Emma's day on set went smoothly. Though it was her first time as the lead, she handled it with ease, thanks to her experience from working on other sets. However, since filming had run late, she did not return to the hotel until after ten.Emma sent Landon a quick message: [I'm back at the hotel.]Soon after, a video call request popped up.Emma answered with a smile. "You’re still awake?""It’s not midnight yet. I told you, you can message me anytime. If it’s urgent, you can even call. I’m always available before twelve," Landon replied.Emma knew that as long as she was back before midnight, Landon would be free to chat with her."I accomplished something big today," Emma said with a grin as she opened a bottle of mineral water."I spotted an inconsistency in the script and suggested a change to Tim, who agreed to it," Emma added proudly."Oh? What was the scene?" Landon asked with genuine curiosity, which made Emma feel even more satisfied.Emma carefully described the scen
Emma remained unaware of what Landon had discovered on his end. Meanwhile, she meticulously studied her script.The more she read, the more she resonated with it. Many of the struggles the heroine faced while toiling at the bottom rung of society were ones Emma had encountered herself. However, the heroine was portrayed as stronger and more confident than she felt.As the shooting of the series neared its completion, everything proceeded smoothly without any issues. Emma began to question whether she had overreacted initially.During their evening video call, Emma expressed her frustration to Landon. “...It's so exhausting. And yet I did not have any problems at all.”Landon shook his head. “Isn’t it better that you had no problems? If there were issues, both Asher and I would be worried.”“It’s good that there are no problems, but...” Emma scratched her head awkwardly. “I just had a feeling, and it led to all this fuss.”She genuinely felt embarrassed.Landon chuckled. “As
Emma felt utterly drained after such a long period of tension. Once she relaxed, she struggled to muster any energy. Feeling unusually lethargic, she opened a bag of cookies and planned to have lunch at the hotel buffet.The hotel provided all three meals daily, which was quite convenient for the cast. Emma had not left her room yet when Penny called."Emma, are you going out for lunch?" Penny asked."No, I'll eat at the hotel restaurant," Emma replied.Penny chuckled. "You've been here for months and you still haven't had enough?"The hotel offered free meals, and the crew ate either at the hotel or from the production's boxed lunches if they could not make it back in time."The hotel buffet is free and has a lot of options," Emma said matter-of-factly.“Emma, with your current income, you don’t have to be so frugal,” Penny said slightly exasperated.Emma smiled. "The hotel food is quite good, and since the crew has already covered it, it would be a waste not to eat it.""Alr
Calvin was speechless. He could not understand why Landon had to poke fun at him like that. What was wrong with being single anyway? Was being single a crime?Landon sighed. "Man, it's nice to have a wife."Calvin's face darkened. "If you keep talking like this, we're going to have a problem."Landon chuckled and patted Calvin on the back. "Relax, buddy. There's always someone out there that you're jealous of. You just need to adjust your mindset.""I don't think I have anyone to be jealous of," Calvin replied, thinking that with his wealth, there was not much to envy.Still, Landon just had to show off in front of him."Alright, let's eat," Landon urged.Calvin shot him a suspicious glance. "Now you're suddenly all reasonable?"Landon casually replied, "If I don’t eat on time, my wife will worry."At a loss for words, Calvin said, “I think I'll just eat by myself."Landon burst out laughing, and Calvin glared at him.Meanwhile, Emma had no idea Landon was teasing Calvin aga
As someone who worked hard and tried to make a living, Emma’s role in the show really touched her and brought back memories of her own life."I hope the show gets a good response," Emma said with anticipation.After all, it was her first time starring as the lead. If the show performed well, it would take her career to the next level. However, if it flopped… she would feel guilty toward her team and, most importantly, Landon, who had invested in her, supported her, and encouraged her all this time."It’s going to be great!" Penny chimed in excitedly.Emma just smiled. She was not as optimistic as Penny. Landing a lead role in such a short time was already a big achievement for her. Sure, she wanted the show to have stellar ratings, but she knew that kind of wild success did not always happen to someone like her.She preferred to stay humble and take things one step at a time. Besides, with Landon backing her, she knew as long as she did not completely ruin her performance, more op
Emma nodded. "Things seem pretty tricky, huh?"Landon paused for a moment, then laughed. "How did you figure that out?""You don't look so great." Emma leaned closer to her phone's screen, inspecting his face carefully before confirming, "Yeah, you definitely don’t look too good.""Don’t stress over it. If something is going on at work, solve it if you can; if you can't, just let it go. Why stress yourself over it?" Emma smiled and added, "We’ve got more than enough money to live on."It’s no big deal. I’m earning now too. I can take care of you!"Landon chuckled at that. "Alright, so I’m being taken care of now? I guess life’s about to get easier for me.""Of course it is." Emma grinned. "If something's bothering you, just talk to me. Don’t bottle it up. It’s not worth it.""Yeah." Landon let out a heavy sigh. "Some people are playing dirty behind my back… It’s infuriating!"Emma pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah, that’s pretty low, but let’s think about it another way. The fa
Otherwise… the consequences would have been unimaginable.Emma was not aware of what had been going on behind the scenes. She slept peacefully through the night, woke up refreshed, and spent the day browsing local shops, picking up a few souvenirs before heading to the airport for her flight home.As soon as she stepped off the plane and walked to the exit, she spotted a familiar figure right away. It was hard to miss Landon, standing there with his tall frame.Before Emma could even lift her hand to wave, Landon had started striding toward her with his long legs, closing the distance quickly.Penny grinned and teased, "Emma, it looks like your husband’s here to pick you up! I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it."Emma, in a great mood, smiled and nodded. With a quick wave goodbye, Penny darted off, leaving Emma and Landon together.As soon as Landon reached her, he pulled her into a hug. Emma had not seen him in a while, so she hugged him back tightly. That firm embrace made her fe
"That’s awesome!" Asher clapped his hands excitedly.It had been a long time since the three of them had sat down for a meal together. During dinner, they talked about all sorts of things, making up for lost time. Luckily, the food stayed warm in the oven, so they did not have to worry about it getting cold.Asher was so thrilled and chatty that by the time dinner was over and he had played for a bit, he could not help but start yawning.Emma chuckled and took her little boy for a bath before tucking him into bed, smelling fresh and cozy. With his mother by his side, Asher quickly fell asleep. Even as he drifted off, he was still clutching her hand. He must have missed his mother a lot.After a good night’s rest, Emma headed off to check in with Kingsley, ready to continue her training. She still had a lot to learn. Acting was not just about delivering the lines; movement and diction were equally important. If her speech was unclear, or her delivery lacked power, her performance
“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.