"What is it?" Elliot asked while removing his clothes."Melvin wants to hire Eric as our spokesperson because he thinks that Eric is popular and that this will increase our sales," Avery said."And what do you think?""What do I think? Don't you know me?" She sighed. "If I go to Eric, he won't turn me down. I just feel awkward because Eric would never accept payment, at least not in accordance with his normal rates... That's just as bad as asking him to do it for free.""If this troubles you that much, just reject your vice president's proposal." Elliot was supportive. "There are plenty of popular idols that you can choose from.""But Melvin is dead set on Eric because Eric is more popular than most.""That's just what you think. You might think that he's the most popular guy in the whole universe, but are you sure that's what everyone else thinks?" He retorted. "There are countless idols out there and all their fans all think that their idols are the most popular.""That makes
The next morning, Juliet arrived at the office just in time to find Avery talking to Melvin about hiring a spokesperson."Let me ask him when he will be free! I'll ask him out and talk to him in person," Avery said to Melvin. "There's no hurry. It's going to be New Year's soon so we can wait until next year.""President Tate, the end of a year is the best opportunity to up-sales! Other firms are working hard toward it so we can't fall behind!" Melvin was focused on their sales. "Why don't you give me his contact number and I'll reach out to him. I promise not to disturb him while he's working.""Let me think about it! You should get back to work for now! I need to talk to Juliet."Melvin glanced at Juliet, before walking out.Juliet closed the door behind him and walked toward Avery, before asking respectfully, "President Tate, what do you need to speak to me about?""Um... Nothing much, actually. I just made up an excuse to send him away." Avery took her thermal flask out from h
She raised her arm and said, "yeah! I was injured on my wrist before, so the doctor asks me to wear this at all times.""Oh! So that means you can't do any heavy-lifting as well, right?"Juliet smiled and was about to answer, when another secretary interrupted her. "Juliet doesn't need to do any heavy-lifting at her position! If you really need to, just ask us for help, Juliet!"Juliet had not expected for her colleagues to be so friendly and did not quite know how to respond. "President Tate has asked me to work with the admin department on matters regarding the annual dinner for now, so I don't think there's any heavy-lifting involved. Thank you, everyone. You are all so nice. When I get my salary, I will buy coffee for everyone.""Sure! I'm on a diet, but I will take whatever you buy!""You are so pretty, Juliet. Do you have a boyfriend? I heard that you are from Ylore. Are you planning to stay here or will you go home after working here for a while?"Juliet went to sit down a
She knew that Grandma would be overjoyed if she brought potatoes home.The children had calmed down shortly after and the teachers started leading their classes to the field to dig for potatoes.Each class was assigned an area and Irene focused on the task at hand, thinking that no one else would be frightened by her any longer.Shortly after, someone kicked her from behind. "You are so ugly! You are a little monster!"A boy waved his plastic shovel and mocked her. "They are afraid of you, but I'm not! You ugly monster! Get out of our kindergarten!"Irene clenched her fists in the dirt and roared, "I'm not a monster!""You are! You are a monster! You are scarier than a monster!" The boy yelled, before shoving her to the ground.Tears filled her eyes, but she held back and reminded herself not to cry. At the same time, she crawled up and shoved the boy back."What are you two doing?! No fighting!" The teachers hurried over to stop them.An hour later, Grandma was pulled aside b
The little boy's parents were stunned and turned to look at the girl.The little girl was with her father, who appeared extremely intimidating with his towering figure and muscular build."What? Did you not hear my daughter? Your son bullied a little girl. Forget getting scratched on the face, even if he gets beaten to death, he only has himself to blame! What a shame it is to be a bully!" the man said.The old woman took the chance to add, "See? Irene wasn't the one who started it, how can you blame Irene? You teachers should know who's being unreasonable and who bullied who. You can't just put the blame on us just because I am an old woman and she is a little girl! It's fine even if you don't want Irene to study here, but you will have to give us a full refund."Not knowing what to do, the teacher said, "Calm down, ma'am. Our principal isn't here today, so I need to call him and speak to him about this.""Sure. I hope you tell the principal who started the fight as well. All Ire
Juliet returned to her rented apartment, taking off her heels and changing into slippers, before walking to the bedroom."It's alright. Just a little tired. Tate Industries is bigger than I imagined, so the annual dinner is insanely big, too. It's my first time seeing something on this scale." Juliet sat down on the bed and switched her phone to speaker mode. Then, she poured herself a glass of water. "I asked around, and all the employees seemed to like Avery.""That just means that the job offer they got from Avery is good. Employees work for their bosses and couldn't possibly know who their bosses are in private," the old woman said objectively. "To know who Avery is, you will need to talk to her friends and observe her behavior in private.""Yeah. It's my first day at work, so I had to be extremely careful not to say or do the wrong thing, or I might not pass the probation, which means I won't have the chance to get to know her.""That's too much work, Madam!""It's fine. Aver
After the call with the teacher, Juliet obtained the phone number of the little boy's mother. She calmed herself before making the call.The mother answered and asked, "Who is this?""I'm Irene's guardian. I've been informed about your son bullying Irene. I would like to ask you to get your son to apologize to her tomorrow at school," said Juliet. "Of course, I won't force him to if he doesn't want to do it.""Hahaha! You are hilarious! Irene scratched my son's face—""Your son had it coming. He was the one who started it. If he doesn't apologize to Irene, he will never learn from his mistake. If you spoil him, he will continue to pick fights with others as he grows up, and eventually, he might wind up getting beaten to death or thrown in jail as punishment," Juliet said swiftly. "That's all I want to say. How you want to educate your child is up to you, but if your son dares to bully Irene again, I will tell Irene to beat him up until he quiets down."The boy's mother trembled in
"Ben, you are probably worried that things could go wrong during the wedding, right?" Avery smiled. "I thought Lilith said she would take leave three days before the wedding? You can rehearse every day once she has time off work.""He's just in a hurry, and I don't even know why. I already told him that I will do the rehearsal once I get some time off, but he won't drop it," Lilith said."Lilith, it's my first time getting married. I'm just nervous. I hope you understand.""Is this your first time? It's my first time as well. Why am I not nervous, then?""Because you are young. Young people are more impetuous.""Impetuous?" Lilith scowled. "Is that supposed to be an insult?""Of course, not! Why would I insult you? It just means you are too young to fear anything," Ben said, as he remembered Avery's assistant. "Avery's assistant is the perfect example of this. Her assistant graduated this summer and had the guts to submit her resume to Sterling Group. Daring, isn't she? The adver
Three years later…Ivy and Robert stood at the airport in Aryadelle, anxiously waiting."It's been three years! Your boyfriend is finally here to see you!" Robert exclaimed before shifting the conversation. "He's not here to break up with you, is he? After all, you haven't seen each other in three years. A lot can change."Ivy sighed, "Robert, can you not jinx it? Although we haven't met in three years, we talk on the phone and video call every day!"Robert quipped, "Digital romance.""Anyway, he promised me that he's going to settle down in Aryadelle this time, and we won't be apart again," Ivy said. Robert smirked. "He's got a strong sense of pride. When he meets Dad later, they might not hit it off, and he'll buy a ticket to leave tonight!"Feeling helpless, Ivy was at a loss for words. Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Ivy!"Ivy immediately looked over to the source of the voice and saw Lucas stepping out of the exit, dragging his suitcase behind him. A smile sp
Mr. Woods did not expect Hayden to be so direct, and he found himself momentarily caught off guard. He had come to ask Hayden for money, but he had not thought about exactly how much he wanted. After all, Hayden's family was extremely wealthy, and he did not want to ask for too little and feel shortchanged, nor did he want to risk asking for too much and having Hayden refuse. It was a tough decision. After a brief internal struggle, Mr. Woods turned to Hayden and said, "I know your family is one of the wealthiest in Aryadelle, so why don't you name the price? I trust you won't mistreat my son and our family." Hayden furrowed his brows slightly. Shelly, noticing his hesitation, quickly chimed in, "Uncle, why don't you make an offer? We're not very familiar with this process. If you insist on us naming a price, we might need to consult my father-in-law." "Elliot Foster, you mean?" Mr. Woods asked. Shelly nodded. "Yes. My father-in-law isn't as easygoing as my husband. After a
"All right. Let's find a place nearby to sit and talk." Mr. Woods breathed a sigh of relief. "Good! Our house is actually nearby. Would you like to visit? Ivy has been with us for many years, and our staff has a close relationship with her." Hayden glanced at Shelly and asked, "Should we go?" "Sure!" Shelly said. Mr. Woods immediately invited Hayden and Shelly into his car and drove them to the Woods' mansion. Upon arriving, Mr. Woods instructed the servants to serve tea and refreshments. He pointed to the butler and said to Hayden, "This is our butler. He hired Ivy's grandmother." Hayden nodded. Mr. Woods then introduced Hayden: "This is Irene's older brother, the renowned businessman Mr. Hayden Tate." "Hello, Mr. Tate. Irene was a wonderful young lady," the butler said. "We all liked her very much. When we heard of her passing, we were truly saddened. Fortunately, she didn't actually pass away! Ivy is a very sensible and resilient girl, one of the strongest I've eve
Ivy's eyes were red as she said, "Hayden, Lucas' mother has passed away, so I won't be able to spend time with you for a few days." "It's okay. Given what has happened, we're not in the mood for fun either. After we attend his mother's funeral, Shelly and I will return," Hayden said. Ivy nodded. "How are funerals handled here?" Hayden asked. Given Lucas' relationship with Ivy, his younger sister, he felt a sense of duty to help Lucas with the funeral arrangements. "It's similar to how it's done back at home. Wealthy people can have elaborate funerals, and those with less money can opt for simpler ceremonies. Those who can't afford much at all can forgo the ceremony and opt for a simple burial," Ivy said. "What if someone wants a more elaborate funeral?" "Hayden, do you want to help with his mother's funeral? He doesn't have any close relatives here, so there's no need for an elaborate ceremony," she explained. "I see. Go and talk to him about it. I'll help with whatever I
Lucas hung up, tears welling in his eyes. Ivy stood by his side and asked, "What's wrong, Lucas?" "My mom has passed away. You should keep your brother company! I need to head back to the hospital." "I will come along! Aunty seemed fine just now, so why did she suddenly pass away?" The two hurried toward the car, completely forgetting about Hayden and Shelly. Hayden and Shelly watched as they left awkwardly, and Shelly said, "Honey, let's go to the hospital. I think Lucas' mother has passed away." "Sure." The two caught a taxi and hurried after Lucas. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Lucas arrived to first encounter the doctor and then his father. Mr. Woods tried ingratiating himself with his son, saying, "Lucas, I came to the hospital to see your mother, but when I arrived, she had already passed away. What a shame!" "Are you sure she had already passed away before you came? I was here earlier today, and when I saw her, she was still alive!" Lucas said. Mr. Woods reto
Mr. Woods sneered, "What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Although the Woods family has fallen on hard times, we're still a prominent family in Taronia! Lucas may be foolish, but are you any wiser? If it weren't for me backing Lucas, would the Fosters even look at him?" "Shut up! The Foster family isn't narrow-minded like you! Ivy's family doesn't dislike Lucas, so don't go causing trouble! They don't want to see you at all!" Lucas' mother retorted. Mr. Woods scoffed. "Is that so? Do you really think they don't look down on him? Why wouldn't they? Are they planning to make Lucas marry into their family instead of the other way round?" "It's none of your business! You never cared about Lucas, and now that he's independent, he doesn't need you anymore! You wouldn't have come to me repeatedly if Ivy wasn't Elliot Foster's daughter and if she wasn't interested in Lucas. Do you really think I have no idea what you are plotting?" Mr. Woods countered, "What nonsense are you ta
Ivy did not hesitate, immediately shaking her head. "I'm not leaving. Don't worry about me; just focus on yourself." "Staying here is just a waste of time." "I've been studying and interning so hard for so long. What's wrong with taking a break now?" Ivy argued. Before long, Hayden and Shelly had finished their shopping, and Ivy and Lucas immediately joined them to go to the hospital. Lucas' mother had no idea that Ivy's brother and sister-in-law were coming to visit her, so she appeared a bit uncomfortable when they arrived. She tried to sit up, but her body failed her. Ivy raised the head of the hospital bed. "Aunty, my big brother and sister-in-law came over to Taronia for a visit. They wanted to see Lucas and you." "Oh, this is really embarrassing. It's a blessing for my son to know Ivy..." Lucas' mother muttered sheepishly. Shelly reassured, "Aunty, don't say that. Lucas is outstanding. Otherwise, Ivy wouldn't have fallen for him." Lucas' mother continued, "I've
Throughout the meal, Ivy found it hard to enjoy her food. Lucas and Hayden discussed everything that mattered, and the conversation went smoother than anyone had anticipated. Hayden was not upset, nor was Lucas. It was a better scenario than what Ivy had hoped for, but she still felt depressed. "Lucas, my husband and I would like to pay your mother a visit. Would that be okay?" Shelly asked after finishing her food. "Sure," Lucas said. "Don't we need to ask your mom first?" Ivy asked. "It's fine. We can just head over right away and introduce them once we arrive." Lucas' mother grew weaker every day and had stopped using her phone altogether, so it was her nurse, whom Lucas had hired, who reported his mother's condition to him daily. "You restarted your business and have to take care of your mother simultaneously; you're really strong. Most people would crumble under the pressure," Shelly commented. "Ivy had a tougher life before. She didn't crumble, so I won't eith
After what Ivy said, Lucas added, "I want to focus on my career for now. Marriage is secondary until I become more successful." Hayden sneered. "Running a business isn't as simple as it seems. What if you fail or never achieve anything out of the ordinary?" "If that happens, I won't drag Ivy down," Lucas said. "At least you know your place." Ivy felt as though her cheeks were on fire. "Hayden, even if Lucas fails, I won't give up on him. I won't let him go just because of his financial state." Shelly grabbed Hayden's hand again, signaling to him to control his temper; he could be rude to others, but he could not be so demanding with Ivy. Ivy sensed that she was slightly out of line, and her tone eased. "Hayden, we shouldn’t judge people based on their wealth. Our family is rich enough, and there really aren't that many people out there who can compare to our financial state, so why does it matter how wealthy my partner is?" "Ivy is right. Love matters most. Even if we man