"I feel sorry for him, but it’s not that kind of sympathy. If it were Ava, I would feel sorry for her too. Do you understand?"Understand my foot! She was good at changing the subject. Ava was a woman, and Tobias was a man. How could it be the same when the genders were switched?Seeing his silence, Charlotte continued, "We grew up together as friends. I don't want anything bad to happen to him.""He had a successful surgery.""I know." But that didn't mean he hadn't suffered, and she felt sorry for the pain he went through.After a moment of contemplation, Charlotte decided to have a serious talk with Griffith and clear things up. However, Griffith unexpectedly held her shoulders. She looked up at him.His face was tense as he stared at her. He said stubbornly, "Charlotte, on the day we arrived, you said you liked me the most in front of Julie.""I...""If you dare to lie, I'll report you to Julie."Listening to his half-joking, half-serious words, Charlotte suddenly felt a l
The address Tobias provided was a villa in an affluent area with tight security. Even after mentioning Tobias's name at the entrance, Charlotte wasn't allowed in.Before long, Tobias came personally to escort her. The security personnel at the entrance wore surprised expressions but quickly let her through.Charlotte was also surprised. She drove inside, opened the passenger door, and gestured for Tobias to get in. "You could have asked the housekeeper to pick me up. Why did you come personally?"Tobias hadn't gotten in the car yet, but he bent down to ask her, "Can my pet sit in the back seat?"Only then did Charlotte notice that he was holding a large Golden Retriever."It's fine."Tobias opened the back seat and called out the dog's name."Dooby, get in."Charlotte's eyes lit up. "He's also named Dooby?"Tobias got into the passenger seat. Hearing her tone, he knew she remembered."I only thought of this name at that time.""It's quite nice." Charlotte glanced at the back
"Not just me; if you tell Ava, she'll be overjoyed," Charlotte spoke while opening the refrigerator.Taking out the vegetables, she asked Tobias, "Can you eat noodles?""The noodles have to be very soft."Charlotte gestured with an ‘OK’ sign. "Go outside and wait for me."Tobias didn't move, and instead, he leaned against the doorframe. "Let me see if you really know how to cook."Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'm a kitchen goddess now!""Is that so?""Yeah! Everyone who eats my food says it's extraordinary!"Tobias looked at her radiant side profile. It felt like they had returned to an afternoon many years ago when she invited him to her house to eat mulberries, claiming they were incredibly sweet."I must have gotten lucky today, then.""Wait and see." Charlotte prepared the ingredients, started boiling the noodles, then prepared to make the batter.She wiped the table and, in the meantime, quietly returned to the topic of money. "Why did you send me money earlier?
People who shared a past could easily reconnect, especially when they hadn't seen each other for many years. With just a slight prompt, they could talk for a long time.When the noodles were ready, Charlotte, wearing gloves, carried the pot out and said, "Breakfast is served!"Tobias went to get bowls, and the two sat at the table, talking while eating. They spoke about the old alley, then the affiliated high school. Then, the topic went from their elders to their classmates and friends.Charlotte had already eaten breakfast, but she couldn't resist and had a bowl of noodles. When the pot was almost empty, the two still didn't stop the conversation.Suddenly, Tobias peeked into the pot. Charlotte also glanced at it. Their eyes met."It's your turn to do the dishes!" they said in unison.Charlotte crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and said, "I made the meal!"Tobias leaned back, calm but firm. "I'm the patient."Charlotte clicked her tongue."Fine—" She stood up with the pot a
At 5:00 PM in the manor, Terence carried a hoe and passed by several times, attempting to greet Griffith, but it seemed like Griffith didn't notice him.He asked Ash, who was picking vegetables in the corridor, "What's going on?"Ash didn't even lift his head and replied, "He’s facing some work pressure."Terence rubbed his chin, feeling puzzled. Everyone had some gossip tendencies in them. Terence called a servant to bring tea to Griffith.The servant quickly returned with a report, "He's been typing on the keyboard!""What is he typing?""I don't know. He’s just typing away, but there's nothing on the screen," the servant said in disbelief.Terence fell silent, but Ash saw it as nothing unusual. Julie, carefree as always, continued to run around Griffith, her steps sounding like drum beats.In the entire courtyard, everyone had something to do. As for Griffith's emotions, it seemed like nobody cared.Time passed slowly, and the night fell swiftly. During dinner time, Griffit
Charlotte walked closer. She was still unable to see Griffith's expression, but she noticed the cigarette butt in the ashtray.She frowned. "Griffith, are you trying to smoke yourself to death?"Griffith still had more than half of the cigarette in his hand, but she snatched it away from his fingers and pressed it onto a pile of cigarette butts.Standing in front of him, hands on her hips, she asked, "What time is it already?"Griffith looked at her with a wry smile, adjusting his posture. He crossed his arms and leaned back, almost asking her to move so she wouldn't block the moonlight."What time is it?" Charlotte asked again.Griffith chuckled. "You're asking me?""I'm asking you alright!"She was fiercer than him. He took a deep breath and flipped his phone to check the time. It displayed: 7:30!Without much thought, Charlotte said, "It's 7:30. Why aren't you going in to take a shower? What are you contemplating here? Is the cigarette free? Is that why you smoke as much as
Growl—Before Charlotte could even laugh, the sound of a rumbling stomach erupted. She bit into the meat pie, looking at Griffith with surprise.Griffith furrowed his brows tightly. Under the dim light, he turned his face away, refusing to look at her. Charlotte set down the meat pie, adjusting the light a bit brighter.Griffith, who had barely eaten anything for almost a day, relied on the anger in him and cigarettes to keep his spirits up. Now, due to her continuous questioning, his head was starting to spin.With the increased light, Charlotte could finally see his slightly pale face.She put down the meat pie. "Griffith, have you had dinner?""I did.""Stop talking nonsense. What did you eat?"He remained silent. He wasn’t going to admit that.For a moment, Charlotte couldn't find the right words. He hadn't eaten all day because he waited for her to have dinner? Feeling a bit distressed, she approached him."What did you have for lunch?""A sumptuous feast."Seeing his
"Who told you I was on a hunger strike?""You didn’t eat for a day, what else is it if not a hunger strike?" She flicked his sideburns with her hand, pouting. "Are you trying to starve, my future husband?"Griffith paused, turning his head quickly to look at her."What are you looking at?" She turned his head back, directing him. "Hurry up and eat."Griffith's emotions fluctuated as she urged him to continue eating. While sending noodles into his mouth, he pondered her words.Suddenly, he stopped again."Charlotte, you’re a ruthless woman."Charlotte burst into laughter. "Are you accusing me of making empty promises?"He frowned, continuing to eat the noodles.Charlotte approached him and said, "When did I make empty promises? Apart from the marriage certificate, what haven't you done as my husband? Or, are you upset that I did not address you as 'hubby'?"He paused again, turning to look at her once more.Charlotte turned his head back, saying, "Don't think about it. I'm a
Tanya's previous full-length mirror was still usable, but because it was small, she had to walk a bit farther every time she used it. Eli had long wanted to replace it.Little did he know, she got rid of many things in the house to make room for the new large sofa for him, including that old full-length mirror."How do you like it? Surprised?" He patted the mirror.Tanya smiled wryly and pointed to the large sofa. "And you? Surprised?" Only then did Eli notice fewer small items in the living room and a large new sofa. He suddenly chuckled. It was quite nice.He thought of her, and she thought of him. This winter was truly warm.Tanya abandoned the egg tart and hugged him again. "Oh no, this mirror is so big. There's nowhere to put it."Eli carried her with one hand and moved the mirror to the corner with the other. Sitting on the sofa, he thought for a moment, then hugged her and said, "Tanya, let's move to a bigger place."Tanya knew he had been thinking about this all along.
Eli found it amusing. He pushed the head of the small money jar and couldn't help but say, "You gold digger! You love money so much, then why did you give the check I gave you to Soraya?"Tanya blinked and chuckled. "I only acquire wealth in the proper way. To be honest…" She pondered for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Probably because, at that time, I was just too fond of you like I am now."Hearing this, Eli felt a pang of heartache and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Tanya smiled, moved the gifts aside, and made some space for him.Just as they were about to talk, Eli's phone vibrated continuously. It turned out that Bridget was sending over the detailed preparation process for the wedding.Tanya scrolled through it and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Eli looked at it and also felt a headache coming. The two glanced at each other, sighed simultaneously, and leaned back.After they publicly disclosed their relationship, life continued as usual but became busier due to the w
Eli being married was shocking enough, but then his wife was hiding right in the office. In the next half hour, Tanya heard wailing from all around.The atmosphere in their office was quite good, and everyone got along well. After coming clean, everyone joked around and teased each other."Nia, don't forget Mr. Ted, he's been cursing at you all along!""Yeah, he's been calling you a fool!""I heard it, I can testify!"Ted was furious and rushed out to hit someone. Tanya followed with laughter.Before leaving work, Amy indeed brought the cake and candies, sharing them with everyone in the building. Thus, the entire group gave them their blessings.From the office to the parking lot, Tanya received blessings. When she got into Eli's car, her heart was still pounding.Eli was happily eating his candy, feeling good. Especially now that he didn't have to sneak around anymore, he even turned the steering wheel effortlessly.Tanya, holding the cake, asked him in surprise, "Were these
Tanya walked out of the room with her guard down and came face to face with Ted's sneaky expression. She paused.Ted gasped, his brain instantly turning blank.He looked at Tanya, covered his mouth with his left hand, and placed his right hand over the left with his eyes gradually widening.God! This was insane!Tanya regained her composure and glanced in Eli's direction. Eli remained calm, glanced at the fruit plate on the table, and said, "Should we take some down to share with your colleagues?"Tanya nodded. She glanced at the still-disheveled Ted and kindly handed him a tangerine."Sir?"Ted swallowed, looked at Tanya, then at Eli. Finally, he settled his gaze on the tangerine in her hand, mechanically accepting it.Tanya turned to look at Eli. 'Look, you've scared my superior.'Eli shrugged."I'm leaving," she said.Eli nodded and escorted her to the door.Ted followed them out and was sent into the elevator by his boss. As the elevator doors closed, he let out a long
The deep blue bedsheet was neatly spread out. But the two pillows lacked pillowcases, exposed in a sorry state.Eli placed his hands on his belt and turned to look at Tanya. "Is this also your doing?"Tanya leaned against the door frame, only poking her head in, smiling sheepishly."I accidentally drooled while sleeping that day and dirtied the pillowcase. Knowing that you're a neat freak, I took them all off to wash," she said. She raised her hand and swore, "The pillowcases have been washed and are in the cabinet at home."Eli wasn't interested in the pillowcases' whereabouts. He remembered when Amy called him, saying Tanya missed him and wanted to touch the sheets and pillows after waking up.Nonsense!He took a deep breath, then turned his head to Tanya with a frightening smile. Tanya realized the danger and tried to run, but he grabbed her by the waist."Hey, what are you doing?" she said.Eli tossed her onto the bed and followed suit."What are you doing?!""Collecting
Tanya sat upright in the office. Eli stood before her with his hands behind his back. "Come on, explain."Tanya's eyes darted around. "Do you believe me? It's because I missed you too much. When I came to your place, I couldn't help but take away everything related to you." Eli scoffed. "Including the toilet paper?"Tanya pondered seriously.Eli tapped the coffee machine and pointed to the plug that had been pulled out, saying, "If the coffee machine wasn't too heavy, would you have taken that too?"'This brat has no conscience at all. Does she even understand what a cold shoulder is?'While he was reminiscing in her room, she made a fortune in his office!Tanya blinked and gave him an embarrassed smile. "If you think about it from another angle, I love you deeply. If we couldn't reconcile and you came back to see all this, you would hate me. Hate represents love, and love means you can't forget me. My obsession is so deep; I want to stay in your heart forever."Eli fell silen
"You should buy something while visiting. Do you have enough money in your account? If not, I will transfer some to you," Mrs. Moran said on the phone.Tanya didn't want money; she just wanted to hear some advice. She knew her parents' financial situation wasn't good. Due to illness, her stepfather had retired from his position as a butler of the Sterling family. Although the Sterlings provided a retirement package, Mr. Moran was getting old, and he had a son. She heard that his son's business had lost a considerable amount of money in recent years. As a stepdaughter, she had already received enough help from them, so how could she ask for more money?During her university days, she didn't ask her family for money. If she could find a part-time job, she would, and if not, she would endure it just to avoid causing her mother trouble."Mom, I don't need money. I have enough."When Mrs. Moran heard this, she felt even more sorry for her.Since her ex-husband was useless, Tanya suffer
After breakfast, Eli called Bridget."Why did you send her a check? Do you have nothing better to do?"Bridget had just arrived home and begun playing poker with a few old friends.She threw out a card, rolled her eyes, and said, "It's the first time I've met my daughter-in-law! What's wrong with giving her some money!"Eli was speechless."Madam, you came up and threw 500,000 dollars just like that. Aren't you afraid of scaring people?""What should I do? Throw 50,000 dollars instead? That's too stingy."Eli was speechless. Holding onto the railing, he glanced downstairs and saw Tanya ironing her coat in the living room."I almost got dumped because you caused a scene," he joked.Bridget threw the cards while chuckling. "It's good to be dumped. With your unruly behavior, someone should make you suffer a bit.""Are you really my mother?""If you still want to be a good son, hurry up and go through the procedures, live a proper life with Tanya, and try to give me a grandson n
"What did Her Majesty tell you?"Tanya nearly lost her composure, fighting back laughter.Bridget said nothing more as she left with Benjamin, leaving Tanya and Eli to return to the apartment. The journey back was silent, with Tanya deep in thought. Upon entering, Eli halted her at the entrance.Exhaling deeply, Tanya reached into her pocket and withdrew a check. Eli's gaze fell upon it, noting it was only for $500,000. As he moved to take it, Tanya tucked it back into her pocket. On the bar, a spread of breakfast awaited them - fried eggs, sausages, fruits, and vegetables. Despite the inviting display, Tanya's attention was on Eli."Don't you want breakfast?"With the situation still unclear, Eli's appetite waned. Nonetheless, knowing Bridget's nature, he remained calm. Seating himself opposite Tanya, he nibbled at a sausage, noticing her lack of interest."Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned.Tanya shook her head.The oversized sandwich Bridget had ordered had already