“Of course, you’re more than not bad.” Landon held Emma's hand confidently and said, “Think about it. I’ve met all kinds of women, yet I chose to pursue you in the end. Do you really think you’re all that bad?”Emma laughed at his words. “I didn’t realize I was that great. How did I not know?”Landon thought for a moment and said, “You’re being a bit too modest with that virtue of yours.”His serious expression made Emma laugh even more.That Christmas was the most relaxing Emma had ever had. Their chef prepared the Christmas Eve dinner, and the three of them made pierogi together.Asher wanted to help, so Landon eagerly took on the task of teaching him how to make pierogi. Emma, meanwhile, was left exasperated as she watched the two of them and told them to stick to rolling out the dough instead.Landon? Teaching Asher to make pierogi? Emma glanced over at the tray of misshapen pierogi, feeling speechless. Landon had made nearly twenty of them, and while they were firmly seale
“Even if it’s just an audition, and the director picks me for a role, that’s not something I can control. Directors choose actors based on the roles,” Emma explained. She was here to act, not to engage in petty politics. She might have handled things differently in the past, but now, with Landon backing her up, she was not going to let anyone target her unfairly.“Choose actors based on the roles?” Ellen turned red with anger. “Emma, how can you say that without feeling guilty?”Emma shook her head. “I don’t feel guilty at all because the director recognized my acting skills. The only reason you weren’t chosen was that you couldn’t ride a horse. But now that you’re in the cast, why are you hostile towards me?” Emma was confused. “I haven’t done anything to you.”“Why? You’ll find out soon enough. You stood in my way, and now my life is ruined!” Ellen snarled at Emma as if she wanted to eat her aliveEmma was bewildered by her hostility. What had she done?“Ellen, let’s go,” some
“Why?” Emma could not quite understand.Penny explained, “You got the role, and she didn’t. There’s likely a reason behind that.”Emma’s eyes widened in surprise.“Ellen’s agent is known for finding investors for her clients,” Penny continued.No longer was Emma naïve. If she could not grasp the implications by now, that would be a real problem.“Did she have to sacrifice that much?” Emma pondered. “Is acting that necessary? If you lose out on one role, you can always wait for the next. If you really don’t want to… you can change careers.”There were so many ways to make money; why did people fight so hard to get into this industry?“Maybe it’s for the dream,” Emma mused, coming up with a reason for herself.However, she still could not fully understand it.Was it worth sacrificing everything for a dream?She would rather give up on the dream and choose something else if that were the case.Penny gave Emma a helpless look and said, “Emma, wake up, will you?”“Huh?” Emma loo
Emma smiled, completely unfazed. "Nope, not mad at all. It’s got nothing to do with me."Blaming others for their problems was something Emma had seen all her life. Her mom was the same way. She would blame her grandparents for not supporting her, her dad for being irresponsible, and the world for not being kind to her. However, she could not confront those people since it would not have changed anything. So, it was Emma who got the brunt of it all. She was the one who had to bear all the weight of her mom’s complaints and negativity. Her mom’s unhappiness? It was all Emma’s fault.Compared to that, what was Ellen’s bitterness? Ellen was just a stranger. The pain caused by those closest was what cut deep. If Emma had survived that, who was Ellen? She did not even register."Don’t worry too much about her. Just keep an eye out," Emma said calmly. "If anything happens, my husband will take care of it."She knew what Landon was capable of. Also, she knew that Landon would al
Ellen grew angrier by the second, her gaze burning into Emma with such intensity it was as if she wanted to set her on fire!If Emma had not noticed being stared at so intensely, she might as well have been dead. However, she had more pressing matters on her mind—like discussing the upcoming shoot with the director, Ricky.“Your idea is solid. Let's give it a try.” Ricky nodded approvingly. He had not expected Emma to have such a deep understanding of her character.It was clear she had put in the work to truly grasp the character’s inner world. Though the role of the general’s daughter was not extensive, it was emotionally complex. Ricky had initially thought he would have to spend a lot of time guiding Emma through the nuances.However, Emma had done her homework and then some."Great." Emma felt a wave of joy wash over her as Ricky approved her interpretation. Her hard work had paid off, and the validation felt incredible.With so much to be happy about, Emma decided to co
Talent? Did she not have it too? Why did Ricky invite her for a second audition, then? Emma just got lucky, that was all. If Ellen had been cast in Emma’s role, she would have played it even better!The resentment in Ellen’s heart had reached its peak, ready to burst out at any moment.“Ellen!” a crew member called out.Ellen snapped out of her thoughts, quickly masking her emotions as she looked at the crew member.“You’re up next. Get ready,” the crew member said before attending to others.Watching how respectfully the crew treated the other actors, Ellen’s anger flared up even more. Look at how they treated her, a mere supporting role, with such indifference, while they were all polite and attentive to the leads.If she had landed Emma’s role, she would have gained a lot of recognition from this show. She would rise quickly and soon be cast as a lead herself. Then, the crew would treat her with the same respect.All of this was because of Emma!Ellen clenched her fist
Ellen had just finished a phone call and was waiting for the production crew to call her for the next scene. However, instead of the crew coming for her, she saw that Emma, who had been watching other actors on set to learn, was the one called over."Right now? Okay, I'll get ready," Emma said, not wasting any time. She quickly prepared herself. Originally, her scene was not supposed to be shot until later, but Ricky suddenly decided to move it up. It made sense, though. Ellen had stormed off earlier, and Ricky was not one to compromise easily.As for who would come out on top in the end... Well, that was not Emma's concern. She just focused on doing her job.Emma gave it to her all in the scene. However, her lack of experience showed, and she made a few mistakes. Ricky, already furious because of Ellen, raised his voice even louder than usual, shouting at them with added intensity.The actress playing opposite Emma nearly teared up, as the mistakes they made were on both o
Since her character came from a family with a military background, there were scenes involving fights and horseback riding, which were especially exhausting. Emma was incredibly grateful that she had practiced in advance. Even so, she barely managed to pull it off. If she had not prepared, those horseback scenes would have been even more difficult.“Emma, how about we grab a late-night bite?” Sabrina Waters invited with a smile.After the harsh scolding from the director earlier, if Emma had not stepped in to smooth things over, Sabrina would have been mortified.“Sure,” Emma agreed. “Is there a good place nearby?”“Oh, I know a great spot for pizza!” Sabrina's eyes lit up at the mention of food.Emma whispered, “Do they have skewers too? Pizza and grilled skewers are a perfect combo!”“Yes, yes, yes! There’s a skewer place right next to the pizza shop. We can get the skewers and then head over for pizza. Their grilled corn is amazing. You have to try them, or you’ll regret i
“Of course, marriage is about mutual benefit. You treat me well, and I treat you well in return. You help me shoulder life's pressures, and I offer you support. That’s what fosters a stable marriage,” Emma stated matter-of-factly.“It won’t work if one side keeps giving while the other takes without giving anything in return.“And sometimes, it may seem like one side isn’t contributing, but there are always invisible sacrifices being made.“Otherwise, how could any marriage last?” Landon wrapped his arms around Emma and sighed softly. “You know, what I love most about you is your clear understanding of things.“You give me a sense of security,” Landon said candidly. He knew Emma was not the type to overthink things as she was a very reasonable person.“You see, Asher has grown so optimistic and cheerful because of you. Being with you makes me feel incredibly at ease. That’s something money can’t buy.”Emma thought seriously for a moment. “If you need comfort, I feel like ther
Emma froze, her curiosity piqued. “What did you learn?”She was not surprised that Asher had absorbed her lessons as that was her goal in teaching him. But what had Landon learned? “I learned a lot,” Landon replied with a smile. “For example, your attention to detail and patience, your tolerance for others, and your ability to handle situations calmly—”Emma laughed, breaking his train of thought. “Stop, stop, stop! If you keep going, I might start believing I'm some kind of superhero! I’d be even better than you!” “Then I'd really be lacking in self-awareness if I think that,” Landon said as he wrapped his arms around her. “You genuinely possess many admirable qualities—exactly what I need.”“Alright, alright... what you need,” Emma replied casually.Landon gently tapped her shoulder. “Are you brushing me off?”Emma pouted. “You hit me…”Landon hurriedly rubbed her shoulder. “Did it hurt?”He had not even used enough force to swat a fly but hearing Emma say it made him do
People loved to take advantage of a good deal, and after consulting the owner, the manager anticipated such behavior from the customers when he proposed the solution. Besides, both the owner and the manager possessed a broader vision. They understood that they could not let a small financial loss tarnish their restaurant's reputation.The way they handled the incident turned into a great advertising opportunity. Those diners who experienced the situation firsthand became loyal customers. They now had a favorable impression of the restaurant and would be the first to recommend it for future gatherings or family outings. No amount of traditional advertising could rival the power of genuine recommendations from friends and family.Both the restaurant owner and manager knew how to effectively navigate a business crisis. What could have been a damaging situation had transformed into positive publicity due to their prompt action.“Let Daddy explain the specifics of the business
The restaurant manager politely apologized and thanked them before clearing all the food from the table. Emma smiled. "I really like this restaurant."Landon nodded, recognizing that this was a business that understood customer service. Just then, Emma spotted Asher’s confused expression. "Those dishes we had earlier might have been touched by that lady."If someone used a spoon that others had already used to scoop food for me, would you be pleased by that?" Asher shook his head vigorously. "Not at all!""Exactly! So, the food that might have come into contact with that lady's saliva was removed and destroyed by the restaurant staff," Emma continued. Asher looked concerned at Emma’s words. "That's such a waste!" "It is, but there's no other option," Emma sighed lightly. "If someone were to get sick from eating that food, it would be much worse. That was a terrible mistake that the lady made. "So the restaurant staff wants to make sure that the mistake was dealt with the
Asher nodded energetically. “Yes!”“Exactly! So, making mistakes isn’t scary, and not knowing things isn’t scary either. The key is to admit it boldly,” Emma explained.“When we make a mistake, we correct it. If we don’t know something, and it doesn’t affect others, we don’t have to learn it if we don’t want to.“But if it impacts others, we need to learn from it,” she continued.“Just like that lady earlier, she needed to learn not to use shared tongs to serve food. But for something like not wanting to do someone’s makeup, that’s okay, she doesn’t have to learn that.“Shared tongs are necessary for everyone, and they can’t be replaced. If you don’t want to do someone’s makeup, they can find someone else to help. That service can be substituted.”Asher listened intently and nodded his head. “I understand now, Mommy!”Landon watched the entire exchange and silently marveled at Emma’s approach. She had a knack for using examples from Asher’s own experiences to explain things, m
Asher beamed up at Emma, a sense of pride shining on his face.Emma finally gathered her emotions and turned to Asher. “Mommy makes mistakes too, Ash.”Asher’s smile faltered as confusion washed over him. “Huh?”Emma chuckled softly and ruffled his hair. “It’s not just Mommy who makes mistakes, Daddy does too.”“Really?” Asher exclaimed as he turned to look at Landon. His face was filled with disbelief.Landon smiled, though he was unsure where Emma was going with the conversation. Nevertheless, he cooperated without hesitation. “That’s right. Daddy makes mistakes too.”Asher’s mouth hung open in surprise, clearly shocked to learn that his impressive parents could also err.“Not just your parents,” Emma continued with a smile, “even people who are more capable than us make mistakes.”“Why?” Asher asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. “If everyone makes mistakes, then why do we even learn?”“Because we work hard to make fewer mistakes and try our best not to cause trouble
“What disruption? You’re just bullying your customers because your business is big!” The middle-aged woman exploded in anger. “Don’t think I’m easy to push around. I’m calling the police!”The restaurant manager nodded calmly. “Please do. Since your actions have caused damage to our establishment, we will also hold you accountable for those damages.”“Damages? What damages?” the woman shouted, stomping her feet in frustration.Unfazed, the manager responded evenly, “Because of your actions, we now need to remove and replace all the food at the serving stations. You’ll be responsible for covering those losses.“And if any customers request refunds because of this, we’ll refund them in full. If they ask for compensation, we’ll provide that too. All of these expenses will be your responsibility.”The woman nearly exploded at the manager’s words. “You’re deluded!“Come on, son, we’re leaving!” She yanked her son’s arm, pulling him toward the exit.But the restaurant staff was not ab
Since Asher had decided to eat one piece of cake himself, he chose fewer cakes, worried that he would not be able to finish them.‘Look at that! He’s already learning how to make his own choices,’ Emma thought proudly.Emma followed Asher’s lead, picking up the cakes he wanted. Just as they were about to leave, Asher suddenly grabbed her sleeve.Puzzled, Emma looked down and asked, “What is it, sweetie?”“They’re using tongs to feed each other,” Asher said, frowning in displeasure.Emma glanced over and saw a middle-aged woman holding a pair of tongs, about to feed a cake to her son. The boy, around eight or nine, reached out to take the cake with his hand, but the woman pulled the tongs back and scolded him, “Don’t use your hands! Just open your mouth.”Emma felt her face flush in disbelief. ‘What are they thinking?’ she protested quietly.The woman did not want her son to use his hands, claiming it was dirty, yet she was about to feed him with the tongs that everyone used to
Landon smiled. “I like eating too. Our whole family does. But what I enjoy most is eating with all of you.”Asher quickly agreed, “I’m always happy when I eat with Mommy and Daddy.”The family of three arrived at the buffet. Thankfully, Emma had already reserved a spot using her phone while they were still on the road.They headed straight to a small private room, ordered their food through the app, and waited for the server to bring it.“Mommy…” Asher called as he tugged at Emma’s shirt. “I want some cake.”Emma laughed and put on her sunglasses. “Let’s go get some cake.”Asher beamed with excitement. “Okay!” With one hand he held Emma’s hand tightly, while he swung the other one back and forth enthusiastically. He hurried along, and his wide, gleaming eyes searched eagerly for the cake display ahead.“Mommy, over there!” He spotted the table filled with cakes in an instant.Even though he was thrilled to see the cakes, Asher did not let go of Emma’s hand or rush ahead.