This question was indeed quite bold, especially after Wren had "betrayed" her.Stella understood why Wren didn’t pursue the issue when she stood up for her. For a girl with no background and a seriously ill family member, this job was crucial. If she didn't accept the olive branch offered by Darcie Arnold, she would be seen as ungrateful, and her future in the company would become increasingly difficult.Stella knew Wren had her reasons, but she couldn't help feeling hurt. She wanted to say, "What does that have to do with you?" but seeing the cautious look in Wren's eyes, she couldn't help but remember the time she found Wren crying in the bathroom because she couldn't afford her grandmother's medical bills.Having experienced such helpless moments herself, Stella couldn't bring herself to say anything too harsh. However, she wasn’t ready to forgive Wren easily either, so she responded with a cold "Hmm."Wren's eyes dimmed. She seemed to want to say something else, but the elevato
Stella said coldly, "I'm not Jaylene. Don't try your flattery on me, and don't blame me if my words get harsh."Julia's face turned a mix of green and white. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't get a word out.The elevator arrived at the seventh floor, and Wren, Julia, and the others stepped out. Stella, expressionless, closed the elevator doors.Once the doors were fully shut, Julia looked up, her face openly showing her resentment. "She just got lucky being born into the right family. People call her Ms. Hall and she really thinks she's something!"A colleague quietly cautioned, "Stop it, someone might hear you."Julia dismissed the warning, "Let them hear! Everyone in the company knows Caline belongs to Ms. Arnold. We're just humoring Stella by calling her Ms. Hall. Even Wren knows who to listen to. Doesn't she get it?"The colleagues exchanged glances but said nothing.Last month's paychecks showed that employees in Stella's department received a bit more money. The surprisi
Kiara Lark was the one who stepped in, having just finished her business and witnessing the scene."What are you doing? Fighting in the company?"Julia, still fuming, pushed Kiara away. "Stay out of this. I'm teaching this ungrateful wretch a lesson for Ms. Hall!"Wren refused to back down. "Stop using Ms. Hall as a shield! You just want to play both sides, and now that Ms. Hall isn't buying it, you're taking it out on me!"Julia, fearing that Jaylene might hear this, retorted angrily, "Who's playing both sides? You ungrateful wretch! You're the one taking money from Ms. Hall while benefiting from Ms. Arnold! Isn't that true?"Wren responded coldly, "I'll say it again, I didn't take Ms. Hall's money. Keep slandering me, and I'll call the police."Kiara tried to mediate, "Alright, both of you, calm down. We're all colleagues here. Is this really necessary?"Julia, emboldened by her aunt Aubrey's position as Darcie's confidant, was used to bullying weaker colleagues like Wren. Wre
Wren didn't say anything more and turned to leave, carrying her files.As Stella left the company, she ran into Larry Bard. He had become a security guard, responsible for company security and occasionally helping park cars. When Stella saw him, he was frowning at his phone. He looked up alertly as someone approached, meeting Stella's indifferent gaze.Larry was taken aback and awkwardly greeted her, "Ms. Hall."Stella responded, "They transferred you here?"Larry nodded.Stella said nothing more. She didn't ask if he was adapting well or if he was doing a good job. As Keegan had advised, she had to let go of the urge to help others; everyone has their own fate, and she had done all she could.She waited with her hands in her coat pockets for Samuel Herston to bring the car from the underground parking lot. Larry stood nearby, fidgeting with his fingers. After a while, he mustered the courage to approach her. "Ms. Hall, this is a drawing my son made. He asked me to give it to you
Stella suddenly got a strange feeling about Larry.Here was a guy with just a middle school education, yet he had impeccable handwriting. He had a wife with mental health issues and a son with hearing impairment, and he was the sole provider for the family. And yet, he somehow managed to afford his son's lessons in painting and calligraphy. Instead of cutting back on his son's expenses to save for a cochlear implant, he took on extra jobs on the side, even if it meant risking his main job.Stella had seen parents sacrifice and scrimp to give their kids the best education, but something about Larry's situation didn't sit right with her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.Even as she met up with Keegan, her brow stayed furrowed. When Samuel finished his shift and went home, Aldor took over driving duties. Keegan tossed his jacket onto the front seat and joined Stella in the back."What's up? You look troubled," Keegan asked, buckling his seatbelt.Stella shook her head. "It's
Keegan always felt that Larry was a bit too concerned about Stella. Getting reassigned and having a pay cut when you're already strapped for cash would make most people resentful. But not only did Larry not complain, he even gave Stella a drawing by his own son, which was quite unusual.However, the background check Keegan did on Larry showed nothing suspicious. In fact, Larry's life could be described as quite unfortunate. Larry's son wasn't born deaf. He lost his hearing due to a kidnapping incident. Mistaken for a wealthy family's child, the kidnappers demanded a ransom, but the wealthy family refused to pay. The police, fearing the kidnappers might harm the child, didn't inform them they had the wrong kid. When the kidnappers realized the ransom wasn't coming, they abandoned the child and fled.After Larry's son was rescued, doctors declared he had permanently lost his hearing. Larry's wife, who had a family history of mental illness, couldn't cope with the trauma and had a menta
C: Damn, I knew someone this handsome couldn’t be single! Turns out he's a cheating scumbag! D: Wasting my feelings. Scumbags must die! F: As expected, the handsome ones are never faithful. Those who look too good are hard to handle. Stella, I don’t have high standards for looks. As long as he’s reliable, motivated, doesn’t smoke or drink, that’s enough for me. Do you know any guys like that? A: Boo-hoo, I still like handsome ones. If he’s too ugly, I can't kiss him~ B: Ladies, I have a friend whose classmate works at Semiconductor Technology. Their company has a complaint email. Should we expose this scumbag for going on dates behind his girlfriend's back and make him "famous"? B: Seconded. C: Seconded. F: Seconded. -This was the first time Keegan understood the meaning of "bringing trouble upon oneself."Stella didn’t hide her phone from him at all, even looking at Keegan with a half-smile. “I think this idea is great. A man who goes on dates while having a wife sh
Keegan slowly got out of the car with Stella's guidance.The air was cool, carrying the subtle fragrance of jasmine. Keegan felt as if he could see countless small white flowers trembling in the breeze, the scent he loved wafting through the air.“There are steps, lift your legs a bit higher, don’t trip,” Stella's soft voice reminded him. Keegan held her hand firmly, taking each step carefully.The path beneath his feet was paved with gravel, which crunched softly as they walked. After a short distance, Stella said, “Alright, we're here.”Keegan stopped and asked gently, “Can I take off the eye mask?”Stella laughed, “I’ll help you with that.”Keegan lowered his head to let her remove the mask. As it came off, he squinted instinctively. Light seeped in through the slits of his eyes, and when he opened them fully, he saw white jasmine flowers surrounding them, just as he had imagined—each tiny bloom gently trembling in the wind.String lights circled the small courtyard, convergi