"Okay, come back as soon as you can." Renee bit her lip and sat down again. She didn't want to be in that bloody and smelly place, so she decided to wait alone for Stefan for a while. It was something she had to learn to get used to because Stefan would leave one day, and Renee would only get hurt if she clung to him too much. Renee's other senses were heightened after she went blind, and she could feel many people walk past her. They were probably staring at her like she was a monster. After a while, something soft suddenly touched her hand."What is that?" Startled, she quickly pushed the thing away.She then heard a boy cry loudly. "Waah! Mommy, that woman pushed me! Beat her up!" It was actually a boy who was trying to see if Renee was truly blind, and he started crying when he got pushed to the ground. The boy's mother was snatching discounted products at the discount section, but she immediately ran over when she heard the noise. She was quite plump and overbearing. "What h
At first, Renee was calm and confident, but she panicked the moment she lost her sunglasses. It was as if her most hideous scar had been exposed, and feeling self-conscious, she couldn't fight back and just wanted to hide. She squatted on the floor and searched for her sunglasses anxiously. "Where are my sunglasses? Can anyone... help me find my sunglasses?" She felt around the floor frantically, trembling and sobbing pitifully. Feeling bold, the crowd immediately started criticizing Renee. "Hmph, now you're panicking! Weren't you being rude earlier? People like you are asking for a beating!""What's the big deal if you're blind? That doesn't mean you can bully people! Plus, no one knows how you became blind. We shouldn't show you any pity!"Not only did they not help Renee pick up her sunglasses, but they even purposely kicked it further away from her.When that fat woman realized that Renee was blind and the onlookers were supporting her, she became cocky. She grabbed Renee's
Renee buried her head in Stefan's chest and clung to his shirt, refusing to let go. Stefan's embrace had become her sanctuary, and she wasn't afraid as long as she was in his arms. Stefan looked around for Renee's sunglasses but failed to locate them.At last, it was a girl who found the sunglasses in a far corner and obediently handed them to Stefan. "Here... The lady's sunglasses," the girl said politely. "Thank you." Stefan took the sunglasses from her and gently put them on for Renee.Renee remained silent. Now that she had her sunglasses on, her fear and despair slowly faded away. However, she still didn't move or let go of Stefan's shirt. She thought that she was strong and mentally prepared for the hardships to come, but she didn't realize people could be so wicked. The way those people bullied and humiliated her felt like a nightmare that would never go away. "There, there, it's okay now. I'm here. No one can hurt you," Stefan murmured softly, talking to her as if she w
Plop! That plump woman got down on her knees in front of Renee and hit her head against the floor, begging for mercy. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have vented my anger on you both. Please forgive and punish me." When she saw how domineering and unafraid Stefan was, she figured that Stefan and Renee probably came from strong backgrounds. If she didn't bow down now, she might face more serious consequences later. "Let's go." Renee tugged at Stefan's clothes and whispered, "I don't like it here… I want to leave." The previous incident was a blow to her pride, and she disliked the crowd that had gathered to watch. "But that woman..." Stefan was furious, and wanted to teach that impolite woman a lesson for bullying Renee."She's not important," Renee said coolly. "It's just human nature to bully the weak, so there's no point even if you kill her." There was only one thought in her mind, and that was to leave. She was tired of being stared at like an animal in a zoo."Okay, let
"You don't know, do you? Vases are the rarest things in the world. They make a place more beautiful just by being there, and it's very easy for people to like them. People will even sacrifice for them and cherish them like any treasure in the museum, so be a good vase and stop overthinking. Just enjoy how we care for you." Stefan said everything he could to console Renee, and all his words were sincere. He had always wanted to take care of Renee, but she was fiercely independent and a perfectionist. She never let him have the chance to take care of her, and would protect him instead. However, now that this had happened, Stefan had finally found his long-lost sense of existence and self-worth."But I don't want to..." Renee exhaled sadly. "No one wants to be a vase and let others decide their fate. Plus, no one will take care of someone for the rest of their lives. Everyone in this world has something they need to do, and they won't stop for someone else.""Are you doubting my sinceri
"A dream?" Abby blinked and asked Stefan innocently, "Was it a nightmare? Were you scared? Did people try to bully you?" "Umm..." Stefan didn't expect Abby to believe him, and smiled helplessly as he said, "I don't know if it's considered a nightmare, but I felt muddle-headed like a zombie. I always felt like I had lost something important, and only after I woke up did I realize that it was all of you.""Mm, I won't blame you for it then… but I feel sad that I wasn't with you when you had that nightmare. Are you angry at me?" Abby asked Stefan seriously as she held his face. Her mother and brother would always stay with her patiently whenever she had a nightmare, and they would hug and comfort her so she wouldn't be scared. However, Stefan had to face that horrible nightmare alone, and Abby, Adie, and Renee even scolded him when he didn't remember them. It made Abby feel like she had wronged Stefan. "Haha! There's no way I'd be mad at all of you, silly… I dote on you all too much
"I know I didn't keep my word in the past and I hurt you all, Adie… but I guarantee that I'll always be with you and protect you as you grow up," Stefan said to Adie sincerely. Stefan noticed Renee's expression grow colder, and quickly said to the children, "Why don't you both go and play? Your mommy is very tired from shopping at the mall today, so I'll take her upstairs to rest. I'll cook your favorite fish and beef later, okay?""Yeah!" Abby jumped around excitedly when she heard that.Adie looked at his parents and said knowingly, "You both want some time alone with each other, don't you? Don't worry, Abby and I won't disturb you. Abby, let's go!"After that, the children ran to the garden to play.Stefan helped Renee up the second floor and into the bedroom, then led her to sit down on the bed. "You've been through a lot today, so why not get some rest? I'll come and wake you up when the food's ready." Stefan was acting like Renee's personal caretaker. Renee couldn't find an
Stefan's words were reassuring, and Renee felt that maybe she was worrying too much about the future. She didn't want to regret wasting this precious time together, so it was probably best for her to take things one step at a time and live in the moment.After speaking to Renee, Stefan went to the kitchen to cook. He was a bit worried because this was the first time he would be cooking for them, and he had to satisfy Renee, Adie, and Abby's tastes. He worked hard in the kitchen, determined to impress them. The children were enjoying themselves in the garden, and they could smell the aroma of Stefan's cooking from time to time.Meanwhile, Renee was lying in bed. She wasn't sleepy, but the incident at the shopping mall had left her mentally exhausted. After a while, she dozed off."Dear? Dear, the food's ready." As she drifted in and out of sleep, Renee heard a low and magnetic male voice. She pulled the blanket around her tightly and muttered something before going back to sleep.
They danced for around ten minutes. Renee danced to the song heartily. Her initial gloomy mood also improved.Renee drank some water and took a few deep breaths. Then, she sincerely praised Leia, "Alright. Your welcome ceremony is bizarre, but it helped relieve my stress. I like it very much!"She could tell that Leia had painstakingly prepared that gift for her. After all, it was not easy to ask the Zambawi people from primitive tribes to sing an English song. "I'm glad you like it. I did this because I wanted you to relax and stop taking things seriously. You need to stop being so hard on yourself and get rid of all the pressure!" Leia said honestly. The Zambawi hand-drum dance came with the charms of a primitive dance. Its goal was to set people free. Of course, it was suitable for Renee to relieve her stress."Yeah, your stress is relieved. From now on, you'll start afresh. This is for you. I'm sure it'll be one of your happy memories." Liam handed the previous Polaroid to
"This is your welcome ceremony. This hand-drum dance is to help eliminate bad luck." Leia held Renee's arm, satisfied with her arrangement. She said happily, "Listen to their song! It's a great song!""Is there a song?" Renee frowned; she felt that Leia was always doing bizarre things. She wondered how Leia could come up with such a preposterous welcome ceremony."Mm, listen carefully! It's English. You can understand it." At that point, Leia said to the Zambawi people, "Put on your microphone. And sing louder."The Zambawi people gave their cooperation. They used their typical Zambawi singing to sing the English song. While listening to the song, Renee found it very familiar. "The flowers will bloom in spring, and the birds are free. I'm still waiting, waiting for my love to come back. Hurry home!""Isn't that Spring Flowers by Curtis Harrett?" Renee finally recalled what song it was. It was a song with a happy beat. It could make people happy. The Zambawi people made th
"I don't know, either. All I ever remember from when I was young is that I led a very painful life. I once tried my best to make the Garcia family accept me. I did all the dirty and tiring jobs. I went out to work at an early age to get money for them. I also did all the house chores. "But my foster parents were never nice to me. They would always beat me up or scold me. My elder foster brother also saw me as an eyesore. He always tried to get me killed…" Quinton calmly described his past. He no longer seemed to be in pain. All that was left in him was numbness, as if he were talking about someone else.However, Renee was always in pain whenever she heard him talk about his past. She felt like she had returned to his past with him and experienced those painful things. It was normal for her to feel that way because they were twins. A lot of their thoughts and feelings were synchronized. "I suddenly recalled that I would inexplicably become gloomy many times when I was young. I
"I'm sorry." When Renee heard that from Quinton, she realized the conflict between him and Stefan had yet to be resolved. It was temporarily put aside because of her. She occasionally saw him and Stefan talk to each other and drink together, but they merely put on a show to ease her mind. Their hatred for each other hadn't been eliminated. Instead, it was growing secretly. If Renee were Quinton, she might never forgive the person who had snatched away her beloved and seized her identity. That person even ruined her face."Why did you say sorry to me? It's the resentment between him and me. It has nothing to do with you. Plus, I didn't know he was my brother-in-law then. If I knew, I wouldn't have fought him." When Quinton recalled those affairs, he realized that people were nothing but the sport of fate. If there had been no resentment between him and Stefan, Renee might not have broken up with Stefan. Their families might even get closer. "Stop bringing up the past. It's
During these days, Renee was under pressure because of her affairs. She had no chance to ask Quinton about it. Now, the long flight gave them a chance to have a deep conversation. They could talk about their woes and seek consolation."Me?" Quinton lowered his head and shook his head helplessly. "I'm still the same old me. Nothing is troubling me. I've been busy with Carmine Pawnshop. I have no time to think about other stuff.""You have no time?" Renee touched her chin and smiled naughtily. "Then, you must have been dwelling on other stuff. Let me guess… Is it the thing between you and Joanne?" "Stop asking so much." Quinton did not deny it but refused to talk much about that. "It looks like I made the right guess. You fell out with Joanne, didn't you?" Renee knew Quinton well. Generally, his work would not affect his mood. The only person who could affect his mood was Joanne, who shared a complicated relationship with him. Before Renee left Beach City, she had created a l
After a long while, Quinton turned around. He looked at Renee, who was across from him, and heaved a long sigh."We're about to go home soon. Why do you look this gloomy? What's wrong…? Are you reluctant to part with this place?" Quinton said. "No, I'm not." Renee poured herself a glass of orange juice and sipped it. She frowned and dwelled on it before she said, "I feel empty inside. I don't know if I made the right choice.""Empty?" Quinton asked curiously."I think I've said goodbye to a steady life since I decided to leave. Maybe I'll keep on wandering from now on," Renee said melancholically. The reason why she chose to give it a try with Justin because she was tired. She was exhausted from leading a wandering life and wanted to settle down with someone. Others could not give her the sense of security like Justin. When she saw him, she inexplicably wanted a home. At that time, she thought she could forget about everything and start a new life with him. Unexpectedly, she
Adie was still a child, but he acted like a smart person and could see through a lot of things. He could guess why Austin took them to the Baldwin residence. He had also heard the servants of the Baldwin family rebuking Renee in secret. After combining various situations, he learned about what had happened between Renee and Justin. Despite everything, Justin could forgive Renee under such circumstances. He also treated Adie and Abby nicely. It proved that he was a very compassionate man. A small regret gripped Adie. He wondered why Renee didn't date Justin right from the start. If Renee were with such a kind man, she might be very happy. She wouldn't have to suffer through so many hardships either. "No, you don't know me. I always sweat the small stuff."Justin was displeased since Adie had claimed that he was a good guy, like Renee had. He heaved a long sigh and said, "But it's useless even if I sweat the small stuff, so I stop trying. It all comes down to fate. We can't forc
Renee turned and found Jovan unscathed. Relief washed over her. She said grumpily, "It's none of your business!""Tsk! How cruel!" Jovan clutched his chest and pretended to be in deep pain. At the same time, he teased, "I know. Your soulmate is better. I'm so jealous of him, though he's still a fallback guy.""Go to hell, Jovan!" Jovan's nasty words drove Renee mad. She grabbed a piece of napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at his face. "If I knew you'd talk so badly, I wouldn't be bothered to save you. Maybe you'll get reborn in Ulria. Then, you have to watch your tongue!""Hey! Yeah, I was wrong. You don't have to curse me like that!" Jovan raised his hands to surrender, but felt quite moved. He poured himself a glass of milk and devotedly toasted to her. "Thank you for caring about me and trying your best to save me. I'll toast to you. And you can do whatever you want.""You're so childish." Renee rolled her eyes and was amused.Justin was quite jealous to see them
"What's that?" Justin frowned and said with disdain, "That's something to fool naive women like you. Only lovestruck fools will believe that." As a materialistic person, he never believed in things like horoscopes and fortune-telling. At most, they were mixed with some psychology. They weren't trustworthy at all.If Renee wanted to use those things to talk about their relationships and destinies, it would seem very childish. "Don't be so extreme. Those things are real and logical." Renee acted like an experienced salesperson and gradually eliminated Justin's prejudice. She said patiently, "If you believe those things, they can guide you and help you to see things through. If not, you can use them to kill time. Just try to get to know them. Isn't that nice?"Finally, Justin was convinced. He had some milk and asked her leisurely, "Fine. Tell me what kind of relationship we have based on those things." "I learned that our relationship is a declining friendship based on our birt