"It'll take me a thousand years to pay back the loan with my reporter's salary." Rita laughed bitterly.Sherman frowned and said, "You're making it sound like I'm forcing you to change jobs. I never asked you to repay the money. The leaked video already ruined my reputation, and now you want other people to think I mistreat my wife?"Rita shook her head vehemently. "Of course not, that's not what I meant! It's just that my family did ask your family for a loan… There's no such thing as a free lunch, and I don't want him to think he could take advantage of your family whenever he wants. It's better to keep things clear."Despite how tense their relationship was, Rita still blushed at the word 'wife' for some reason. Sherman remained silent for the rest of the journey, leaving Rita to deal with the embarrassment alone until they reached the Parr family's residence.Despite knowing that Sherman was wealthy, Rita was still surprised and impressed when she saw the grand mansion. Her fam
Rita smiled shyly. She had expected Sherman's grandparents and parents to be difficult people, yet they turned out to be so kind and amiable. She felt even more humiliated at the thought. The difference between them and her father was like night and day.Sherman stepped forward, placed his hand on Rita's shoulder, and guided her inside. "Alright, I already said not to wait at the door. Grandpa and Grandma are getting older. What if they catch a cold from the draft?"Chelsea, Sherman's grandmother, waved it off. "I'm perfectly healthy. Rita, come sit next to me."Rita's seat was supposed to be next to Sherman's, but since Chelsea had spoken, she had no choice but to change her seat.Sherman was a bit reluctant. It was Rita's first time visiting, and having her sit next to his grandmother might make her feel uncomfortable.The old lady fixed him with a stare. "What's the matter? Afraid I'd eat your wife?"Rita turned to Sherman and subtly shook her head. "Grandma, I'm sure he doesn
"Rather than letting my grandparents and parents be sad just to please you, why not put on a little act for them to reassure them?"Rita immediately shot back, "That's not what I mean, and I'm not just trying to please myself. One lie leads to a thousand more lies to cover it up. Yes, we've managed to deceive them today, but how long do you think we can do that? Do you expect us to live as a fake couple for the rest of our lives?"Sherman glanced at her indifferently, his eyes clearly indicating that as long as it made his family happy, what was the harm?"You... You're unreasonable. Lies can't become reality, nor can we lie for the rest of our lives. I just think we should stop lying to them while they're not too deep into it yet. This way, we can spare everyone future pain."Especially for Rita, who had not felt much warmth at home. She was afraid she might develop unwarranted feelings for Sherman's family since they were such loving people."I know what you're thinking, but don
How could Claire's fans even think Sherman would marry Claire? Who did she think she was?[I bet Sherman's wife must be a heiress of some business tycoon. Why else would his family allow the marriage to go through? You shouldn't underestimate Sherman's grandparents and parents.][Exactly. If I had such an outstanding son, I'd make sure he got a wife worthy of him.][Oh please, we're living in the twenty-first century, yet you're still stuck in old-fashioned thinking. Maybe Sherman's family doesn't think that way, but you're already acting like an evil mother-in-law. Plus, how can you even say Claire isn't good enough for him? Do you even know what kind of influence she holds in the dance community? She's returned from abroad with prestigious experience, yet you make it sound like she's a nobody! She's more than good enough for Sherman, given how successful she is with her career! Why don't you just admit you're speaking out of jealousy?][Well, we're just thinking realistically. Wh
"If you don't see yourself as a joke, then no one can tell you otherwise. How can you even think of going to see Sherman when you're acting all crazy like this? Do you think he'll meet you? And even if he does, what will you say? You need to have a game plan before running off to find him!"Why do you think you managed to keep him by your side all these years? Isn't it because you're considerate and gentle? Moreover, you two have a shared history. If you lose even those now, let me tell you, you'll truly have no chance to get back together with him."Claire stopped in her tracks, her hand trembling as she held the keys. Tears finally streamed down her face. "Serena, have all my efforts been futile? I came back from abroad, where I already established myself, for him. But now, he turns and marries another girl. I don't even know who she is. Why am I so useless... Did he ever really care about me, or was everything just my imagination?"Serena quickly pulled her to the sofa. "How coul
"But it's not like they'd hastily throw together a wedding announcement. It feels more like they're just trying to fulfill a task. And who knows if they even had a wedding? Maybe you'll still be the one standing beside Sherman in a wedding gown someday, so you need to pull yourself together."Claire immediately stopped crying when she heard that. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks and nodded. "You're right. I can't afford to be so despondent. At the very least, I need to find out his current situation."Seeing that Claire had calmed down, Serena stopped holding her back. "Alright, make it fast. Remember to leave through the underground parking lot to avoid the paparazzi. They're waiting to see you make a fool of yourself, so it's best to avoid exposure for now."However, Claire smiled brightly. "That's exactly what I want. I want everyone to know how heartbroken I am, to let Sherman see how much I care for him. Serena, this exposure was handed to me on a silver platter, so I mig
Of course, Sherman provided quite a bit of financial support which kept Vince quiet for a while. Sherman was happy for the peace.Any intelligent person would not choose to disturb Sherman again. After all, he would not let the Russell family off easily if Vince dared to bother him again.'Buying out the companies under the Russell family would not be difficult, and he could just have them change their names to be under Parr Group. Let's see how arrogant they'd be then,' thought Sherman."Mister Sherman, Miss Claire is in the lobby downstairs. She said she wants to see you," said Lucy.Sherman's hand paused in flipping a page. There had been too much going on lately, and he had almost forgotten about Claire. It had been a long time since he had seen her, especially after what happened with her tipping off the paparazzi."Okay, have her come up," he instructed.It had been a while since the last incident. It was time to meet her and resolve any lingering issues.Claire was surpri
"I should be the one marrying you. How could you treat me like this? You're bullying me, you know?" Claire pleaded.Sherman looked down dazedly at Claire, who had her hands on his knees. "This was how we'd ask the other for forgiveness when we were younger. After all these years, you still have that habit."Claire nodded eagerly at his mention of the past. "Yes, do you remember? How wonderful our past was. Does Rita know it's just a small habit of yours? She doesn't, does she? Only I know. I'm the one who's most suitable for you!""Enough. My mind is made up, and besides, I'm already married to Rita. We're husband and wife now. And you shouldn't do anything to upset her in the future. Though she's generous, seeing you like this will make her jealous, and she'll take it out on me when we get home," Sherman said with a smile on his face, a smile that only a truly happy person could have.As soon as Claire saw that smile, she could not keep up the pretense any longer. She stood up abr