“Mrs. Lewis, is there anything else? If not, I’ll take my leave. Sonny is still in the mall. I need to pick him up.”Deep down, Liberty was slightly bitter about it.She had never thought of being in a relationship with Duncan. However, in the face of Mrs. Lewis’s request, it was only natural to feel bitter.All Liberty did was rent Duncan’s store. Besides Duncan being good friends with Zachary, Duncan had helped her a lot, which was why she treated him enthusiastically. Even so, she had never thought of being with Duncan, yet she was compelled to leave.She did not do anything wrong, so why must she leave?“You may take your leave. Be careful while riding on the road since there’s heavy traffic,” Mrs. Lewis said with fake gentleness.Liberty took the key to her e-bike before she bade Mrs. Lewis goodbye. Then, she rose to her feet and left.Soon after Liberty left, Derek came in.Seeing his wife seated in a corner, he walked toward her.“How was the talk? It ended so quickly?”
Mrs. Lewis said, “I wonder what’s wrong with Liberty’s taste. My son is outstanding, yet she’s not interested in him. What kind of man does she want to marry?”“Is it a must for divorced women to remarry? I guess Liberty is frustrated. It’s not easy for her to accept a new relationship. If Duncan doesn't give up, he might spend several years trying to move Liberty. Perhaps you won’t be stopping them from getting together. Instead, you might be the one begging Liberty to be with Duncan.” Mrs. Lewis’s face darkened.“It’s impossible for me to beg Liberty to be with Duncan unless pigs can fly.”Derek was teasing her inwardly, ‘Don't jinx it. It might be a slap to your face. You might beg Liberty to marry your son in the future, and pigs can actually fly.’…Duncan, who was keeping an eye on Sonny in the mall, was absent-minded. He wanted to meet his mother and Liberty very badly. He wanted to hear about the conversation between the two of them. Would Liberty be more reluctant to
“Your mom has something to deal with. She’ll be back soon,” Duncan lied.“We’ll wait outside for your mom to come back.”Sonny acknowledged it.After carrying Sonny to the first floor, Duncan asked him, “Sonny, is there any snack you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”“Thanks, Dunc. But there are a lot of snacks at Aunt Ser’s house. I don’t need it.”Nowadays, Sonny stayed the nights at Aunt Ser’s house. Jim would send Sonny to class in the morning. It was only when Sonny did not need to go to class that he would stay with his mother.Aunt Ser and Uncle Zak loved him dearly. They always bought him a lot of tasty snacks.“That’s Aunt Ser’s business. I simply want to buy it for you to express my kindness. Sonny, give me a chance to do this.”Sonny stared at Duncan.He did not quite catch Duncan’s meaning.Duncan did not explain further but asked Sonny, “Sonny, have you thought of allowing me to be your father?”“I have a father.”Duncan choked before he replied, “I know you h
Duncan had no idea what to say.Sonny was such a stubborn kid.“Sonny.”Having caught sight of Duncan and Sonny, Liberty walked toward them.Still worried, Duncan reminded Sonny once again not to expose their discussion earlier. Sonny seemed to turn a deaf ear to his words and struggled out of his arms. He slid down and ran toward his mother. “Mom.”Once Sonny ran toward Liberty, she held his hand and asked with a smile, “Don’t want to play any longer?”“No. I want to go home.”“Alright. Let’s go home.”Looking at Duncan in front of her, Liberty expressed her gratitude to Duncan calmly. “Mr. Lewis, thank you for looking after Sonny on my behalf.”“You’re welcome. I’m more than ready to help you look after him.”Duncan stretched out his hand to touch the top of Sonny’s head. “Sonny is easy to handle.”Liberty grinned before she said to Duncan, “Mr. Lewis, we’ll leave first since Sonny wants to go home now.”Duncan instantly replied, “Let me send you home.”“It’s fine.”L
Duncan was embarrassed because of Sonny’s words, and so was Liberty.She turned her gaze to Duncan.Duncan grinned at her.Liberty was speechless. She kept quiet, thinking about how to answer her son’s question.“Mom.”Sonny’s childish voice rang out again.“Mommy, do you disagree?”“Sonny.”Liberty said tenderly, “You already have a father. Dunc is your uncle, and he’ll forever be your uncle.”“Liberty.”Duncan called her.“Mr. Lewis, Sonny is still young and immature. Don’t say these things to him. Sonny isn’t the one to decide on my life.”Liberty was solemn when she spoke.Duncan said apologetically, “Liberty, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said these things to Sonny at this point. But my feelings for you are real, Liberty. I’m genuinely fond of Sonny and will treat him like my biological son.”“Mr. Lewis, as I said, I don’t want to get into a relationship now.”In Duncan’s face, Liberty said composedly, “Mr. Lewis, I hope you can understand. I also hope that you’ll
Sonny was obstinate.When Hank badmouthed Dunc in front of Sonny, Sonny insisted that Dunc was scary. However, Dunc was not a bad guy. No matter what his father told him, Sonny would not change his perception of Dunc.To him, there was a clear boundary between good and bad people. He would not call a bad person good, and vice versa. “I’m not unhappy. Something just crossed my mind.”Liberty smiled. “Look, I’m smiling.”The kid was clever and sensitive.Seeing his mother smile, Sonny believed that his mother did not get angry at what he said.“Mom, Dunc wants to marry you and make you his wife. Is that true?” Sonny asked after feeling relieved from earlier. Liberty was speechless.Duncan actually told Sonny everything.Considering Sonny’s age, would he understand it?Even if Sonny could accept Duncan as his father, his decision would not change Liberty’s mind.“Dunc was just kidding with you. You don’t need to take it seriously.”Sonny hummed in acknowledgment. “So Dunc w
When Zachary came out and saw Sonny kissing Serenity’s face, he was actually jealous of the three-year-old kid.Zachary carried Sonny into the house while speaking to him.“What do you want to tell me?”A look of curiosity washed over Sonny’s face.Then, Zachary gave him a lengthy lecture.Sonny was at a loss for words.He could not understand most of Zachary’s words. However, he managed to grasp one point, namely that he should not always kiss his aunt’s face since he was a boy.However, Serenity was his aunt.Even Serenity could kiss his face.In the end, Sonny thought, ‘The adult world is so complicated.’What Zachary said to Sonny left Serenity feeling speechless. She had no choice but to say to her husband, “Babe, take Sonny upstairs for a shower.”“Okay.”Zachary took Sonny upstairs and said to him, “I’ll help you shower tonight.”“I want to bring along my toys for a shower.”“You can take your water gun.”“Alright.”While heading upstairs, the two of them were ne
“Seren, sure enough, we’re sisters. I refuted Mrs. Lewis this way too. Why should I leave? Why should I make such a sacrifice?”“I think running away from the problem won’t solve it. Liberty, don’t move out of that street now. Your shop has been operating there for quite a while, and you finally have some regular customers. If you relocate, you’ll need to start everything from scratch.“As long as you stick to your decision and don’t be convinced by Mr. Lewis, he can’t do anything to you no matter how hard he tries. If you fulfill Mrs. Lewis’s request and leave Wiltspoon with Sonny, Mr. Lewis might never be able to get over you. He might spend his remaining life searching for you and Sonny.“By then, despite having gone after you for a long time, he still hasn’t won your heart. With his mother’s disapproval and persuasion over time, he’ll give up and leave you alone.”Liberty thought so too.She would not be able to solve the problem by leaving.Serenity’s thinking was the same a
Liberty did not need them to push her husband. She continued to push Duncan toward the car, and only then did the bodyguards help him into the vehicle. Soon, the luxurious car carrying the family of three drove away from the city hall and merged into the street traffic, gradually disappearing into the distance.It was not until the car was out of sight that the car parked not far from the city hall slowly began to move.The driver was Hank.He would not stop Liberty and Duncan from registering their marriage and neither did he have the right nor the standing to do so. He had intended to take customers but had not received any orders, and without any particular destination in mind, he ended up at the city hall by chance, arriving before Liberty and Duncan.However, his car was parked farther away, and many other cars were occupying spaces near the city hall. After the divorce, Liberty no longer paid much attention to him and did not notice that Hank’s car was already there, waiting.
Liberty was his wife now.Sonny was completely confused. He had come here with his mother and Dunc. Everyone here was so friendly and smiled at them as they congratulated Liberty and Duncan. Why, though, did they not congratulate him?“Mom, Dunc is smiling so brightly. What’s so special about that paper? Mom, can I see it?” Sonny asked, looking up at Liberty, curious about what was so interesting about the marriage license that made Dunc smile so widely.Liberty glanced at Duncan and teased him, “Duncan, the corners of your mouth are almost reaching your ears.”“I’m happy. Very happy,” Duncan responded with an even brighter smile.The weather today was cloudy, though occasionally, the sun took a peek while sometimes it became overcast. Still, the power of the sun today certainly could not compare to the beam of Duncan’s smile.Liberty handed the marriage license to Sonny to view.Sonny eagerly took it and started reading it. Some of the words he recognized, but overall, he did n
“That brat is already at that age and still doesn’t think about settling down. Every time we pressure him, he hides away.” When Audrey talked about Anthony, who did not want to get married, she could not help but feel a headache coming. Out of her three children, the one who worried her the most was Anthony.Serenity walked over to Audrey and affectionately linked arms with her, smiling, “Aunt Audrey, you don’t need to worry. Anthony’s a good man. When the right person comes along, he’ll get married.”“Let’s hope so—he’s not young anymore. Children are always a worry, aren’t they? There’s always something to be concerned about. What about Sonny? Why didn’t he come along?” Audrey asked. “Didn’t you come from your sister’s place?” “Sonny went with my sister and Duncan to the city hall. They said they wanted to go as a family of three,” Serenity replied.Audrey laughed, “Duncan doesn’t mind bringing along a little third wheel, huh? Well, that’s fine. They’re going to be a family, aft
Zachary said those words, but in his heart, he was thinking that he had to keep an eye on the younger generations of the major families in Wiltspoon, particularly those who stood out. He would make note of any promising boys, so that when he had a daughter, he could arrange for that boy to grow up alongside her. If they became childhood sweethearts, she would not have to marry far away. Of course, once he had a daughter, he would not want her to get married too early. He would still be fine even if she was unmarried at thirty.Zachary drove his beloved wife to the Stone residence. Audrey was walking in the yard with Patrick. The weather was nice today, and the temperature had risen a few degrees. Patrick had been ordered by Audrey to stay inside and avoid the cold wind, but he was now finally able to get out and walk around.Elisa had gone to Annenburg with Remy to celebrate Christmas. Anthony, afraid of his parents’ constant nagging to settle down, had bought a plane ticket abroad
“Duncan is a good man. Being with him, you will definitely be happy, Liberty. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, growing old together, and may you have children soon.” After a pause, Hank added, “Or maybe don't have children, I'm afraid that if you have your own kids, you might not love Sonny as much.”He was still quite selfish. He hoped that Sonny would be Liberty’s only child. As long as Liberty and Duncan did not have children, the fortune and empire Duncan built would eventually become his son's legacy. Then again, thinking about Liberty’s current status, Hank sighed quietly, knowing that his selfish prayer would never come true. Liberty would definitely have another child. She would need a daughter to take her place and eventually take over the Fisher matriarchy in Jensburg.What if Duncan had a biological child? Would he still treat Sonny well?Hank was actually quite worried that if Duncan had his own child, he might not treat Sonny well. That was why, when he last s
“Go cook some food. It's rare for Hank to be resting at home, so don't say those unpleasant things in front of him. Honestly, if he hadn’t gone after Jessica, she wouldn't have ended up like this. As a married man, Hank shouldn't have pursued a young, innocent girl in the first place. Everything that happened to him is his own fault—it’s all self-inflicted.”Ever since Hank divorced Liberty, and after seeing how Liberty had turned her life around and was living a better life, Luke had changed a lot because of regret. It made him realize many things and change a lot.Olivia opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing in the end. After a heavy sigh, she stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare food for her husband and son.In the past, when Liberty was still part of the Brown family, every time Olivia came to her son’s house, she never had to cook. She only had to mention what she wanted to eat, and Liberty would prepare it for her. All she had to do was eat and still
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo