“This is what Mom wanted. They’ll definitely lose if they take this matter to court. Offending me won’t do them any good either.“They should sell their houses and stores. After that, they can return to your hometown and treat the past decades as if they never happened.”Caroline stood and added, “You should get proper rest since your injury hasn’t recovered fully, Dad. Stop speaking ill of us before the caretaker. You should know your place and accept reality.“Your path was already destined the moment you chose to marry Mom. It was your choice, so you can’t resent anyone for it. The Clark family has also gained many benefits from your marriage. There’s nothing to complain about because it’s a fair trade.”Hunter was embarrassed. Caroline had clearly overheard him complaining earlier.“Call Darren over, Caroline. I want to talk to him.”Hunter forgot about his embarrassment and quickly spoke to Caroline as she was about to head out. She looked toward him and said, “Darren wi
“Why are you here, Emma? To visit Dad? Or do you have relatives who are hospitalized?” Caroline asked. She used to feel neutral about her sisters-in-law. When she returned to the Fisher family, they did not treat her well and curried favor with Celine instead. They even joined Celine in bullying her. Later, Caroline discovered her brothers were having affairs. Her sisters-in-law made a huge fuss about it upon finding out. From a woman’s perspective, she naturally supported and spoke for her sisters-in-law. Although she had also warned her brothers, they did not take her seriously. They were punished and only broke things off with their lovers when Belinda caught Hunter cheating on her. Since then, Caroline’s sisters-in-law started treating her better. Many events happened thereafter, which brought them closer. Emma said, “Your brother and I are divorced, Caroline. I’m no longer your sister-in-law. You can call me Em from now on.“I’m here to look for you. I went to your c
After a pause, Emma continued, “But what did I get in the end? Your brother almost killed me for someone else. I lost hope at that point. I realized that a good marriage can make a woman happy, whereas a bad one will only hurt endlessly.“With my children's age, I have no plans to marry again. Remaining single isn’t too bad. If I meet someone with similar interests, I might date him, but I won’t get married.”Caroline said, “Although Adrian’s my brother, as a woman, I must say he’s a terrible man who isn’t worth entrusting yourself to. Since he cheated on you before, he’ll definitely do it again. I support you getting a divorce.“Live your own life from here on and ignore what others say. I believe your children will come to understand the divorce when they grow older.”Emma nodded. “They’re supportive of me too. Although there was a nanny, I took care of them most of the time after they were born. They’re closer to me. None of them are willing to stay with Adrian after the divorce
Caroline had witnessed Belinda’s downfall and did not want to experience the same thing. She was still young and very much valued her life. “I’ll section out the money Mom left for my nieces and nephews. Those who’ve come of age can manage it themselves. For those who are underage, their parents will manage the money for them. When they become adults, the parents should hand the money over to them. “As parents, you guys won’t keep your children’s money for yourselves, right?”Even if they truly did such a thing, it would have nothing to do with her. After a moment of silence, Emma defended herself, saying, “I’m not here to ask for my children’s inheritance, Caroline. It should be distributed according to Mom’s will, and I think no better person can handle it than you.”Caroline was not Celine. If Celine were in charge, Emma would be worried that her children’s share would be embezzled. However, Caroline was trustworthy. She treated her nieces and nephews equally. While
“There’s a cafe outside the hospital. Fancy a cup of coffee, Emma? We can sit and chat.”Emma quickly replied, “No, thank you. I need to return and ensure my kids are doing their homework. They have plenty to finish this winter. They’ll be on their phones or gaming if I don't watch them.”“It’s best if you can keep an eye on them to prevent them from getting addicted to games and doom scrolling. Supervise them if you have the time to do so. Don’t expect them to be disciplined enough because even we adults can’t control ourselves from using our phones.”Children getting addicted to their phones was a bad habit the adults allowed them to develop. Some adults were focused on using their phones instead of spending time with their children. When the kids threw tantrums, their parents would hand them mobile devices to pacify them. That way, they would focus on their screens instead of making noise. However, that would lead to the children getting addicted to these devices. It would
Everything would be done according to their divorce agreement. The money would be given to his children anyway. Hunter was the one who said to leave the children to Emma. A mother would always love her children. Without his children by his side, it would be more convenient for Adrian to remarry. Adrian’s flirtatious heart was already tempted. He was divorced, and his mother had passed away. No one could control him anymore. He was a free man who could flirt with any woman openly. If he happened to meet someone he liked, he could be a groom again and marry that woman. He could have more children as well. He was rich anyway. Emma stood up. “I’ve told you everything Caroline said. You can make your decision. From now on, don’t disturb me unless you need to. If you want to meet the children, call them and obtain their permission first. Then, you can meet them anytime.”She would not stop the children from meeting Adrian. Adrian nodded and did not ask Emma to stay. Hu
“I’ve informed Mrs. Lewis that there was no need to arrange for someone to pick you two up. Zachary and I will do it.”After speaking, she smiled at Duncan and greeted him. Duncan usually gave off a rough demeanor, but he looked gentler after experiencing love. Serenity was glad that her sister was finally back. Liberty put Sonny down but he continued clinging to her after crying. Even Duncan did not get to carry Sonny and could only touch his little face. Sonny was still pouting. With a sulking face, he complained, “You didn’t wait for me to come back before going to look for Mom.”Duncan replied, “You said you’d be away for a long time, so I went ahead. Aren’t your mom and I back now? I’ll invite you before heading out next time, okay? Don’t be angry. I bought many new toys for you.”“Come and give me a hug. I missed you.”“I don’t believe you. You didn’t miss me at all. You only think about Mom. I missed Mom too. I want to be with her.”Sonny had not missed his mother
With the escort of security vehicles, the two luxury cars left the airport parking lot and drove toward the city center. Liberty dropped off her luggage at her home and had a brief rest before going to Wildridge Manor with Serenity and Zachary. She had a meal and talked to Yorks about what happened in Jensburg. With that, half a day had passed. Since Liberty was back, Sonny would be returning home to live with her. After having lunch, he ran to his room and started packing his clothes and toys. While the adults were talking, the boy dragged his luggage downstairs with two stuffed animals in hand. “Are you leaving, Sonny?” Tania asked sadly upon seeing him coming down with all his stuff packed. “Can’t you stay here for a few more days?”She went over to Sonny and asked softly, “Can’t you stay longer? We’ll miss you if you leave.”Having a child in the house had brightened the atmosphere. The York family adored Sonny. Tania took Sonny’s luggage from him and used her oth
Elisa giggled. “I’m not really jealous. I was just joking with you, Mom. You started it first by joking with me.“I also know that you’re good to Remy for my sake, hoping that my future in-laws will see how well we treat him and, in turn, treat me well too.“But Mom, even if I have to move to Annenburg with Remy in the future, you don’t need to worry about me being bullied. He can protect me, and I can protect myself too. Have you forgotten who I am?“I’m the little hothead. I’m the one who bullies others, not the other way around.”Audrey removed her daughter’s hand and lightly pinched her cheek. “I’m not worried at all about you being bullied by your in-laws. My future in-laws are wonderful people. Their family values are upright, and their household is harmonious. You hit the jackpot by finding a man like Remy.”Elisa said proudly, “That’s because I have a discerning eye. Any man I choose, and his family, must be excellent.”“Yes, yes, you have the best eye.” Audrey laughed an
When Alice saw her sister-in-law return, she quickly asked, “Elisa, have you eaten yet? If not, I can make something for you.”Audrey stopped her daughter-in-law and said, “Don’t worry about her. She’s got Remy in the kitchen cooking something delicious for her. With Remy around, she’s not going to starve.”Hearing this, Alice smiled and sat back down. Elisa protested, “Mom, how can you say that? Remy’s cooking for me of his own volition. You always say I’m exploiting him. You’re getting more and more biased.“You feel sorry for Remy but not me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have found such a good son-in-law like Remy. So, you should still love me the most, just like before.”Audrey chuckled. “If it weren’t for you saying you wanted to eat his cooking, would he be in the kitchen right now? I called you two over for dinner, but you didn’t want to come.“Remy has been working all day. He must be tired, but when he comes home, he still has to serve you like a princess.”“Mom
“I’m not picky with food. Whatever you like, I’ll enjoy it too, so I’ll base the dishes on your preferences.”No matter what, he always put her first.Elisa said contentedly, “I’ll go back home and check on things. I heard my nephew crying earlier. Once the food is ready, just call me over from the fence.”Remy replied dotingly, “Alright, go ahead and check on him. You can bring the baby over to play for a while too.”After being taken out for a stroll, the little one had grown quite fond of going outside. If he cried after being fed, hydrated, and well-rested, it was clear that he just wanted to go out and see the world.As Elisa walked out, she said, “We’ll be eating soon. If we bring him over and he starts crying to go out, it’ll ruin our meal. It’s better to leave him at home for Grandpa True to look after.“Nowadays, he’s the apple of Grandpa True’s eye. Grandpa True even said that to see more of the younger generations, he’ll strive to live a few more years.”Patrick’s wil
However, Remy felt that his niece, Chloe, seemed even more outstanding than her brother. Perhaps in the future, it would be Chloe who would take charge of the family.“I miss Clo-clo so much. I don’t know why, but lately, whenever I see little babies, I feel especially fond of them. Maybe it’s because as I get older, I’m becoming more maternal.”“You’re not old at all. I’m older than you, so don’t talk about being old in front of me.”Remy did not like hearing her say she was getting old. If she was old, then he was even older. Remy felt that he was still in his prime, especially since he had not even married Elisa yet.“I’m older than Seren, and her baby is due in two months.“Oh, by the way, earlier, besides complaining that I was making you cook and worrying that I was tiring you out, my mom also suggested that we start preparing for pregnancy. She said that by the time we hold the wedding in the fall, it could be a double celebration.”Remy turned to look at her, his eyes bur
“Just like how Grandma May taught Zachary and the others, being able to cook isn’t just about earning points when looking for a wife—it’s also about rewarding your own stomach.” His own grandmother had not said anything like that. All she said was that flowers did not stay in bloom forever. Although the Johnsons were currently at their peak and were wealthy beyond measure, the world was unpredictable. Who knew in which generation the family might decline?Having more skills never hurt. Learning an extra skill meant that if the family ever fell on hard times, they would at least have the ability to support themselves.That was why their family elders encouraged them to develop a wide range of skills. They did not need to master everything, but they should at least have a basic understanding of many things. In truth, his cooking skills used to be quite average.It was only after he developed feelings for Elisa and learned that she had once had a crush on Zachary, who was skille
Audrey heard the cry of her precious grandson and immediately forgot about her daughter. She called out loudly, “You two enjoy your time together then. My grandson is crying, so I’m heading back inside.“You and Remy can start preparing for pregnancy too. When it’s time for the wedding, it’ll be a double celebration.”Hearing someone else’s daughter had given birth, Audrey was eager for her daughter to do so too. Though she was already a grandmother, she wanted to be a grandmother to her daughter’s child too. That was simply how elderly people with both sons and daughters were.Elisa was speechless. She heard the hurried footsteps of her mother heading back into the house, calling out before even entering, “Darling, don’t cry. Grandma’s back.”Elisa muttered, “Now that she has a grandson, even I, this precious daughter of hers, have been pushed aside. When I give her a grandson, I doubt there’ll be any room left for me.”She and Remy would definitely have children, but they were n
“Remy, Remy!” a voice called from outside. It sounded like Audrey. Remy came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.“You keep at it, I’ll go out. My mom must have seen the lights and knew you were back, so she’s calling you over for dinner at our house.”At this time, her family was probably halfway through their meal.Elisa put down the remote control and walked out of the house with a packet of snacks in hand, munching as she went.“Mom.” Elisa walked to the fence and responded to her mother.“Elisa? You’re back too? You came back and didn’t even come home for dinner? We’re eating right now. Hurry up and bring Remy over. Grandpa True was just saying that Remy hasn’t come over for dinner in a few days.”Remy had been busy entertaining clients lately, so he had not had time to join his in-laws for meals.Elisa replied, “Mom, I feel like eating Remy’s cooking tonight, so we won’t be coming over. You guys go ahead.”“Oh, you. It’s so late already, and you’re still making Remy c
Elisa said, “Although cousins can be as close as siblings, it’s still better to have another child. After all, we won’t be living at your family home permanently, and our children might not have much time to bond with their cousins in the future.“I have two older brothers, and the three of us have always been close. My brothers have always doted on me, and I can always talk about things with them. My sister-in-law has been very kind to me even after they got married too.“I’m used to having siblings around. It’s lively, and no matter what happens, we can always talk things through. It’s nice not having to face everything alone. I don’t want my children to feel lonely in the future.”Elisa continued, “Most importantly, I love children. If you could be the one to carry and give birth, sparing me the exhaustion of pregnancy, I’d even consider having three kids. But unfortunately, you can’t.“If I have to carry the baby myself, even though I love children, I’d only have two—preferably
Jasmine smiled. “I can’t tell. He’s so tiny. I’m scared when I have to carry him. I’m afraid of hurting him. What if he slips from my arms?”As a first-time mother, Jasmine was inexperienced. She was not like Serenity, who had raised a baby before. Josh and Zachary had secretly taken classes on how to look after a baby. The way Josh held the baby was more accurate than hers. “You’ll get better at it after learning slowly. I didn’t dare to carry my nephew either because I was scared of hurting him, but I’m an expert now.”Elisa could not resist touching the baby’s face again. She really liked babies.“Has the baby been fed?”Camila replied, “He was fed an hour ago.”The baby had been ravenous. Everyone was relieved when they saw the baby could feed normally. The doctor said the baby might experience jaundice a few days later and that premature babies should be monitored closely. Jaundice usually appeared when the baby was a few days old. It would reach its peak after