Carlos turned back into the living room.
In the kitchen, Emily Parker’s ears were still hot, holding a spatula, though she was a bit distracted.
Did he take the wrong dicine? Earlier, he was as cold as ice, unwilling even to say an extra word, but today he’s suddenly beco so... considerate?
She thoughtfully skimd the foam from the pot, unaware that it was all because of Little Jules.
The little guy had been rembering "to help mom and dad get along" these days, occasionally using her account,
to casually share with Carlos, and when Carlos received the ssages, he assud it was Emily finally softening a bit for their child’s sake, so his attitude naturally softened too.
In the living room, Aaron and Celeste were lying on the carpet doing a puzzle.
Celeste, after trying for a while, threw the puzzle piece down, pouting, "Puzzles are so troubleso, I don’t want to do it anymore! Daddy, help !"
The daughter was always lively but also lazy, disliking things that required effort, sothing Carlos already knew well.
But to his surprise, Aaron didn’t give up, holding a puzzle piece, earnestly comparing it to the picture, gently moving misplaced pieces, his brows furrowed in concentration.
"Let help you with it."
Carlos sat down on the carpet, picked up a piece of the puzzle, and just when he was about to hand it to Aaron, he realized Aaron had already found the exact spot for it.
They exchanged a glance, Carlos finding the puzzle pieces, Aaron placing them, their movents unusually in sync.
In no ti, the scattered puzzle pieces gradually ford a complete cartoon image.
"Wow! It’s done!" Aaron smiled, despite the rash on his face not subsiding yet, looking particularly adorable.
Carlos, looking at the little boy beside him, couldn’t help but ruffle his hair, Aaron paused for a mont but didn’t dodge.
Just then, the kitchen door was pushed open, and Emily walked out carrying freshly made tomato-braised beef brisket, coincidentally catching sight of this scene?
Carlos sitting on the carpet, gathered with Aaron and Celeste, looking tenderly at the completed puzzle, with Aaron resting against him, and Celeste lying on his leg, the sunlight pouring in through the window, making it look as warm as a painting.
Emily’s steps halted, as an indescribable emotion surged within her.
At the dining table, Aaron and Celeste ate with particular gusto.
Celeste put a piece of beef brisket into Carlos’s bowl, murmuring "Daddy, have more," while Aaron copied his sister, giving Emily a serving of vegetables, whispering, "Mom, you eat too."
The four of them chatted and laughed, the atmosphere extrely warm and even the gradually darkening sky outside appeared exceptionally gentle.
After dinner, the sky had already turned completely dark. Emily tidied up the dining table and saw Carlos and Celeste to the door.
Celeste held Emily’s hand, saying reluctantly, "Mom, I don’t want to go yet."
Emily coaxed her daughter for a bit and only after sending the two to the garage did the father and daughter leave.
As Emily was about to enter the elevator, her eyes unintentionally caught sight of the front.
A black sedan was parked there quietly, its windows tinted dark, obscuring its occupants.
A slight unease stirred in her heart; this car had been parked there ever since she returned, and hadn’t moved at all despite the passing ti.
Without lingering, Emily remained calm, and walked into the elevator.
Inside the sedan, a man held a telephoto cara, aiming it at the direction of the old house entrance, having already captured the mont Emily had arrived.
He quickly organized the photos and short video clips, clicked send, and the screen soon displayed a "send successful" notification.
anwhile, inside a private room of a highly discreet private dining restaurant, Rainny White clutched her phone tightly, her knuckles turning pale, her expression so stormy it could drip water.
"Well, well, Emily!" Rainny gritted her teeth, slamming the phone onto the table, causing a crack across the screen as it struck the table’s edge. "No wonder Carlos has ignored and our child recently; it’s you causing trouble behind my back! You and that pesky son of yours can’t be allowed to stay!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the sharp sound of high heels clicked from outside the door, growing nearer.
Soon, the door to the private room opened and Sophie Parker, wearing black sunglasses, walked in, wrapped in a dark trench coat, her face looking particularly unpleasant.
She casually took off her sunglasses, revealing the bruises on her face that hadn’t faded yet. Her under-eye area was black and blue, with faint purple marks on her cheekbones.
These were the injuries sustained a few days ago during the confrontation with Grace Willow, a result of being scratched by Grace.
For this, she also had a big quarrel with Adam Willow, who not only didn’t help her but told her to "endure it," which left Sophie seething with frustration.
Secretly she regretted her past mistake, thinking Grace Willow would have fewer rules than Mrs. Carter, believing marrying into the Willow Family would be easier. But unexpectedly, Grace turned out to be an unreasonable and unruly old shrew, without money.
"Spit it out, why did you call here?" Sophie pulled over a chair and sat down with impatience, not even bothering with pleasantries.
"Did you know Emily is back?"
As soon as Rainny White said this, her gaze fixed intently on Sophie’s face, eagerly awaiting the reaction she had long anticipated.
"Emily is back?"
Sophie’s voice instantly tightened, like soone had gripped her throat, "Didn’t she leave long ago after the divorce? Why did she suddenly co back?"
That na, to her, was no different than a nightmare returning.
Sophie once naively believed that as long as she and Adam Willow got their marriage certificate, everything would be settled, and Emily would completely disappear from her world.
But reality defied her wishes, and these few years of marriage had been nothing but a self-deceptive farce, where her relationship with Adam had long been in na only.
She lived once again in a suffocatingly oppressive life, even worse than in her dreams.
At least in her dream about the Carter Family, she had endless luxury and didn’t have to worry about food and clothing.
But with the current Willow Family, hypocritical and harsh, each interaction left her feeling utterly disgusted, the air even carrying a scent of decay.
The idea of divorce had crossed her mind, but each ti it was forcibly suppressed by an internal objection of "unwillingness."
What if—what if one day Adam Willow’s fortunes suddenly turned, making him soone everyone envied, and she’d rightfully be the richest wife.
This thought was like poison, sustaining her through countless unbearable nights.
But now, even Evan Palr was going to prison, shattering that flimsy hope, making the dream of being the richest wife seem as distant as a joke.
Over the years, Sophie’s only solace was seeing Emily equally at rock bottom like herself.
She struggled in a loveless marriage, and Emily wasn’t faring much better.
After the divorce, she was alone, leaving the city in disgrace, seemingly never to return.
She thought that was their final ending, yet she hadn’t expected Emily would ever set foot here again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)