Melanie was flabbergasted because Nathaniel had never treated her like that before. Nathaniel started speaking softly and coaxed Melanie patiently, even if she were petty. Nathaniel forgot to be discreet and not make a scene because he was shocked. He just snapped.He turned to look at Melanie and felt distressed, wanting to sweet-talk her. However, he also felt helpless at that moment. He sighed, saying, “I’m a mess right now. I’ll think of something soon. You should go home and rest.” After speaking, Nathaniel left Melanie alone at the cafe.Melanie was angry and hateful. She had good luck in her love life and career over the past years. Melanie could be famous and kick Lily aside with one foot while sitting tight as MN Inc.’s first lady. She had it all planned and would have announced her retirement later.The company had grown, so Melanie could spend more money to hire a few helpful staff members. By then, would MN Inc. still need Lily? Afterward, Melanie could finally enjoy pea
The booking app had yet to respond since there were no available taxis around, likely because of the rush hour traffic. Not having a car at that moment proved to be an inconvenience.Nathaniel had bought a car before, which was still under his name. At first, Lily did not care about minor details like those, but on second thought, she had been foolish. Still, it was not a shame considering she did not want to bother with his belongings anymore. The car was not worth it. Lily checked the time and debated whether to board the bus when she suddenly felt a pat on her shoulder from behind.The pat had a threatening force, which caused Lily to frown and turn around. She tried to break free, but underestimated how strong the grip was.The hand was still firmly on her shoulder, but the direction had changed. Now the two were face to face.“Lily, do you still want to fight me?”The man in front of her was skinny, wearing a crisp white shirt with tightly-buttoned cuffs. The dazzling light
"Ultimately, you’re still upset." Justin shook his head. “It’s true that when you left, grandpa said some harsh words, but he was also angry. We’re family. How could you take words said in anger seriously? It’s been so long. You’re suffering, and you should’ve had enough. Listen to those rumors, as well as the lawsuit. You’ve done this to yourself and are still unwilling to turn back?”“It’s not that I don’t want to turn back. When I think in time, I will,” Lily straightened her back and added, “I’ll solve my affairs. Don’t worry. No one will know my relationship with you.”However, that sentence seemed to anger Justin. “Do you think my family is afraid of being implicated by you? Do you think you can get away saying nothing? Why are you still so self-righteous after all these years?” “Well, then just assume that I am. I’ll tell my grandfather in person when I’m qualified to return.”“Are you really not coming back?” Justin asked as he took another step closer, looking down at her.
Every staff in MN Inc.’s laboratory devoted themselves to the experiments and trials. However, the composition of essential oils was complex, and there are dozens of ingredients in the formula. Even with procedures, a small quantity variance would cause different outcomes when combined. The cause and manner of the issue would then be unclear.Everyone seemed to be stumped. The staff had been working nonstop, putting up with neck pain and eyesores— except for one person. Olivia was still sitting on a chair with all the experimental equipment in front of her. Her body was leaned back, and her hands drooped down to her sides. Her head leaned against the chair, and she fell asleep the next second. At that exact moment, Melanie walked in and saw the scene.“...” She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and then slowly reached for a blanket for Olivia.Probably startled, Olivia opened her eyes in a daze and murmured when she saw Melanie, “Ms. Thayer, you’re back.”“Yeah!” Melanie said
Melanie jolted up from her seat, pacing back and forth as if she would be unable to restrain her anger once she stopped. Olivia ignored her, stretched, turned around, and sluggishly walked back to the laboratory as if she was unwilling to work.Melanie finally collected her thoughts and looked at Olivia again, “Okay, what do you want? Whatever your conditions are, I will do my best to satisfy them.” At that breaking moment, Melanie had to endure her anger for a while instead of begging Lily. Melanie would rather negotiate with Olivia face to face. At least the situation would still be within her control. Olivia tilted her head and glanced at Melanie. She giggled, “Oh, you’re so authoritative, Ms. Thayer. Any conditions at all? That does sound tempting, but is anything up for consideration?”Melanie felt contempt when she saw Olivia’s high-spirited appearance. After all, this was just a deal, and no one could ever put a price on affection and loyalty. Since Olivia asked such
“T-Ten times?!” Melanie gasped in disbelief. She was surprised by Olivia’s colossal appetite.She could not even process it before she heard Olivia saying, “As for the promotion…you’re underestimating my ambitions. Why would I be satisfied with just a managerial position in the R&D department? What I truly want is your position!” She pointed and looked straight at Melanie, indicating she was not joking.Melanie’s expression turned sour immediately after. Although it was just a temporary measure to get Olivia’s help, Melanie could always break her promise later. Still, it was infuriating that Olivia had the guts to ask for Melanie’s position so openly. If Melanie agreed to give up her position to Olivia, what would the other staff members think of her, not to mention the industry?Olivia had expected Melanie, so she was in no rush. She sat back comfortably in her chair with her hands resting behind her head. Olivia looked up and said, “Oh, there’s one more thing. You’ll have to apolo
Melanie glanced at the caller ID and saw Nathaniel’s name. She glared at Olivia one last time, pushed the test tube back into her hands, and warned, “You should think about what you say more carefully. Don’t make a fool out of yourself!” Then she turned around and walked away.“Where have you been?!” Nathaniel asked harshly over the phone.“I was in the lab,” Melanie was upset over his tone, “I was just trying to help. Since Lily isn’t willing to help us, I can’t just leave you to deal with this on your own. MN Inc. is our company, and I don’t want to see it go down like this.”“No one said that our company is going down. Stop being so negative. Get ready to leave. I’m coming over to pick you up,” Nathaniel sounded like he was in a hurry as he hung up right away.Melanie stared at her phone for a second before walking back toward the lab. She peeked into the lab but stopped herself after a second thought. It was probably a waste of time trying to convince Olivia. She should just th
It was just a fight, but Lily felt like her whole body was in pain. It was obvious that she had not been training enough. Lily had been leading a slightly too comfortable life since leaving the Lodges. After she left, Lily could pursue what she wanted and loved. However, seeing Justin served as a wake-up call, and it reminded Lily that it did not matter where she ran. She would always be a Lodge. While soaking in her bath, Lily noticed a bruise on her arm. It was likely from the fight she had with Justin. She made a mental note to take care of it later. She reflected on her encounter with Nathaniel and Melanie and realized what a dull and uneventful day it had been. Lily expected to feel anger or resentment, but upon seeing them again, she felt only sadness for her former self.She felt bad for past Lily, who had treated the two with sincerity and unconditional love. She thought Nathaniel was the one, and that Melanie was the best friend she could ever have. How foolish of he