“Of course,” I smiled, “Aren’t you planning to take me to meet your parents? I’d also love to visit them, but I’m worried they won’t like me.”
“You have nothing to worry about. They’ll adore you.”
“When should we leave?”
He paused, “Are you in a hurry, Laura?”
“Not really…” I lowered my head. I wasn’t in a hurry; I was just anxious.
“I’ll make arrangements as soon as possible,” He kissed my forehead gently, whispering, “Actually, I’m more eager than you are!”
“Thank you, Patrick,” I said, “I promise, I’ll be a good wife.”
I meant every word.
I would honor his parents with him, do his laundry, cook for him, and raise our children together.
I would be his companion for life.
I was even more grateful that he had rescued me from misery.
Patrick looked at me, his eyes seeming to sparkle. “I believe,” he chuckled softly, “That you’ll definitely be a great wife. And I’ll be a good husband too; I’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives.”…
The next day, Patrick helped me submit the documents for our move to Canada. He told me that given our circumstances, getting the visa should be quick, especially since he had a friend at the embassy. If all went well, it could be done in as little as three days.
Then, he booked our plane tickets.
With everything in order, I submitted my resignation letter to The Lynch Group.
By then, rumors about my relationship with Cameron had spread throughout the entire company. The story of the romance between the lowly adopted daughter and the high-profile scion was already intriguing, especially considering Cameron’s tangled relationship with The Scott family.
Everyone whispered behind my back, labeling me as the third party between Cameron and Queenie, using the harshest words imaginable.
But I didn’t care anymore.
I packed up my personal belongings into a cardboard box as I left The Lynch Group building. As I stepped out the door, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief. The weather was beautiful, with a refreshing breeze that cleared away the discomfort of the summer heat.
“Laura.”
I turned around to see Carter walking towards me, and my heart skipped a beat.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Are you just leaving like this?” Carter looked me up and down, a complex smile playing on his lips.
“Can we talk for a while?” He suggested.
“No, thanks. Vice President Lynch must have a lot of work to do, right? And I need to go back and pack up my things. Maybe another day,” I replied.
“Laura,” Carter suddenly grabbed my wrist, “Do you really have no feelings left for The Lynch Family?”
Feelings? That word sounded like a joke to me. The Lynch Family raised me, but they also ruined me. I’m grateful for their upbringing, but I don’t want anything to do with Cameron or Carter anymore. Moreover, his sudden visit was undoubtedly related to that matter-the will.
Sure enough, he pulled me aside and asked me solemnly, “You were doing well, why did you resign? Is it because of that Cameron causing trouble again?”
“No,” I looked at him, “It’s personal reasons. The job stress was too much for me to handle.”
“Do you care about those rumors?”
“I don’t care, but as they say, too many rumors can confuse what is right or wrong.”
“Tell me the truth, what did Cameron do to you?”
“Carter!” I was getting impatient, “Can you leave me alone? Whether it’s you or Cameron, I don’t want to have anything to do with you! I’m willing to consider you as a brother and The Lynch Family as my home… but all of this is based on mutual respect between us!”
“Laura…”
He seemed to be considering something. After a while, he smirked.
“Do you consider me your brother? Have you forgotten how you married your ‘brother’ in the past?”
“You…”
“I understand Cameron’s feelings a bit now,” he smirked, “It’s really hard to accept losing you to that Patrick, letting that guy benefit from it!”
“What are you trying to do?” I became wary.
“I’m not trying to do anything. Don’t worry, I’m not like Cameron. He’s insane, but I can keep a minimum of rationality,” he scoffed.
“Laura, I’ll ask you just one question: don’t you really want to team up with me to deal with Cameron?” He leaned in close, his voice low and fierce. “Let me tell you, Queenie won’t divorce him. Because The Scott family is also eyeing The Lynch Group’s money! The Lynch Group has taken advantage of The Scott family for so long, do you think they will just let it go?”
“The Lynch Group’s assets cannot fall into the hands of outsiders!” He looked at me. “Laura, since you consider The Lynch Family your home, grateful for their upbringing, shouldn’t you do something for The Lynch Family?”
“As long as we get married, with your signature on the documents, we can kick Cameron out of The Lynch Group! Then we’ll have everything at The Lynch Group.”
“It’s impossible,” I said, looking him straight in the eyes, gently uttering three words.
“Carter, I’ve told you before, and I don’t mind saying it again now… I won’t get involved in your fight with Cameron! Your conflicts will only lead to destruction, and it’s none of my business!”
“But Laura, this also concerns your interests! There’s… money involved!”
“Money!” he repeated. “Laura, don’t you want money?”
“While you were working hard in the US, struggling to earn living expenses through part-time jobs and studying late into the night, Queenie was lying in Cameron’s arms, traveling the world on private jets! You risked your life as a war journalist, barely making any money from an article, while Queenie lived as an elite socialite, enjoying luxuries you can’t even imagine! Her shoes cost hundreds of thousands, but how long would it take you, Laura, to earn enough for a pair of heels?”
“Don’t be foolish!” He grabbed my shoulder. “It’s something within your grasp, why do you want to give it up and make yourself so miserable? Do you think you deserve it?”
“That’s enough, Carter!” I jerked away from him.
I felt like he was completely unreasonable!
Yes, what he said was tempting. Money is a good thing, who doesn’t want to have it? But I always felt that there are more important things in this world than money.
Money can buy many things, but it can’t buy the peace within my heart. I’d rather live a simple life with Patrick, doing ordinary jobs for ordinary pay, like many others, saving up for a house and a car, counting our savings every day, rejoicing at the slight increase in numbers, going out for a fancy dinner to celebrate.
I can do what I love, earnestly pursuing my dreams. No matter how much money a piece of writing can earn, to me, it’s an incomparable wealth.
But Carter simply doesn’t understand any of this.
I looked at him, feeling sorry for him, “Carter, I want a simple and peaceful life. No matter how much money there is, to me, it’s just numbers.”
“I don’t want to fight over inheritance, I don’t want to fight for The Lynch Group. I just hope to quietly spend the rest of my life. I’ll write a statement for the lawyer, and the rest of it, you all can handle yourselves!”
With that said, I turned and walked away.
Carter shouted from behind, “Laura, you’ll regret this!”
I just smiled lightly.
Regret? Maybe a little. I already regretted entering The Lynch Family when I was eight.
I called Holly and asked her to go to the amusement park with me. We rode roller coasters, went kayaking, and tried every activity. Holly panted and looked at me, “Laura, are you trying to relive our childhood?”
I laughed heartily, “I just suddenly felt like having some fun!”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“I quit!” I looked at her. “So I called you out to celebrate!”
“You quit? Are you crazy?” Holly exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anyone so excited about being unemployed!”
“Of course, I’m excited!” I laughed even more joyously. “Because I’m getting married!”
Holly stared at me for a while without saying anything. Suddenly, she screamed, attracting the attention of everyone around.
She was ecstatic, grabbing me and shaking me, “You’re getting married? You’re getting married! To Patrick, right? Haha… I knew it! You’ll be happy with him! This honest guy finally won you over!”
“Yes,” I calmed down. “I’m going to Canada with him soon to meet his parents and then get married there.”
“Holly, will you bless me?”
“I will, I will!” Her eyes teared up, and she hugged me tightly. “Laura, this is the life you should have! Wherever you are, I’ll always bless you.”
“Thank you.” I patted her back. “But I can’t bear to leave you…”
“Don’t be silly!” she laughed. “Transportation is so convenient now, I can fly over to see you anytime! Besides, my magazine is getting bigger and bigger, I can consider opening a branch in Canada!”