There were slight movements in Mark’s eyes as he recollected himself. He looked at Raine, occasionally stealing glances at Summer. In a deep voice, he said, “Let’s go.”The two went to the supermarket across the street. Raine had three facemasks with her, each worn for a certain amount of time before she changed into another. She also bought herself some fruits along the way. Lowering his head, Mark looked at the watch on his wrist as he said, “We should go now. There isn’t much time left till our flight to Athana.”Suddenly, Raine’s hand stiffened, holding a facemask in it. She said slowly, “I’ll be honest with you Mark. I am a little afraid and worried, I’m not really prepared for it.”“No matter you’re going to treat your face or get a plastic surgery, this is the best time for you to get treatment. You shouldn’t miss this, you understand right?”The doctor had briefed them about the important things. For the treatment for Raine’s face, timing is the most critical factor. That
“What I want to know is, what is the reason for the divorce.” Daisy stared at her closely and could not bear to hear such news. Summer got married in a haste, and now wanted to divorce in the same fashion. Daisy wondered what she was doing. “The woman he loves has returned from abroad and reconciled with him,” Summer explained, as if it did not matter, with her eyes slightly looking down. “Then when you married him, didn’t you know that he already had a woman he loved?” Daisy was distraught, almost passing out. “I knew. That was why we were married by agreement. I married him because I wanted to keep the child in my womb. Mom, the doctor said that there is some issue with my uterus, and the chance of getting pregnant again is small. If I got an abortion, I would most likely not have children again in the future. I did not want to take that risk. I want this child, I want to give birth to him, and I want to experience the feeling of being a mother. I don’t want to live my life wit
Hanging up the phone, Summer stood up from the sofa and picked up her handbag. “Mom, I am going out.” “I will go with you.” While speaking, Daisy quickly took off her apron. She was worried to see her going out alone. “Mom, I am just going to get some things. I will be back soon and nothing will happen.” She comforted Daisy. “Then let your dad accompany you. He is just idling and playing chess at home, anyway.” Summer shook her head to decline, and walked out of the room. Seeing her daughter disappearing from her sight, Daisy felt bad for her. As if thinking of something, she sternly warned Amara and Solomon in the room, “Never mention Mark and the Valentines in front of me again!” For as much as how shocked, angry, and disbelieving she was when she learned about Summer’s divorce, she was relieved upon knowing the truth of the entire matter. After all, Mark was not the man her daughter loved. It was alright to divorce. The worst thing was to keep repeating the same mistak
They were divorced, yet she still made such an expression in front of her. It was a type of torment. Staring at Yvette, she slowly curled up the corner of her mouth into a sneer, and took back the cheque that she had just pushed away. “Thank you for the reminder, Mrs. Valentine. I will fill it out.” She bent down slightly, holding a pen, and wrote a series of numbers on the check. Yvette’s brows were knitted together, and she gasped when she glanced at the figure on the check. It was $1 billion. “Why are you giving me this reaction, Mrs. Valentine? Is it because I have demanded too little?” With a nonchalant smile at the corner of her mouth, Summer bent over and added a zero at the back of the figure, turning it into $10 billion. “You really have no sense of shame asking for this exorbitant amount!” Yvette cursed, gritting her teeth. “Look at your reaction, Mrs. Valentine. You thought I was pretending when I refused. Now that I have written the amount, you look at me with c
When she thought of him asking her to leave back in the hospital, the corner of her lips turned up in a sneer. Since it pained her to see the images in her head, she decidedly erased them from her mind. Daisy walked in and looked at her. “Why haven’t you gone to sleep yet? It is getting late.” Summer blinked away the tears in her eyes and collected her thoughts. “I will go to sleep right away.” Nodded, Daisy said, “And ignore your sister-in-law. If the Valentines want to give you money, do not accept it. We do not lack money, and we cannot let them look down on us.” “Mom, I will not accept it. I will never accept their money for the sake of my child. I can raise my child on my own. If I accept the money and they are to fight for the child’s custody one day, it will work against me. I will not make such a mistake.” In case the court decided that the money was the child’s support, then it would definitely jeopardize her case. She had to take precautions before it happened, an
The kindergarten would only end at 12:00 pm. So Summer stood in the shade of a tree outside and waited, glancing down at the time from time to time. The gate of the kindergarten opened at 12:00 pm sharp, and a crisp, soft, cheerful voice came from a distance. “Mommy!” Immediately afterwards, a little white, cheerful figure plunged into Summer’s arms, hugged her neck with a pair of puppy dog eyes, and gave Summer a generous peck on her cheek. She held the little person in her arms with a smile, as her voice melted her heart. “Charlotte, say goodbye to your teacher.” Charlotte waved her small hand as told, her voice loud and clear as she said, “Goodbye, Ms.” Hand in hand, the mother and daughter headed off. Charlotte was cheerful and naughty. She blinked and asked, “Mommy, where are we going now?” “Going to grandma’s place.” While speaking, Summer glanced at the time again. The train would only depart at 3:00 pm. So she still had time to take Charlotte for lunch. “What would
A middle-aged woman sitting next to them looked at Summer with a smile. “Your daughter?” “Yeah, she is a bit naughty.” Summer handed a few oranges in the bag to the middle-aged woman. “She looks well-behaved. And she is beautiful and adorable. That is how children are. They like to ask questions, and it is quite fun.” With her child tagging along, Summer had no plans to sleep on the train. So she chatted with the middle-aged woman while taking care of her child. It was a four-hour journey by high-speed train from Nokocola Bay to Santabaca. By the time they arrived in Santabaca, it was 7:00 pm. But the day was long in summer. The sky was still bright even if it was 7:00 pm. She flagged down a taxi and brought Charlotte into the backseat. Knowing that Summer and her granddaughter were coming back, Daisy asked Solomon to accompany her to buy more vegetables and fruits from the supermarket. Daisy and Solomon had been expecting them in the living room by the time Summer and Ch
“Uncle Forrest,” Charlotte nestled in Solomon’s arms and swiped her little finger over her cheek, “when you have no money, Daniel will not be able to eat cookies and drink yogurt, and he will not grow up.” Solomon guffawed. “Look, even our little Charlotte knows her uncle cannot support Daniel.” There was an I-can’t-even look on Forrest’s face. “You have learned how to dig at me since we last met, eh?” ‘Besides, my son will still grow up without cookies and yogurt.’ He did not say this out loud. “I don’t care if you find a job or not, but you should not ask for a penny from Dad and Mom. Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself for asking money from Dad and Mom when you are already in your thirties?” Summer said with a dead serious expression. Forrest knew Summer’s temperament well. “I am not as useless as you think. I have already sent out my resume, and will go for an interview tomorrow.” “What company is that?” “A new but very large corporation in Santabaca. It gives fantasti