocative behavior toward Mercer was a mask for her deep-seated unhappiness.How had she attracted so many of the wrong men over the years? All her romantic encounters were either fruitless or troublesome. Mercer slipped one hand into his pocket, his dark eyes fixed intently on Calla. "It doesn't matter how much they care about you. You'll never be able to love them. Deep down, you'll always remember me."Mercer's words, though arrogant, struck a painful chord within Calla.She didn't want to argue with him any longer, so she shot him a glare. "You're so full of yourself!"With that, Calla turned to leave. As she passed by him, Mercer reached out and grabbed Calla's arm. His grip was surprisingly gentle this time. Calla frowned slightly, thinking that he seemed different today compared to usual. Though still as domineering, his usual arrogance was tempered. His eyes carried a melancholy that was both captivating and heartbreaking.His voice softened too, with a note
Calla felt as though she could sense the child calling out to her. At this moment, she became even more determined to keep this child. Calla was overwhelmed by the constant barrage of thoughts in her head. She decided to put down the burden altogether.From now on, she no longer wanted to think about anything else. Her greatest happiness would be to bring this child safely into the world. This child was to be the light of her life. She suddenly did not feel so alone in this world and now had something to live for. She no longer cared what others said or thought. So what if she became a single mother? She had the ability and confidence to raise a child on her own.Calla didn't care about Mercer's persistent pursuit. She would deal with problems as they came. He couldn't take away her child no matter how powerful he was.With her mind made up, Calla stood with renewed confidence and returned home with her bag.The moment she entered, Carol started scolding her. "Calla, where ha
Early the next morning, Calla practically dragged Carol out of the house. She had booked a full-day tour nearby, determined to spend time with her mother. Seeing Carol enjoying herself brought Calla some relief.But when they returned, Calla immediately felt herself growing weak. Her nausea was getting worse. She knew she couldn't delay her departure any longer.The day after, as they ate breakfast, Calla spoke, "Mom, there's something I need to talk to you about.""What is it?" Carol asked while eating."My boss phoned me yesterday. They need a supervisor over at Greendale, and he wants me to go—" Carol interrupted her with a frown. "Didn't they just transfer you back here? You're a young woman all alone in Greendale. How can I be at ease?""Mom, the boss said it would only be for one more year. They're offering a 20% raise, and after a year, they'll promote me. You know how hard I work to earn more money. They say men can handle tough jobs better, and women don't get promote