That time, Max's mother Annie, his three sisters and their husbands, and their five children came to visit.Before their arrival, Annie called Max and suggested that we prepare gift cards for the children since it was their first meeting. So I prepared gift cards with two thousand each.When Annie found out, she scolded Max, asking about the red envelopes for his three sisters. She reminded him that his three sisters had worked and married early to help support Max's education, as their family had no man to provide for them. She emphasized that he shouldn't forget their contributions now that he was living a good life and should show gratitude.Max had no choice but to discuss it with me. We decided to give each of his three sisters two thousand as well. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Two thousand each wasn't a large amount, and although Annie's words were harsh, I believed in expressing gratitude for the support Max had received. I supported his decision to give.But who
Max's three sisters chimed in with twisted and vulgar faces, "Who do you think you are? Our family matters are none of your business. An outsider like you should keep your mouth shut!"Wendy, my best friend who is like family to me, was clearly out of line. So, I didn't hold back and said to Annie, "Wendy is my best friend and like family to me. She's not an outsider. And she's right—here in Johnsonville, it's unheard of for a bride to give gifts to her husband's sisters."Max tried to explain, "Honey, no, the gift cards shouldn't be from your pocket. They were from me... I'm sorry, I should have explained it better."I felt for Max, caught in the middle. I wasn't angry with him, but his sisters were really out of line. They made both of us look bad at our wedding reception and showed a complete lack of decency.His eldest sister immediately expressed displeasure, sarcastically asking Max if marrying a city girl made him forget his sisters' hard work. She pointed out that without t
At that moment, I felt mostly heartache.Wendy smiled and asked Max, "What's the deal with your family? Are they really here to bless your marriage to Jen? Didn't you all discuss what to say beforehand? Max, are you absolutely sure they're not here to ruin your wedding?"Max's face flushed then paled... he was clearly embarrassed.Annie accused Max of being ungrateful and then shifted her gaze towards me, stating, "Jen, our family sticks together. Max promised us that once he made money, he would take care of his three sisters. Three hundred thousand is just a year's salary for Max. Can't you understand? Otherwise..."Before Annie could finish, Wendy interrupted. "Auntie, Jen married a husband, not a burden. We really can't comprehend this.""Are you calling us a burden!" Max's second sister glared at Wendy.Wendy's expression turned cold, and she disregarded the second sister, looking directly at Annie, arms crossed. "As her friend, I am also her family. Whether I have a say or
When the Jennings family came over for dinner, we had only put down a deposit on the house, not paid the full amount.At that time, I was completely in love with Max, so I thought it was fine to put both our names on the house. After all, it was going to be our home. But seeing how his family behaved at the dinner, I started to have second thoughts.Under the table, Wendy squeezed my hand, signaling me to stay quiet. She then explained to Max that the house we were buying was technically my pre-marital property and had nothing to do with the Jennings family or Max.Hearing that Max's name wouldn't be on the deed, Annie's face darkened, and she immediately snapped, "Max and Jen are getting married and becoming a family. What's hers is his. What kind of friend are you, trying to drive a wedge between them? You're just jealous and can't stand to see others happy!"Wendy laughed coldly, "Annie, our son is smart and knows what I'm saying is right. Isn't that so, Max?"Max, looking emba
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, Max's sisters and brothers-in-law surrounded me. Ted, Max’s eldest brother-in-law, had been sitting on the floor slurping a bowl of instant noodles. When Mary, the eldest sister, slapped his shoulder, he jumped up, spilling noodles all over himself and the floor.Ted kicked the spilled noodles aside, wiped his mouth haphazardly, and charged at me, chili still clinging to his lips. He pointed a finger at me and yelled, “You damn woman! Did you get Mom and Max thrown in jail?”Mary’s glare was fierce. “Who else would it be? This bitch is live-streaming everything! Now everyone knows Max tried to steal her money, almost beat her to death, and drugged her parents!”“I knew we shouldn’t have let this jinx into the family. She’s got money but won’t share it with us because she looks down on us country folk!”“The police sealed our house! We have nowhere to stay! Are you trying to drive our whole family to death?”“You little whore, go to the pol
Luke walked up to Patricia, his cold stare making her voice tremble. "You want to try hitting me? My husband is right here!"Luke responded icily, "Hitting you would dirty my hands."I saw a rare ferocity in Luke’s eyes—cold and ruthless. Patricia, held by the security guards, fell silent. Her husband, Mark, however, was a brute. He broke free from the security guards and charged at Luke.Farm work had made him strong, and the guards couldn’t hold him back. As he lunged, I shouted, “Luke!”Luke turned swiftly and delivered a powerful kick to Mark’s stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground, clutching his abdomen and groaning.Mark’s wife started wailing, threatening to call the police and have Luke arrested. Luke laughed coldly, “Call the police? Let me help you.”With that, he dialed 911. The Jennings family looked at each other in disbelief; they hadn’t expected Luke to actually call the police. Their plan had been to extort money from me or bully their way into staying at m
Luke grabbed his chin and issued a cold threat, saying, "If you dare to defame Jen, I will ensure that you deeply regret it."If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed this was the same Luke I knew. The icy, ruthless aura was completely out of character for the gentleman I thought he was.It felt like a scene straight out of a romantic novel where the domineering CEO rescues the damsel in distress, crushing the villains and saying, “Touch her and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”Patricia wailed, “Hitting people is illegal! You beat up my husband, and we’re going to call the police! You’ll pay for this!”Just as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened again, and Wendy stepped out.Seeing me bruised and battered, Wendy exploded, pointing at them and asking me, “Jen, did they hit you? These bastards?”I nodded.Wendy immediately set her purse down and rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist, but she still tried to k
Anyone with ears could hear the cold indifference and disdain in Luke's tone."That's right, he's not pitiful at all!" Wendy chimed in. "There are countless people suffering in this world. Max is just one among many. There are those born into misery who still remain positive and hopeful. Why should he feel justified in committing crimes and blaming them on life's unfairness? Any excuse for wrongdoing is purely selfish."I agreed with her. Max's upbringing certainly influenced him, but ultimately, the choice between right and wrong was his own.A mix of emotions washed over me, reminding me of the saying: "There's always something despicable about the truly pitiful." Despite his faults, Max had moments that warranted sympathy. However, his suffering did not excuse his wrongdoings. Being human means being responsible for your actions.Though I felt a wave of empathy, I remained resolute.The car fell into silence.Then Wendy broke it. "Hey, it's getting late. How about we grab some
We both knew how we felt about each other, but neither of us made the first move to confess.“I gave birth to him in circumstances I couldn’t control,” Molly said, her hands tightly clutching her cup, fingers unconsciously tracing its edge. “I used to think about fighting back against the people who hurt me, but reality forced me to wake up. I couldn’t afford to lose everything.”She hesitated, her gaze dropping. “There are things from back then that I just can’t bring myself to tell him.”When I arranged for Luke and Molly to spend some time alone, the two of them mostly sat in silence.“Mrs. Walker couldn’t have children for years after her marriage. Luke was just a tool to help her secure her place in the family,” Molly explained.Mr. Walker was handsome, wealthy, and from a good family. After getting married, women constantly threw themselves at him. According to the information Wendy had dug up, Landon didn’t exactly push them away.In such a situation, Mrs. Walker, Ashleigh
Molly poured four glasses of juice and sat across from Luke.She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.I gave Ian a quick look.Ian took a sip of his juice and said, “Miss, the juice is sweet and sour—it’s so good!”“Drink it up, and I’ll pour you some more,” Molly offered.Luke interjected, “It’s almost time to rest. Don’t drink too much juice.”“I’m sorry, I don’t have experience taking care of kids,” Molly said, lowering her head. After a pause, she quietly repeated, “I’m sorry.”She was probably thinking of Luke as a baby.I clutched my stomach, pretending to wince. “Excuse me, Molly. My stomach hurts; I need to head back to my room.”As I stood, I grabbed Ian’s wrist.Ian caught on quickly. “Jen is a girl. She’ll get scared going back alone—I have to go with her.”Not giving Luke a chance to respond, I opened the door and said, “Mr. Walker, you stay and chat with Molly. Ian and I will be back in a bit.”In the hallway, Ian looked thoug
Molly wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others. She didn’t give the hotel manager a hard time.After the staff left, Molly turned to thank Luke and me. “Thank you for staying with me and helping me handle this.”Luke glanced at her but didn’t say anything.The silence grew awkward, so I quickly broke it. “You don’t have to thank us. We didn’t really do much.”“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” Molly invited us into her room.Before either of us could respond, Ian, who’d been holding back his excitement, eagerly chimed in, “Yes, yes! Let’s go!”I sighed internally.Molly finally noticed the little one in Luke’s arms. “And who’s this?”“I’m Ian Lloyd,” he introduced himself cheerfully.But the moment he got a good look at Molly’s face, he let out a small “Huh?” and then turned to look at Luke.Luke frowned slightly, and their eyes met—a silent understanding passing between them. Ian immediately shut his mouth and swallowed whatever he’d been about to sa
Five hours later, we arrived in Sharonville.Before the trip, Luke had everything arranged. After landing, we took a car to the hotel he’d booked in advance.In the hotel lobby, we ran into Molly. She was walking with two middle-aged men in sharp suits, smiling as she chatted with them.When her eyes met Luke’s, her smile froze for a moment, then slowly softened as she stared at him without blinking.Luke didn’t acknowledge her. He walked right past, brushing by her shoulder as though she wasn’t there. From the corner of my eye, I saw her eyes redden.The two men exchanged glances but didn’t say anything. That night, however, they sent two young, handsome men to Molly’s room.Our room was on the same floor as Molly’s. After dinner out, we returned to the hotel and saw her standing at her door with the two young men.Their faces were powdered with heavy makeup, and they looked eager to please, practically glued to her.My thoughts immediately took a less innocent turn.Luke co
Amy messaging me at this hour was probably another complaint about other agencies trying to poach her, or how stressed she was about it all.The underlying message? She wanted me to contact Mr. Lloyd to secure better resources for her—a thinly veiled threat, essentially.Since several popular artists left One Entertainment, the company’s resources had started to dwindle.Mr. Lloyd’s return wasn’t just because of his love for acting. He also wanted to support the company’s artists, giving them more opportunities to shine.Amy had already begun to stand out. If she simply focused on honing her craft and stayed patient, she’d get her share of the spotlight.When Mr. Lloyd founded the company, his goal was to grow it into a powerhouse that protected its artists. Now, he had adopted a more laid-back approach: if an artist wanted to leave, they just needed to pay the penalty fee.Amy’s tactics wouldn’t change anything.I went back to reading my book.My phone buzzed again, and I ass
Mr. Lloyd's words carried a hint of reassurance for me.“Jen, Uncle asked me to create a travel itinerary!”Luke had been telling Ian lots of stories about Sharonville, and Ian had also looked up a ton of information online. He now knew every street in the city and how many shops were on each one.Carefully folding his sweaters, Ian placed them neatly into his suitcase, which was decorated with a cheerful Doraemon sticker.“I’m really looking forward to your travel guide, Ian!”“I’ve already finished most of it!” Ian was a serious little worker who never did things half-heartedly. If he said it was nearly done, he was probably putting on the finishing touches.I praised him warmly.“Jen, since the three of us are traveling together, we need to consider everyone’s preferences and suggestions.”“So, you want to get my input to finalize it?”“Exactly.”“Well, wherever you want to go is where I want to go. This trip, I’ll leave the planning to you.”Luke had work to handle in Shar
For the past few days, Luke has been picking me up and dropping me off at work.Reporters often linger outside One Entertainment, and it took a lot of effort for rumors about me and Luke to die down. I didn’t want them to resurface.Luke understood my concerns, so he always parked his car a block away from the company. Once he sent me a message, I’d grab Ian and head over.That evening, Luke prepared another full table of dishes for dinner.Ever since things thawed between us, I hadn’t said much during meals, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.“She’s already in Sharonville,” Luke said.“Hasn’t she been out of the country for years? Will she be safe there alone?”He was talking about Molly.The Walker family has been a prominent family in Sharonville for generations, with deep-rooted connections and influence. Mrs. Walker is a respected figure, and many people in Sharonville owe her favors. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone decided to teach Molly a lesson on
I watched the behind-the-scenes footage, and Mr. Lloyd looked great. After stepping out of the spotlight for a few years, his demeanor has become even more composed and sophisticated, perfectly matching the calm and collected surgeon he portrays in the show.“He’s as brilliant as ever,” Beatrice said, her eyes filled with admiration. “As long as the co-stars hold their ground, this show is bound to be a hit.”“He has an exceptional eye for picking scripts,” she added, her gaze glued to the screen.I didn’t interrupt her. Instead, I got up and went to the kitchen to check on Ian’s progress.For someone so young, Ian took everything seriously. Standing on a small stool to make up for his height, he carefully worked on brewing coffee, his movements precise and methodical.“Waiter Number One, Ian Lloyd, at your service. Your oat latte will be ready soon,” he announced cheekily.I laughed at his playful tone and played along. “Waiter Number Two will now deliver orange juice to Mr. Ian
While Beatrice chatted with Ian, I brought the gifts to the living room."You're too kind, Ms. Middleton.""Ian bought these with his pocket money."I winked at Ian.He caught on quickly, nodding.Beatrice warmly invited me to sit.Fresh fruit and two plates of nuts were on the coffee table.She placed a fruit bowl before me. "Yesterday's blueberries are fresh—crisp and sweet."The large blueberries were covered in bloom. I took one and made space for Beatrice."What would you like? Coffee or juice?""Fresh orange juice for me, and Jen likes oat milk latte," Ian said, playing with a doll, squishing its face into different shapes.Suddenly remembering our earlier conversation, he dropped the doll and ran to the kitchen. "I've learned lots from Jen. I can make juice and coffee!"Beatrice praised him: "How impressive!"She started toward the kitchen, concerned.I held her arm. "Ian's a quick learner. He does everything properly. We can trust him.""He gets along so well wit