Belinda remembered that her marriage was a disaster too. However, she had used forceful means to make her husband castrate himself and did not have to worry about him cheating on her ever again.However, as a couple, they were over.She knew just how much Hunter secretly hated her while Hunter was cognizant that she could not forgive his betrayal.She just did not consider divorce because of her age and was fine with just staying on guard against Hunter.She was confident she could keep him under her thumb on her own turf.Decades passed, and Hunter still could not turn the tides under her watch.Her son and daughter-in-law, however, were still young. Yet, their marriage had broken down to the point of no return. She could not ask them to continue like this.“I’m going on a trip soon and might be gone for up to two weeks. Once I get back, I’ll talk to Adrian. While I’m gone, you guys should think carefully about it.“There’s a cool-off period for divorces nowadays too, so you t
“Once I get back, I will persuade Adrian to agree to the divorce. I won’t let it come to blows. But while I’m not around, I still hope you’ll think about it carefully again.”Emma nodded in acquiescence.She got up. “I’ll head out first then. I won’t disturb you any longer.”Belinda hummed in acknowledgment.Once Emma left, Belinda called Adrian. When he answered, she asked, “Where are you now, Adrian?”“I’m at the office, Mom. What’s up?” he asked cautiously.He was quite afraid of getting a call from his mother, especially after he had done something wrong because he would always get a scolding.“Emma came back earlier. She told me plenty.”Adrian’s scalp tingled as he said with a smile, “That’s good, it’s good that she’s back.”“She came to tell me about her intention to divorce you. This time, she’s thoroughly hurt by you. It looks to me that she’s absolutely determined to get a divorce. She’s facing everything very calmly.“When someone wants to leave for real, they’ll d
Belinda did not want that!She had given so much, and sacrificed so much, but ended up back at square one.“Since you like fooling around so much, you’ll be free to get as many girlfriends as you like once you’re divorced. No one will restrict you. But if you do get divorced, I want you to get a vasectomy to avoid having more children with your second wife or something. That’ll be bad for my grandchildren.“Once they have a stepmother, even their father will change. I have to make sure my grandchildren’s interests are protected while I’m still alive.”Adrian was speechless for a moment. “Mom, I’m your son. And even if I do remarry and have children, wouldn’t they be your grandchildren too? How could you be so biased?“Plus, they’re already in their teens. By the time I remarry and have more, they might already be adults. Why should they be scared of getting bullied and abused by their stepmother?”Belinda could not be bothered to listen to her son’s rationalizations and said cold
Adrian could not change Belinda’s mind once she had decided. All he could say was, “Mom, we’ll take good care of Dad. It’s just that… you won’t have a companion when you’re upset if you and Dad live separately.”Belinda said indifferently, “That’s my problem and I’ll handle it myself. You don’t have to worry about that. All you need to do is to take good care of your father and do your duty.”She hung up immediately after.-Meanwhile, in Satbury, a tall, suited young woman with long hair coiled into a bun stood by the window looking out at the gloomy sky in the president’s office on the top floor of a thirty-eight-story high building. Her stomach suddenly growled.This vexed her a little as she had not eaten well at lunch.It was not that the food was not good, but she was tired of eating the same cooking and wanted a change of pace.However, she had yet to find a new chef who could satisfy her palate.She was famous for being a culinary snob in Satbury.People went as far
“You barely ate at noon and are probably hungry now, so I brought you some freshly baked treats. It was made by the chef who applied for the job today. We’ve all tried it and think he isn’t bad.”Isabella turned around and walked back to her desk.Tati followed suit.“I’m sick of eating the same thing and didn’t have much of an appetite at noon, so I wasn’t full. I do feel hungry now.” Isabella leaned against her desk and reached for the bag Tati brought to retrieve a box. The treats were meticulously shaped into flowers, fruits, and animals.“These are quite delicate. Were they good? You said the chef who applied today made these, right?”Tati replied, “Yeah. He’s from out of state. He does look very young—not even in his thirties. Isa, I’m telling you, if you don’t hire him, I will. He’s as handsome as a celebrity.“But he’s much manlier than them. Oh, he hasn’t yet let us try his specialties though. He only made these treats for us. He said he would prepare his best for you on
Tati watched Isabella carefully.She actually felt relieved when Isabella did not immediately spit out the food.She was really worried Isabella would do that.The young chef stood no chance if so.Isabella ate the other half of the treat.“Isn’t it yummy, Isa?”Isabella hummed in acknowledgment.“It’s meticulously done. Not bad—it’s just a little dry.”Tati immediately poured a glass of water for Isabella and handed it to her, smiling. “It is. Maybe making treats isn’t his specialty, but it’s pretty good if you don’t mind eating them.“I asked him and he said that he started helping out in the kitchen ever since he was at the age of six or seven and started learning how to cook after. He might not be thirty yet, but he’s had over a decade of experience cooking.”“Does he come from a family of cooks?” Isabella had already finished the second treat and was moving on to the next.Perhaps she was truly hungry, or perhaps the treats really were good enough for a second helping.
Whether it was cooking—oh, right. Tati had not tried his cooking yet. After all, she had only tried the treats.The particular treats might have been his specialty and his cooking was just a little better than regular chefs. There might still be a huge difference between his cooking and the O’Connor chefs’.If he was not at the very least as good as their current chef, he was not going to get hired.Isabella said, “I’ll tell Dominic to arrange for the young applicant to come back for an interview tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be back for dinner tomorrow and I’ll try his cooking then. No one’s allowed to help him. He has to do it all by himself.”Anything edible had to be made with his own hands, not just the main dishes.Tati smiled. “We’ll all come back for dinner tomorrow to try his cooking then.”Although it was Isabella who wanted to hire a new chef, her cousins were all foodies too and often ate at her home. The new chef’s skills were directly related to their happiness and they
“You’re hiring a chef, not looking for a husband, so that doesn’t matter,” Tati tittered. “All that matters is that his cooking is delicious enough for you to eat them and not get bored.”Isabella did not think much of Austin. She had not even met him yet, anyway.She was only astonished that Austin was from Wiltspoon as it was very far from Satbury.“I wish I had a chef whose cooking I didn’t get bored of too, and didn’t have to change my chef so often.”Isabella tapped her own mouth mockingly. “I don’t know why I have such a picky mouth either.”“Do you want more?” Tati asked when she saw Isabella had stopped eating.“I’m not hungry anymore, so no.” Isabella took a look at the time and said, “I have a meeting that’s about to start. Come with me.”“Alright.” Tati took the box from Isabella. “If you’re not eating the rest, I’ll finish them. I think they’re pretty yummy. This Austin York probably has some skill. He says he’s not very good at making treats, but you ate quite a f