Chapter 39“Mom.” Aurelia hesitantly interrupted Linda’s praise and shifted the conversation. “Apart from disliking pasta, does Mr. Snyder have any other food preferences?”The silence stretched for more than ten seconds after Linda heard her question. Aurelia assumed it was a signal issue.“Mom? Mom? Can you hear me?”“Leslie told you that he dislikes pasta? Did he… Personally mention it to you?” Linda sounded startled.“Yes. Mom, is there something wrong?” Aurelia was puzzled.“When Leslie was young, there was a school project where kids had to make carbonara for their parents. Coincidentally, it was his father’s birthday.”“Leslie tried his best to make carbonara for his father, but it ended with him being scolded and hearing hurtful words.“He doesn’t hate the taste of pasta. It’s certain implications associated with it that he despises. Since then, he never eats pasta.”Linda’s tone turned melancholic as she recounted the event.Aurelia stood amidst the vast array of shelves as her gaze lost its luster. She couldn’t fathom the disappointment that Leslie had felt in his childhood.When she offered him pasta earlier, he had not shown any signs of disdain. Perhaps, it was to save her from embarrassment.“Mom, I got it.”“Sorry, I just remembered the past. Leslie likes the ravioli I make, but I’m not skilled at it and they tend to fall apart. Yet, he still finishes them all each time and worries that it might upset me.”“Aurelia, please take good care of Leslie. He isn’t as difficult as you might think. Don’t dislike him just because of his aloofness, okay?”Linda seemed worried that Aurelia might consider leaving Leslie because of his distant demeanor.“Mom, don’t worry,” Aurelia said as she pushed the cart toward another food section.“Alright, I won’t disturb your shopping anymore.” With that, Linda concluded their conversation.“Okay, bye.”Aurelia ended the call. After having purchased some ingredients for ravioli dough, she proceeded to checkout.When she returned to her apartment, the place was pitch black. Leslie had not returned yet. Aurelia organized the groceries in the refrigerator. She then set aside some meat and vegetables to start making the ravioli fillings.Considering her busy work schedule and Leslie’s frequent overtime, Aurelia decided to make extra ravioli that could be stored for later consumption. They would only cook the frozen ravioli when required.Over an hour of work, Aurelia managed to wrap over 80 ravioli. She then used the remaining fillings to make around 20 smaller ones, to be a late–night snack for Leslie.Aurelia placed the ravioli into a storage container in the fridge. After completing everything, she stretched her body and checked the time.Unknowingly, it was almost 11:00 p.m.She hesitated for a moment, then she decided to send Leslie a message.“When will you be back?”However, there was no response from him.Aurelia glanced at the small ravioli on the kitchen counter. It was not the right time to cook them yet. Otherwise, they might clump together and turn into a mess before his return.Resigning to wait, she sat on the couch and opened her laptop. The name “Ian” Florence had mentioned suddenly came to mind. Out of curiosity, Aurelia began searching for him online.As she delved deeper, Aurelia found herself increasingly intrigued and interested in this name. There were a few articles about him overseas but not a single photograph.They mentioned his early fame. But described him as someone who kept a low profile with an incredibly mysterious background. He was so mysterious that it seemed impossible to investigate further.Aurelia stared at the articles and lost herself in deep thoughts. She wondered about the identity of this elusive figure.Right at that moment, the door opened. Leslie walked in and was surprised to see Aurelia still awake.“You’re still up?”It was already 11:30 p.m.dn’t you say you’d be back for dinner?” Aurelia closed her laptop and quickly stood up. ”Hurry, wash your hands, and I’ll cook the ravioli for you.”“Ravioli?” Leslie appeared uncertain. “Yes, it’s late, and you’ve just recovered. Light food like ravioli might be better for digestion. Or else, you might get a stomach upset tomorrow.”‘Bythe way, you don’t mind having ravioli, do you?”
Category: Married in a Flash Embarking on the Journey to Wealth
Read Novel Married in a Flash Embarking on the Journey to Wealth
Married in a Flash Embarking on the Journey to Wealth – Aurelia Simmons wants to borrow money from her boyfriend to pay for her ailing mother’s hospital bills. To her dismay, she finds out that her boyfriend’s waiting for her mother to die so that he can take advantage of her when she’s all alone. She breaks up with him without hesitation and instead marries a friend’s Sen.Aurelia initially thinks her husband is a workaholic programmer with a cold personality and a steady job. She expects them to keep their distance from each other after marriage.
Who would’ve expected him to become increasingly clingy the more time they spend with each other? In every important meeting, Aurelia sees her husband there. Did computer programmers have such wide job scopes nowadays? It’s only when an incredibly important president of a company goes on stage to give a speech at Seacester’s most prestigious business conference that Aurelia realizes the president looks exactly like her husband. When faced with another woman’s blatant seduction, the president shows off his wedding ring in front of all the cameras focused on him. “I’m married, so leave me alone.”Aurelia glared at his ring. Wasn’t that the one she’d given to him?It looked like she’d have to teach him a lesson for lying to her!
Chapter 4012“No,” Leslie replied indifferently.“Alright then.”Aurelia swiftly entered the kitchen and left Leslie in his daze.In this world, perhaps only his mother, Linda, was willing to wait for him at such a late hour. Leslie glanced at the lady in the apron bustling around in the kitchen and felt a sense of puzzlement.Aurelia had just met her ex–boyfriend, Seth, and now she was back here trying to please him. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person she was.Thinking about Seth made Leslie’s mind flash back to the image of the two embracing carelessly on the busy street. His face darkened immediately, and he turned to enter the bedroom, slamming the door shut.The loud bang of the closing door made Aurelia poke her head out of the kitchen.She pondered, “What’s going on?”“He hasn’t looked too well since he returned. But wasn’t he fine in the morning? Could it be something related to work?”While she immersed herself in her thoughts, the water on the stove had boiled. Aurelia hastily proceeded to prepare the ravioli. After salting the water, she dropped the ravioli inside and waited for them to be cooked.In the meantime, she grabbed a pot to prepare a broth using a chicken soup base. She then sprinkled in some chives and parsley. Soon, a hearty bowl of ravioli in broth was ready.Carefully carrying the bowl out of the kitchen, Aurelia encountered Leslie emerging from the bedroom. His unexpected appearance surprised her.Although she had been staying at Leslie’s place for almost a week, Aurelia had barely interacted with him in this house. This was her first time seeing Leslie in his casual homeattire.The loose–fitting clothes subtly accentuated his tall and muscular physique. Paired with his attractive face, he exuded a charmingly laid–back vibe. Leslie walked over with his hands in his pockets and glanced at Aurelia. “Isn’t it hot?”Aurelia regained her senses and felt a sudden scalding heat on her palm.“Hiss… Hot, it’s hot.” She quickly put the bowl down and pressed her fingers against her earlobe.Leslie walked toward the dining table and looked at the bowl of ravioli served in front of him. The clear broth and plump ravioli with a touch of chives and parsley made the dish look. appetizing.Did she make this?“No way. How could she have the time to make these while being with her ex–boyfriend? It was probably just bought to please me,” thought Leslie.His expression remained indifferent. However, when he glanced at Aurelia, he couldn’t shake off the inner turmoil he felt.Under the warm light, Aurelia, with her hair tied into a ponytail, was holding her earlobes with a slightly wrinkled face. She exhibited a subtle coyness. It was a stark contrast to the usually calm demeanor she had while discussing their cohabitation agreement.“Fool,” Leslie bluntly stated, leaving Aurelia bewildered.“Why is he insulting me?” she wondered. Her eyes widened as she prepared to respond. However, Leslie grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the kitchen.It wasn’t until the cold water splashed onto her hand that she snapped back to reality. She then looked awkwardly at Leslie, who was fixated on the bowl containing the minced meat filling in the sink.“You made the ravioli?” Leslie questioned.“Yeah,” Aurelia replied and nodded in confusion. “I made quite a lot and stored them in the fridge. If you ever return from overtime feeling hungry, just take them out and cook it. You…. Can cook, right?”As Aurelia shifted her gaze to Leslie, their eyes met. At that moment, she felt the grip on her wrist tighten. The warmth of his hand seemingly shielded her from the cold water.She attempted to pull away slightly, but Leslie’s grip only grew firmer.
Chapter 37Seth’s acting skill was so good that even the cab driver was moved by him. The cab driver turned around and looked at both of them. He then persuaded Aurelia, “Miss, you can’t be too hardhearted. If a man is willing to beg a woman like this, that means he’s really in love with the woman.”“You can have his love if you want to,” Aurelia spoke at the end of her patience.The cab driver twitched his mouth, as if saying Aurelia was too hardhearted. He then hit the accelerator and drove away.Looking at the leaving cab, Aurelia struggled to free herself from Seth in anger. But men were clearly stronger than women. She couldn’t even force his hand off her with her whole strength.“Let go of me!”“I won’t let go of you, Aurelia! I am genuinely in love with you. If you don’t agree to marry me, I will hug you for the whole night here on the street.”“Is there anything wrong with you? If there is, you should get it treated!”“My heart feels wrong without you,” Seth said loudly.His words made the people around them titter. There were even some of them who looked at Aurelia enviously.Aurelia calmed herself down. She knew that the more she resisted, the more enthusiastic he became. The passersby who didn’t know anything would help him instead.She stopped struggling and seemed to have complied with his embrace.“Seth, I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of so many people. If you have something to say, can’t you say it nicely? The way you hug me is uncomfortable.”“Aurelia, are you agreeing to talk with me?”“Yes. But let go of me first,” Aurelia said composedly.“Sure.” Seth could feel Aurelia’s body relax too. There was a smile on his lips. He knew that this method could make Aurelia compromise.With so many people looking at them, Aurelia would be too shy to refuse him.However, a pair of cold eyes in a car that happened to pass by captured the scene of Seth hugging Aurelia.In the car, Leslie smiled coldly, squeezing the document in his hand.As he expected, Aurelia came to see her ex–boyfriend.“Mr. Synder, the document is almost broken.” Daniel reminded him discreetly.“Shut up!” “Daniel was stunned in shock upon hearing that. He ducked his head in disbelief.Leslie was always calm and tranquil. Why would he suddenly lose his temper? It seemed as if someone had stolen his wife away from him.But that wasn’t possible. Leslie was allergic to women.After Aurelia was freed, she could finally feel her arms again. She pointed at the bus station on the other side. “There’s too many people here. Let’s talk over there.”“Okay. Aurelia, wouldn’t it be great if you had just been obedient earlier? I’m your boyfriend. Everything I do is all for your own good. Just listen to me from now on. Don’t you ever…”Seth walked in the front like he always did. He turned around to speak of the important points, but found that Aurelia had gotten into another cab. He ran after her hurriedly, but he was still a step behind.“Aurelia! What do you mean? You have the nerve to trick me?”“What a psycho,” Aurelia was tired of the mental exhaustion that Seth had caused her. She couldn’t help but curse him and urged the driver to leave sooner. She told the cab driver that a pervert was stalking her.The cab driver immediately stepped on the gas when he heard Aurelia and left Seth far behind. Seth was unwilling to give up so easily. He used another phone number and bombarded Aurelia’s pphone with messages. She blocked the number at once.But there was something that Aurelia found odd. From what she knew about Seth, there was no way he would eat the humble pie and admit that he was wrong so quickly.Did something happen?Aurelia contemplated for a while before looking for a number that she wasn’t so familiar with in her WhatsApp contacts. It was one of Seth’s colleagues.They had dined together several times before. Once in a while, when Seth drank too much at some social events, this colleague would send her a message asking her to pick Seth up.“How have you been recently?” Aurelia greeted the colleague politely first.“Aurelia? Are you sending me the wedding invitation card of you and Seth? When is it? Where are you going to hold the wedding ceremony? Congratulations!”
Chapter 38 Aurelia was taken aback by the messages. She wondered if Seth was telling others that they were getting married.“You’ve misunderstood. Seth and I broke up. I felt something was off with him, so I wanted to clarify with you,” she explained.“No way! Just a few days back, he assured the manager that marriage with you was imminent. He even mentioned obtaining the household registration soon. The manager was already preparing his promotion application upon hearing that!”So, the reason why Seth had bowed to pressure was to marry her quickly and secure residency. It was quite the scheme..“Aurelia, did you fight with Seth? Couples fight, you know. He even sacrificed meals and only ate instant noodles recently to save for the 98–thousand–dollar watch he wanted to buy foryou. “It shows his sincerity. Have a good talk with him so you guys can work it out,” the colleague. advised.Haha, that watch? It must be the fake one Seth had given out at the Dating Club.He had blamed Aurelia for that and played the victim in front of everyone. If word got out about their breakup, she would surely face the brunt of the blame.Yet, Seth now appeared to be the lovesick fool.Aurelia rubbed her forehead and sighed. She wished that she could knock some sense into herself.Throughout their relationship, she was consistently fooled by Seth’s elaborate displays of affection. Now that they had split, she realized the depth of her naivety. His feeble attempts at manipulation had clouded her judgment for three whole years!Indeed, falling in love did seem to diminish one’s intelligence.After contemplating for a moment, Aurelia decided to take a stand. She would not allow Seth to use public opinion to silence her anymore. Swiftly, she typed a response and hit send.“The watch? I never received it. We broke up long ago, and I’m now married.“He strangely brought up reconciliation, which is why I reached out to you. As his friend, please advise him not to get carried away.”Aurelia tried to maintain her composure.“Oh?I… Haha.” He seemed lost for words. Their conversation ended. As expected, tomorrow’s headlines would likely revolve around Seth’s attempt to leverage his ex–girlfriend for a promotion.Didn’t Seth and Rosa enjoy manipulating public opinion? It was time they experienced being the subject ofgossip.Seth’s attempt to leverage her marriage for a promotion was futile!Chapter 38“Miss, we’ve arrived,” the driver reminded Aurelia.“Alright, thank you.”After paying via QR code, Aurelia stepped out of the car.It was already 8:30 pm. If it were not for Seth’s interference, she would have finished shopping earlier.She sighed in frustration and pushed the cart into the supermarket. Fresh produce was scarce at this hour. Hence, she could only pick the best items available.Just as she prepared to check out, Aurelia suddenly realized that she had forgotten to ask Leslie about his food preferences. She knew he disliked pasta, but she had no clue of therest.After considering for a while, Aurelia reached for her phone to call Leslie. However, she hesitated as she did not want to disturb his work. Instead, she dialed Linda’s number.“Aurelia, it’s late. What’s up?” Linda answered the call.“Mom, umm… Does Mr. Synder have any food preferences? He’s working overtime tonight and said that he’ll eat when he gets back. I’m worried that I might cook something he dislikes, “Aurelia explained.“What? You’re newlyweds, and he’s working overtime? I think he’s itching for trouble!“Just give him a bun or two; that’ll do.”Linda’s thunderous reaction left Aurelia bemused.“Mom, now that we’re married, expenses will increase. It’s good that he’s working hard. Please don’t be mad at him.”Aurelia was worried that Linda would get angry, thus she hastily defended Leslie. After all, she had promised in their cohabitation agreement to ease Linda’s worries.Linda, having been through a tough divorce while raising Leslie, was naturally protective ofhimLinda burst into laughter upon hearing Aurelia’s words.“Leslie sure hit the jackpot for marrying such a great wife like you!”
Chapter 36Their topic ended there. Leslie put his phone back into his pocket impatiently. When he looked up, he found Daniel staring at him with uncertainty.“Is anything the matter?” Leslie asked.“Mr. Synder, it has happened several times already,” Daniel said in a serious tone.“What is that?”“You were absent–minded. I really wonder who could affect your emotions?”When they were still overseas before returning to Seacaster, Daniel had been working for Leslie for many years. Apart from a working relationship, they were also friends.Leslie glanced over the car window and found himself scowling, looking displeased.But soon, he returned to his aloofness. He then looked at Danial and stated with tranquility,” There’s no ‘who.“”Daniel laughed, “That’s not possible. You were even…”Leslie squinted his eyes. “Hmm?”Daniel coughed and cleared his throat. “There’s nothing. Let’s go back to the company first.Leslie agreed. He leaned back in the seat and tried to take a power nap, but he failed to calm his mind.On the other hand, Aurelia got on the subway to the hospital after Leslie replied to her.What was wrong with him again?Why were men’s minds harder to guess than women’s?On her way to the hospital, Aurelia’s phone had almost blown up with the incoming calls from unknown numbers.She didn’t have to guess to know that they were all from Seth. She didn’t pick up any of the calls and directly blocked all the numbers.When she arrived at the hospital, the caregiver, Karen, meticulously told her about her mother’s condition as of today. Then she took out Ava’s analysis report and repeated what the doctor had said to Aurelia.“Ms. Simmons, don’t worry. The doctor said that Ava’s condition didn’t get worse. She’s eligible for surgery. She can get through the surgery if everything goes well.”“Thank you.” Aurelia heaved out a long sigh.Then she ordered two take–outs to eat with Karen. As soon as Karen finished her dinner, she started to bathe Ava with a towel. She pointed at the night sky and told Aurelia, “Ms. Simmons, why don’t you go home first? It’s not safe for your to go back late alone. I will take care of your mother and call you immediately if anything happens.”“Alright. Thank you very much.”“Don’t mention it. This is my job.”Aurelia felt relieved upon hearing Karen’s words. She was very glad that she hired the right caregiver this time.It was already past 7:00 p.m. when she got out of the hospital. She hailed a cab by the roadside to go to the supermarket. Otherwise, they could only stand by the empty fridge and do nothing tomorrow.Leslie also mentioned that he was going to eat at home. She understood the misery of working overtime all too well. She would get extremely hungry after overworking her brain.Since Leslie had helped her today, there was nothing wrong if she cooked dinner for him. But when she pulled the car door open, another hand from behind her slammed the door closed.“Aurelia, I know you must’ve come to the hospital to see your mother.”“Seth? What are you doing here?” Aurelia frowned at Seth, who was, like a ghost haunting her.“Aurelia, I know I was wrong. Can’t you give me another chance?”“Seth, do you really think I will get back together with you? Your mother even went to my company and morally blackmailed me. And what I told your mom was all true. I’m married.” Aurelia stressed the point again resignedly.“It’s okay. You can divorce him immediately. I won’t blame you.” Seth sounded so righteous. Aurelia was speechless all of a sudden. She was so angry that she couldn’t find the right words to say.She took a deep breath and soothed the urge to scold him.“Seth, I won’t get a divorce. And I won’t get back together with you too. So, both you and your mother, please don’t come and find me again.”Aurelia nudged Seth aside impatiently and was about to get into the cab.But Seth suddenly hugged her from behind, asking her to stay loudly and soulfully, as if he was acting in a movie.“Aurelia, I was wrong! I really know that I was wrong! Please don’t go! Please don’t leave me!”
Chapter 34Rosa was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She then smiled again after a while.“Aurelia, let me give you a piece of advice. Marriage is not a game. Don’t marry someone easily just to piss Seth off. After all, not everyone is as excellent as Seth.”Aurelia couldn’t help but think about Leslie when she looked at the over–confident Rosa.As a man, Leslie was calm and steady. But Seth was the kind of man who would make an announcement to the whole world once he had a little achievement. You would never know the differences between men before you make a comparison.Aurelia smiled and explained, “Mrs. Martinez, don’t worry about that. My husband is more excellent than Seth. If you have time to worry about me, why don’t you care more about your son?”“Even if he can’t afford a genuine watch, he shouldn’t have deceived others either. It will only make a fool of himself. If you come to my company and make a scene again, I can’t promise you to keep any secrets.”“You…” Rosa’s mouth twitched. She soon realized what Aurelia meant. She was afraid to let other people know that Seth had given out a fake watch at the dating club. She took her bag and was about to leave.Before she left, she pointed at Aurelia and exclaimed, “You’ll regret missing my son.”“I’ve already regretted it. I regret that I didn’t see his true colors sooner,” Aurelia retorted and emphasized every single word.Rosa gnashed her teeth in anger and left in humiliation.Aurelia was about to heave a sigh when she heard the hasty footsteps of high heels.“Aurelia, show me the picture of your husband. I’m curious about what he looks like.”It was Kimberly. She was staring at the marriage certificate that Aurelia was holding and reached her hand out to grab it.Aurelia dodged and put the marriage certificate back in her bag. “My husband is just an ordinary man. There’s nothing special to see.”“Ordinary looking man? Doesn’t that just mean ugly? Don’t worry, I won’t laugh at you. You’re so petty. It’s not like I will steal your husband, right?” Kimberly tossed her hair confidently as she spoke.“Indeed. My husband doesn’t meet your standard. After all, you like men like Mr. Lynch. I hope you can get what you want.” Men like Mr. Lynch that was married.When she finished, she pulled Millie out of the building and ignored Kimberly’s livid face.Millie only came back to her senses when they had almost arrived at the subway station. She asked, “Are you really married, Aurelia? Did you buy that marriage certificate on Amazon? Aurelia chuckled, “Do I look like I have nothing else to do? I’m truly married.”Chapter 34Millie continued asking, “Then why don’t you show Kimberly your marriage certificate? Is it because your husband really looks… No, that’s not what I meant. I’m just too curious.”Aurelia mulled it over before answering, “He looks special.”Leslie was so good–looking that you would never forget what he looked like even after just a glance.But Millie misunderstood Aurelia. Normally, people would use “handsome“, “average looking “, or “ugly” to describe a man. If someone used “special” to describe a man’s look, they were saying that he wasn’t good–looking in a subtle way.Oh, no! Aurelia married an ugly man after getting disappointed in love! How heartbroken could she be to go so far as to marry an ugly man?Aurelia didn’t notice Millie’s expression. She waved her goodbye at the subway entrance.Kimberly stomped her feet in anger. She wanted to use Seth as a distraction to stop Aurelia from doing the proposal. She never expected that not only Aurelia didn’t care about Seth anymore, but she even got married to someone else.One of their colleagues ran into Aurelia and a man this afternoon. Was the man Aurelia’s husband?She didn’t believe that Aurelia could find a decent man and get married in such a short time.Kimberly felt relieved upon that thought. She walked outside carrying her branded handbag. and met a staff member from another floor.“Kimberley, what were you and your colleagues doing gathering at the lobby earlier?”“It was nothing.” Kimberly shook her head. Then she smiled suddenly when she found another way to handle Aurelia.“It wasn’t a big matter. It’s just that Aurelia broke up with her boyfriend because of 100 thousand dollars. She didn’t want to forgive him even when his mother had come to beg her. Who knows what she wanted to do with that 100 thousand dollars?”
Chapter 35“But I heard that they broke up.”“Women don’t like to say what they really want. Everyone in our office knows that she can’t get over Seth. Just look at the high heels that she wore for three years, they were a gift from Seth. She keeps them until now,” Kimberly sighed.“Why don’t they just get back together if she can’t get over him? What’s the point of this impasse?”“Unfortunately, Aurelia mentioned that she married a random man to piss Seth off. She didn’t want to bring up her husband. But, everyone can tell how much she hates her husband.”Kimberly smiled faintly. She wasn’t lying. Everyone had heard it when she said Aurelia couldn’t get over Seth. Aurelia hadn’t denied it either.She wanted to know what Aurelia’s husband looked like, but Aurelie didn’t want to show it to her. Didn’t it mean that Aurelia hated her husband?Plus, it was Rosa who said that Aurelia married another man to piss Seth off. She had nothing to do with it.She was merely reporting what Rosa had said.“Huh? I can’t understand what she’s thinking. I think it’s better to stay away from her in the future. She is so radical.”“Alright.” Kimberly seemed as if she was smiling resignedly. But she was actually excited inside. “Let’s go out for dinner together. It’s on me.”They left the building with smiles on their faces. None of them noticed Leslie who stood behind a pillar.Leslie looked sullen and his fists were clenched.After meeting Aurelia, he went to another floor to have a business discussion. He heard what Aurelia’s colleagues were talking about once he came out of the elevator.Good job, Aurelia! No wonder she wanted him to sign the co–living agreement. He was just a tool to make her ex–boyfriend angry. He even thought that he misunderstood Aurelia earlier.Leslie turned around and walked out of the building. He then headed to the parking lot.Daniel was aware of Leslie’s unpleasantness when he got in the car.“Mr. Synder, was the business discussion unsuccessful?”“No.”“Then the reason that you’re angry is…” Daniel tried to guess cautiously about what Leslie was thinking.“I’m not angry,” Leslie emphasized somehow.“Mr. Synder, you almost have the words ‘I’m very angry‘ carved on your forehead,” Daniel laughed.27“Do you have nothing else to do?” Leslie raised his eyebrows. Daniel’s grin faded. He got back to the point. “We have leaked out information about the opening party to the other companies, including Synder Corporation. They’ve always shown their interest in ML’s chip. But they haven’t taken any action due to the high price. I don’t know why they didn’t do anything when they’ve heard of the replacement chip we have.”Upon hearing this, Leslie’s face turned cold and his eyes were sullen.“They’re waiting for us to reach out to them. Synder Corporation is monopolizing the market of the scientific and technological industry in Seacaster. What they want to do with a new company like ours is merging it instead of collaborating.”“We’re not in a hurry. So, we’ll play a game with them. With Synder Corporation’s current situation, we’re not the ones on the hot bricks,”Leslie looked outside the car dangerously. He suddenly realized that the car was parked at the place where he saw Aurelia for the first time.He heard every word clearly when she was fighting with her ex–boyfriend beside his car.Gold–digging. Heartless. And one more now, scheming.He was almost fooled by her too.“Mr. Synder? Mr. Synder?” Daniel felt that the atmosphere in the car was gloomy. He had to be more prudent when he called Leslie.“What’s the matter?” Leslie stopped looking at the view outside the car.“Your phone buzzed.” Daniel pointed at the phone beside him.Leslie picked his phone up to take a look. It was a WhatsApp message from Aurelia.“Are you still working overtime tonight?”So now she wasn’t thinking of her ex–boyfriend and remembered she had a husband?“Yes.” Leslie didn’t want to be her tool just to make her ex–boyfriend angry.“Okay, then you can grab something at your company. I have something to do as well,” Aurelia replied.Where was she going instead of going home after getting off work?He remembered what Aurelia’s colleagues had said before. They said that she was still wearing the high heels that Seth had given her for three years.Was she going to look for her ex–boyfriend?Even though he didn’t like Aurelia, they were a legally married couple. So if she continued to get involved with her ex–boyfriend, did it mean that she really treated him as a tool?Leslie replied to her message with a sulky face, “I’m busy with work. I’ll eat later when I go home.”“Alright.”
Chapter 33Millie didn’t understand why Aurelia had asked her to do so. But, she did as she was told and walked to the ATM with the bank card.Rosa’s face turned pale upon seeing this situation.She quickly stepped forward to grab the card, but Aurelia stopped her.“Didn’t you say that you’re giving me the money in the card, Mrs. Martinez? Of course, I have to check.”“You… You don’t believe me?” Rosa stammered.“I believe you, but seeing is believing. I’m sure that everyone wants to know how good you’re treating me, right?” Aurelia smiled and looked at the colleagues around her.Everyone nodded their heads. Rosa’s face turned as white as a sheet. She didn’t know what toretort.After a while, Millie screamed in surprise. She then ran back in rage. “What did you mean by 100 thousand dollars? There’s only 10 dollars on this card. Do you know what you’re doing is considered marital fraud? Thank goodness Aurelia didn’t promise you anything.”“I… I don’t know anything” Rosa started to play dumb,“Mrs. Martinez, you didn’t even know how much your house cost? Did you sell it for 100 thousand dollars or 10 dollars? I think I should report this to the police for you in case you’ve met a fraud.” Aurelie pretended to take her phone out nervously.Rosa was afraid that Aurelia would really call the police. She grabbed the bank card from Aurelia’s hand and took a couple of steps back. She exclaimed cunningly, “Aurelia, I came to see you because I care about you! But don’t you overrate yourself!“Everyone, take a look at this young lady! Her mother was seriously ill and that’s why she wanted to cheat us of our money. If we don’t give her the money, she won’t agree to marry my son! My poor son has eyes full of her. All he wants is to get back together with her.”Aurelia’s colleagues knew about her mother’s illness. But when they heard Rosa’s statement, the look in their eyes had changed. They all stared at Aurelia differently.Kimberly added exaggeratedly, “Aurelia, marriage symbolizes love. It’s not a bargaining chip to exchange for money. It’s pitiful that your mother is ill. But Seth’s not obligated to pay for the treatment. How could you refuse to marry him because of this? Did you treat Seth fairly for his devotion over the past three years?”Everyone nodded in agreement.Rosa realized someone had taken her side. She lifted her chin as if trying to see what Aurelia would do.Aurelia suffered the stares in her colleagues‘ eyes. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but now she was declared guilty by people who were irrelevant to this matter.She would never compromise to moral blackmailing!She clenched her fists and walked up to Rosa. “Mrs. Martinez, my mom is indeed very ill. And I indeed asked Seth to lend me some money. He told me he didn’t have the money, but the very next thing he did was buy a car worth more than 300 thousand dollars I can show you our chat history. Do you want me to show them as well?”“Seth did propose to me as well, and I said ‘Yes.‘ But when you heard about my mom’s illness, you kept silent about the wedding. Nothing had been decided about the wedding. So, when did I ever refuse to marry Seth?”“By the way, Seth once mentioned that when my mom is dead, he’s going to sell the house. that I’ll inherit from my mom. He’ll use the money to buy you a bigger house to enjoy your life. Do you think I shouldn’t have broken up with him?”Everyone on the scene was startled. They immediately looked at Rosa in disgust.Rosa couldn’t care about the embarrassment. She started to act like a rogue and snapped, You’re one of the Martinez family once you married Seth. It’s not your house anymore either. Aren’t we a family? You’re just making a fuss about it.”Millie retorted in grievance for Aurelia, “Mrs. Martinez, Aurelia’s mom is still alive. Are you really trying to take all the money and house from Aurelia once her mother dies? You’ve gone way too far to curse Aurelia’s mother to death!”Rosa knew it was her mistake. But she was still arrogant. She pointed at Aurelia and scolded, Aurelia, don’t you speak that nonsense to me! You’ve wasted three years of my son’s life. He paid for everything that you ate and used. Do you really think you can break up with him if you just say so? No way! You have to marry my son!”Rosa thought that since she couldn’t convince her, she could compel her instead. Who would dare to lay a finger on an old lady like her anyway?Aurelia was so irritated even her hands were shaking in anger. She had never met anyone so shameless.But she knew very well that both Seth and Rosa wouldn’t give up so easily. If the farce continued, her chance of getting a promotion and a pay raise would be ruined.Aurelia said directly, “I’m married.”Rosa snorted, “Huh? Are you trying to fool us again? You have a seriously ill mother. Who would want to marry you besides my son?”that“Here’s my marriage certification.” Aurelia took the marriage certification out of her bag she forgot to keep at home. She warned Rosa word by word, “Please, don’t you and Seth ever come and disturb me again.”“You… Are you really married?” Rosa looked at the marriage certificate in surprise.“It’s illegal to forge a marriage certificate.” Aurelia reminded Rosa.
Chapter 32“Aurelia, it seems to me that you’re good at eating spicy food,” Seth giggled.The soup was so spicy that it gave Aurelia a sore throat. She couldn’t even speak.She couldn’t care more about deference and stood up. After grabbing the cashmere scarf from the couch, she took the fruit and left the Martinez house.Since Rosa didn’t like it, she took it back to give it to her mother.She only forgave Seth when he caught up with her and apologized over and over again. She made him promise to live separately with his parents after they got married.Seth agreed and promised her at that time. But later on, he started scheming for her house behind her back and wanted her to live together with his parents.His family had never respected her.Now, Aurelia was amused by the humble Rosa standing in front of her. She had to say that Seth got his acting skills from his mother.She shook off Rosa’s hand and replied coldly, “Mrs. Martinez, Seth and I had broken up. He’s well aware of the reason for the breakup. I think there’s no need to bring that up here.”Aurelia didn’t want to go too far and be too straightforward. She gave Rosa a leeway and hoped that she could understand it.But Rosa began to sob more profusely. She took a bank card out of her bag and gave it toAurelia.“There’s 100 thousand dollars in it. I know this money is the reason why you argued with Seth. I sold the house in my hometown to scratch together the 100 thousand dollars. I only hope to see that you two can live well together. We will help as much as we can. Aurelia, please forgive Seth and agree to marry him.”Aurelia looked at the bank card she was holding. She was confused.Could it be that Rosa and Seth had changed their attitude?While she was still thinking, her colleagues around her were already stirred up. Most especially Kimberly.Kimberly walked up to Aurelia in her expensive high heels, and admonished bitchily, “Aurelia, don’t you still think about Seth? Now, even his mom has come to apologize to you. Just forgive him and agree to marry him. After that, you can live a cozy life. All you have to do is take good care of your family.” Aurelia didn’t miss out on the mockery in Kimberly’s eyes. So this was what Kimberly meant when she said Aurelia couldn’t get over Seth in public.Aurelia assumed that Kimberly must have had something to do with Rosa’s sudden aappearance.Aurelia opened her mouth and tried to explain. But, she was interrupted by all the persuasionsaround her.“Aurelia, don’t be so fussy. It’s not easy for this old lady either. She even sold her house for you and Seth. You’re going too far if you’re still angry.”“Money is more important than love in this corrupt society. I feel really bad for Seth.”“Aurelia, you’re a grown–up now. You’re not in your early twenties, so you can’t be that picky anymore. You have to be realistic and think about your own conditions as well.”Everybody shared their opinion. They sounded as if they were trying to persuade Aurelia to get back with Seth. But in fact, they were rubberneckers. If Aurelia refused to marry Seth, that would be the reality of materialism.When Rosa saw the scene, she raised her hand to wipe her tears. But, there was a smirk on the corner of her mouth.A young lady without a strong psychological defense mechanism would be wavered by those words. She might even think that since the Martinez family had given her the money, it meant. that they had shown their stance and apologized. Everyone would think she was too fussy if she continued to get angry. In the end, she would agree to marry Seth muddle–headedly.However, Aurelia had seen through Seth and the Martinez family. She would never believe that Rosa, who used to turn her nose up at her, would sell her house to scratch together the money.She took a deep breath and looked at her colleagues. “Since you all believe her so badly, you can all be her witnesses. Don’t think that I’m bullying an old lady.”As she finished, she handed the bank card to Millie who stood beside her. “Millie, there’s an ATM at the corner of the lobby. I think the password is Seth’s birthday, which is 960522. Can you go and check the balance of the card?”
Chapter 31 Aurelia went downstairs with her colleagues. Before meeting with the so–called mother–in- law, she heard a familiar voice from the crowd.“What can you say1 you say about this? Yes, we didn’t lend her money, but she turned around and threatened my son with marriage.”“All my son thinks about now is her. He can’t even focus on his work. He tried to ask to get back together with her several times, but she even blocked his number!”“That’s why I came here to beg her shamelessly. I only hope she can forgive the fact that we’re only a normal family. We can’t afford her high expenses, but I hope that she can live a good life with my son in the future. Everyone in our family likes a smart and capable daughter–in- law like her.”Aurelia followed the voice and nudged her way through the crowd. Then, she saw Rosa with reddened eyes.Rosa was wearing a black, cotton midi dress. She was holding a small and exquisite bag in her arms. With an embarrassed look, everyone would think of her as an honest lady with a decentmanner.In a bustling city like Seacaster, a decent old lady was much more favorable to the young people than an old lady in a T–shirt.When Aurelia showed up, Rosa quickly went up and grabbed her wrist before she realized the situation.“Aurelia, finally you’re willing to see me. I want to apologize for Seth. He is a straightforward person and I know you were upset. Can’t you forgive him for my sake?” Rosa sounded very sincere. It made her look like a normal mother who was always worried about her children.But Aurelia knew that Rosa wasn’t just a normal mother.After Seth had proposed to her, he told her that he wanted to introduce her to his mother. She thought Seth was taking her seriously, so she prepared some fruit and a cashmere scarf as gifts for Rosa.But when Rosa saw her gifts, she threw the scarf on the couch with a cold smile on her face. Her voice was drippingWith sarcasm as she said, “There was a boy in our town who married a girl from the big city. The girl gave her mother–in–law a gold bracelet. And a few days later, she gave her another gold necklace. Everyone was so envious of her.”When Rosa finished, she even rubbed her empty wrist. Aurelia was too smart not to understand the implications. Rosa thought what she had given her was too cheap.Unfortunately, she was still silly enough to think that Rosa might not know much about branded products. So she tried to explain, “Mrs. Martinez, the scarf is…”“It’s a thoughtful gift. I know that. But a cashmere scarf is not very useful to me. I prefer silk scarves more. Look at the floral print, isn’t it beautiful?” Rosa said as she pointed to the floral silk scarf on the chair.“Mrs. Martinez.” Aurelia was about to explain that the cashmere scarf she bought was a branded product. It was light but warm at the same time, and it was more expensive than her polyester scarf.But Seth chimed in, “Mom, I’ll ask Aurelia to return this if you don’t like it. She’ll buy you a gold bracelet tomorrow. We’ll definitely pick one that suits you best in the jewelry shop.”He tried to give a hint to Aurelia by shooting her a glance.Aurelia was upset, but she didn’t want to sour her relationship with Rosa on their first meeting. So she smiled but didn’t explicitly agree with Seth.Yet, Rosa seemed very pleased. So, she invited Aurelia to sit down and eat.Aurelia assumed to only have a meal with them peacefully and leave a good impression oneach other.But, the food Rosa prepared was all spicy. Seth knew that she couldn’t eat anything spicy. But when Aurelia looked at Seth, he was eating more happily than anyone else.“Mom, the food you made is so delicious.”“You can have more if you think it’s delicious. Come on, Aurelia. Taste this.” Rosa lifted at spoonful of spicy soup to Aurelia’s lips.Aurelia knitted her brows and refused. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Martinez. I can’t eat spicy food.”Rosa clicked her tongue and complained, “Seth loves spicy food the most. How are you going to cook for him if you don’t like it? You’re just not used to eating spicy food. You’ll be good if you get used to it. Come on, I’ll feed you.”Aurelia was stunned when Rosa suddenly stuffed the spoonful of spicy soup into her mouth. She even pulled Seth’s arm and laughed, “See? I knew that she could eat spicy food. The city girls are all so pretentious. Whether it’s spicy or not, they’re all the same once you get used to it.”