Yvonne started her playful teasing again. "Is your client a man or a woman? Is he handsome?"Iris was speechless."What on earth is going on in your head?" she said, bemused."Ms. Glover," Denise had been waiting for her."Denise, my friend is a bit drunk..." Iris began, but Yvonne quickly straightened up and interjected, "I'm not drunk. I'm perfectly fine.""If you're Ms. Glover's friend, then you're my friend too. Care to join us?" Denise suggested.Without waiting for Iris' consent, Yvonne replied, "Sure!"Iris looked at Yvonne with a mix of helplessness and amusement on her face. The private room that had once belonged to Denise's ex-husband was now hers. Denise declared generously, "Let's have a good time! It's all on me!"Yvonne, who was familiar with the place, took the lead.This place wasn't only a paradise for men. It was a paradise for women too."Let’s start with ‘Paradise on Earth.’"Iris and Denise exchanged puzzled glances. What's "Paradise on Earth"? Alth
Iris had been busy with the lawsuit lately. She barely had time for anything else."I saw your missed calls, but I was too busy to reply," she explained. She genuinely did not mean to ignore Ted on purpose.Ted decided to let the matter rest. "I'm just glad you’re okay.""I'm fine," she assured him.Stanley seemed to want to say something to Iris but could not bring himself to say it in front of the group. When he spoke, his words were mocking. "How busy could an assistant be?"Iris didn’t want to argue with him so she just kept quiet.Lester, who was beside Stanley, felt the tension and tried to lighten the mood. "Why don't you join us, Iris?""No, I came here with friends. You guys have fun," Iris replied.Henry knew that Yvonne was with Iris. If he could enter their room, he would be able to see Yvonne again, so he said, "We’re all friends; let’s have fun together!"Iris said, "I don't think that's a good idea." She did not like that idea at all."Oh, c'mon. we’re friend
"Alright," Denise agreed, sensing the tension in the air. A fight might break out at any moment, so it would be wise to leave. After all, they were three women facing a group of men."I'll give you a ride, Yvonne," Henry quickly offered.Yvonne replied irritably, "You're a scum too. Birds of a feather flock together."Henry was taken aback. He hadn't done anything wrong. Why did he get yelled at?"I'll go with you guys," Ted said, leaving with them.Lester took a cautious glance at Stanley. Stanley's expression was dark, the simmering anger ready to erupt.No one dared to speak.Stanley turned, rushed into the crowd, grabbed Iris' wrist and pulled her away.When Yvonne and Ted realized what was happening, they tried to give chase, but they were blocked by Henry and Lester. "Let them talk," Henry said.Yvonne was about to curse him out again, but Lester cut her off, "They were married for four years and were together for seven years. Stanley just wants to talk to her. He's no
Iris did not panic or lose her composure. She asked calmly, "What are you doing?""What? You used to love it when I did this to you. We've never done it in an environment like this before..." Stanley pressed her down against a pile of boards and greedily tore at her clothes.He was attempting to stir her memories by doing this.Iris simply looked at him coldly. "Stanley, this will only make me think even less of you.""I don't care. I just want you back," he mumbled, burying his face in her chest, his voice muffled. "Don't you remember? You lost your virginity to me here in this house. You cried a lot that night..."He was so scared of hurting her that he didn't dare to use much force.Iris closed her eyes, unwilling to relive those memories or look at his face.Stanley removed her sweater and lifted her waist. She wriggled in protest. "Ugh..." Something pricked her, and the sharp pain made her groan. "What's wrong?" Stanley asked. He immediately noticed that a nail had pier
Iris smiled.[When will you be back?] she asked, almost as if she couldn't help herself, and immediately regretted it. It wasn't her place to ask her boss' schedule, so the question was a little rude, but it was too late to take it back.She felt embarrassed. Just as she was about to put her phone down, a voice message came through. She listened to the deep, husky voice in the message, sounding groggy as if he were half-asleep or slightly intoxicated: "I'll be back tomorrow.""Should I pick you up at the airport?" she replied.The response was simple: "Okay."As she was about to set her phone down, it rang again. This time, it was Ted. "Are you okay? Did Stanley do anything to you?""No," she replied."Where are you? I'll come see you."Iris, feeling drained, said, "I'm already home. I'm tired, I don't feel like going out.""Can I see you tomorrow?" Ted asked eagerly."I'm busy tomorrow," Iris replied."How about the day after tomorrow?" Ted persisted.Iris felt tired. "Ted
"Where is he? Where is he?" Denise exclaimed excitedly, scanning the room as if expecting to find a man hidden somewhere. "Is he in the closet? He's not naked, is he?" she joked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.Iris was speechless.Yvonne narrowed her eyes at Iris, demanding, "Spill it.""I'm not hiding a man," Iris replied honestly. "The coat belongs to my boss; he left it here.""Jason Just?" Yvonne asked, her interest piqued.Iris nodded, "Yes, who else could it be? You know he's my boss."Denise, slightly disappointed that there was no man to find, said, "There's only a coat here?"She then asked, raising an eyebrow, "Is he that tall, good-looking man I saw with you last time? The one I encouraged you to pursue?"Iris confirmed, "That's right."Yvonne pressed on, "How did his coat end up at your place? Was he here?"As Iris thought back to the time they were stuck in the elevator, hugging each other, and a flush of guilt washed over her. Avoiding eye contact, she explai
Yvonne declared, "It's too late to go home; I'm staying over."Iris saw through her. "Are you scared?""Of course not. It's all fake. What's there to be scared of..." Yvonne insisted.Before she could finish, Denise leaned in close and gave her a fright. Yvonne jumped in shock, prompting laughter from the other two women.Swallowing hard, Yvonne said, "You could have given me a heart attack.""I thought you're not scared?" Iris teased, "You're the one who insisted on watching this movie.""I thought if we all watch it together, there's nothing to worry about. I didn't know both of you are scaredy-cats."After finishing several bottles of beer, the dining table was a chaotic mess."Since Yvonne is staying over, can I stay over too?" Denise asked. She was still scared."I only have one bed..." Iris said."It's fine; I don't mind squeezing in," Denise replied.With that, Iris couldn't refuse. "Alright, let's squeeze in."The three women lay on the bed, transitioning from chatt
[I'll arrive at three.]Iris replied, [Got it.]Because Jason was away, Iris had little to do. She spent the morning reading, and during her noon break, she returned home to tidy up the place. She had rushed to work that morning, so the cleaning was less than thorough.As she bent down to throw away the trash, she strained the injury on her waist. Afterwards, she went to the bathroom to inspect the wound in the mirror and apply some iodine. Wounds tended to heal slowly in winter. She cleaned the house until it was spotless and even washed the bed sheets. After that, she headed straight to the airport from home.She arrived half an hour early. The flight was delayed, and she only saw Jason an hour later. Jason wasn’t in a suit; he wore a black sweater over a white shirt, black casual pants that accentuated his long legs, and a trench coat draped over his arm, with a suitcase in his left hand."Mr. Just!" Iris waved.He spotted her waving both hands at the arrival hall and smil
"Okay. Good night, Mr. Just," Iris said."See you tomorrow," he said."See you tomorrow."…Iris was jolted awake the next morning by her phone ringing. Groggy, she reached for it. "Hello...""My husband changed his mind. He refuses to settle or drop the case now."The client's voice sounded anxious.Iris was instantly wide awake.Why would he change his mind overnight? She was going to handle all the procedures today to avoid further complications too."What happened?" Iris sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Take your time and explain in detail.""I don't know either. He just messaged me saying he regrets signing the settlement agreement and he won't drop the case. But he already signed the agreement. He can't change his mind anymore, right?" The client still held a glimmer of hope.Iris replied, "He can still change his mind."Under normal circumstances, changing one's mind after signing would be difficult. However, since she had half-tricked him into signing the agreement, if
Iris nodded helplessly. "You shouldn't have answered the phone." She felt a headache coming.She wasn't blaming Jason; it's just impossible to explain to her mother now.Since Jason answered her phone this late at night, her mother naturally assumed that Jason had been with her all evening.That was indeed the case today, but it wasn't in the way her parents thought."I can go meet your parents with you," Jason offered.Iris was surprised. Huh?Does he even know what he's saying?"Do you know who my mom thinks you are?" she asked.How could he suggest that without knowing anything?"She thinks I'm your boyfriend, right?" Jason smirked mischievously. "If you don't take me to see them, they'll definitely ask you even more questions. Wouldn't that be troublesome for you?""Besides," he added, "We worked so well together earlier. We're very in sync, right?"Iris was speechless."Actually, all I have to do is explain to them...""What if they set you up on a blind date?" Jaso
After hanging up, as Jason was about to leave the car, he heard a phone ringing. He traced the sound to Iris' phone lying on the passenger seat. She had left her phone in his car.Picking it up, he noticed "Mother" displayed on the screen and smiled, recalling the enthusiastic woman he had met the other day. It seemed he had a reason to look for Iris now.He exited the car and took the elevator to the ground floor, then headed to the building across the street.While waiting for the elevator in Iris' building, Iris' phone rang again. Jason wondered if he should answer. Iris' mother was calling repeatedly in the middle of the night, so there might be an emergency. After some hesitation, he decided to answer.Before he could speak, Cassie's voice came through the line. "Iris, happy birthday! Your dad and I are so busy today that I only have time to call you now. When are you free to visit us for dinner? Call me before you come; we'll skip work that day and stay home to spend the
Stanley was furious. He felt as if all the blood in his body was flowing to his head. If he had held onto any hope before, it was gone now. He realized that Iris was genuinely leaving him and had no intention of returning to his side.No!He could not accept that!Inside the car, Iris fastened her seatbelt, unfazed by Stanley's roar. Jason glanced at her, noticing her calm demeanor, and a slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips.He started the engine, and the car roared to life. He turned the steering wheel and pressed the gas pedal, and they drove away .Once they had left Riverside Pier, Iris said, "Thank you for acting with me."Jason's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Don't you think we have great chemistry?"Iris considered this for a moment. "Indeed. I always thought you were a very serious person. I didn't expect you to...""To what?" he asked, glancing at her.Iris brushed her hair. "Just now, when you called me 'babe', I got goosebumps. I can't believ
"I'll take you home," Jason offered.Iris nodded. Stanley couldn't stand it any more. Disregarding how bad it made him look, he rushed forward and grabbed Iris' wrist. "Iris..."Iris turned around, her expression cold. "Can I help you, Mr. Stein?"Her tone was icy, causing a pang in Stanley's chest. "H-happy birthday." His voice was hoarse. "Iris, I made a mistake. Let's get back together..."Jason instinctively tightened his grip on Iris' shoulder.Iris sneered, tilting her head with eyes full of coldness. "Since you wished me a happy birthday, let me make a wish: I hope you never appear before me again. I hope my wish will come true.""Iris," Stanley's voice cracked with emotion.Iris raised her eyebrows and said fiercely, "Let go of my hand!"Instead of releasing her, Stanley tightened his grip, the veins in his hand bulging.That hurt Iris' arm."Mr. Stein," Jason interjected, prying Stanley's hand away. "Stop bothering her. This is unbecoming of you.""She's my wife
On the shore, Yvonne urged Iris to leave.The other yacht was drawing closer to the dock, and if Iris lingered any longer, she would inevitably run into Stanley. It had truly been an unlucky day for Yvonne. Nothing was going smoothly. First came Jason, an unexpected guest, and now came Stanley, a harbinger of bad luck."Iris, why is the day of your birth so unlucky?" Yvonne complained. Iris looked perplexed. Right then, the other yacht docked. Henry was the first to jump off. He hurried over to Yvonne. "Hey! You're here too? Why didn’t you call me to join you? We could have come together."Yvonne glanced at the three women who followed him down from the yacht. All of them were flaunting their legs, their skirts barely covering their bottoms, and their cleavages were on full display with their low necklines. Yvonne scoffed, "Come together? That would have ruined your fun.""C'mon, I'm not serious with them," Henry replied. He approached Yvonne and reached for her sleeve. "
Actually, it wasn't that the parents absolutely couldn't afford to raise her, it was more because they wanted a son, but with the family planning policy, they couldn't afford the payment to give birth to one more child, so they left the girl to be raised by the grandparents.The little girl passed away without ever having been registered in the household registration; she was considered undocumented. Getting her registered would require money the family simply didn't have. Or, perhaps, they felt that it wasn't necessary since she was just a girl.The girl's aunt – her uncle's wife, who also lived with the girl's grandparents – was unhappy because there was suddenly an extra mouth to feed. The aunt treated the girl very poorly. According to neighbors, the girl was often beaten and denied food. The grandparents didn't dare speak up, fearing they would upset their daughter-in-law.According to the villagers, the aunt had attacked the girl that day because the girl had stolen some bread
Jason remarked, "In this world, there is no such thing as absolute fairness."He thought Iris' view was still overly idealistic. There was a large gap between the things taught in law school and the cases that happened in the real world. Sometimes, bending the rules was necessary to achieve certain objectives, not just for the sake of making things fairer. The world has never been fair, no matter in which country.Iris fell silent. She knew that the world had never truly been fair. Many individuals were constrained by circumstances from the moment they were born. Some emerged from impoverished rural areas, needing relentless perseverance to change their fates, while others were born into wealth and luxury, their starting point already an unattainable goal for many. How could this not be seen as unfair? Fairness was absent from the moment of one's birth.Yet, wasn't her initial aspiration to study law rooted in the pursuit of fairness? If not, what was the point of law?"Mr. Just,
His now wide open collar revealed his sexy, slender neck. His Adam's apple moved as he spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, "Are you really okay?"Iris nodded, avoiding his gaze; she didn't dare meet his eyes directly. His gaze felt too affectionate. Earlier, he mentioned that she resembled the love of his life. Maybe he saw her as a substitute for his unrequited love?Yes, it must be so; otherwise, he wouldn't have looked at her with that kind of expression.Phew~She assured herself that Jason couldn't possibly have feelings for someone like her. It was fortunate she had realized this in time, avoiding any presumptuous thoughts. She felt relieved that she hadn't embarrassed herself in front of him."Um..." Just then, Denise approached, intending to inform them that Yvonne wanted to leave. Upon reaching the sun deck, she immediately spotted Jason hugging Iris.She realized she was intruding.Quietly, she turned to leave.However, Iris had seen her. "Denise," Iris called out