"If you really want to join the executive office, I'll find a way to help.""Sweetheart, I was just playing the part of someone obsessed with Luke's looks, and you agreed so quicklyWendy shot me a skeptical glance mixed with disbelief. "Sweetheart, I was just pretending to be infatuated with Luke's appearance, and you immediately agreed. If Luke were to hear that, it would break his heart!""Wendy, Luke and I have nothing more than a professional relationship as boss and employee."Wendy always attempted to matchmake Luke and me, and her playful teasing only served to fuel the feelings I harbored for him. I feared that these budding emotions would take root and grow stronger over time. To prevent that, I constantly reminded myself and others that Luke and I were merely colleagues."Well, for now," she replied.I sighed.Wendy remained convinced that something could develop between Luke and me, despite my explanations falling on deaf ears. Just as I was about to change the subje
Once, Henry took Sarah and little Wendy to a party. However, things took a turn when Wendy got into a fight with another child over a cake. In the heat of the moment, Wendy ended up smearing the cake all over the other child's face. Sarah tried to intervene, but when her efforts failed, she calmly asked Wendy to apologize after hearing what happened.Wendy, still fuming, said, "I saw the panda cake first! He tried to snatch it from me!""But you wanted the Snow White cake at first. I just mentioned the panda cake was cute, and that's why you—""Yeah, you said it was cute, but that doesn't mean it's yours! I grabbed it first, so it's mine! And since you wanted it so badly, I'm giving it to you now!" Wendy proudly puffed out her chest.The other child's parents were infuriated by Wendy's smugness and words. "It would have been fine if you had just kept the cake, but smearing it on someone's face is rude! This child clearly lacks manners."Feeling responsible for Wendy's behavior, Sa
"Wendy, Wendy, what are you doing?" Sarah screamed.The commotion alarmed the housemaids, who rushed into the room.They were terrified when they saw Sarah lying on the floor, and one of them hurried over to help. "Madam, let me help you up.""Don't tell Mr. Smith it was Wendy who pushed me," Sarah said weakly.The maids had only seen Sarah on the floor and hadn't noticed Wendy. But Sarah's words immediately made them fearful of Wendy, a little girl who, in their eyes, had become a ruthless child who cared nothing for others.Just then, Henry came home.When he heard what had happened, he took Sarah to the hospital. After ensuring she was alright, he returned home and gave Wendy a brutal beating.That beating left Wendy covered in bruises, not a single spot on her body left untouched. She was bedridden for over two weeks before she could even get up.During that time, she felt utterly abandoned. The only interaction she had was with the maids who brought her meals three times a
At the time, Wendy was just a spoiled four-year-old. She was starving, and aside from the cold food on her bedside table, there was nothing else for her to eat. She couldn’t hold out any longer and, between sobs and curses, she forced herself to eat.The food tasted nothing like the delicious meals she used to enjoy. Each bite felt like chewing on wax, bland and tasteless, making it difficult to swallow.During that period, Wendy lost weight rapidly. Her once fair and chubby face became gaunt and pale, her skin taking on a sickly yellow hue. Her once shiny hair had turned dry and brittle, resembling straw.Her injuries made it impossible for her to leave the bed and go to the bathroom, so she had no choice but to relieve herself in bed. The maids, tired of her tantrums, only cleaned up half-heartedly, leaving her room to reek of filth. In her words, she felt like trash thrown into a dump, left to rot.Years later, when she recounted this experience to me in a calm voice, all I co
"You're just too soft-hearted," the voice on the other end of the line sweetly laughed. "Kids are fragile. Who knows what might happen while she's 'recovering'?""The Smith family is big and prestigious, but that child has been spoiled rotten. She's a ticking time bomb, ready to embarrass the family at any moment. Henry is obsessed with keeping up appearances. If something were to happen to her, he might be upset at first, but eventually, he'd probably feel relieved."Sarah's words hit Wendy like a gut punch, shocking her back to reality.That day in the bathroom, Wendy hadn't pushed Sarah. Sarah, the one who fell, should have known exactly what happened—she had slipped on her own. Wendy had hoped that Sarah, even if others misunderstood, would clear her name. But hearing Sarah's conversation now, Wendy's world crumbled completely.For weeks, Wendy endured cold stares, harsh words, and isolation. She finally realized that Sarah would never come to her defense.Without a sound, Wen
Henry gently placed the drawing back into the book before reaching out to softly stroke Wendy's cheek.Wendy had become incredibly sensitive after everything she had been through. Even the slightest movement would wake her, and the moment she sensed her father's presence, she knew he had come to check on her. The memory of the severe beating he had given her after Sarah's fall had haunted her ever since, leaving deep emotional scars.Afraid of being scolded if she opened her eyes, Wendy pretended to be asleep, keeping them tightly shut.But she was still young and not very good at acting. Henry quickly realized she was awake and pulled his hand back, standing up to leave.Once the door quietly closed behind him, Wendy's lips quivered in silent pain. She began to cry softly, keeping her sobs low and stifled so as not to disturb anyone.Henry hadn't gone far, and in the stillness of the night, her quiet sobs reached his ears, amplifying the faint sound. It stirred something in his h
During that time, Wendy lived in constant fear. Every little noise made her jump, and cold sweat would break out all over her body. There were moments when she wanted to confront her bullies head-on, but she was terrified they would turn the tables and accuse her of being the aggressor.When she was at her lowest, unsure how to escape the torment, her uncle, who had been living abroad, returned to visit her. He immediately noticed the bruises on her body. After asking her what had happened, he gathered evidence and took her straight to confront Henry.The confrontation almost led to a falling out between her uncle and Henry, as her uncle even threatened to fight for custody. Henry, upon seeing the evidence of what Wendy had endured at school, was heartbroken. He quickly transferred her to a new school and donated two buildings to the institution.Because of those donations, Wendy finally experienced a normal school life, and she learned an important lesson: in order to survive, she
"Spare the formalities with me!" Wendy laughed, her shoulders shaking with amusement. "Jenny saw my post on social media and has been asking about the emerald bracelet Mrs. Walker gave."Curious, I asked, "Why does she care?""The emerald bracelet is valuable and rare, top-notch. Whoever gave it must be wealthy. Usually, young people gift brand-name items, but an emerald bracelet like that is typically from an older female relative."Realizing what she meant, I said, "She's worried you married better than she did.""Exactly!" Wendy exclaimed as her phone rang again. This time, it was her father, Henry.In the past, Wendy would let the phone ring if she didn't want to answer. But now that she was involved in the family business and her father was her main support, she answered the call."Wendy, Mrs. Walker sent over a bunch of gifts earlier and said she feels a strong connection with you. She plans to visit us tomorrow.""She can visit. Mr. Smith, you can handle the reception. I'
Due to jet lag, I was already exhausted though it wasn't dark yet.Ian was drooping too, suddenly slumping against me.Worried he'd fall, I quickly steadied him.He glanced at me before contentedly closing his eyes again.He was completely worn out.Mr. Lloyd, who had been chatting with the director, noticed this and quickly wrapped up his conversation to join us.Still half-awake, Ian instinctively held onto my arm when his father reached for him."It's your Dad."At my words, Ian let go.Mr. Lloyd picked him up and strode toward the car, while I gathered Ian's things and followed.On the way back, I offered to drive.Mr. Lloyd was quiet. I turned on the car's music system, and soft music filled the space.Having debuted overseas as a trainee, Mr. Lloyd's fingers unconsciously tapped along to the rhythm on his leg.At a red light, I caught this movement in the rearview mirror.Mr. Lloyd had been an all rounder superstar - consistently among the top three highest-earning
Since Penelope was mid-flight and unreachable, I sent her a message and forwarded Sara's letter."Are you okay, Jen? You seem worried," Ian asked."Just blown away by your amazing performance. I'm still thinking about it."Ian was a natural - his acting could really move people."I might be cocky,” Ian grinned.He looked proud, and I ruffled his hair. "No chance of that."For a four-year-old, he'd shown remarkable composure during the preschool incident.Even after being cleared, he hadn't played the victim. That kind of emotional strength showed real character.A few compliments wouldn't change that.Ian's smile lit up his whole face, showing perfect baby teeth."When do you start filming your scenes?"The director was clearly impressed - Ian's role was locked in."Not sure yet."Ian looked up at his father."Soon," Mr. Lloyd said, clearly proud of Ian's performance. "I'll stay on set with Ian these next few days. Jen, feel free to explore the city. I'll call if we need
Just when they thought they'd found hope, the bad guys caught up with them.During their escape, his best friend fell off a cliff. When Bobby was finally rescued and led them back, they found his friend's body, mangled beyond recognition. He was devastated."I'll start now!"In an instant, Ian transformed. He walked heavily toward a chair, his expression gradually filling with pain.Kneeling beside the chair, he reached out as if to touch "him" but couldn't bring himself to do it. Tears silently rolled down his face.The director checked the script and signaled his assistant to remove the chair, simulating the scene where the friend's body would be placed in a body bag.At this, Ian broke into heart-wrenching sobs.His emotional outburst impressed everyone watching on set.Mr. Lloyd looked proud, and the director, as if discovering a treasure, praised Ian after his performance: "Your acting reminds me of your father in his prime.""If I'm as good as Dad was at my age, imagine
I'd dug my own grave, hadn't I?I swallowed my food, took a sip of water, and kept my head down while eating.Luke pushed the mild seafood soup toward me. "This is less spicy."Stubborn as I was, I ignored him.Luke called the server over, trying to order milder versions of the fish and pork."Don't bother, I love extra spicy food."Even though I needed water after every bite, I was determined to finish what I'd ordered.Seeing my stubbornness, Luke apologized to the server and let her go."Jen...""Don't talk while eating."By now, my soul had practically left my body from the spice. I wasn't in the mood for conversation.My throat felt like it was on fire as I gulped down more water.Luke quietly refilled my empty glass. He'd barely touched his seafood soup, his elegant movements making me feel even more ungraceful.I was suffering from my own spite!I wanted to throw down my chopsticks and leave.No, stay calm!I tried to maintain my composure, fighting the urge to d
Just as I finished speaking, my stomach let out an embarrassing growl."There's an excellent Chinese place around the corner," Luke said."You've been here before?""No.""..." Then how did he know about a good restaurant?Did he research every place this thoroughly?He'd make a perfect travel companion.I later learned he'd researched local restaurants knowing my passion for food.I'd only had water since waking up. The film crew would have finished lunch by now, with no leftovers available. I needed to find something on the way.Being in a bad mood lately, I hadn't researched any local restaurants before coming here.Craving authentic Chinese food, I decided to take Luke's suggestion.It was an upscale Chinese restaurant specializing in spicy cuisine. As soon as we sat down, a cheerful server brought out place settings and started listing their specialties."Our portions are generous. For a couple, I'd recommend one appetizer and a soup to start.""We're not a couple," I
Luke came to search for his birth mother himself?As I looked at him, he noticed me too.I greeted him and was about to get a taxi to the set."If you have time, can you show me where you saw her yesterday?""I... okay."Mr. Lloyd and Ian would be fine - finding Luke's mother was more urgent.After weighing the pros and cons, I agreed.Luke hadn't brought an assistant. I waited outside while he took his luggage to his hotel room, then we walked to where I'd seen his mother yesterday.It wasn't far from the hotel, so we went on foot.Without thinking, I kept about three feet between us.Luke: "Do I look like some kind of monster?"With his model-like features that made you want to break rules just looking at him, how could he possibly look like a monster?I shook my head."Then why are you keeping such a distance?""..." So that's what he meant...Though I'd decided to stay just friends, my heart - already full of him - still skipped beats when we were together.He was t
"If you can't find her, Luke can! Now that he has a general area, he can track her down quickly.""I'll let him know."Mrs. Walker was also searching for her, planning to use her to manipulate Luke. We needed to contact her before Mrs. Walker did.After hanging up with Wendy, I looked at Luke’s number on my phone. Several times I almost called him, but kept backing out.After hesitating, I tried calling Emily, but hung up just before it connected.Although Emily had been open with me, I couldn't be sure if she was genuinely helping Luke.To be safe, I called Luke instead. He answered on the first ring.Luke stayed silent."Mr. Walker, this is Jen.""I wasn't planning to cut you out of my life completely. I kept your number."Me: ...There he went again with his sharp tongue. I almost hung up, but remembering how much he'd helped me, and that I could finally do something for him, I told him about possibly seeing his birth mother near the hotel.After a moment of silence, Luk
"Dad, he's a bad guy!" Ian pointed at the man who was already several yards away.The robber was huge - well over 6'2", wearing a denim vest that showed off his muscular arms. Mr. Lloyd probably couldn't take many punches from him, and we didn't know if he was armed. It wasn't worth the risk.I ruffled Ian's hair. "Let's go get something to eat.""Help! Stop the robber!"A woman was running after him, desperately grabbing passersby for help, out of breath.Following the 'better safe than sorry' principle, no one stepped forward to help.She reached us, and seeing we were Asian, her eyes lit up with hope. "Please help me, I have something very important in my bag."Mr. Lloyd looked down at his arm where she was clutching it. "I'm sorry, we're new here and unfamiliar with the area. We can't help."She let go, disappointed, staring dejectedly in the direction the robber had disappeared.Ian said in his sweet voice, "When you're in trouble, find a police officer."The woman was a
His stern look only made Penelope more nervous.When Director Nolan called "Cut!", she was already drenched in cold sweat.She quickly apologized to the director.Director Nolan watched the playback with a grave expression.As the makeup artist touched up Penelope's makeup, I went to her side and encouraged her: "It gets easier after the first try. You'll do better in the next take.""Jen..." Penelope glanced at the crew members around us. "This is my first time on such a major production.""You'll have many more opportunities like this."One Entertainment had been investing most of its resources in Penelope lately, and with her connection to Jethro, her popularity wasn't waning.One hit was all she needed to skyrocket to stardom."Jen..."Penelope's voice trembled with worry.George was particularly anxious too. "You've done well in other productions. We can't mess up at this crucial moment!"A good performance in Director Nolan's film could lead to future collaborations,