Chapter 303
Carly never considered marrying again after her divorce. Aside from her son, she did not want to spend her precious time loving someone else. She wished to pour all of her love into Ronald and herself alone.
To love others required a significant sacrifice. Not everyone was as fortunate ás Becky, who had a powerful and supportive family. Not only that, but Becky met a wonderful man who loved her despite the ups and downs she had experienced.
Carly saw herself as an ordinary person who understood what ordinary life was like. She did not want to risk her remaining years by marrying another man again. She could not afford to do so and did not want to. If her second marriage failed again, Ronald would end up having an even worse life than when they were with the Zane family. She wasn’t just thinking of Ronald, but also of herself.
In a remarriage, her future husband was likely to have children from his previous marriage as well, and it would increase the number of children in the family. If she became a stepmother, she would have to take care of someone else’s children, which was a difficult task.
In the past, Fiona had refused to help with child care after Carly gave birth to Ronald. To make matters worse, Fiona chastised Carly for not quitting her job to care for her family and Ronald. Carly did not mind at first because she agreed with Fiona’s point of view. Even though she was reluctant, she eventually left her job to care for Ronald, believing Fiona had no obligation to help her take care of him.
There was even a time when she thought the arrangement was fine. Connor worked hard to make money while she managed the household. They were content and lived in harmony. However, everything changed when Ronald was four months old. Without her income, the household’s financial burden doubled. They got by for the first few months on their savings, but when they ran out of savings, Connor felt the financial strain and became irritable.
Regardless, they had to buy diapers and formula, and Ronald frequently became ill, necessitating constant hospital visits that cost a lot. Left with no choice, she had to ask Connor for money because she was staying at home with Ronald and had no other source of income. The first two times were fine, but by the third, Connor had lost his temper. She would never forget the look he gave her, one of impatience and contempt, as if she were a parasite.
Back then, she didn’t take it to heart and chose to forgive Connor. Although she felt wronged, she considered Connor’s point of view, believing that he was also stressed as the sole breadwinner. That day, instead of getting into an argument with him, she made a special effort to prepare a nice meal to cheer him up which did improve his mood.
However, when Carly had to request money for the fifth and sixth times for household expenses, Connor became suspicious. He began double–checking the prices of all the items in the house. He only reluctantly gave her more money after confirming that it had all been spent on household expenses.
Even so, Connor began giving her much less money than before, telling her to be more frugal and not buy unnecessary items. He also said that it was fine to buy slightly cheaper items as long as they were usable. However, she could not bear the thought of using lower–quality items for her son. Every time Carly looked at Ronald, she was determined to provide him with the best possible care.
When Ronald turned one, Carly decided to look for a job. It took her half a month on the job market to find a suitable position as a salesperson. The basic salary was only 1,500 dollars, but there was a sales–related commission. After some consideration, Carly decided to accept the job offer.
In the beginning, she brought Ronald with her to her workplace. She viewed the job as a test to determine her suitability for the position. Surprisingly, by the second month, her sales had skyrocketed, and she had earned a total of 3,700 dollars, including commissions. That amount might appear insignificant to someone like Becky, but it was a significant amount for
an average person.
Over the next few months, she continued to work hard while caring for Ronald, consistently achieving good sales. Her lowest earnings were around 3,000 dollars, and at her peak, she made as much as 6,000 dollars in a month. As her financial situation improved, Carly decided to enroll Ronald in a childcare center so that he would not have to hear the burden of accompanying her everywhere.
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Chapter 303
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Reflecting on her previous experiences, Carly became even more convinced that remarriage was unnecessary. If she remained single, she would be free to spend all of her earnings as she saw fit, particularly on Ronald. If she remarried, she was concerned that her new family would try to control her finances, using her money for household expenses, medical bills for elderly family members, or to support her future husband’s children. That would inevitably limit the amount she could spend on Ronald.
Carly did not want to be foolish again after her previous marriage had failed. She made the decision to prioritize herself and Ronald’s well–being. After she made her decision, her studies in jewelry design went smoothly. With each design, she made significant improvements. When her company started using her designs, her salary increased above the minimum wage, and she began to receive a fair share of the profits. It was entirely due to her efforts.
After she earned her first significant income, she was presented with additional opportunities. Before she knew it, she had become a well–known jewelry designer, something she had never imagined herself doing. As her designs improved, Carly began to earn more money and gain greater recognition in the industry. Her name started to become known even outside the jewelry design circle, establishing her reputation as a talented designer.
Soon, her company began to organize various competitions and even sent their designers to participate in contests organized by other companies as well. After being encouraged by Becky, Carly signed up for a lot of competitions.
Initially, she doubted herself, thinking she couldn’t compete with the many professional jewelry designers who also participated in the competitions. However, hearing her name announced among the winners filled her with surprise and a deep sense of accomplishment.
Over time, she entered more competitions and won more awards. Sometimes, Ronald would come to see her at the award ceremony when he didn’t have school. Carly felt a surge of pride as she stood on stage under the bright lights, holding trophy and meeting her son’s proud gaze from the audience. In fact, it wasn’t just her. Ronald was also proud of his mother’s achievements.
Every time she won an award, Ronny would take her to a celebratory meal, using the prize money he had earned from academic achievements or competitions. Even though Carly hesitated to use her son’s money, Ronald insisted that it was his way of rewarding his mother.
Back at home, Ronald meticulously arranged his mother’s trophies alongside his certificates and awards. Every month, he would carefully clean and organize them, ensuring they were spotless and neatly displayed. The wall of awards and trophies filled Carly with joy every time she looked at it because it represented the proud journey and achievements she shared with
her son.