All Chapters of Love, Law, and Remarrying: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Soon, someone from the tax bureau called out from inside, "Who's the person in charge and legal representative of this beauty salon?"Brandon walked in with Sheryl and immediately stepped in front of her protectively. "Hello. My wife may be the legal representative on paper, but she's never been involved in running the beauty salon. She doesn't handle the finances at all," he said.Elaine's eyes glistened. She backed him up right away. "My daughter-in-law really hasn't been involved in the beauty salon's operations or decision-making. I only found out about the tax evasion myself recently, let alone her."As they spoke, Sheryl quietly turned on the voice recorder in her purse. She still looked anxious and fearful, like someone overwhelmed by the situation.One of the tax bureau officers gave her a glance. "We'll need to make copies of these financial records and take them back for filing. We're now issuing an official notice. 'Veloura Atelier must repay all taxes and submit the f

Back then, Sheryl's professor had said that if her painting had made it to the competition, she definitely would've placed in the top three.The person who knocked over her painting was never found. She had been so angry she had cried under her bed covers for a whole day. What had Vivian said to comfort her back then?"Come on, it was just an accident. You wouldn't have made it in time for the exhibition anyway, so don't be mad."Stop crying. Look how swollen your eyes are. It hurts just looking at you. My painting's still in, so if I win a prize, I'll split the cash with you and we'll have a feast."Too much time had passed. Sheryl couldn't remember the rest of what Vivian had said, but now, recalling those two lines, a bitter feeling stirred in her chest.And a hint of suspicion.What if Vivian was the one who had knocked over her painting?She didn't get an answer then, and there was no way she'd find one now.What mattered was that if Vivian's so-called friendship had alr

Vivian's face turned white. Her hands clenched into fists. She had nowhere to vent. The rage burned silently inside her. All she could do was cast a solemn look at Brandon from behind.She had no choice but to echo Sheryl's words through clenched teeth."Yeah, people like that are just awful."Sheryl glanced at the forced smile on Vivian's face. Sunlight broke through the clouds in scattered beams, warming her and gradually dissolving the gloom that had been weighing her heart down.The opening ceremony was held in the school's main auditorium, which could seat over 4,000 people.There were quite a few students nearby, and as they recognized members of the group—especially Steven, Sheryl, and Brandon—they began murmuring amongst themselves.The bolder ones even called out, 'Hi, Mr. Peterson!' to Steven and, 'You two look so perfect together!' to Sheryl and Brandon.Sheryl turned back to smile at them. Bathed in sunlight, her stunning face drew even more admirers with that soft a

Sheryl's eyes narrowed. She knew it. She'd been wondering why Vivian suddenly agreed to tag along to the basketball court if she'd been trying to ditch her.It turned out it was because the old sports equipment room was barely 300 feet away.Northwood College had two equipment rooms. There was an old one, and the other was a brand-new facility, recently completed with Brandon's investment.Though the two rooms were technically connected, the new one was much bigger and had newer gear, so most of the school's equipment had been moved there. The old room was now just used as a storage space for broken or retired gear. Maintenance staff only checked it periodically.When Sheryl arrived, she saw that several students were gathered outside the new equipment room. They were either borrowing or returning items. The old one, however, was tucked behind the building, with a side entrance that led to a narrow alley. Hardly anyone went back there.As she turned the corner, she was shocked to

"Alright, you two go enjoy yourselves. I won't be the third wheel." Vivian had gotten a taste of success and now knew when to back off. She gave them some space.Before Sheryl could say anything, Vivian waved cheerfully and turned around, heading off toward the basketball court.Brandon glanced at the untouched coffee in her hand and chuckled. "For me?""Yeah. It's not hot anymore, though." Sheryl handed it over. "Want to grab a fresh one? It's not far.""It's fine. It's actually a little warm out here. Cold coffee sounds perfect." As he spoke, Brandon grabbed the coffee and reached out to hold her hand.The warmth of his touch made Sheryl frown. The memory of him and Vivian kissing earlier stirred up a wave of nausea.How could he act so calm and unaffected?Just moments ago, he'd been kissing Vivian passionately. Now he was here, holding her hand, pretending they were still the couple they used to be while reminiscing about old times.It was disgusting.What did she and Vivi