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
"Enough about me, how are things going with you?" Alicia pressed.Calla gave a little smirk before replying, "Still the same as always.""Will you be going back to Greendale this time?" Alicia asked.Calla shook her head, saying, "I haven't decided yet. But enough about that, let's talk about something else. How about I take you out for some steak?""Sure! Let's drink till we drop!" Alicia perked up at the suggestion.Calla frowned and quickly offered a made-up excuse. "My stomach isn't feeling well, so I can't drink with you."Hearing this, Alicia looked disappointed. "Then I'll drink by myself. I was hoping to drown my sorrows in alcohol!""What's troubling you?" In truth, Calla envied Alicia at the moment—living a routine life, working a routine job. Living a simple life, Alicia didn't have to deal with all the complicated worries."I'm worried about not finding a good man, not getting rich, and not having a thrilling, earth-shattering romance. I've got plenty to worry about
Half an hour later, Calla sat by the window in Coastal Coffee. As she looked up, she saw Natasha, dressed in an emerald green dress, walking toward her with a smile."Calla, you're still the same as ever," Natasha said, taking a seat across from her.Calla glanced at the radiant Natasha and smiled. "You're looking more and more stunning."Natasha touched her cheek, a slight blush creeping up. "I'm so grateful you took a chance on me back then. And Mr. Garland's guidance was invaluable. I can't thank you both enough for helping me get to where I am today.""You work hard, and you're smart. Given time, you were bound to achieve great things," Calla said sincerely.Natasha had been making light conversation all the while. However, the mood shifted when she paused and lowered her gaze, fiddling with her coffee cup."Calla, I'm sorry… but someone else is here to meet you."Hearing this, Calla frowned, not quite understanding what Natasha meant.The next moment, Natasha turned arou
As Pierre was about to leave, Calla said, "I already ordered the desserts and coffee, I can't finish them all by myself."A smile immediately spread across Pierre's face. He sat back down and said, "I haven't even had breakfast, I'm starving. How about we order two more slices of cake?"Taking in the meager slice of cake on Pierre's plate, Calla replied, "If you're paying, you can order as much as you want.""No problem at all." Pierre grinned, then called over the waiter and ordered several more cakes and some fruit.As Pierre ate, he tried to engage in conversation with the sullen Calla. "I heard from Natasha that you're heading back to Greendale?" Calla sipped her juice, responding, "Yes."Pierre began, "If you want to continue working at Miriam's, I can help—" But Calla quickly cut him off. "No thanks," she said firmly. "I want to take it easy after I go back. A couple of part-time accounting jobs should be perfect. My health took a real hit in the last two years.""It's
Hearing such a familiar voice and way of speaking, Calla was startled and looked up to see the woman.When she saw who it was, Calla frowned, questioning her bad luck as she always seemed to be bumping into this person.The other person seemed surprised to see Calla too, but she quickly sneered. "Well, well, look who it is! Couldn't manage to stay out of sight, could you? This dress I'm wearing is a brand new Chanel that cost 12 thousand dollars. Are you going to pay me back with cash or credit?"Seeing Peggy's arrogant demeanor with her chin up, Calla coldly said, "You must be blind as a bat to not see me coming. This isn't entirely my fault. At most, I'll pay for your dry cleaning.""What? Pay for dry cleaning? You bumped into me, didn't you? You should take full responsibility for this!" Peggy was throwing a fit, upset over her ruined designer dress. Seeing it was Calla only fueled her rage. Despite their draw last time, Peggy still felt humiliated.Calla couldn't be bothered t
"Miss, if you can't afford to pay, say something nice and apologize properly!""That's right, you don't have the money to pay, yet still have such a bad attitude.""Penniless people now feel invincible. They have nothing to lose so they can do anything."As the crowd gathered, a chorus of voices rose. Some pleaded with Calla to make amends, while others fueled the fire, relishing the spectacle. A few even joined Peggy's camp, convinced that Calla had overstepped."Well? Have you made up your mind? I don't have time to waste here. Go ahead, get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. It's the only thing left for you to do." Peggy was letting rip a torrent of insults.Calla certainly wouldn't pay or kneel to apologize. She pursed her lips, thinking, "I might as well fight her to the death. After all, my life isn't worth much now anyway!"Then, Calla steeled herself, clenched her fist, and stepped forward, preparing to fight."What are you doing?" Peggy saw the viciousness in Calla'