A waitress accidentally spilled red wine onto Millie's shirt.Millie rose from her seat and cleaned her shirt stains, assuring the waitress, "It's fine. No worries."As if worried she might attract attention, she whispered to the waitress, "Please leave my side. I'm really fine. Thank you."After that, she looked in Winston's direction, just in time to meet his forlorn eyes.She froze while holding her shirt. She had no idea what to do with her free hand. She had wanted to watch the proposal from a corner, but he seemed to have caught her."Simon, let's leave," she called out to Simon and grabbed her bag.Simon nodded because he understood her reasons.Winston couldn't stop himself from going after Millie. Seeing that, Joanna quickly held him back. She stared at him and bit her lips. "Win, what was that? Do you care what Millie thinks?"He finally peeled his eyes off Millie. Joanna looked upset. "What exactly do you think? It's time to give me an answer."Jo, I'll—" Winston pa
"Joanna, before this, I would have given you my blessing if you were truly in love with each other. But—" Gloria extended her arm, gesturing at her bodyguard to get her the newspapers.News about Joanna had made headlines, filling up the entire front page. There were reports about her falsified qualifications and the termination of her employment at Bifrost Hospital.Joanna's expression crumpled when she saw the news. Her worst nightmare had come true. She proposed to Winston hastily, hoping to seal the deal before the news reached the Greers, but it was too late."Just look at you. How can we accept you into our family? You'll only bring disgrace to us." Gloria tossed the newspaper at her without hesitation.Joanna stumbled a few steps backward. Her heart shattered when she saw the newspaper that had fallen onto the ground."Ms. Lowell, the Greers are not an ordinary family. We do not simply approve of any woman who dreams of marrying our son. I'll stay out of your business if yo
Millie didn't want to hurt Simon. "I'm happy to be your friend, but if you're hoping for more than that, I'm afraid…"Simon was a great man, and she felt unworthy of him.He had seen this coming because Millie had looked troubled after the movies."This is my first time pursuing a woman," Simon said helplessly. "Maybe I didn't do it right.""You're great," she immediately said while shaking her head.He smiled. He seemed to take the rejection calmly. To him, feelings couldn't be forced. Knowing Millie, she couldn't open her heart to a new man right away after experiencing a failed marriage.Although he really wanted to stay by her side for a little longer, she didn't seem to need his company. If so, he wouldn't impose himself on her."How about just friends?" he asked.She quickly nodded. "It's my pleasure to befriend someone like you."He chuckled and lowered his head. Adjusting his glasses, he seemed to have a lot to say, but he ended up saying nothing at all.The night bre
After washing up, Millie went to the living room on the first floor, where the TV was playing the same headlines. "Lowell Group Heiress Shocked as Winston Greer Rejects Her Proposal!"Millie froze right before she drank her milk. Did that mean Winston chose to leave with Gloria?"Morning, Mills." Terrence came up to her and patted her on the head.She looked up. "Good morning, Dad.""You haven't watched the news, have you? Joanna Lowell tried proposing to Winston last night, but Gloria crashed the party! Oh, Gloria Meyer is still as fiery as before!" Terrence folded his legs on the couch and rested his arm on the armrest as he let out a belly laugh."It's all Joanna's fault for ruining everything for herself. She's lucky enough to have a decent career, all thanks to our Mills, and she messed it all up!" Julia taunted when she descended the stairs and straightened her shirt.Nodding, Terrence agreed, "This is karma for being a homewrecker. Things won't go well for her."Millie
Millie paused briefly before rushing into the elevator. Then, she quickly deleted the message containing the number and pressed the floor button. By the time she arrived, she saw that Jake had sent her a question mark.Millie scratched her nose and replied, "Sorry, Mr. Webson, I sent it to the wrong person."Jake: "Who did you want to send it to?"Millie: "Simon. He wants to collaborate with Rachel."Jake: "What kind of collaboration?"Millie: "I'm not sure. It seems like he's looking for a brand ambassador or someone to promote their jewelry products."Jake grew anxious upon learning that. Wouldn't this interfere with his plans? If Rachel accepted Simon's deal, could she still take on his endorsement?Jake: "Mills, are we friends?"Millie narrowed her eyes after reading his text, wondering why he was asking this out of the blue. She replied, "Not really."Jake: "Oh, come on! Don't say that!"Nevertheless, Millie ignored him and sent Rachel's manager's contact information to
Millie frowned. Could Lainey be considering evaluating her performance to see if she was fit for a promotion to deputy chief?"Dr. Quinn, it's a little too fast, don't you think?" Millie asked the question she had been thinking about.Lainey paused briefly, unsure what Millie meant."The deputy chief position," Millie joked.Lainey glared at her and retorted, "Dream on! With your qualifications, you're nowhere near that position."Millie immediately burst into laughter.Right then, someone opened the clinic door. Millie was about to ask for the files when she heard a familiar voice. "Dr. Quinn, I'm here for a follow-up."Millie looked up and saw it was none other than Selma. "Grandma?" Millie exclaimed in surprise. Selma was equally astonished. "Mills, you're here!"Millie nodded and asked, "Are you not feeling well?""I'm here for a follow-up," answered Selma."By yourself?""They're busy, so I came alone," Selma replied with a smile.Millie helped her into a chair,
It was almost 11:00 am when they finished all the tests. After requesting a day off from Lainey, Millie drove Selma home. She was surprised to learn that Selma had taken the bus alone. Regardless, Millie still reminded Selma, "Don't go out alone in the future. It's very dangerous, especially when you don't have anyone with you."After all, the Greers were a prominent family, and Selma held significant influence in society. If someone with ill intentions were to target her, they could easily threaten the entire Greer family. "Indeed, I used to have you by my side. But now, you're no longer here," Selma said. She looked extremely aggrieved in the back seat. At the same time, her hands tapped away on her phone. Millie glanced back and uttered helplessly, "Grandma, you have a butler.""What good is a butler? At the end of the day, he's just a butler. He's not my granddaughter-in-law, and certainly not my granddaughter. Hmph!" Selma put her phone away and crossed her arms, her ang
Millie made cobb salad, garlic butter shrimp, pumpkin soup, and lastly, baked salmon. "I'll serve the risotto. Take a seat, Grandma," Millie told Selma.Selma sighed before saying, "Mills, about Joanna and Winston's proposal—""Grandma, if you ask me, you should just let them be. After all, Winston genuinely likes Joanna." Millie's voice carried from the kitchen and was a bit louder.Displeasure clouded Selma's face at once as she asked, "Are you serious?"At that moment, someone pushed open the door, and she turned to look. Millie emerged with the risotto. "Grandma, let them be together—"But when she stepped out, she realized Selma wasn't by the table. Just as she was about to set the plate down, she noticed someone coming in the door.Millie paused, her words faltering as she met the person's gaze."Mr. Greer," she greeted. Her voice was calm, yet there was a hint of surprise.Winston frowned slightly. He, too, was taken aback to see Millie there.Suddenly, Millie drew
While in the hospital, Millie rubbed her arms to keep warm. Then, the person on the bed woke up.Millie turned her head and looked at the person on the hospital bed. Winston's eyes were dull and showed signs of exhaustion. Their eyes met, and neither of them said a word.The nurse entered and saw that Winston was awake, so she patiently asked about his condition.He just kept looking at Millie without saying anything.Millie glanced at the nurse, signaling that she could continue with her work. Winston seemed fine now."You're not allowed to drink anymore," Millie said, her voice calm and indifferent.He closed his eyes, turned his head away, and didn't look at her again.Millie frowned and asked, "What do you mean by turning your head?"Winston remained silent, unable to speak because of the tightness in his throat.Millie poured a glass of water and asked him, "Would you like some water?"He still remained silent.Millie grew impatient and said, "Then I'll call Eli to take
Other than that word, Everly couldn't hear anything else."Dad, I can't hear what you're saying at all." Everly was becoming frustrated.Thomas exclaimed, "I said, Mills!""Yes, you're talking about Mills. And then? What about her?" Everly was extremely confused.She picked up her phone to check the time—it was already 3:00 am.She was about to lose it. From New Year's Eve till now, she did nothing but take care of Thomas."Dad, why don't we just go to sleep?" Everly didn't want to listen anymore.Whatever it was, she would be nice to Millie and not go up against her.She didn't like Millie before, but that was simply because she disliked how obsessed Millie was with romantic relationships."Oh! Ah!" Thomas suddenly started grumbling as he threw back the blanket. "Why can't you understand?"He was getting agitated.Everly was also getting extremely agitated. What exactly did she need to understand?He wasn't even speaking loud enough."I mean your sister! Millie!" Thomas s
Everly, feeling exasperated, helped Thomas off the couch and took him to the bathroom.Thomas lifted his head. His face was flushed, and his eyes dazed over. "My daughter, my daughter, I didn't throw up…"Everly looked at the mess on the ground and felt a headache coming on. Thomas had already thrown up, yet he still claimed he hadn't."You're drinking so much even though you can't handle it!" Everly shouted."What are you saying? It's like you're saying, saying, saying… ugh!" Thomas immediately leaned over the toilet, unable to finish his sentence. It was like he was speaking in tongue twisters, and no one could understand him.Everly sighed. She twitched her nose and turned to go outside to wait for him.Ten minutes went by, and Everly had finished tidying up the house. There was no sound coming from the washroom where Thomas was.Everly furrowed her brows and called out, "Dad?"Fine. It seemed like he was going to end up sleeping on the toilet.Everly walked over and, as ex
"I'll go get your medicine for you. Wait a moment." Millie intended to get the medicine from the bedside table.But then, Winston grabbed her arm. His palms were sweaty, and when he held her hand, it felt so hot it was as if he might burn her.Millie looked down at him.Winston looked up at her face, worried that if he let go, she might disappear.However, he knew very well that Millie wanted to leave, and he couldn't stop her."Millie, do you really have to give up on me?" Winston asked again, seeming determined to get an answer.Millie furrowed her brows, breathing heavily."Do you have to?" He looked at her. "Hmm?"Millie felt her heart tighten, and she just couldn't bring herself to say, "I have to let you go.""Winston," she called to him.Winston had no more strength left in him, as if he couldn't wait any longer to hear those words from her.He suddenly bent over and fell to the ground.Millie paused for a moment, then she quickly crouched down. "Winston?"She immed
Millie tightened her grip on the doorknob and turned to look at Winston.He stood next to the coffee table, his hands dangling awkwardly at his sides. The expression on his face seemed profoundly sorrowful. Although they were close, it felt as if a huge ocean stood between them when he looked at her, making it impossible for him to bridge the gap.Winston made a slight groaning sound, licking his lips and breathing heavily. His body was also swaying a bit. His stomach felt extremely uncomfortable, churning violently as if he might throw up at any moment.What bothered him even more was the comment Millie had just made.She said, "Let's end this."End it? But how would they just end it? Then were her seven years over just like that? Did his guilt and regret count for anything?She could move on from him, love someone else, and marry them. But what about him? He could never forgive himself for the rest of his life…Could they just end it?"Millie. Tell me, how are we supposed to
"Listen." Millie bit her lip but finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Let's end this between us."During those years with him, she caused her family a lot of worry and concern. She no longer wanted her family to worry about her.Or perhaps, she had become scared. She didn't want to gamble with her feelings anymore."Winston, I admit defeat. I don't have the courage to go through this with you again." Millie's voice was choked with emotion as she struggled to hold back her sadness while saying this.Winston instinctively reached for her hand."Millie, you promised me. You said you'd give me a chance. Why?" His eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and his voice was so hoarse it seemed like he could barely speak."There's no reason. The new year has begun, and I hope you get better. Don't come looking for me anymore." Millie pulled away from Winston's hand, turned around, and got ready to leave.He suddenly hugged Millie tightly and said, "Don't…"Winston's voice seemed to pierce
Millie opened the car door and pushed Winston inside the car.Winston fastened his seatbelt in the dark by himself.Millie got into the car and saw him sitting there quietly, which made her smile and sigh.Millie drove at a moderate speed. The road was busy, with many people out to watch fireworks, while others were heading home.Winston looked to the driver's side, his gaze fixed on Millie.Millie could sense that he was watching her, but she kept avoiding eye contact. Her mind was preoccupied with the messages her dad had sent.Let him go… The question was, could she give up on him?Millie furrowed her brow and rested her hand on her forehead, deep in thought."Did I make you hate me…?" Winston's raspy voice suddenly sounded next to her ear.Millie looked over at him with confusion."Does my drinking make you hate me?" he asked again, just like a child afraid of upsetting Millie."No." Millie shook her head.Despite having drunk too much, he still made an effort to pay at
After the video call ended, Millie placed her phone on the table.Thomas said to Millie, "Hahaha! Mills, look, he can't handle his drink!"Having been the son-in-law of the Caldwell family for three years, I only just found out that he can't hold his liquor."Millie gave a wry smile. This statement seemed to be a double-edged sword. For three years, he hadn't visited the Caldwell family even once. Winston was truly ruthless at that time.Winston quickly explained to Millie, "Millie, I haven't had too much. I can still drink, honestly."His face was completely flushed, and it was clear that his speech was slurred.The two of them had already finished a bottle of vodka.Thomas was even ready to switch to a different type of alcohol.Thomas had spent many years away from home and was quite a heavy drinker. His drinking ability was different from that of Winston.Winston could ask Eli to drink on his behalf if he didn't want to, but if Thomas was trying to win resources for Rach
At the dining table, Thomas and Winston started drinking vodka.The TV was showing this year's New Year Gala while Millie was quietly eating pierogi.She hadn't had homemade pierogi for three years, and they tasted so good. It felt like being back in her childhood, celebrating the New Year with her family. That was what made the festival truly special.Millie looked at her grandparents with a constant smile on her face. She felt happier than she had ever been before.She wished her parents were here too. Oh, those two…Just as she was thinking about this, her phone rang. It was Terrence calling.Millie answered the call without saying a word and pointed the camera toward Thomas.This year, Thomas had no one to drink with, so he turned to Winston for company.Terrence was lounging in the sun when he caught sight of Winston. His eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately set down his juice."Who is that? Am I seeing this right?" Terrence sat up straight, his voice filled with