The worst part was Stefan's reaction.He didn't even acknowledge Renee when he walked past her. It was as if she wasn't even there.Things felt so awkward that Xavier nearly wanted to dig a hole and hide in it."Renee, don't get mad. You know how proud Stef is. He's probably upset because you disrespected him earlier. That's why…" Xavier trailed off."It doesn't matter." Renee shrugged. She looked at Stefan and Seraphine while they walked away. "Didn't I tell you that I no longer want to have anything to do with him? Why would I get mad?""Are you really not upset at all?" Xavier cocked his head. He stared at Renee's face and teased her playfully. "Why does your facial expression seem so different?""..." Renee remained silent.To be honest, Xavier wasn't making things up.She really did get upset for a moment, but it wasn't because of Stefan. Instead, it was Seraphina's doing.This woman was so pretentious. She might seem like a tomboy-like girl who got along with Stefan as a
"..." Renee didn't say anything. She didn't agree, but she made no denial either."Hahaha! Alright. You don't have to answer me. I know what you're thinking. Just listen to me and do as I say." Xavier was determined to be the nice guy and go all the way. He decided he would try one last time to help this proud couple out.If it still didn't work this time, he'd stop caring!Back in the barbecue area, Stefan and Seraphina were roasting skewers.As a result of them sharing the same birthday, they also had a similar outlook on life, and the two had always been close. One could even go as far as to say they were best friends.However, Stefan merely thought of Seraphina as a friend. Seraphina, on the other hand, started developing romantic feelings for him when puberty hit.Just as Seraphina was about to confess her feelings for Stefan, he and Renee suddenly had a flash marriage. Their wedding took the entire Beach City by surprise.Feeling bitter about her feelings that were not rec
Xavier felt a little awkward. He felt the need to do some explaining.Renee, on the other hand, nodded proudly. "Of course. Xavier and I shared significant life experiences together and a similar outlook on life. We also have the same hobbies. Of course, we get along well!""..." Stefan's gaze turned cold. He pursed his lips and remained silent.Seraphina hopped onto her feet and pointed at Renee. "Ms. Everheart, even if I end up offending you, there are things I have to say. We're both women. We may be heartless, but there are still limits to what we should do. Don't you think you're being a bitch? You bring shame to all women!""Oh, why say so?" Renee nearly laughed.Seraphina was really good at this game. Renee hadn't even exposed her for being pretentious, and she already took the first move to defame Renee.Just as she thought… Seraphina was as tough a woman as she was smart!"You and Xavier were being too intimate just now. I don't care what your relationship with him is.
Seeing how the situation was getting intense, Xavier tried to make peace yet again."Alright, alright. I hereby announce that Renee and I are merely friends. There is nothing else going on between us. As for Stef and Seraphina, they're definitely like siblings and nothing else. Shirley and I aren't exactly together yet. Therefore, everyone's still single. We're free to be romantically involved with anyone we like!"It's rare for us to get together like this. Let's just enjoy each other's company and not cause a scene. That's something only elementary school kids would do. If everyone's on board, let's bump fists and call it a day. Alright?" Xavier extended his fist after that.Seraphina was the first to respond by bumping her fist against his.If she still held a grudge against Renee now, she'd seem too calculative.That was why she decided to change her tactic."Ms. Everheart, since it's a misunderstanding, I'll apologize to you. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions…"I'm actua
"Oww!!! It hurts!" A piece of hot charcoal landed on Seraphina's foot and she yelped in pain.The men, who were chatting out in the open, heard the noise, and they all came running. Everyone surrounded Seraphina."What happened? Why did the grill suddenly topple over? Were you two roasting skewers or yourself?" Xavier was confused by the chaotic scene."Stop your sarcasm already. Can't you see that I burned my foot? Hurry up and help me out! What if it leaves a scar?" Seraphina grabbed her foot and clenched her jaws. She was nearly crying.Moses risked taking a beating and continued to mock her. "It's rare to see Seraphina in such a weak state. The charcoal has really done justice for us!"Seraphina swung her fist in his direction. "Moses, how could you say that? Just wait. I'm going to beat you up!"Everyone quickly stopped her. They were all worried about her burned foot, and everyone was focused on her.Christopher silently observed for a moment. "Seraphina, your wound looks
Renee looked up expectantly, but a look of disappointment and surprise soon filled her eyes."Christopher?"Christopher had his back to the sun. He looked like Prince Charming from the novel. "This is quite effective. Hurry up and use it. You don't want any scars to form!""How did you know I…" Renee had an awkward expression on her face.She was trying hard to hide the amount of pain she was in earlier. It wasn't because she was mentally strong, and it also wasn't because her skin was too thick to feel any pain.Instead, she just didn't want to appear too insignificant next to Seraphina while everyone surrounded her."I noticed your facial expression wasn't natural earlier. I figured that you were probably burned too, but I'm sure you have your reasons for not wanting it to be known," Christopher said gently, like how an older brother would. He made Renee feel very safe.Renee sighed and laughed bitterly. Without realizing it, she was opening up to him."You were all so worrie
Renee didn't go home after leaving Hunt Manor.The ridiculous incident the night before, coupled with her burned arm, left her feeling a little troubled. Undoubtedly, it had left her in a sour mood.She decided to only return home after calming down so that Margaret and her children wouldn't worry.After calling Margaret to let her know she was safe, she opened her contacts and tried looking for someone she could vent to.However, apart from Leia, she couldn't find anyone else.Thinking about how Seraphina was spoiled by everyone, she suddenly felt a little jealous.The worst part was that Leia had gone to Tahato for a vacation to get over her recent break-up. She'd only return after two weeks at the very least.While going through her contacts, she suddenly thought of someone. Her eyes lit up instantly."That's right. I can find him. He's a professional at this!"At eight in the evening, colorful lights came on all around the city. The wonderful nightlife in the city had begu
The pub owner likely didn't expect Renee to be here to redeem the man's freedom and didn't quite know what to do at that moment."Why are you hesitating? You're asking them to dance and entertain the customers to earn money, right? So what's the difference if I make a full payment?" Renee asked.She knew money couldn't solve everything, but it did, at least, have the ability to solve most. At the very least, for greedy businesspeople like these, money was their kryptonite."You are absolutely right, Ms. Everheart. But we'd still have to think about this matter thoroughly. Why don't you wait for a bit while I discuss this with my business partners? We'll give you an answer shortly," the pub owner said and left the room. Although it was her excuse to leave, she actually was reporting back to Stefan."Buy my freedom?" Stefan seemed intrigued upon hearing this.After a short pause, he ordered the pub owner, "Tell her it's possible, but there would be terms…."I understand! Don't wo
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.
"That's unnecessary." Justin stood in front of Renee, his face cold. He said firmly, "She's unwell and can't have wine." "Is she unwell? I didn't see that." Jovan sized Renee up before he sized Justin up. Then, he sneered, "And who are you to her? You can't stop her from having wine.""It's none of your business who I am to her. I said she can't have wine." Justin always kept peace with others, but at that moment, he was dominant. He didn't always want to control Renee, but she had drunk a lot of wine that day. It might have hurt her belly. Hence, he felt it better for her to abstain from wine lately. However, Jovan was unaware of that affair. He simply found Justin purposely showing his ownership over Renee, which disgusted him."Waiter, get her a glass of milk. She only wants that," Justin instructed a waiter, showing his consideration for Renee. "It's okay. I can have a little wine. Plus, I'm rather good at drinking. It's not easy for everyone to get together tonight. I do
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