Iris took out her phone to answer the call."Hello...""It's me.""Ted?" Iris was surprised to receive a call from him. "What's up?"Standing on the roadside, Ted observed her from a distance. "It's my birthday tomorrow. Will you come?"If Iris turned around right now, she would see him standing behind her. Iris hesitated. If she attended, she would surely run into Stanley. However, Ted was a close friend of hers; the three of them attended the same college, and she had known Ted even longer than Stanley."Okay," she finally said."Great. Same place as always," Ted replied."Alright."The next day, Iris shopped for a present after work. After selecting a present, she wrapped it carefully, then took a taxi to Mahogany Garden, where their group of friends frequently celebrated birthdays.As she approached the private room, she was about to open the door when laughter erupted from inside, followed by Henry's voice."Stanley, did you have sex with Wendy for the first time on y
Iris left decisively, without a moment's hesitation.In a fit of anger, Stanley kicked Ted in the stomach. "Why did you stop me?"Ted staggered backward from the impact. He bumped into the table behind him, knocking over plates and wine glasses.Lester and Henry quickly intervened, pulling Stanley back. "Stanley, Ted is just trying to help you. You and Iris are both heated right now; if your argument escalates, it won't end well."Ted steadied himself and straightened his clothes. "Let him go. If he wants to fight, then let's fight. I'm ready."Stanley sneered. "Oh, looks like you really do have feelings for her."When Ted saw Iris having dinner with another man, he realized he could no longer hide his feelings.He had already missed his chance once; this time, he intended to seize it.He had invited Iris today on purpose; he wanted to confront Stanley!"Yes, I've had feelings for Iris for a long time. I liked her even earlier than you did," Ted declared, finally revealing the
Ted instantly retaliated.Both men gripped each other's necks tightly."You know what, Stanley?" Ted struggled to say. "The moment I found out that you were flirting with Wendy, I knew you were playing with fire. I watched as Iris' love for you slowly disappeared. I never believed that she would touch drugs, but I kept quiet, wanting to see if you were foolish enough to trust that pretentious little bitch instead of her. And you were.""I had planned to wait until you sent her to prison, pushing her to the point of completely giving up on you. Then, I would clear her name and rescue her. But you and I both underestimated her resilience. From the moment she fought back in court, she had already given up on you. You were the one who crushed her love for you.""You bastard! How dare you set your sights on my woman?! You told her about me and Wendy, didn't you?""Wake up!" Ted shouted angrily. "I wouldn't stoop that low! You're with Wendy all the time; Iris isn't blind! Did I force yo
Yvonne discreetly checked with the doctor, who confirmed that Stanley's injuries were superficial and not life-threatening. Disappointed, she sighed and texted Iris: [I've checked; he's not dead.]Iris read the message but did not reply. After finishing her drink, she paid her tab and left the bar, her steps a little unsteady.Two young men in the bar had taken notice of her. Seeing a pretty girl drinking alone had given rise to bad intentions. They decided to follow her.Standing on the roadside, Iris checked her phone; it was past nine o'clock. The illumination of the streetlights cast a long shadow behind her. It was still early, but because she was in an alley behind the bar, it was very quiet. The cabs did not normally visit this alley.Feeling stranded, she called Yvonne. The call quickly connected. "Yvonne, I've had too much to drink. Come pick me up…"Before she could finish, someone covered her mouth from behind."Iris? Iris!" Yvonne called out anxiously.Iris' eyes
Iris was touched knowing that Yvonne had immediately rushed to her rescue. She was feeling relieved for having survived the ordeal. "Yvonne, thank you," she said sincerely."Why are you so polite?" Yvonne replied with a smile. She glanced ahead and added, "I'm not the only one you should thank."Iris felt ashamed. She couldn't believe she let something like this happen to her because of a scumbag like Stanley.She didn't even dare to look ahead. Averting her gaze, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Just.""You're welcome," he replied, his voice calm and indifferent as usual.After a while, they arrived at the hotel. Yvonne and Iris stepped out of the car, and Yvonne said, "Thank you."Jason nodded slightly, his gaze landing on Iris. Although she had calmed down, her face still looked pale.The concern in his eyes deepened. However, he simply said, "Goodbye."As Jason drove away, Yvonne linked arms with Iris and asked, "Do you know who he is? I'm surprised my grandfather is so well-acqua
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