At the airport in the evening, there were two familiar figures among the crowd exiting the terminal. Leading the way was Lilian, with Sarah trailing behind.Both of them looked exhausted, their faces weary, and their steps shaky. Sarah, in particular, seemed even more drained, constantly yawning. "Auntie, wait up for me," she pleaded.Lilian, equally drained, barely had the energy to turn her head. With a feeble voice, she consented, "Sure." Her feet never stopped moving. They were utterly exhausted.Their journey back had been ridiculously tumultuous. They had initially booked an afternoon flight, which took off on time but had to return due to a minor technical issue. After a brief delay, they managed to catch an evening flight, but it was forced to make an emergency landing due to heavy rain. By the time they reached their destination, it was already late at night. The local hotels were fully booked due to a trade conference, and they had to shuttle between several places before fi
"What are you staring at? Did I say something wrong?" Lilian felt increasingly uneasy under Elaine's glare.Elaine didn't pay her any attention, her gaze fixed on a guilty-looking Sarah. Elaine let her eyes linger on Sarah, who avoided her gaze and nervously fiddled with her hair. Elaine couldn't help but smirk slightly. It seemed Sarah felt guilty. Elaine wanted to reassure herself that she didn't know anything. She had sent that text message impulsively, but she had no evidence.Elaine casually glanced at Sarah, and their eyes met briefly. Sarah quickly averted her gaze, realizing that Elaine was onto something. Elaine's lips curved into a wider smile as she lightly twirled a ring on her finger."Mom, do you know how Lionel became the CEO?" Elaine finally spoke.Lilian looked puzzled. She had no idea.Elaine turned to Sarah and continued, "Her mother sold all her shares to Lionel. She even convinced a few friends to do the same. With the majority of shares, Lionel became the CEO."S
Outside the hospital room, Elaine was on the phone. "Sylvia, can you do me a favor..."After ending the call, she reached out to push the door open but paused upon hearing Lilian's questioning voice from inside. "I just don't understand. Even if you don't like Sarah, what's so special about her?"Elaine hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She considered leaving but decided to stay for a moment. She then heard Aaron's response, "I don't know what's so special about her. I just found out that I can't live without her."Outside the room, Elaine pressed her hand against her pounding heart. After a while, she turned away. With a trembling smile, she allowed tears to flow silently.Inside the room, Lilian was in shock, her lips parted as she struggled to find words. Eventually, she asked, "Are you serious?"Aaron nodded without hesitation.Lilian continued, "And what about Sarah? How do you feel about her?"Aaron frowned directly. "She has changed."After the events they had gon
The sky had already turned dark. Elaine sat in a chair in Sylvia's office, staring blankly at the swaying tree shadows outside the window.Her original intention was to think about some things, but her current mood didn't seem suitable for contemplation. No matter what she thought about, it always came back to Aaron's words, "I can't live without her!" Aaron, what do you really mean by saying that?She nervously bit her lip and, in the end, found that thinking too much was pointless. She couldn't fathom his intentions, so she decided to take it one step at a time.Returning to the hospital room, Aaron didn't inquire about what she had done. Elaine looked at him for a while but didn't bring up the matter either."I want to show you something," Aaron said mysteriously, motioning her to come closer to the hospital bed.Elaine complied and saw him open a file folder and take out several photographs. She took the photos and saw several solo pictures of the same woman. Although she was no l
Aaron was receiving emergency leg therapy at Matt's place.Matt was busy with his hands while scolding Aaron, "Your leg won't be able to support your weight for at least ten days to half a month. If you feel guilty and don't want to inconvenience her, why not postpone the wedding for a couple of weeks? She won't run away, but you only have these two legs, and once they're broken, they're gone!"Aaron reclined on the bed, his face showing signs of discomfort due to the pain. He simply smiled at Matt's concerns. "It's alright. As long as I endure for half an hour, once the ceremony is over, I'll sit back in the wheelchair.""Just half an hour, Aaron. Your leg is made of bones, not iron!" Matt scolded him impatiently."Enough, stop talking. I still need to return to the Brown house later. Get on with it quickly!" Aaron didn't want to continue the discussion.Aaron lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, but he couldn't help but think about Elaine's recent phone call. He opened his eyes
"In my opinion, my brother is biased," Sylvia said as she twirled around Elaine, who was already dressed up, in the bride's dressing room.Elaine felt a bit nervous but breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Sylvia and said, "You're joking, right?""But I'm not jealous of you at all. After all the hardships you've been through, it's only right that he pampers you. I'm protective of you too, so remember, if that jerk Aaron dares to mistreat you, be sure to tell me. I'll break his legs!" Sylvia said with a reassuring smile."Don't worry, I'll take care of myself," Elaine replied with a smile.Sylvia smiled back and then carefully adjusted Elaine's wedding gown. "By the way, what if Aaron really comes out in a wheelchair?"Elaine pursed her lips, making sure her lipstick was just right. Satisfied, she replied, "If he uses a wheelchair, so be it. It's not a big deal."As they were talking, Renee knocked on the door and entered. She was wearing a beautiful rose-red gown today, with delic
The wedding was in progress. Elaine and Aaron stood on the stage, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.Elaine's emotions had calmed down by now, but nervousness was inevitable. Her palms holding the bouquet were sweaty, and she glanced at Aaron beside her. Though he stood tall and handsome, the smile on his lips gradually faded, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His leg must be hurting. She worriedly looked at him, but Aaron just smiled at her and whispered, "I'm okay."Next, the priest began to recite the vows. "Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the union of this couple in holy matrimony. Marriage is a sacred covenant, a commitment between two people in love and loyalty. Now, I ask Aaron Brown and Elaine Smith to stand together and declare their wedding vows.""Aaron Brown, do you willingly accept Elaine Smith as your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, cherish, honor, and respect her, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and
Sylvia was feeling quite bored at home. Elaine and Aaron had flown overseas for their honeymoon right after the wedding. She decided to call Renee, saying, "Renee, do you have any plans for tonight? How about coming over to my place for dinner? I miss you."Renee had just finished her classes and was heading to her office. She hesitated for a moment when she received the call, fully aware of Sylvia's intentions."Renee," Nahum stood by the office door, his gaze soft as he looked at her.Renee was taken aback. Sylvia didn't know what was happening and continued, "Renee, just come over. The housekeeper has already gone shopping for groceries.""I'll call you back in a while," Renee replied as she ended the call, placing her phone in her bag. She looked at Nahum and smiled, saying, "Senior."Nahum smiled as well. Renee walked over, unlocked her office door with her keys, and said, "Come in if you want to talk."Nahum watched her from behind. After all these years, she was still the same,