Renee could tell that Quinton had not forgotten about Joanne, and his feelings for her ran deep. That was why he refused to open up or get close to other women. Hence, Renee hoped that Quinton and Joanne could at least talk so they could let go of their past and start their new lives.Unfortunately, Quinton kept avoiding the subject. "Don't worry about my affairs, especially my love life. Just take care of yourself and get along well with Justin; that's what I really wish for." He had no intention to date anyone for now—he just wanted to restore his family's image and protect Renee well. He knew that he had a lot of trauma, and if he dated someone, he would subconsciously hurt that person."I'm not trying to force you to go on a date or make peace with Joanne. I just hope that you can let go of your past and open your heart to new things. Then, you can truly live your life." Renee sounded urgent as she sighed. "I feel like a doctor. I know the reason for your illness and watch you su
Gina had to have enough experience as a class teacher if she wanted to get a management position. One needed a rich resume to be the class teacher. Since Gina graduated from Coral Coast University, she was confident that the principal would appoint her as the class teacher. To her displeasure, the principal had picked Joanne instead, who was unqualified in all aspects."Ms. Garcia, it's going to be tiring receiving the new students today. What would you like to talk about during the parent-teacher meeting later?" After helping the students settle down, Gina came to the office and spoke to Joanne."I'll talk about my teaching methods," Joanne replied coolly. She had an innate aloofness, which was why she wasn't close to the other teachers there even though six months had passed. Additionally, all the teachers there shared Gina's thoughts in thinking Joanne was inferior and did not deserve to be working there."Gina, you don't know since you just came, but Ms. Garcia is awesome. She j
Gina looked at Joanne and blinked, then grinned coyly and said, "Don't be upset, Ms. Garcia… I was just joking. After all, it's rather odd that you were hired here despite your academic qualifications and experiences. I know for a fact that all teachers here are curious about it.""Can you accuse someone like that just because you're curious?" Hostility gleamed in Joanne's eyes. "If that's the case, can I assume that it's because of your looks that you became the deputy class teacher of the primary school at such a young age?" "How can you say that, Joanne? I graduated with a master's degree from Coral Coast University. I worked hard to get here!" Gina immediately stood up and said rudely, "I must have guessed right that you got into this school by relying on a man—you wouldn't be this upset otherwise!" "Well, you also overreacted, so I must have hit the nail on the head too," Joanne sneered.Gina's eyes widened in rage. "How dare you…"Ainsley Terrell, the teaching director, im
Gina looked at the laptop reluctantly. "But saying she has no academic qualifications or experience won't affect her much.""Well, maybe you can spice it up a little," Calista suggested slyly. "Let me give you an idea… Do you know why Joanne always wears long-sleeved shirts and long pants? It's 104 Fahrenheit now, but she still doesn't dare to show skin.""I don't know... Is she conservative?" "Of course not!" Calista peered outside, and when she saw that Joanne hadn't come back yet, she whispered to Gina, "I'm guessing her body is either really scarred or covered in tattoos. Think about it… No parent would want someone like that teaching their kids.""Is that true?" Gina swallowed and took a deep breath. "Thanks for the advice, Ms. Jude. I know what to do now."Joanne stayed in the washroom for a long time because her stomach was cramping. She thought it was because her period was coming soon, but when she checked her notes, that didn't seem to be the case. After thinking about
Joanne arrived at her class to hold a parent-teacher meeting with the new students' parents. The parents were very curious about the people who taught their children, especially the class teacher. They were very concerned about that.Joanne stood at the door for a while, taking a few deep breaths before striding into the class. "Hello, everyone, welcome to the first parent-teacher meeting for the third first grader class." Joanne was wearing a professional white shirt and pants, with her hair up in a ponytail and a pair of rimless glasses on. She looked elegant and proper, and the parents looked at her in admiration."Let me introduce myself—I'm the class teacher, and my name is Joanne Garcia. Although I'm not very experienced in teaching, I'm well-versed in various teaching methods. Now, I'll explain my plans for the class." Joanne smoothly redirected the topic, emphasizing her strengths. She inserted her USB drive into the computer to open the detailed presentation she had prepared
They felt that Joanne looked sophisticated and had good teaching methods, but Gina's outstanding academic qualifications were hard to beat. They felt Joanne's qualifications had to be better since she was the class teacher."Honestly, I don't really have any academic qualifications, and I've only been teaching for less than six months," Joanne confessed, knowing the parents wouldn't let her off the hook."What? No academic qualifications and you've only been teaching for six months?" The parents were shocked and furious, and wanted to change the class teacher. At that moment, words started appearing on Joanne's presentation slides.[Here's a gentle reminder—Joanne has never been to college. Her life is troubled and messy, and she's hiding something on her body… That's why she always wears long-sleeved shirts and long pants!]"What's happening? Is it true? The class teacher of our kids has never been to college?""What is she hiding? No wonder she put on a shirt with long sleeves o
"Let me go!" Joanne didn't like people touching her, and tried to shake Gina off. Her reaction only made the parents more suspicious, and they wondered if the accusations were true. "We just asked you to roll up your sleeves. What's so difficult about that?""There must be something wrong. We can't let her go. Where's the principal… He has to come here and explain this.""I think we should just tear off her clothes and see if she really has a disease." Some parents even ran to the door to block Joanne from leaving."Yeah, Ms. Garcia. What are you afraid of? We just asked you to roll up your sleeves; it won't hurt you." Gina steadied herself and grabbed Joanne's arms again, then roughly pulled the sleeves of Joanne's shirt, tearing them off. The people there gasped in horror when they saw Joanne's skin."What's wrong with her?""How horrible… Who is she? What did she go through?"Joanne's exposed arms were full of scars and marks. There were burn marks, scratches, and discolor
"Demon?" Quinton sneered maliciously. "We're childhood sweethearts, and we grew up together. Is that how you see me?""I know that I've wronged you, but I was punished too. What else do you want from me?" Joanne looked at Quinton with a pale and teary face. Quinton had recovered his looks, and the scar on his face was gone. He looked more handsome and mature than before, but Joanne knew how scheming he really was. Any woman who got close to him would get addicted to him. Joanne had once been deeply in love with him, but now, all she felt was terror. She just wanted to run away. "Let me go, please. Let me live. I knew I shouldn't have met your sister. I trusted her, but she betrayed me. Your sister is just as scheming and cunning as you!" Joanne's fear turned into anger as she thought about it."Shut up!" Quinton's eyes flashed, and he strangled her. "You can criticize me, but not my sister. I'll break your neck if you keep it up!""Go ahead! I can't wait to leave this miserable worl
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St
Liam walked ahead of Amber, then turned to glance at her. He faked a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?" "No, of course not!" Amber quickly shook her head and pushed her scarf up. It had fallen a little. "I just find it improper," she answered softly.She looked like a typical woman from Southeast Aeos, petite and with a small face. Her skin was tanned, and her facial features weren't very distinct. She was charming and reserved, exuding a girlish pureness. She had put on her country's special traditional clothes. The thick clothes, embroidered with various patterns, wrapped around her petite body and gave her an exotic impression. From afar, she appeared like a colorful oil painting. "Hey, it's not improper. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done that long ago. I don't have to wait until now." Liam sounded relaxed and prudent to ease Amber's anxiety."Don't worry. I've always regarded you as my younger siste
Amber hurriedly turned Liam down. "You can't help with my affairs. I can handle it.""Well, tell me why I can't help you," Liam pressed. "I… I want to sew a wedding gown. And there are a lot of details that I need to add." Amber became competitive for no reason, and added stubbornly, "Your words aren't absolute. Yes, your business is important, but so is mine!""Oh, you want to sew a wedding gown. I can help you with that…" Liam said, relaxed. "Maybe I didn't get to tell you that I went to a small country in Southeast Aeos when I traveled around the world. I got to know a great sewing master. The pictures he sewed looked real like paintings! I found them interesting, so I learned from him. My sewing skills are probably better than yours. I can help you with that.""Really? You can sew?" Amber was full of surprise and admiration. Her eyes lit up. "I can't sew well. I want to learn from a great master too! If you can do it, can you teach me?""Of course!" Liam promised. "Can you he
"Uh…" Amber looked like she was being put in a difficult position. She found it impudent for a man and a woman to be alone in the dense orchard at night. "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" Liam frowned, puzzled. He felt that Amber was purposely avoiding him after expressing her desire not to marry him and making Mateo her groom instead.Before, she would always put on her favorite dress and stand at the entrance of the fort, looking eager no matter how late Liam and Benjamin returned from their work.Usually, she would carry a small bamboo basket containing the tea she brewed and dessert or food she had painstakingly prepared. When Liam returned, she would excitedly welcome him and inquire after him. Lately, she no longer did that. When Liam occasionally ran into her in the fort, she would bow indifferently at him and quickly brush past him as if they were merely acquaintances. They seemed distant.Honestly, Liam found it unfamiliar. He couldn't get used to the fact that Amber
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the guards to get us some fried chicken and French fries? Didn't Mateo say that we can ask the guards for food?" Renee said.Leia's anxiety eased as she relaxed. She turned around and got out of bed, then gestured at the guard and ordered quite a lot of food. Meanwhile, Liam accompanied Benjamin to West River in the morning for a negotiation that yielded a good result. Benjamin's attitude had improved. He didn't demand an explanation from Liam about the affairs between Liam and Amber, and didn't ask about Renee or Leia either. Liam was delighted. He carried the unique desserts he had bought at the local market for Renee and Leia to enjoy. Upon arrival, he found that they were not in the room. "Weird. Where did they go?" Liam looked around, but found no sign of Renee and Leia. He casually asked a servant, but the servant stammered and insisted on not knowing anything. Anxious, Liam kept looking for them in the fort. Coincidentally, he ran into