Norman was also clever. He waved to signal his old friends not to inquire further. He said, "Young people have their own world. You've all lived for so long. Why ask?""Norman, you're quite something. It won't hurt to ask, right? Do you not care about your son's affairs?" the bald man teased."Ritche, my son has a tough personality. I can't even control his affairs, let alone you outsiders," Norman retorted. Having said that, he no longer entertained them. He waved again to dismiss them since he was about to leave. He said, "Our basketball game is over for today. Let's plan for next time."Norman wanted to leave, but the others definitely wouldn't allow him to do so. Their conversation of interest hadn't concluded. However, they couldn't possibly stop him when he wanted to leave. Eventually, Norman successfully led Summer away with him.They walked along a gravel path outside of the basketball court. There were few people around. The sun was also gradually setting.Norman walk
It was certain that Caroline wouldn't let James move out, so the problem persisted.Next, Summer still had to talk to James about the issue. Summer had already thanked Norman politely. After all, he had agreed to her request. The next steps depended on fate.After returning home in the evening, Summer went to discuss the matter with James. He had just returned from work and looked exhausted. Initially, Summer considered postponing the discussion to another day, but it could not be delayed any longer. If she delayed it further, she was afraid there wouldn't be much time."James, I've talked to your dad. He agreed that we can move out, but we have to get your mom's permission first. So, if your mom agrees, we can move out.""Is that so?" James responded calmly, like he wasn't surprised that Summer had been able to persuade Norman.Summer felt dissatisfied with his indifferent attitude. After all, she had spent the entire day under the sun to persuade Norman. At the very least, s
Lexi had a doctor over to check on Summer. The doctor explained that Summer's body had become so weak because she had been eating too much strange food. What exactly had Summer eaten? Well, there were plenty of items, such as edible bird nests, pine mushrooms, herbal remedy, goat stews, and even some insects.Yes, she had also eaten insects. Who knew where Caroline had gotten that idea? But she claimed that eating insects would increase the chances of pregnancy. Therefore, regardless of Summer's willingness, Caroline had instructed Luca to forcefully feed her. The consequence, of course, was tragic. Summer was successfully tortured to the point where her body was barely recognizable. She was so weak that she could collapse at the slightest breeze.These days, Summer had truly had enough. Caroline's torture means were more and more inhumane, and she would either punish or scold Summer for the slightest mistake.At this moment, Lexi suggested, "Why don't we talk to Mr. Quigley?"
This was not only because Caroline disliked Summer, but also because the latter had been involved in the abduction incident for blood transfusion years ago.Caroline couldn't shake the feeling that Summer married James with ill intentions. Therefore, to prevent the Quigley family from being destroyed, she had to use various forceful methods on Summer, leading to her breakdown. And eventually, it would result in Summer directly divorcing James.Summer naturally didn't know Caroline's true intentions. At the moment, she was resting in her room. But she had only rested for a while when Luca suddenly appeared."Madam Summer, Madam Caroline informed me to have you take out the trash downstairs," he said."What?" Summer thought she had misheard him. Did she really even have to do such a simple task like taking out the trash herself? Normally, the housekeepers took care of such chores. Now, Summer had to do their work. Did this mean that Summer was worse than the helpers?Summer init
So, Summer was feeling quite conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to leave the Quigley residence. On the other hand, she didn't want Caroline and James to quarrel. Finding herself in a dilemma, she chose to make things difficult for herself.…The next morning, Summer freshened up and was about to head to her yoga class. However, she was stopped by James, who informed her that she didn't have to attend any classes for the day.This surprised Summer. First of all, James wasn't usually around in the morning by the time she woke up. Why was he home that day instead of going to work?Secondly, it was James who told her that she didn't have to attend class, which made her wonder if something had happened."What happened, James?" she asked."I told my mom that I wanted to have a day off today to go out with you, so all your arranged classes had been canceled," he replied.Upon hearing this, Summer was naturally delighted. She hated those useless classes the most. They were tedious an
Summer's face was now flushed. She was mortified that Kelly had chosen to reveal her secrets in front of James. It was awkward for her since he was now her husband.Even so, her curiosity still got the better of her. Summer asked, "What did she tell you?""What would you like to hear? She mentioned you being late for class and the teacher sending you out to stand in the corridor as punishment. . "She also talked about how you sneezed while eating and sprayed food all over her face. Then, there was the time you pursued a boy but got rejected..."Summer's face grew increasingly red with each revelation from James. Her heart pounded. She hadn't expected Kelly to have shared so much with him.She clenched her fists slightly, vowing to kill Kelly if she ever saw her again. After all the kindness she had shown Kelly, the latter had gone ahead and shared embarrassing stories about her!Of course, she was irritated by it.Sensing Summer's embarrassment, James prodded her cheek gently.
Now the opportunity had presented itself. Since James had suggested going bungee jumping, Summer thought that she should just do it.The amusement park was located in Camden City, which was 12 miles away from Rosseera City. Summer hadn't expected James to take her somewhere so far.When the car stopped, Summer stepped out of it expectantly. She was initially filled with joy, but upon looking around, she became petrified on the spot."What's going on here?" Summer murmured, her tone full of disbelief. The amusement park was completely empty—not a single person was in sight.Indeed, the park was deserted. It was reminiscent of a ghost town, with only the rides operating silently and a few staff members scattered around the vicinity.James walked to her side. He looked at the park with satisfaction and nodded to himself. "How about it, Summie? Do you like it?""Like it? How could I possibly like it?" Summer asked, somewhat exasperated. "What's going on with this place? Why aren't
Given that James must have forked out a significant amount of money to book the amusement park, it would have gone down the drain if they did not go in.As they strolled around the amusement park, Summer noticed that the speakers placed all over the park broadcast romantic and sentimental music that was perfectly suited for a date. It must have been James' idea. Normally, amusement parks played light and cheerful music to cater to their primary clientele of families and children. The romantic love songs she was hearing now clearly showed that James had put thought into the music selection for their date.Besides the music, Summer noticed that the surroundings were specially decorated. The decorations hung overhead were heart-shaped, and many banners featured romantic cartoon couples. It made the amusement park appear less like a place for fun and more like a sanctuary of love.Halfway through, Summer nudged James with her elbow. "Did you do all this?""Huh?""Look at the dec
"Of course. I'm the chairman of Charter Corporation, after all. Why can't I continue working? I took care of Charter Corporation back when you got married, didn't I?" Fred patted his chest firmly, looking quite confident.Summer also believed that her father would be able to manage the company well if she left it in his care.Fred was the founder of Charter Corporation, after all. He had worked on it for decades, and he was the person who knew it the best. If he was the one taking over, Summer definitely had no reason to worry.However, Fred had already retired, so he should be relaxing at home at his age. Summer felt a little bad if he was suddenly asked to manage the company again.James comforted Summer, saying, "Summie, why don't you let him help you? Of all the people in Charter Corporation, he must be the person who's the most invested in the company other than you.""That's right." Fred smiled confidently. "How can I not care about my own company? Don't worry, Summer. Just
They were having a meal right now, so where was Fred going? Summer asked in confusion, "Dad, where are you going?"When Summer asked the question, Fred had already left the living room. He seemed to be on his way back to his room.Amelia explained, "He's preparing a gift for you.""Preparing a gift? What gift?"Soon, the gift Amelia mentioned was brought over to them.Fred was carrying a large cardboard box, which he processed to place on the table. He retrieved children's toys, baby clothes, and a jigsaw puzzle from the box.Summer was speechless when she saw that. So this was the sort of gift Amelia was talking about. But why would Fred give her these things out of the blue?Holding the clothes, Fred explained gleefully, "Several months ago, Amelia and I were shopping when we came across some baby products. We were wondering when you'd have children, and we feared that you wouldn't be able to buy all the baby products you would need, so we bought some ahead of time."Summer s
Nearby, James faked a cough as if there was another matter at hand. Noticing something off with his expression, Summer thought that he choked on something, so she asked, "Would you like some water?""No, thanks… Summie, did you forget why we came here in the first place?"Thanks to James' reminder, Summer finally remembered that she wasn't here for a simple visit. She had to tell her parents the good news of her pregnancy.At that moment, Amelia and Fred were leisurely enjoying the food. Summer knew that if they heard the news, they might get overwhelmed with emotion, so she decided to give them a heads-up. "Dad, Mom, we actually came here to tell you an important piece of news. Maybe you can stop eating for now.""What's the matter?" Fred asked curiously."Well… This is a very serious matter. Before I break the news, I'd like you to be as calm as possible. Please don't get too worked up."When Amelia and Fred heard that, they exchanged glances. They had no idea what exactly Summ
For example, Summer and James were taking a walk in the park. They might look like they were alone, but in reality, more than a dozen bodyguards were hiding in bushes and various corners of the park. To protect the child, the Quigleys pulled out all the stops to ensure Summer's safety."Alright, I get it." Summer chose to compromise. She was living a wonderful life at the Quigley residence, after all, so she felt like she shouldn't ask for too much.Also, as Caroline had said, Summer would regain freedom once she gave birth to the child. Summer would be able to live her happy life with James then, and Caroline wouldn't be around to nag her about the child.The next morning, the Quigleys arranged for a luxurious limousine to send Summer and James to the Charter Estate. Amelia and Fred already knew that their daughter would be coming over, so they were waiting at the entrance. When they saw their dear daughter, elated expressions appeared on their faces."Summer, you're back! We've p
Hence, Summer could do whatever she pleased. If Caroline dared to restrict her freedom, Summer would be upset, and Caroline wouldn't want that.As Summer walked along the even path of the park, she did some stretches to loosen up. "It's a nice life. Before this, I was worried that something bad might happen if I returned to the Quigley residence, but now, it looks like I was overthinking it. Caroline is very good to me, and the others respect me too.""I'm glad to hear that. I was also worried that you wouldn't be able to get used to staying in the Quigley residence. You're pregnant, after all." James glanced at Summer's belly, his eyes filled with fatherly love and tenderness. By the looks of it, he had intended to be a father a long time ago."Hold your horses. I've only been pregnant for three weeks. They say that the baby will be born after ten months of pregnancy, and it's not even been a month yet, let alone ten." With that, Summer suddenly held James' hand and guided it tow
What would it mean to Howe if he gave up on the position of the head of the family? It meant that he would have to depend on someone else to survive, and he would be giving up on glory and riches along with a life filled with extravagance.Thanks to his wealthy background, Howe was already used to life like this. If James became the head of the family in the future, he might exercise his authority as the head of the family to limit Howe's movements. Howe would be stripped of freedom.Maeve felt that Howe was right as well. Her current life of luxury was built upon mountains of cash. If Howe didn't get to be the head of the family, he would definitely face restrictions."Howe, I want you to be the head of the family as well, but do you really have confidence in your capabilities? Your brother is so outstanding, and he's the official heir, too."Maeve hit the nail on the head. This was exactly what Howe was worried about as well. There was a world of difference between him and James,
So, when Caroline asked her to stay in the Quigley residence, Summer somewhat reluctantly agreed.At noon the next day, dark clouds filled the sky, making it look bleak. However, in the bustling Rosseera City, things were as lively as usual.In a luxury hotel situated in the city center, Howe was sitting on a chair, holding a glass of wine in one hand while his other arm was wrapped around the waist of a beautiful woman. At that moment, his expression was as gloomy as the weather.The young woman was good at reading the room. Extending her fingers, she traced circles on Howe's pink shirt. She asked, "What's the matter, Howe? You seem to be in a bad mood today. Could there be anyone in Rosseera City who's bold enough to offend you?""Hmph…" Howe didn't say a word. Instead, he downed the whole glass of wine.Noticing that he wasn't saying anything, the young woman pursed her lips and planted a kiss on his cheek. Smiling, she asked, "What's going on? Are you going to say that women w
James didn't want to agree to this arrangement. Even though it wasn't explicitly mentioned, he was fully aware that Summer didn't want to stay at the Quigley residence. Hence, he said, "I'll take care of Summer, Mom. I even hired Tina to look after her needs. You know how dependable Tina is. With her around, everything will be fine.""Nonsense. Even if Tina was there, there's only so much she can do on her own. This Quigley grandchild is extremely important. I can't just let her handle everything by herself.""That won't be an issue, Mom. Besides, Summer won't feel comfortable staying here either." Summer's feelings were James' top priority. Caroline could see this as well. In the end, the decision was Summer's to make. So, instead of addressing James, she turned to Summer and asked, "Would you like to stay at the Quigley residence, Summie?"If it were up to Summer, she'd say no. There was no way she would want to stay here out of her own free will. Just the mere sight of Caroli
Howe was the quietest person at the table. He was dressed in a shirt with floral patterns, and his hair was slightly curly. He was as still as a rock. He had a look of terror on his face for a while now—he didn't know that Summer was pregnant.Now that his parents were talking about it, he immediately asked, "Pregnant? Is Summer pregnant?""Yes, she is—haven't you heard?" Caroline replied. "No… How is she suddenly pregnant? I didn't hear anything about it until now." "I only found out recently as well." Caroline's hand moved over her mouth before she continued, "Isn't it great? You're going to be an uncle soon.""Yeah. I can't wait." Howe put on a forced smile.Everyone in the family was overjoyed by the news—except Howe Quigley. The Quigleys had a family rule. If the heir had a child, his position as the head of the family would be set in stone.So, if James welcomed a baby, Howe would lose the opportunity to take his place as the family heir. By that logic, he would never be