Moe hesitated, finding it difficult to change how he addressed Cynthia. "I'll let you handle the situation with your dad and that woman from earlier. I'll sort out the information and update you," Kendrick said as he stood up and straightened his clothes."Alright. Thanks a lot, Kendrick," Moe agreed.After a polite exchange, Kendrick left. Meanwhile, Deborah was dealing with her own concerns. She simplified the situation and looked teary-eyed, pleading, "Uncle Eddie, could you please talk to Moe? If he really goes public with this, I'll be bullied later.""He wouldn't dare!" Eddie's anger flared up. He might not fully grasp the concept of online harassment, but he knew that Deborah was right in blaming Moe. If Moe's actions led to Deborah getting bullied, he would not spare him."He's quite wealthy and reputable now, so he's not afraid of anything. Uncle Eddie, could you talk to him right now? I'm really scared," Deborah exaggerated, trying to convince Eddie."Take me to him.
"Uncle Eddie, how could you say that? Your son tried to take advantage of me, and I can't even defend myself?" Deborah grew increasingly dissatisfied, her temper flaring.If it were not for the chance to establish some connection with the President of Arch International Group, Deborah would not have even bothered with this annoying old man. Now, he was causing her trouble. It was exasperating! "You have to be mindful of your own choice of words. By speaking ill of him like this, aren't you tarnishing my reputation too?" Eddie stated firmly, his annoyance clear.In Eddie's opinion, certain things were deeply ingrained. For instance, parental authority and the importance of one's reputation. Even if he considered Moe a burden and did not like him, he could not afford to have his son labeled as a bad person."I've already said it was a misunderstanding," Deborah said, unable to contain her frustration any longer.Eddie's expression soured, and the two of them continued to argue.
Nonetheless, Eddie could not come up with any insults against Suzie."If you want this brat, go ahead. He's got nothing to do with me. Don't forget the 3,000 dollars every month," Eddie continued. He could not be bothered anymore, especially after finding out what Deborah had done. After saying that, Eddie walked out the door. He took a few steps, then turned back, addressing Moe in his usual blunt manner, "Remember to send me back tomorrow."This time, Eddie really went back to his room. All that remained were Moe, Deborah, and Suzie.Seeing Suzie's appearance, attire, and demeanor, a deep sense of inferiority welled up in Deborah's heart."We should go," Moe said, holding Suzie's hand."Wait!" Deborah gathered her courage and stopped them, her heart racing with anxiety. "Can we talk for a moment?"Moe responded flatly, "There's nothing to talk about."Deborah called out to Suzie. She was now terrified. "You're also a girl. You should know what a girl goes through when she's
"If it were a normal father-son relationship, this behavior would indeed be disrespectful. But my situation with my dad is unique, and what you did was to protect me."Moe could not care less if people called him unfilial or heartless… He was exhausted after all these years. Both his parents started contacting him gradually only after he graduated from college. Sometimes, Moe could not help but wonder if they reached out to him because he had started working and was not spending their money anymore.Suzie did not know what to say, so she simply held him.Later that afternoon, Moe's situation blew up online. It was on the top three trending lists on Twitter. If it were just about Moe, it might not have garnered such a massive response. However, Moe also carried the title of President of Arch International Group.Recently, Arch International Group made significant breakthroughs in technology and artificial intelligence. Everyone was eagerly awaiting their new product releases. Now, w
However, Moe was not one to fear such matters and already decided that if someone called just to berate him without any reason, he would take legal action after resolving the situation."Hello, who is this?" he asked."It's me, Deborah Walters."Moe paused, contemplating hanging up.Deborah quickly continued, "Wait! I have something important to tell you."Moe exchanged glances with Suzie, who silently asked who was on the phone. Moe placed the phone on speaker between them.Deborah's voice came through."After I am done, you can hang up if you want.""Go on," Moe responded, his tone icy."I know no matter what I say now, you'll reveal everything. But have you considered one thing?" Deborah had learned some information from their previous conversation.Moe frowned, unsure of where she was going with this.Deborah added, "If you bring up your monthly support payment and claim that Uncle Eddie abandoned you, not only I but also your parents will be exposed to online backlash."
After over an hour, Kendrick arrived with the documents in hand. Moe checked them thoroughly, finding nothing missing."Cynthia says you don't need to worry about this. Just publish a clarification on Arch International Group's official Twitter later," Kendrick conveyed Cynthia's message.Moe frowned, obviously concerned. "This might make it easier for people to exploit."Previously, they held a press conference because the media had more influence, and they could explain the situation clearly. Posting a clarification on Twitter might leave some gaps for people to exploit the situation, and they could not afford to clarify everything repeatedly."Don't overthink it. It's ready for release; see if there are any changes you'd like to make," Kendrick said, taking out his phone and showing Moe the prepared clarification statement.Moe took a quick look. The clarification contained all the facts, with images, evidence, hotel surveillance footage, and audio recordings to support each po
As long as someone had it out for you, they would find something to nitpick no matter what you did. Deborah did not expect things to unfold so quickly, especially for Moe to post the clarification late at night. Her comment section and direct messages were flooded once again. Under this immense pressure, she decided to deactivate both.Eddie, on the other hand, remained indifferent. After dinner, he went straight to bed. Moe was unbothered by the criticism and was trending online. He still remained unfazed when the public was discussing his family matters. Yet, Meredith had a different reaction. When she saw the clarification statement from Arch International Group, her initial fear was that people would accuse her of abandoning her child. As she read the contents, she was left in shock and could not help but bury her face in her hands and cry.Meredith was extremely guilty, blaming herself for what had happened. Around nine in the evening, Moe received a phone call from Mere
Thankfully, the teacher who had taught them back then was very gentle. After Moe said that, she did not say much and simply asked him to visit her office after class. Suzie accompanied him, fearing that the teacher might make things difficult.When the teacher inquired why he had not written the essay, Moe did not offer much explanation. At that moment, he was as stubborn as a mule. Even when Suzie later asked him about it, he remained tight-lipped.The teacher had mentioned that the essay question for the college entrance exam could also be related to parents, potentially worth several dozen points. However, Moe had merely promised to study hard, still not relenting on his stance.Seeing his unwavering determination, the teacher did not press the matter further. She simply advised Suzie and Yoel to guide him.Later, when Suzie and Yoel asked Moe the same question, Moe responded, "Parents are just titles. I'd write about someone else."In other words, if the college entrance exam
Isabella glared at Nick. He actually betrayed her! Caught off guard by Luther's honesty, Nick quickly explained, "Don't look at me like that. Luther forced me to do it. If I didn't agree to his request, he would've spilled my past to my current girlfriend.""Current girlfriend?" Isabella looked puzzled.Nick confessed honestly, "My new girlfriend."Isabella was at a loss for words. Nick was very handsome. His looks could rival top celebrities. Naturally, with his face and charisma, he had no shortage of admirers. That led to a habit of frequently changing girlfriends."I made my rules clear to her. No shady behavior allowed," Nick added quickly, sensing what Isabella was thinking.Hearing this, Isabella did not say much.A moment later, Luther, seeing that their conversation had wrapped up, took Isabella's hand and left. On the way back, he deliberately brought up the topic of proposals."What kind of proposal do you like?" Luther asked."Anything works," Isabella replied
There was a time when Isabella considered letting Luther propose to her. However, he had not shown any signs that he would or asked for her ring size. There was no need to overthink it; that fool probably had not even thought about it. Nonetheless, Isabella did not blame Luther. After all, she was well aware that everyone expressed love differently. Yet, that was also precisely why she wanted to propose to him, to make him understand just how much she cared."What's wrong?" Annie asked, concerned."I'm just worried," Isabella replied. The ring sizes had been a constant worry for her."Because of what you just mentioned?"Isabella nodded. "Yeah.""Why do you want to propose to him?" Annie looked toward a dark corner. "In most relationships, the boyfriend proposes to the girlfriend, right?""I want him to feel loved," Isabella answered simply.Luther was different from most people; he always suppressed his negative emotions and limited his freedom. He no longer wanted to restr
"No," Luther declined; he still wanted to be the one proposing to her."Okay," Joshua agreed readily.Luther nodded, letting his mind wander. In the following days, Isabella kept checking on the progress, each time being informed that there was no opportunity to measure Luther's finger.In the blink of an eye, three days passed.Cynthia and Matthew had a conversation with Isaiah.Due to prior preparation, Isaiah handled Cynthia and Matthew's questions smoothly. Although they knew Isaiah had not been entirely truthful, based on his attitude toward Sandra, they agreed to the marriage without excessive probing into his relationship with her.As for Isabella, she waited for a few days but had not received any news. Frustrated, she decided to go to Jiverton herself to find Luther.When Joshua heard about her plan, he asked her to give him a bit more time. He assured her he would have the sizes by next Friday at the latest."Really?" Isabella was worried about running out of time.
"Okay." Isaiah already had a plan in mind.After discussing the matter, the two did not say much more. In the following two days, Cynthia and Matthew stayed home while Isabella prepared the details and processes for the proposal.However, after going through the general plan, Isabella suddenly realized a problem. She did not know Luther's ring size. How could she prepare a ring for the proposal without knowing the size?Realizing this issue, she immediately thought of flying to Jiverton to find out but hesitated due to Luther's caution. If she returned so soon after just coming back, he would surely be suspicious. After much contemplation, she came up with a solution—Joshua.When Isabella called, Joshua happened to be having a meal with Luther."I'm not busy, what's up?""I need your help with something," Isabella said, trusting Joshua's abilities, "but Luther can't know about it."Joshua instinctively glanced at Luther.Luther was confused. He glanced at Joshua's phone and
"Quit the act," Matthew said to Isabella, "It's too bad."Isabella stayed quiet. Matthew bluntly stated, "Isaiah currently oversees the company, and the annual revenue has been consistently increasing under his management. He even took a few subsidiaries public.""And?" Isabella inquired."He has a talent for this," Matthew hinted, leaving Isabella puzzled as she struggled to keep up with Matthew's pace."He's barely in his twenties, so there's no rush to get married," Matthew explained. He saw through everything, understanding Isaiah well, adding, "If there were truly such a concern, he could easily establish a company under Sandra's name in the next few years, operate it until it goes public."With Isaiah's abilities and connections, starting a company and taking it public would be a simple task. After the IPO and proper management, Sandra's value would naturally rise. This would effortlessly 'shut their mouths'. Isabella wanted to say something, realizing her dad's words
"That depends on the secret he's keeping," Matthew responded immediately, taking the opportunity to tease Isaiah, "If it's something against our moral values, it'd be hard not to form an opinion, even if we try not to.""He's not that kind of person," Isabella defended Isaiah.Matthew did not respond but just sat there. Their father-son dynamic involved banter and teasing, but when it came down to it, they genuinely cared about each other."He's just worried that you might object to Sandra's background," Isabella continued to spin her tale convincingly.Cynthia and Matthew were confused, both staring at Isabella.Isabella felt a bit uneasy. Something seemed off with her parents' expressions. "What's wrong?""Are you sure Isaiah is worried about this?" Cynthia asked.Why was their beloved daughter so bad at lying? Not catching on, Isabella nodded, "Absolutely.""Setting aside the fact that we've always taught you not to treat people differently based on their family background
"Ah, I see." Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and purposely asked, "Is it possible that Isaiah got to know Sandra through Uncle Yves and Uncle Sean?""It's unlikely," Cynthia denied. Even though they had not arranged any blind dates or rushed Isaiah into marriage, given his personality, he would not seek an introduction from anyone."Whenever you have time, ask Isaiah to bring his girlfriend home," Cynthia said, truly wishing for her children to find happiness. Isabella agreed, "Sure.""Isabella," Cynthia suddenly spoke up.Putting away her plan book, Isabella responded, "Hmm?""Do you think I look stern?" Cynthia sounded gentler than usual, lacking the usual nonchalance.Having been accustomed to being herself, Cynthia found it a bit awkward to take on the role of an elder suddenly. If she left a bad impression on Sandra during their first meeting, it could easily jeopardize Isaiah's relationship."Not at all," Isabella spoke sincerely, looking at Cynthia affectionately. "Y
Isaiah had seen through their plans. He knew that his parents' friends enjoyed watching him banter with Matthew. Every time something was like this, they would eagerly make things difficult for him.Early the next morning, Mitchell and the others began implementing the plan. Initially, Matthew did not suspect anything and thought they genuinely had urgent matters to attend to and brought Cynthia back home first.Considering Luther's upcoming proposal, they decided not to travel the world but instead explored nearby cities. After Mitchell and the others called Matthew aside, Isabella approached Cynthia. Cynthia was surprised to learn about Isabella and Isaiah's plan."Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?" Cynthia asked."Not at all," Isabella responded very directly, her mind focused on planning her and Luther's engagement. "Isaiah said he can handle this matter, so let's discuss the proposal first. I've thought about several options, but none seem good enough.""Okay," Cynth
Isaiah was surprised."Take her to shoot wedding photos first," Isabella suggested seriously. After giving it some thought, Isaiah said, "I'll ask her during dinner.""Why bother asking?" Isabella thought Isaiah's emotional intelligence was lacking, and Sandra's expectations were too low. "Just pick a few reputable studios and let her choose one she likes."During their conversation, Isabella noticed that Sandra was slightly anticipating a wedding, although she had refused for some unknown reason. If she was not truly opposed to weddings, there should not be an issue with pre-wedding photos."If you give it directly to her, she'll probably say she doesn't need it," Isabella coined. She could see through people and was quite clever.Isaiah clearly did not consider this possibility."Take a look at these studios. My friends suggested them," Isabella had already made the selections and recommended them to him. "Weren't you against my decision before?" Isaiah, not understanding h