Ted's eyes were filled with affection.Iris nearly spat out the water she was drinking. She quickly covered her mouth. "Ted, have you gone crazy?" she exclaimed. She couldn't believe he would say something like that. They had always been good friends, and his sudden confession left her uncertain about how to interact with him in the future."I know you feel bad for me and pity me for what I've gone through in my marriage, but you don't have to console me this way," she said, deliberately misinterpreting his words. She wanted to avoid complicating their friendship with romantic feelings.She could only be friends with Ted.She had just gone through a divorce. It was impossible for her to jump straight into another relationship. Besides, she did not plan to get married again. Men were untrustworthy, and love was a fleeting concept."I have something to do, so I have to go. See you," she said and quickly exited the restaurant, not giving Ted a chance to respond.When she returne
"Mom, that's enough. I'm a patient. I need to rest. I don't want to hear about children anymore. I'm the one who doesn't want children yet," Stanley replied.Iris had expressed her desire to have children quite a few times, but he thought they were still young, so there was no rush. He now realized that his mother might have been pressuring Iris."Hmph, you always defend her. She'll take advantage of you. I don't even understand what you see in her. She comes from a very ordinary family; both her parents are working-class. Yes, she has a good education, but what can she actually offer you? Beyond doing laundry and cooking, what else is she good for? She can't even give you a child. Before you got married, the young woman from the Just family expressed interest in you, and they even sent a matchmaker. If you had married her, you would be part of the capital's high society right now," Renee complained."The Just family is incredibly wealthy, their business reaching across the globe.
"Shut up." Stanley couldn't bear to hear Iris' name at the moment. He was in a bad mood.He had a nagging feeling that Iris might be serious this time.Picking up on his unease, Lester suggested, "Maybe Iris is just acting intimate with Ted to make you mad.""You think so?" It did not look like that to Stanley.Henry chimed in, "Ted said he's liked Iris longer than you have, but you dated her for three years and were married for four, so you were together for seven years. Could Ted really have liked her secretly for eight years? I find that hard to believe. Can a person really hold onto feelings for that long without wavering?"Yes, he was trying to comfort Stanley, but it was also true that he found it hard to believe. Henry thought that kind of devotion was unrealistic. After all, there's no true love in this world. Iris was undeniably beautiful, but surely that was not enough to keep someone secretly in love with her for eight years?Stanley's thoughts were in turmoil. "You
Iris replied, "I'm busy right now. I'll go home in a few days and tell you all about it...""In a few days? Are you crazy? Come home immediately!" Cassie's voice grew sharper.Iris realized that Stanley must have complained to her mother, and she couldn't help but scoff.They were already divorced, yet he had the audacity to complain to his former mother-in-law. He had no shame.Without further discussion, she hung up. She was determined to deal with the case first no matter what.To avoid any more distractions, she temporarily blocked her family's phone numbers. In order to not be found, she decided to stay in the Cloud District until the trial. She didn't have any clothes to change into, so she bought new ones.Seven days later, the client appeared in court, with Iris serving as his defense attorney. As she expected, there were flaws in the evidence against her client. The woman had also hired a lawyer and pleaded not guilty.This was a favorable situation for them, and Iris
Cassie instantly moved to the seat next to Iris and held her daughter's hand. "Iris, it's not that I want to be mad at you, but you can't be so willful. Your father and I are just ordinary people, but after you married Stanley, we're able to live in such a nice house. He's injured now, but you're not there for him; you're failing as a wife right now.""What else did he say?" Iris inquired."He said you're upset with him and asked us to talk to you. Iris, isn't this enough? He already apologized to us. You should go back to him," Cassie persuaded.Iris scoffed, looking at her mother. "Mom, Stanley and I are divorced. The divorce papers are already finalized. Why should I go back?"Cassie was taken aback, and Dennis stared at his daughter in disbelief. "D-Divorced?""Iris, what in the world happened?" Cassie asked."He cheated on me, so we divorced." Iris produced the divorce certificate, ready to confront her parents.Cassie grabbed the certificate and inspected it. It was indeed
Dennis attempted to comfort his wife, saying, "As long as we have enough money to support ourselves, we'll be fine. Let's just live our lives without worrying about what other people think."Cassie retorted, "It's that mindset that's kept you from achieving anything in life. If you had money and influence, would people have looked down on me?"Her words instantly silenced him.Wiping her tears away, Cassie turned to Iris with determined eyes. "Go and reconcile with Stanley right now."Iris pursed her lips, remaining silent."Say something!" Cassie pushed her hard, causing her to stagger and bump against the table.Dennis signaled to his daughter with his eyes as he said, "You should leave first; don't argue with your mom right now."Iris gave her father a glance, took the divorce certificate, returned it to her bag, and walked out the door.Behind her, Cassie's voice rang out, "I don't care if you have to cry or beg; you must reconcile with Stanley!"Tears unexpectedly streame
Stanley preferred the old Iris – the Iris who loved him, obeyed him, and prioritized him above all else.Iris scoffed. "Then what kind of tone should I use?"Stanley stood up and approached her slowly, step by step. Iris retreated cautiously until her back was against the wall. She tried to escape to the side, but he blocked her with outstretched arms. "This room is so small. Where can you run to?"Trapped, Iris faced him defiantly. "Why are you saying these things to me, Stanley? Don't tell me you still like me? Even if you do, I'm sorry, I'll never like you or love you again..."Stanley grabbed her chin. "When did your tongue become so sharp, Iris?"Iris forcefully pulled his hand away, losing control as she screamed, "Don't touch me!"Stanley was taken aback, not expecting such a strong reaction. "Bleurgh..."Iris rushed into the bathroom, leaning over the sink to throw up.Ever since she heard that Stanley had slept with Wendy, she had developed a physical repulsion to hi
"Yeah," Jason replied lightly, his gaze lingering on her face before asking, "Which building do you live in?"Iris pointed to the highrise on her right. "Unit 2 in Building 1, a single apartment.""I live across from you," he said.Iris glanced at the opposite building, recalling that her landlord had mentioned it during her rental process. The opposite building wasn't an apartment building."Well, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, eager to escape. She felt embarrassed getting caught crying at her age."Okay," Jason replied.She quickly walked into the building. As he watched her running away from him, a smile appeared on his face.Iris opted to skip the elevator, climbing the stairs to the sixth floor instead. Panting, she opened the door and set her things on the table. After pouring herself a glass of water and drinking it, she reflected on her earlier awkwardness. Why should she feel embarrassed? Everyone has moments of weakness; she's human, not a god. It's perfectly