I couldn’t hold in my laugh. “You’re getting really good at this. I don’t think I’ll be able to catch you when you lie to me from now on!”
Anthony curled his lips, tightened his hold on me, and said, “We’re married. You can’t call that a lie. It’s more like a tease.”
“So you’re actually thinking of lying to me?” I pulled a hand out and pinched his nose, stopping him from breathing.
Rather than getting upset, Anthony broke into a laugh and eventually reversed the situation after some hassle, where he pinched my cheeks instead.
“You done?” Anthony subdued me and gave me a rather meek warning.
“No.” I did not know why, but I just wanted to rebel against him.
Anthony did not know how to deal with me. So, he casually tightened his pinch hold, which prompted me to yell, “Woah! This is domestic violence! I’m crying…”
He was at a loss and let go. So, I took the opportunity to tackle and pin him down.
That made Anthony admit defeat and carefully lay there. His hands were on my waist because he was worried I might get hurt. “Alright, Ms. Stanhope. You win. What’s my punishment?” he said after letting out a deep sigh.
“That’s no fun.” I got down of him and lay beside him.
It was less of a high since the win was too easy.
With that, Anthony turned to the side and looked at me enthusiastically with his chin on his hand. “Aren’t you still upset at the thing with Nathaniel?”
“What can that do?” I questioned, suddenly feeling more carefree about the matter.
Be it money laundering or Nathaniel. There was no escape for me. I only acted weird because my emotions got the better of me. There was nothing to be afraid of once it was over.
Being married was such a peculiar thing. One simple banter and all that negative emotions would instantly disappear. It felt better than talking to a psychiatrist.
When I snapped out of it, I realized Anthony did not answer. So, I turned around to find him with his eyes closed.
“Why aren’t you talking?” I asked him.
Hearing me, Anthony came to and said, “I think we need to get Audrey’s enrolment application done as soon as possible in case she feels disconnected from her peers and can’t get used to living in a society.”
“You’re worried that she might not get enough human interactions and actually fall for Shaun, aren’t you? Tell me, do you not like Shaun?” I pursed my lips into a smile and exposed him.
“I don’t like anyone!” Anthony replied with a hint of disdain in his eyes and a smug tone.
When he finished, he pounced onto me, leaving me no time to react, and pulled the cover over us.
“What are you doing?!” I held him off by the chest, astonished. How is it possible for men to think of doing that all the time!
“I lost. You need to punish me.” Anthony knitted his brow. The look on his face was actually so sincere.
“You’re the one that’s getting punished. Why are you squishing…”
My attempt to reason failed terrifically.
Emery was now a big deal within the domestic investment scene since she owned shares from many companies. Even if half of those bankrupted, she would still be able to live a life of luxury with just the other half. So, she was the best choice for a company as people get way too much time on their hands the richer they get.
Summer wanted to be more involved with Gregory and Audrey’s lives, so she tagged along to help us out.
For the sake of convenience, Audrey and Shaun were both transferred to Gregory’s school. That said, I did manage to secretly put in a word with the principal, asking for them to be in separate classes.
First of all, I did not want them to have too many interactions. And secondly, the Featherstones would only be taking care of Shaun until adulthood, not forever. Therefore, he should live his life like how an average child would.
After we left the school, we went to the largest mall in the area and started acquiring things they would need for school.
After a round of shopping, we passed the toy shop, where Audrey broke free from Summer and dived into the ball pit. Thus, we sat on the side and waited for her.
Not long after, I felt something pulling at my sleeve, so I turned around and saw a little girl with a flower basket.
“Flowers, Ma’am?” the girl asked with her big round eyes and puffy cheeks. She looked the same age as Audrey, and the clothes she wore were old but still clean, even though there were some random smudges on her face.
I noticed it and quickly took out some tissue, wanting to help her clean it. However, as soon as I reached out, the girl backed away.
She tried to take a huge step back, but kids do not make much distance with those short legs of theirs.
“Don’t be scared,” I told her, trying my best to smile and make myself more approachable. I waved the tissue in my hand to indicate that I meant no harm. “You have something on your nose. Let me wipe that off for you, my dear. Okay?”
The girl was still naive, so she let down her guard in no time and got closer, quietly letting me clean her face without even making a sound.
Seeing what was going on, Emery pulled out a budded flower from the girl’s basket and fiddled it. “It’s a hot day, little girl. Why are you here doing business instead of staying at home? Are you that materialistic?”
‘What are you saying?” Emery always had a sharp tongue when it came to strangers.
But the girl did not understand what she meant and merely blinked at Emery innocently.
I was a little amazed by her reaction, so I asked, “Aren’t you afraid of her?”
“I’m not. She’s a pretty lady.” The girl did not even blink as she said that right at Emery’s face.
“Ahem…” Emery blushed instantly, but she kept up her act. “That won’t work, kid. I’m not going to cough up my money just because you gave me some compliments. I’m a businesswoman too. I don’t do deals that aren’t beneficial to me, understand?”
“I understand.” The girl nodded. “So, that one you have will only cost you two bucks. I won’t be making any profit from you.”
“Not making any profit? If that’s the case, why don’t you give it to me for free?” Emery teased. “You cheeky girl. I bet the supply cost is at most half of that. You’re just trying to trick me from another angle, aren’t you?”
Hearing what Emery said, the girl shook her head violently. “That’s not true. My flowers are the best and freshest flowers. They usually cost two fifty each, but I figured you won’t have fifty cents, so I gave you a discount.”
All of a sudden, it looked like Emery got serious as she turned her whole body around toward the little girl. “Let me educate you on what for free means. It means presenting an item to someone without subjecting it to payment, little girl. So, you give this to me for free, and I don’t have to pay for it, understand?”
The girl might not be able to understand all the technical terms, but she understood that she was not going to get the flower’s cost. So, her eyes turned red in an instant as she dropped her basket to the floor.
“Alright now, don’t worry. The lady here is just joking with you. We’ll definitely pay for it.” I comforted the child and pulled Emery in for an apology. “What is wrong with you today? Why are you bullying a little girl? Quick, she’s about to cry…”
Emery did not seem thrilled about it. “You’re being too innocent here. In this day and age, little con artists like her are everywhere! They exploit the sympathy of mothers like you and hike up the price of each flower. They make hundreds in one day! It’s way better than those labor work. I’m not the only one that’s heartless. Everyone else is doing the same thing! Look, you see anyone showing their concern for what’s happening here?”
With that, the little girl’s eyes got watery, and tears welled up, looking like they would burst in any second.
Nevertheless, I could not refute Emery’s claim. People only took care of themselves even during the olden days, let alone now.
“She’s not lying.” Summer’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned around and saw that she was picking up something from the little girl’s basket on the floor.
Soon enough, she passed me a piece of paper. “That’s the receipt for the flowers. She’s not lying.”
I took a look, and it was indeed, as the little girl said, two fifty each. She had a total of thirty flowers in her basket.
Consequently, Emery was speechless, and her demeanor immediately softened up as she said, “I was joking! I had intended to buy all of them from the start. I asked her to give me one for free because I wanted to let her learn that sometimes you need to make sacrifices to gain more benefits. Alas, our little angel here’s not that smart. It doesn’t look like she’s suited for business.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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