[Because of your agreement with him, he has not contacted me or come to see me, but now I really need him.]Cynthia looked at the message from the new number, and the light in her eyes became brighter. The mistress was telling the actual wife that she really needed her husband. This was just ridiculous. [You don't want to see two people dead, do you?][Mrs. Neal, I'm pregnant with Joshua's child!]Jayleen bombarded her with multiple messages, each bringing bigger news than before.Especially the last message when she said she was pregnant with Joshua's child.Cynthia was not in the mood to entertain Jayleen, but the woman was simply too shameless. Cynthia replied, [Jayleen, do you think that having the child of a married man is something to be proud of?] Cynthia added, [If you bother me again, I don't mind exposing your affair online.] As soon as she sent that, Jayleen stopped responding.Despite Joshua being a scumbag, he always kept his promises. Hence, Cynthia dec
"Got it," Joshua said before hanging up the phone. He knew they would not accept Jayleen. Whether it was his parents or his grandfather, they only acknowledged Cynthia. After suppressing his emotions, Joshua left according to the location Cynthia had sent and picked up a random car from the company to get there. When he arrived, Cynthia was already there.After a few days of not seeing each other, Joshua felt an indescribable feeling. Cynthia did not seem to be doing badly after leaving him, unlike those girls who broke up and vented all over the internet."Did Jayleen say anything else to you besides the child?" Joshua was direct and did not bother with any small talk.Cynthia looked for the call recording and handed the phone over to Joshua.He glanced at her before listening to the recording. Jayleen obviously sounded unwell, and his heart tightened. Without much thought, he blamed Cynthia, "Why didn't you contact me immediately?"Cynthia asked with confusion, "Why sh
Joshua instructed her, promising, "Wait for me, I'll be there immediately. Don't worry.""But...what about you and Mrs. Neal?" "I'll handle it," Joshua said with determination, ending the call. Then, he handed the phone back to Cynthia with a heavy heart. "I have to cancel our previous agreement. Jayleen needs me now, and I must return and take care of her."Cynthia did not say anything, just staring at him. Joshua had broken his promise for the first time since she knew him."If you're not going to divorce me because of this, I have plenty of ways to make you agree," Joshua said.Cynthia did not care about those things anymore, she just wanted to end this absurd and disgusting marriage."Just one question, Joshua," Cynthia said calmly."What is it?" Joshua asked, looking up at her."Do you really like Jayleen so much?" Cynthia asked."Yes," Joshua admitted."Do you like her enough to keep hurting me again and again?" Cynthia pressed.Joshua did not answer.Cynthia did n
"You also said she got into trouble because she was looking for you. We haven't divorced yet, and I can perceive her action as you two having an affair. In other words, she's the other person in our marriage." Cynthia's words were direct.She believed the person who caused trouble should be punished by the law, but she would not pity or sympathize with Jayleen.Joshua's gaze was cold.Cynthia was not affected by his presence and continued, "She got into trouble, and you bear the responsibility."If Joshua had divorced her when he received that call, he would have married Jayleen as soon as she returned, and there would be no need for an agreement.He was scum, yet he put the blame on her.Joshua stared at her for a long time and finally uttered, "The biggest regret of my life is thinking that you were as understanding as her and marrying you."Cynthia retorted, "Funny, the biggest regret of my life is marrying you."With a chilling gaze, Joshua got up and left the cafe. The mom
"Probably not…this month," Jimmy said."What do you mean?" Cynthia asked."They're probably not available. Some have planned trips with their girlfriends, some are meeting up with online friends, and others are going to visit their significant other's parents," Jimmy replied. Cynthia was surprised."Don't you know?" Jimmy asked."What should I know?" Cynthia was confused."Of our seven dwarfs, only Mitchell, Gaby, and I are still single. The rest are secretly dating, like you. You got married!" Jimmy complained.Jimmy's emotions grew more and more intense as he spoke. Then, he remembered that Cynthia was getting a divorce and felt bad. "Cynthia, I..."Sob, sob, sob.He was hitting Cynthia's sore spot again."Did they really start dating?" Cynthia's previous emotions vanished, and she became a different person."Didn't you see the group messages?" Jimmy asked.Cynthia shook her head.She did not spend much time on her phone and only occasionally checked the group, where
Jimmy replied to Shirley, [That's because I'm the apple of Cynthia's eye.]Jimmy replied to Mitchell, [She didn't.][Dwarf 1: You're living the life, man! Did you get your idol's autograph?][Dwarf 2: What the hell! This is unfair! I asked Cynthia to take me, but she didn't!] [Dwarf 3: You're so excited about just watching a race. I didn't even say anything about sleeping with Cynthia!]Jimmy replied, [Shut up!][Dwarf 1: Stop being bitter because you're single!][Dwarf 2: Stop being bitter because you're single!][Dwarf 3: Stop being bitter because you're single!]Jimmy got angrier as he read the comments. He was so mad that it showed on his face while he sat in the passenger seat. "Cynthia, they're making fun of me for being single!""It's okay. I'll be the same as you soon," Cynthia said.Jimmy's eyes lit up, and he replied to the others with what Cynthia had said, and his anger dissipated a little. Cynthia drove around the suburbs for a few laps and only returned ho
Joshua's demeanor was somewhat calmer, dressed in a meticulously tailored black pinstripe suit, his handsome features creased with a hint of gloom. However, the palm print on his face was the most striking part. Did Old Man Neal do that?"Cynthia, come here." Old Man Neal's mood improved slightly upon seeing her.Cynthia walked over. She was genuinely worried about Old Man Neal. In their two years of knowing each other, she had found him to be a very interesting person, knowledgeable, and not at all old-fashioned. They had developed a true grandfather-granddaughter relationship."I know about your situation," Old Man Neal took Cynthia's hand, his eyes filled with guilt. "It was our family's fault… I failed to educate that boy properly.""This is his fault. It has nothing to do with you or the Neal family," Cynthia comforted him softly.Joshua was taken aback by her choice of words.Old Man Neal felt even more complicated, feeling increasingly guilty toward Cynthia. Cynt
"Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll take care of it. Your job is to take good care of yourself. You shouldn't waste your energy and ruin your health for unnecessary people," Cynthia reassured Old Man Neal."Okay. I'll listen to you." Old Man Neal genuinely liked Cynthia.For the rest of the day, Cynthia mostly stayed in the hospital room chatting with Old Man Neal. They talked about this and that, and she managed to cheer him up.Old Man Neal was very astute and noticed many details in Cynthia's demeanor and behavior. When they were alone in the room, he said, "Cynthia.""Yes?" "Can you be honest with me? Is your family also quite wealthy?" Old Man Neal asked straightforwardly.Many things could be observed in how people interact with each other. Cynthia always seemed calm and collected, as if nothing could shake her composure. This kind of attitude was likely due to her upbringing.Cynthia did not hide anything and answered honestly, "Yes." "Do you mind telling me which family y
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