Renee nodded slightly and greeted her.Jacquelin was sharp at observing people's expressions and could tell Renee had something on her mind. Following Renee's gaze, she noticed her looking in the direction of Jade and Lena.Renee did not have many interactions with Jade, so the only possible reason for her attention was the person dressed in black.Jacquelin chuckled softly. "Ms. Thompson, it's been a while since you've been to the company. Did you notice some significant changes when you came today?"Renee hesitated, pretending not to understand.Jacquelin persistently continued, raising her chin slightly. "Are you looking at her?"Renee did not say anything, but Jacquelin noticed her fists clenching even tighter."Oh, Ms. Thompson, there's nothing special about Granny Harding! How about I treat you to coffee instead? Come on. Let's go upstairs now. There are a few new items...""What did you just say?" Renee was puzzled. "You called her...""Oh, Granny Harding? That's what w
Renee hesitated for a moment and answered the call.The voice on the other end introduced themselves directly, "Is this Renee Thompson? This is Centrolis Suburban Prison."Renee's heart raced, and her legs suddenly felt weak."We need to confirm with you." The voice continued. "Your father is Melvin Thompson, is that correct?""Yes...""Melvin Thompson's execution date is the 14th of this month."Renee took a sharp breath, staggering and leaning against a nearby tree."Ms. Renee Thompson, are you there?"Renee took deep breaths, trying to remain calm. "Yes, I'm listening...""As per usual practice, a death row inmate is allowed to meet with family members before the execution. Melvin has expressed his desire to see you. The specific time is..."It was as if millions of insects were buzzing loudly in Renee's ears. She hung up and started running along the street, hoping she could escape the mockery of fate by doing so.However...Renee ran all the way to the seaside, her min
"No! No!" Renee seemed trapped in an endless nightmare, covering her ears and screaming in terror. She wanted to escape, but an invisible hand seemed to grip her tightly, throwing her into a quagmire from which there was no salvation."You worthless girl! Just like your mother, brainless trash! You had the chance to revel in endless glory and riches, but you insisted on giving it all away! Useless waste!""Shut up!" Renee lunged forward, pounding on the glass as if possessed. "You animal! It's all because of you! My mother... It's because of you she suffered and ended up with dissociative identity disorder... And now she's dead! Are you satisfied?!""What?" Melvin was surprised, then burst into increasingly loud laughter.The prison guards had warned him multiple times, but it was futile. Thus, they eventually decided to push him back into his cell.A female guard outside gently patted Renee's shoulder and guided her to sit down.Just as Melvin was about to be pushed back through
Toph no longer needed crutches. The doctors had said it was due to his good physical foundation and his optimistic attitude.Toph finally had something to boast about. He often patted his chest before his parents, Zuko, and Lina, saying, "You used to think I was just foolishly cheerful! How about now? A smile can make you ten years younger! A good mood is the magical cure for everything!"In spite of it, Renee lost her smile after Kaitlyn's death, and Toph's laughter also diminished.-Renee arrived at the Hamerton's residence. Even though Toph had his place, Cordelia insisted he should not be alone due to his recent injury. He had to stay with them for the convenience of taking care of him.Toph was sitting by the sofa with a litter of kittens on the coffee table, mewing cutely and melting everyone's hearts.Worried that the kittens were too small to drink milk, Toph had prepared several small bottles and was carefully feeding them with the bottles. This delicate work was not ex
Toph paused, then he smiled, ruffling Renee's hair affectionately."I really want to marry you soon, too," he said gently. "But... Aunt Kaitlyn just passed, so it might not be appropriate for us to have the wedding now.""Toph, do you also believe in these things?""I'm not superstitious," Toph explained seriously. "It's just human nature. To hold a wedding immediately after a funeral, the outsiders might think—""Do you care a lot about what others think?"Toph furrowed his brow, at a loss for words. He felt that Renee was somewhat different.No, it was not just today. Since Kaitlyn's death, it was as if all of Renee's happiness had been taken away along with her mother. She became sensitive and suspicious and rarely smiled or spoke. Her once introverted personality had become even more gloomy and melancholic.Toph tried his best to make her happy. But he knew it wouldn't be easy for her to feel better quickly. Losing her mother had been hard, especially because she was there w
"What were you swearing about?" Cordelia asked while glancing subconsciously at Renee. The latter stood by, clutching her clothes and appearing quite nervous.Cordelia was not sure if what she was doing was right or if she had frightened Renee.Perhaps that was just the display of affection from young lovers. After all, she had been young once, and Zephyr had also made all sorts of promises when they were deeply in love.It was just that... swearing and making promises was something done willingly, not something forced upon someone.Cordelia furrowed her brow. Maybe she was overthinking this, but she did not want to give anyone a chance to harm her son!"Toph, an oath is a sacred thing. If you make reckless oaths, God will hear you. Don't think He won't punish you!""Mom!" Toph laughed heartily. "Who said I was making reckless oaths? When I swear, it's with a sincere and solemn attitude!""You..." Cordelia glared at him.Why was her second son so unruly? If it were Zuko, she wo
Cordelia nodded and smiled tenderly, leaning against him. After spending most of their lives together, he was still her haven and her superhero.-It had been over a month since Lena joined the Thompson Group. Her first paycheck was not substantial, but the amount left her content compared to before.The only regret was that it was just the base salary, whereas her colleagues were all rejoicing, clearly receiving significant performance bonuses. Some of them could even afford to buy a small sports car with their bonuses.Lena bit her lip. Honestly, she did not envy their ability to earn a lot of money. Money had long become something external to her. What she regretted was not selling a single property in this past month, not achieving any results, and disgracing Lina.While sitting at her desk, someone unexpectedly patted her shoulder. She turned around, surprised to see Jade standing there with a gentle smile."Feeling good about receiving your first month's salary?"Lena hurr
Moreover, Jade had appointed an experienced senior salesperson to guide Lena, emphasizing her need to deliver results within the second month.During the meeting, Jacquelin's thoughts were elsewhere. She felt fear due to Jade and was also crafting a revenge plan against Lena.Yet, lacking a strong strategy, she chose the simplest approach—creating a disturbance in Jade's office after the meeting."Ms. Neale!" Jacquelin complained, "What did you mean by that? Weren't you just humiliating me in front of everyone?""Oh?" Jade did not even lift her head. "How did I humiliate you?""You said I hadn't achieved anything in half a year!"Jade took a deep breath and looked up at her. "Did I say anything wrong?""Well...""It was you who first complained that Lena had no sales this month." Jade smirked coldly. "Jacquelin, we're in sales. It's common not to achieve much in a month or two, especially for a newcomer like her."You don't have to be so sarcastic, do you? Lena is part of our