With hopeful expectations, Carl was fully immersed in writing his script.
He told Mrs. Waters that he planned to travel to another city and would turn off his phone.
During this period, the only person he stayed in touch with was Hailey.
Hailey acted like a prison guard, appearing at the apartment punctually in the morning and evening to deliver his meals.
In addition to bringing him food, she accompanied him for walks around the apartment complex.
“Time for some fresh air! Time for some fresh air!”
Hailey pulled open the curtains, and a ray of sunshine enveloped the entire room like golden silk.
It was another evening, and Carl was awakened from his slumber by her.
Carl enjoyed working at night. Usually, after dinner, he would take a half-hour walk, take a shower, and then spend the night writing at his computer.
However, today Hailey seemed to have a different plan. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Carl came out of the bathroom only to find the dining table empty.
“Where’s my dinner?”
Carl emerged like a mouse from its hole, his first instinct being to search for food.
Hailey was casually squeezing the pimples on her face in front of the mirror and nonchalantly replied, “I didn’t buy any. Let’s go out for dinner.”
“Why?” Carl felt that something was amiss.
Hailey remained evasive and gestured for him to quickly change his clothes with her eyes.
After a moment, the two of them arrived at a restaurant. Hailey pushed the menu towards Carl and then got up, heading towards a cake shop across the street.
As Carl watched Hailey’s lively figure, he suddenly had a realization.
Within a few minutes, when Hailey returned, there was a birthday cake on the table.
Carl smiled warmly, “I forgot it was my birthday today…”
Hailey untied the ribbon on the box, “It’s alright, I’ll remember it for you.”
She was the kind of person who seemed carefree on the surface but was more sensitive than anyone on the inside.
This birthday was celebrated simply, with no family or friends to celebrate it except for Hailey, and no gifts from fans.
Carl actually felt quite content. After entering the entertainment industry for these past few years, he finally had a peaceful life without any disturbances.
Of course, it would be even better if Nana and their daughter were with him.
After finishing dinner, the two of them left the restaurant.
Hailey drove, and Carl sat in the passenger seat, gazing out of the window.
Suddenly, a figure on the sidewalk caught Carl’s attention. Even though the car had already driven far away, he still turned his head back to take another look.
Seeing Grace talking to a stranger, Carl’s mind wandered for a moment.
Hailey noticed the change in Carl’s expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Carl dismissed.
He had no interest in Grace and quickly pushed the person and the incident out of his mind.
Lately, Grace had been thinking of ways to deal with Nana. She had arranged a meeting with someone, intending to stage a car accident.
After everything was set, Grace returned to Mrs. Waters and honestly shared her plan.
After careful consideration, Grace still believed that cutting off the grass meant removing the roots. In this world, there were always gains and losses.
“Don’t worry. There are so many traffic accidents every year. As long as we make a small adjustment to the car, no one will find out,” Grace suggested.
Based on Grace’s recent surveillance of Nana, she knew that Nana often drove a white Toyota for shopping trips.
Grace considered causing a car accident, but Mrs. Waters remained opposed, expressing her concern, “You mustn’t act recklessly. As the saying goes, there are no walls that don’t have cracks. If it’s discovered, you could end up in jail or worse, lose your life!”
Mrs. Waters was afraid of the consequences, especially after Grace had shown murderous intent on two occasions.
Grace scorned Mrs. Waters’ cautiousness in her heart and even made a bold statement, “Even if it’s discovered, I’ll take the blame. What are you afraid of? It definitely won’t involve your family.”
“How could that be? You’re my future daughter-in-law. How can I let you shoulder everything while I remain indifferent? In any case, it’s not worth risking it for such a trivial matter.”
To stabilize Grace, Mrs. Waters began to play the emotional card, holding her hand to comfort her. “Don’t worry, the last time I met Nana, I noticed that she has become cold towards Carl. Relationships between people are a two-way street, and Carl will eventually give up on her.”
That day, because Mrs. Waters kept delaying Grace from taking action, she had no choice but to wait for now.
Meanwhile, a few days after Carl’s birthday, he completed the script he had been working on during his seclusion.
With Hailey’s help, Carl sold the script to a major film and television company in the capital city for a considerable price.
Since announcing his retirement from the industry, this was already his third script, making Carl a somewhat famous playwright in the industry.
The dawn of his career was within reach, and Carl was overjoyed when he received the script.
During this time, he had been suppressing his longing for Nana and their daughter, but now he planned to test the waters and win back his love.
On the weekend, Carl called Nana and noticed her frosty attitude. He then invited her to meet under the pretense of discussing child support.
In the afternoon, Carl arrived at the café and saw Nana sitting at a round table. She still looked slim, and she had cut her hair short.
“Nana, why did you cut your hair?” Carl was surprised, recalling Nana’s long black hair from before, feeling a pang of heartache.
Nana looked at him coldly and responded indifferently, “I cut it because I wanted to. Short hair is refreshing and easier to manage.”
With that, she immediately got to the point and told Carl clearly, “If you want to provide child support for Janelle, that’s fine. But if you want to use that as an excuse to take our child away from me, our conversation can end here!”
Hearing Nana’s serious tone, Carl felt like she had become a different person.
It had only been a little over twenty days since they last saw each other. How could she have changed so much?
A hint of hesitation appeared in Carl’s eyes, and he promised with a bitter smile, “Nana, don’t worry. What I said last time was just in the heat of the moment. Our daughter is ours, how could I snatch something that belongs to me?”
The meaning behind his words couldn’t be any clearer. Carl regarded Nana as a part of his life.
However, Nana remained indifferent, and the image of Mrs. Waters’ domineering attitude resurfaced in her mind.
Nana sarcastically laughed and coldly rejected him, “I can support our daughter on my own. I don’t need your child support for now. If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”
“Nana…”
Seeing Nana about to leave, a tightness formed in Carl’s chest, and he hurriedly called out to her.
But Nana didn’t stop in her tracks. She was someone who could let go after picking something up.
The white Toyota was parked in front of the café. Nana took out her keys to get into the car but saw Carl catching up to her.
“Nana, let me see Janelle, please? I miss her so much.” Carl almost pleaded with Nana.
In theory, it was only natural for a father to want to see his own child, and Nana understood that there was no reason to refuse Carl.
But she was afraid…
Nana knew that she couldn’t compete with the Waters family. She was afraid that Carl would use tricks to deceive their daughter away from her.
“But Janelle doesn’t want to see you.”
Coldly rejecting Carl, Nana got into the car without looking back.