I stepped back and pressed the elevator button for the basement.Lauren turned to look at me and asked, "What's wrong?"I quickly shrugged and said, "I saw a classmate I'd rather not meet."In response, Lauren immediately said, "Michelle?"I widened my eyes, looking at her with a smile. "You're a mind reader. Yes, it's her. She's in the lobby, probably waiting for me.""Oh, thank goodness you noticed in time. If she had stuck to you, it would have delayed us quite a bit," Lauren said."I wouldn’t have cared if she’d delayed us, but she's been bothering me for a long time, and it’s definitely not over anything good. My classmates can't stand her," I said, taking out my car keys from my bag. "Let's take my car! Thankfully, there's a back exit we can use. Otherwise, I'd have to deal with her every day."We found my car and got in, heading straight to the taco shop.Business here was always good. We had arrived early and it wasn’t lunchtime yet, but there were no empty seats.Al
Lauren continued, "That landlord saw Alejandra's business thriving and wanted to drive her away by raising the rent. Both parties didn’t want to back down. Alejandra certainly didn't want to pay such a high price for rent, and the landlord wanted to force her out.""That's downright unethical," I complained."Alejandra already had a steady stream of customers. If she moved, it would be a considerable loss. Alejandra was furious. When she rented the place, she paid two years worth of rent in advance. It would all be in vain if she left after building a loyal customer base."But the landlord didn't care about any of that. He doubled the rent and even threatened to take the place back if they couldn't reach an agreement quickly, claiming he couldn't delay his own leasing process."Alejandra was infuriated and argued with them. When she first rented the place, the rent was already higher than usual. The landlord took advantage of the situation for personal gain," Lauren expressed disda
Lauren shook her head and said, "No, how could I take advantage of Chelsea? Besides, I don't have the time or interest to manage those things.""But Chelsea doesn't have the money, right?" I asked, and suddenly, it became clear to me.Smiling, she said, "After we completed all the procedures, I told Chelsea to take over the house. However, Chelsea told me that she couldn't afford it. I suggested getting a loan because the bank had a support policy then. I secretly had her go to Oliver, and the loan was arranged."This turned out just as I expected."Chelsea has solved all her worries because it was a no-interest policy, and the principal could be repaid in five years. She doesn't have to deal with the landlord, and repaying the loan was easy! In the end, she got this house. Chelsea gained with no loss," Lauren said casually.I smiled and said, "No wonder Chelsea loves you so much! Why didn't I meet you earlier? When I was in the construction business, my funds occasionally ran dry
I did not particularly enjoy hearing her say that. I asked her, "Lauren, are you eighty years old? Why are you feeling so depressed when you are only in your thirties? Give him another chance, allow him to treat you well, and show him how much you are loved."I gave her a fierce look and said, "It's true that Oliver is regretful. He has been searching for you nonstop since you disappeared! He has gotten thin, and it shows his concern for you. Try to forget what happened! Isn't that better?Lauren shook her head slowly. "It is impossible."My heart ached to see her attitude.I asked as I gazed at her, "Since you claim it's impossible, why not start over by finding someone who loves you? Must you torment yourself?" I had wanted to discuss this with Lauren for a long time. Oliver would be best for her. Despite not being a businessman, he was a well-respected individual. They previously shared an understanding and made an excellent combination of their respective skills and looks.
A hoarse voice spoke, "Lauren, I know I was wrong. Give me another chance, and I can give you everything you said. We can get married, have children, and live the life you want!"Both of us were stunned. Lauren turned her face away, quickly wiping her tears.Standing at the door was Oliver Hansen.Neither of us knew how long he had been standing there. However, it appeared that he overheard our conversation.The three of us stayed silent, and only our breathing could be heard.After a while, it was Lauren who broke the silence. She looked at Oliver with a distant expression and said, "I don't want to see you. Can you please not disturb us while we're having dinner? Thank you!"Mr. Oliver glanced at me and apologized, "Ms. Chloe, could you please excuse us? I'd like to talk to Lauren."I quickly nodded and said, "Of course!"As I was about to get up and leave, Lauren grabbed my arm and coldly said, "Chloe, if you walk out of this room today, we are no longer friends. Our relatio
Lauren was striding along the street alone as I chased after her. I quickly grabbed my things and got into the car, swiftly starting my car to catch up to her.I parked my car close to her and honked. She turned her head and glanced at me, opening the car door.She looked grumpy, and I said, "Why are you mad at me? I didn't ask him to come. My meal got ruined, and I'm not even complaining! I'm starving now. Did I do anything wrong?"Knowing what she had done was improper, she sighed softly and said, "Let me join you for some food. It's close by. Pull over, and I’ll drive!"We switched places, and she drove directly to the restaurant she mentioned.It dawned on me that it was the "Marioposa" restaurant near Ivanna’s workplace.Their food was delicious, indeed. I did, however, also bring the takeaway with me. After we got into Marioposa, I grinned and said, "This is such a fortunate coincidence. I can savor both meals?"Lauren looked helpless.I asked mischievously, "Lauren, if
The woman's eyes narrowed and she gave Lauren a hostile glance.Lauren lifted her eyebrows in defiance.The woman smiled with disdain and said, “This is a case of birds of a feather. Both of you are skilled at seducing men. You are truly the degenerates of society!"These remarks implied that she must be familiar with us.The woman shifted her gaze to my face and sarcastically said, "You should learn the lesson from her bad example. Behave yourself!"I said confidently, "Don't be so snarky in front of me, no matter who you are. You will only embarrass yourself!"The woman said, "Well, let's wait and see. Don't be too confident.""You behave in such a weird way, yet I'm not afraid. You should be more sensible and avoid looking for trouble. It's better to keep your mouth shut," I warned her.“Good luck to you!” She glanced at me threateningly, then turned and walked out of the boutique.The salesperson in the boutique had already packed our items.Lauren asked the salesperson,
I knew several of the Murphy family's properties had been sealed, and Matthew was homeless.John understood what I was asking and immediately responded, "He’s been renting a small house for now. He says he doesn't care about any other property. He just wants to reclaim the small house you two used to live in."A wry smile twitched at the corner of my mouth. I silently sighed at his realization that had come too late."I’m hanging up." I told John.Laurie realized it was John on the phone, so she turned to me and asked, "What's going on?""Let's go back to the company. We'll talk in the car," I said. In truth, I felt uneasy.Matthew had regained his freedom, but seeing him in a predicament like this worried me.I was concerned that Matthew would have a hard time in the future. He was like a giant baby who refused to grow up. Once he calmed down, he would regret this if he still had a conscience.I explained John’s intentions to Laurie. She glanced at me, and I could tell what sh