James was a man. Naturally, he has the luxury of time. Even in his thirties or forties, he can marry a young, beautiful woman from a well-off family. Someone well-educated and sophisticated.But what about her?As a woman, societal expectations are different. As she ages, even with some wealth, the men she attracts would be interested in her money and likely of less influential background.Paige mentioned that Chris would help her. With Chris's support, marrying into the Burt family would become much easier, especially if she could become pregnant again.She must find a way to conceive.The phone rang.Sierra emerged from the bathroom to answer it.Seeing the name on the screen, Sierra gently curled her lips, "Hello..."Dan Blake smiled and said, "Sierra, one of my classmates gave me two movie tickets today. How about we go watch it together?"Sierra smiled and replied, "Sure."They agreed on a location. It was a little far off from her place, about an hour's drive. Sierra
Paige blushed but didn't say anything. Instead, she walked over to the counter and asked the saleswoman, "Can I have a look at these watches?""Of course," the saleswoman replied, handing the watches to Paige and helping her put them on. Paige truly liked them. Moreover, after checking the prices, she found they were decently priced. The total for the watches was less than thirty thousand dollars.The saleswoman complimented Paige on and on, telling her the watch looked great on her. Chris took out his credit card, ready to make the purchase. Paige stopped him. She said, "I'll handle this."Chris looked at Paige. She seemed serious. He put away his credit card and said, "Alright, go ahead."With a happy expression, Paige let the saleswoman write up the bill for the purchase, and she swiped the card herself.——The two of them returned home, with Paige carrying a gift box containing the two watches. One was for her, and the other was for Chris. Although she didn't explicit
Paige nodded casually. Annabelle seemed like she wanted to continue talking, but Paige quickly interrupted, saying, "The professor is here."She didn't want to entertain any more of Annabelle's attempts to sow discord. It was unexpected that the most two-faced person was Annabelle.It was rather hard to believe. Normally, Annabelle played the role of a peacemaker in the dorm. Any minor disagreement among them would be mediated by her. Moreover, since Paige and Annabelle were in the same department, they spent more time together than Paige did with Lisa and Millie. So, Paige's impression of Annabelle was generally better than that of Lisa and Millie.But now...Annabelle appeared to want to continue speaking, but seeing that the professor had indeed arrived, she chose to stay quiet.——Paige had initially thought that Lisa and Millie wouldn't bother to ask about her leaving the dorm group chat. Now that she had left and was no longer a resident of the dorm, quitting the group se
Knowing how to be cautious and buying self-defense items, Paige appeared to be slowly shedding her naive image. However, she was still sweet and innocent. Paige pursed her lips. What did he mean by "learned something"? It sounded like she used to be really foolish.Chris looked at Paige and said, "Just be careful."Paige nodded, "Yeah, I will."With her precautions ready and the dinner being in a public place, she didn't believe Lisa could do much to her."I mean... be mindful of your body," Chris said, glancing at her abdomen.Paige instinctively looked down at her stomach and looked at Chris with confusion.Chris calmly said, "You might be pregnant."Paige was dumbfounded. She looked at Chris in helplessness, not knowing how to respond to the self-assured man. He seemed firmly convinced that their encounter that night was a sure hit."There's still two or three days before you can take a pregnancy test," Chris said. He seemed eager to prove his prowess."Okay," Paige nodde
Millie chimed in, "And... Paige, I've heard that women who have given birth may go through changes. Let's not even talk about gaining weight; that can be managed. But some women develop stretch marks during pregnancy, and those are permanent. No medical procedure can completely remove them. There's also the possibility of facial pigmentation."Lisa nodded, "Exactly... and if you have a cesarean section, there will be an incision on your abdomen. Even with the best medical equipment and doctors, it'll leave a permanent scar. For vaginal birth... It can loosen that area. I have relatives working in obstetrics and gynecology hospitals. She said many couples divorce because the woman's body changes after childbirth, especially if things aren't as tight as before. Many women undergo procedures to repair that... but once it's stretched, no matter how much you repair, it can never return to the pre-pregnancy state."Paige looked at Lisa and Millie. They were really going all out to dissuade
Paige seemed to be flaunting, showing off her seemingly perfect life. It irritated Tanya to no end. She felt like Paige was rubbing her good fortune and Chris's love in everyone's faces. Tanya was on the verge of exploding with anger, contemplating giving Paige a piece of her mind or even a good slap. But Paige, seemingly oblivious, continued her narrative, caring little about whether Lisa, Millie, or Tanya were angered by her words."Actually, I also want to be a strong, independent woman. I want to have my own career, and not be labeled as a decorative piece that's solely dependent on a man," Paige said, her brow furrowed. "But no matter what I say, my husband just can't bear to let me work. This summer, I intended to take a job, but he insisted I join his company as his personal secretary. In reality, I just ended up fooling around at the office, unable to accomplish anything."Lisa and Millie exchanged glances, silently urging Paige to stop. They had heard enough of her flaun
Lisa hurriedly explained, "No, it's not like that...""I know," Paige forced a smile and said, "Your boyfriend can provide you with resources and support you. He can help you enter the entertainment industry. As for me, I'm insignificant and can't help you in any way. I understand why you would choose him over me."Paige took a deep breath before standing up and said, "I'm done eating. I have other things to attend to. I'll be off now."Without waiting for a response, she turned and left."Paige..." Lisa wanted to catch up to her."No, you can't!" Kyle grabbed Lisa angrily and coldly stated, "Let her go. She doesn't consider you a friend anymore. Why bother chasing after her?""But..." Lisa looked at Kyle in distress.Kyle forcefully pulled Lisa back to her seat, and she complied.In truth, Lisa didn't really want to chase after Paige. She was just putting on a show, doing it for Kyle. To show Kyle that she lost Paige's friendship for him. That way, Kyle would be moved and trea
Paige widened her eyes, looking at Chris in astonishment. What was Chris talking about? How did he know she had told them about her trying to conceive?"How did you know?" Paige asked curiously.Chris casually replied, "It was a good guess."Paige was skeptical. Could he really have guessed so accurately? She wondered if Chris had secretly been tracking her. However, she didn't recall seeing Chris in the restaurant when she was having dinner. Chris would have been noticeable as he was the kind of person who naturally stood out in a crowd.Paige questioned, "I don't believe it." Yet, she couldn't figure out how Chris had learned about her conversation.Chris looked at Paige with a faint smile and revealed, "I hired someone to protect you."Paige paused. She blinked, and stared at Chris. "Protect me?""Yes," Chris nodded.Paige responded, "I didn't see anyone... protecting me."Chris chuckled, "If you noticed, others would probably do too."Paige felt a bit offended. What did
The receptionist did not reply. Gloria: [You're in trouble. I can't save you now.]The receptionist: [No, I haven't eaten it yet.]Gloria: [Good thing you haven't. I'm coming down.]As soon as the receptionist received Gloria's message, Gloria stepped out of the elevator.Upon reaching the front desk and noticing the bag of strawberry laces opened on the desk, Gloria glared at the receptionist. "You said you hadn't eaten it!"The receptionist looked a little guilty. "I just opened it and haven't had a chance to take one yet."Gloria sneered. "Haven't had a chance? You sound like you regret it."“I don't.""You can't afford this cup of bubble tea. If you did take one, watch out… You might lose your job."The receptionist paused in surprise. "Is it expensive?"Gloria nodded. "It is."“Good thing I didn't take one," the receptionist mumbled. Gloria rolled her eyes. If they were not on the same team, she would not even bother saving her."Why is this bag of strawberry laces
Chris chuckled. "Really?"Paige's face turned slightly red. She felt embarrassed saying that, and it felt like Chris did not believe her. However, she bit the bullet and nodded. "Yeah, really."Chris smiled and said, "Well then, when you miss me next time, don't just think about it because thinking won't do you any good. When you miss me or care about me, just send me a message or call to check in. After all, I can’t read minds. Also, if you want to hug me, just hug me. Don't hold Hunter in your arms and say you want to hug me. That's just hypocritical."Paige faltered. Hug him when she wanted to hug him? Thanks, but she did not want to hug him. She could easily pick up Hunter, but could she lift Chris so easily? She was not that strong, to begin with."Remember. From now on, when you think of me, send me a message. Ask me if I've eaten, what I've eaten, if I'm tired from work, what I'm doing, or tell me what you're thinking about. Don't keep it all to yourself," Chris said wit
What did he take her for?Besides, what could a woman do with photos? She was not one of those perverted men who did some creepy stuff with women’s photos."Nothing worth admiring?" Chris raised an eyebrow.Paige nodded. "Yeah, they’re nothing worth admiring."Indeed, there was nothing worth admiring about the photos."Ha!” Chris snickered.Paige remained silent and thought, ‘Here comes the snickering again.’"You don’t mean what you say," Chris remarked.Paige frowned. "What did I say that implies otherwise? You're a strange one. You're right here in front of me. Why would I need to admire the photos?"Chris grinned. "So you don't want to admire the photos, but you want to admire me, a living person."Paige blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. She did not mean that, but what she just said seemed to imply exactly that."How would you want to admire me?" Chris teased.Admire was such an intriguing word.Paige blushed harder. "How else can I admire you? Just by looking,
Before Hunter was born, Chris was the absolute darling of the family. His grandfather favored him, and his parents loved him dearly.However, Hunter's arrival had changed everything. The elders in the family revolved around Hunter all day long. Zander’s first question upon waking up each morning was about Hunter, followed by Ann cuddling Hunter, calling him her darling, and so on.It seemed like everyone had forgotten about Chris.How could Chris, who had always been so cherished, accept that?Chris's expression stiffened as if his thoughts had been unexpectedly revealed, his eyes flickering momentarily.Paige chuckled and said, "Are you seriously competing with a child for attention? Besides, you've been pampered by the family for so many years. Hunter has only been pampered for a few days."Chris retorted coldly, "I'm not competing with him."Paige did not buy it for a second. She smiled and said, "Sure, you're not competing with him. You're just afraid we'll spoil Hunter."A
Before, Paige could not understand people showing off their babies and wondered why they would go crazy posting their kids on social media. Now, she got it. She found her kid to be the cutest in the world and could not help but snap his photos and post them on her social media platforms to share him with others, hoping for compliments and praise for her little one.However, she also understood that posting too much could annoy people. Hence, she restrained herself to only posting once a day and made sure to fit in a couple of photos!That was her absolute limit!She felt uneasy if she did not post her baby for a day. Then, when she saw her friends' comments praising her little one, she felt happy and proud, like they were getting closer as friends.Indeed, becoming a mom had changed her mindset.Chris, who was watching Paige show off their baby on social media, was even more dissatisfied! They had been married for a long time and had a child together, yet his appearances o
After what felt like ages, Ava lay on the hotel's large bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as the sound of rushing water filled her ears. Niel was in the shower. After releasing his pent-up emotions, he headed straight for the shower. Meanwhile, she lay there, her body aching. She did not want to move a muscle because every movement brought pain.Niel was thrilled with the new experience, but Ava was suffering. She was starting to regret getting involved with Niel. He was going overboard with satisfying his physical needs, and she feared that if things continued like that, Niel might end up causing her harm or maybe even unintentionally ending her life. She had heard of such things happening before, so now, she was caught between a rock and a hard place.On one hand, she did not want to let go of Niel and give up on all the sacrifices and efforts she had put in when she was on the brink of marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a billionaire's wife. On the other han
Pierre fell silent, pondering Shelly's words carefully. Upon reflection, he found Shelly's proposal to be pretty reasonable and entirely feasible. If he were to wait until Shelly entered prison to serve her sentence, he could break up with her afterward. Once his relationship with Shelly ended, his parents would not be as angry. Even if there were some constraints preventing them from openly helping him, they could still assist him discreetly. After all, he was their son, who shared the same blood with them. His parents could not possibly abandon him entirely and let him fend for himself. By lowering himself in front of his parents, he believed they would not neglect him. By then, acquiring the five million dollars would not be too difficult.Shelly watched Pierre, not pressing him to respond. She believed Pierre knew what choice to make. Five million might seem like an astronomical figure, but for the second son of the Alfonsos, it was not much.After much deliberation
She looked at the evil smile on Chris' face, and it all came back to her.Did Chris Intentionally take Hunter to the guest room to hand him over to the nanny so that it would make it easier for him to do what he wanted? What a scumbag! However, since it was something she had personally agreed to, she would not back out.Paige did not resist Chris, and a long time later, she collapsed on the bed. She felt like she should have taken care of Hunter and not fallen for Chris' tricks.Taking care of a child was not as exhausting!She was too tired to even move her fingers.The next day, Paige slept until late morning and then got up to go down for breakfast.When Ann saw Paige, she asked with concern, "Paige, didn't you sleep well last night?"Paige looked really worn out."Didn't Hunter sleep with the nanny last night?" Ann asked curiously.Paige blushed with embarrassment and said, "Last night… I wasn't used to sleeping without Hunter, so I didn't get a good sleep."Ann smile
Even if she offered her sincerity, Chris would not appreciate it, so what else could she offer? "Is money the only thing you have? Do you have nothing else besides money?" Chris said.He thought she was truly clueless. Even after being married for so long and having a child together, did she not know what he wanted?However, Paige was indeed puzzled. Besides money, what else did she have? What else could she have?Chris looked her up and down, speechless. Paige might not have understood what he meant before, but she did now. He meant that although she did not have money, she still had a young body.It seemed all Chris lusted was her body."I’m still recovering," Paige said with a slight blush on her face. She knew Chris had been patient for a long time. They barely had any intimacy during the last trimester of her pregnancy, but there was nothing she could do. She did not want to refuse him, but her body would not allow it.Chris glanced at Paige and said, "We can try other