LM
CHAPTERS 1008 - 1014
1008
In fact, what Angela couldn’t stand most was that Victor nodded in agreement when somebody else said that she was rude! Even if she was extremely rude, she couldn’t stand it if others criticized her behind her back.
Victor said slowly, “Yes, they are saying you’re rude, but that’s a fact! It is also a fact that my son is better looking than I am. And besides myself, in this world, who else could produce a son who is better looking than me?”
Angela said, “You are so shameless!”
Victor replied, “Well, it’s all caused by you!”
Angela still had more to say. But just then, the doorbell rang. It seemed that Janell Joy Carter had arrived with her sweetheart. Hence, she politely rang the doorbell this time. Angela flashed a warning look at Victor. She probably meant that she would get even with Victor another day. Then, she put on a smile and went to open the door.
The door opened. However, it was not Janell Joy and Nathaniel standing outside the door. It was Andrew instead. Angela was a little surprised. “Andrew, why are you here?”
Andrew said, “Little Aunt, I heard from Grandma that you and Great Uncle have invited the future son-in-law of the Carter family over for dinner. As the eldest son of the family, I thought I should come over and have a look too.”
“Janell had gone downstairs to pick him up. She hasn’t come back up yet. Come in and have a seat,” Angela stepped aside and beckoned for Andrew to enter the house.
“Hi, Great Uncle,” when he saw Victor, Andrew greeted him politely.
“Have a seat,” Victor answered promptly.
The two men sat opposite each other, and between themselves had nothing much to say. When the situation was beginning to become a little awkward, Levi suddenly rushed over to Andrew happily.
The little boy trotted over to Andrew's side and spoke in an adorable tone of voice, “Brother Andrew, you’re here!" This was a rare occurrence, for Levi to speak in such a soft and childish tone!
“Yes,” Andrew nodded and picked the little one up. “Levi, you seem to have grown taller again.”
“But I am still much shorter than you.” Levi was about the same age as Julien was, but Andrew was more than ten years older than these two boys. In the eyes of the two little boys, their Big Brother Andrew was their hero.
“Because you are still a little boy, my dear Levi. When you grow up in a few years, you will definitely be taller than I am now!” Andrew rubbed his head and said with a smile.
“No, I don’t want to be taller than you!” Levi pouted his lips adorably. It was so rare to see him behave in such a cute and innocent manner.
“Why?” Andrew asked.
“I want you to always be my Big Brother. I don’t want to be taller than you. I don’t want you to call me Big Brother instead!”
Based on Levi’s childish beliefs, he thought that being the tallest would make him the Big Brother instead, so he didn’t want that to happen.
“No matter how tall you are, I am always your Big Brother. This will never change!” Andrew said, amused by Levi’s words.
In the Carter family, except for Janell Joy, everyone treated Andrew as family. This was especially true for Levi and Julien, who addressed Andrew as their Big Brother. From their gazes, he could see their admiration for him. These two little fellows really liked him as a brother. Similarly, he also felt a sense of importance because of the way they treated him.
“Really?” Levi tilted his little head and asked Andrew.
“Of course! Have I ever lied to you?” Andrew said. Levi pondered for a while but he really couldn’t think of a time when Andrew had lied to him.
He shook his head and said, “Yes, you’d never lie to me.”
“Ding dong..”
The doorbell rang again.
“This time, it should be Janell and Nathaniel.” Angela went to open the door again.
Indeed, the guests whom they had been waiting for for a long time had finally arrived. However, it was not only Janell Joy and Nathaniel who appeared at the door, but also several subordinates were following behind them. The subordinates had some gifts in their arms.
“Little Aunt, this is Nathaniel Cooper, my boyfriend. Brother Lucas, this is my Little Aunt. I think you still remember her, because it’s hard to forget such a beautiful lady like her.” Janell Joy introduced her in a generous way.
She had officially identified herself as Nathaniel’s girlfriend and did not forget to praise her Little Aunt. Angela could be crude and ruthless most of the time, but she liked to listen to nice words and compliments about herself. Hence, if she was constantly praised, she would be very agreeable and pleasant to speak to.
Janell Joy knew this fact about Angela, so she flattered her in advance. She hoped that Angela would not deliberately make things difficult for Brother Lucas later.
“Hello!” Nathaniel knew all about Angela's real background. She was actually his cousin by blood, but it didn’t look like she wanted to reconcile with the Cooper family any time soon.
Hence, he wasn’t sure if he should address her as his cousin, but he was also too embarrassed to address her as “Little Aunt” the way Janell Joy did. So, he could only say a plain “Hello” awkwardly.
“I’ve only invited you over for a simple dinner, why did you bring so many gifts? You didn’t have to!” Angela made way for him and said happily. “You can move them in and put them aside. Since you guys came here with gifts, I can’t return them, can I?”
Angela was a realist. She trusted that whatever Nathaniel had prepared must be rather good gifts. Even if she didn’t like them and decides to sell them off later, she should be able to make some money out of them anyway
Several of his subordinates put the gifts into the room in an orderly fashion. They were swift and silent and left right after.
After the subordinates left, Angela glanced at the gifts and said with a smile, “These gifts must have been expensive, aren’t they? Mr. President, if you don’t mind, please arrange for someone to send me the shopping list another day.”
“Angela,” Victor coughed lightly and interrupted Angela, the money grubber.
“Janell, come in and sit down first. Why stand at the door?”
Janell Joy introduced him again, “Great Uncle, this is my boyfriend, Nathaniel. Brother Lucas, this is my Great Uncle. You have met before, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” The two men nodded at the same time. In their minds, they knew clearly that they had not only met before, but they also had worked together previously. However, this was something Janell Joy had no knowledge of.
Janell Joy and Nathaniel entered the house together and saw that there was another person in the living room. Janell Joy instinctively became alert and asked, “Andrew, why are you here again?
Andrew looked back and glanced at Janell Joy. Then, he looked at Nathaniel and said, “Grandma told me that Little Aunt is having some guests over for dinner, so she asked me to come and have a look.”
If it weren’t for his grandmother’s phone call, where she had requested him to come and judge her boyfriend, he wouldn’t have known anything about Nathaniel coming over.
When he received the phone call from his grandmother, Andrew thought that she was deliberately making things difficult for him. However, he remembered that his grandmother was not that kind of person.
In the past few years, his grandmother treated him just like how she treated the other children of the Carter family. His grandmother just wanted him to be responsible as a big brother and look after his sister. She did not have any other motive.
“You’ve seen him now, so you can leave first,” Perhaps the gap between them was too distant, so Janell Joy felt uncomfortable when she saw Andrew. She was always worried that he would do something unexpected to her.
“Okay,” Andrew looked away from her and then glanced at Levi. He said, “Levi, I’m going to go first. We’ll meet again another day.”
“Big Brother, why don’t you stay for dinner?” Levi didn’t understand.
In the past, everyone was able to get together for dinner. Why should he leave early today?
1009
“I have some matters to attend to, and I'll spend time with you some other day.” Andrew stroked Levi’s little head gently. He then also bid Victor and Angela goodbye, giving an excuse that he was busy with other affairs.
Victor and Angela were both smart people, so they knew the real reason why Andrew was leaving, but they didn’t want to reveal it. It was useless to say anything about the matter between Janell Joy and Andrew. The emotional “knot” between them had to be untied only by the two of them.
Levi was a little unhappy because of Andrew's leaving. “Are you my cousin’s boyfriend? Are you the one who will take her away in the future?” He turned around and questioned Nathaniel.
The little boy stood in front of Nathaniel. However, because Nathaniel was much taller than Levi was, even if he raised his head as high as he could, he could not see the expression on Nathaniel’s face.
Levi was at the losing end when it came to height, but he didn’t want to admit defeat. He inherited his parents stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat.
He wanted to seem less silly as he challenged Nathaniel, so he stood up straight and put his hands on his waist. He questioned Nathaniel arrogantly.
Nathaniel bent down slightly and said gently to Levi, “Yes, I am your cousin’s boyfriend, but I am not going to cheat her and take her away. I am going to marry her.”
Levi retorted, “Marrying her is the same as cheating her!”
Janell Joy asked, “Levi, who told you that?”
“I said it myself!” Levi blinked his eyes. He would never tell Janell Joy that it was his mother who taught him these words.
“Don’t worry, Janell, Levi is doing his best to help you because he loves and cares about you.” Nathaniel bent down further to be on the same eye level as Levi.
“Levi, thank you so much for protecting your cousin. It’s her blessing that she has such a good little cousin like you.”
Levi was shouting internally. “No, this is not the way it should be!” His enemy was too cunning. The situation did not play out as he expected. Levi could not handle Nathaniel at all!
He looked up at his mother, who was standing behind Nathaniel. She was giving him a lot of signals. She hinted to him very carefully, but he didn’t know what she wanted him to say.
Sigh, with an enemy this strong, and a useless teammate, they had already lost before the war even started!
Levi looked away in disappointment. He noticed that Nathaniel was still looking at him. Then, he heard Nathaniel say, “Levi, you’re such a smart little boy!”
Levi had always known that he was smart, but not many people praised his smartness so directly! Instantly, his little face turned red in embarrassment.
Although he was praised, Levi still kept to his principles. He then said, “Even if you praise me, I won’t let you take my cousin away easily. I will test you later. If you can’t pass my test, I will not allow you to take Janell Joy away.”
“Oh, you want to test me? How?” This little guy was really so clever. Nathaniel liked smart children. He couldn’t help but raise his hand and pat his little head. ” I accept your challenge!”
“Levi, let’s have dinner first. Please ask Janell Joy and Mr. Cooper to come over to the dining table!” Angela was still signalling discreetly at Levi. However, the little one ignored her and was ready to jump over to the President’s side!
Angela once again felt deeply that her son must be an angel sent by Heaven to torture her!
At the dining table.
Angela was an enthusiastic hostess, “Mr. Cooper, these dishes are specially prepared for you. You must eat more. Make yourself at home!”
Nathaniel nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. James!”
He thought that addressing her as Mrs. James that should be more appropriate than calling her Angela, hence, he decided to do so. When he said that, he clearly felt that Angela was slightly stunned, but soon she regained her normal composure and said with a bright smile, “To be honest, I really like to be called Mrs. James.”
As he knew about Angela's true identity, Nathaniel felt a little awkward when meeting her. Hence, he was talking in a very formal and polite manner. Victor and Nathaniel had also only contacted each other previously because of official matters, and they did not speak much about their personal lives. Hence, they did not have much to chat about at the dining table.
With Nathaniel around, Janell Joy maintained her enthusiastic demeanour throughout the whole dinner, as if she were Nathaniel’s number one fan. No matter what he said, she agreed with him. From time to time, she would look at his face and secretly observe him.
However, Angela was the only one who spoke non-stop. “Mr. Cooper, you should know, right? Everyone loves Janell so much in our family. We don’t need her to marry a man from a super-rich family, we only want a man to dote on her like how our family does.”
Nathaniel nodded again, “I know.”
Janell Joy was worried that Angela would make things difficult for Nathaniel, so she hurriedly helped him out of the predicament. “Little Aunt, Brother Lucas treats me very well. He dotes on me just like you guys do.”
“Little girl, you only know how to put in a good word for him.” Angela poked Janell Joy’s head and officially started her provocation plan. “Little girl, do you know that I was fascinated by a man because I was confused at that time? At that time, I was just too blind. There were so many men in the world but I felt like he was the best. I wanted nobody else except for him.”
Janell Joy nodded. “Of course I know.”
That man was her Great Uncle. If it weren’t for her Little Aunt’s stubbornness, they might not have such a happy life like they have today.
Angela continued to say, “However, when you really get together with that man, you will find that he is no different from other men. He might even be even worse than the men that you used to push away. If you didn’t have pushed too hard, perhaps you would have chosen a better man.”
Hearing Angela's words, Janell Joy was shocked. Was there something wrong with Angela? How dare she speak like this in front of Victor?
Nathaniel didn’t have any reaction. He calmly ate his dinner and served Janell Joy some food too, waiting to spectate a good show.
Angela didn’t know that Victor, who was sitting next to her, was so angry that his face turned extremely red, and his sharp eyes were fixed on her.
"I am your elder. I am 18 years older than you. I’ve seen a lot in this life. You have to remember the lessons I taught you. I’m telling you don’t give up the whole forest for just a tree, when you still have a choice.”
Therefore, she continued, “Janell, I.."
Bam!
Victor slammed his plate down on the table, and he suddenly stood up.
Angela was shocked, but she was still working hard to break up the couple. She didn’t know why Victor was so angry. “Victor, please be mindful. We have guests here, why are you behaving this way?”
She smiled apologetically to Nathaniel again. “He is always like that, and he throws a tantrum from time to time, just ignore him, Mr. Cooper.”
1010
“Mom..”
Levi stretched out his little hand, tugging at the corner of Angela's clothes. He kindly wanted to hint at her to stop agitating Victor.
Angela looked down at him and patted his hand away. “Brat, this is none of your business. Eat whatever you should eat and drink whatever you should drink. Don’t be nosy!”
Levi winked at her, trying to indicate a message. He said, “Mom, Dad is.”
“Your Dad has probably done eating, you don’t have to be concerned about him. Eat your dinner..” Angela placed some food on Levi’s plate, trying to shut him out.
She was busy with her own matter, which was to evaluate Janell Joy’s boyfriend. Everything else did not concern her right now.
“Sigh.” Levi sighed and shook his head helplessly. How could he have such a slow and dimwitted mother?
Although Levi was still a child, he knew how much his father would accept his mother’s every whim and fancy. Victor spoiled her all the time. However, Angela was now joking about how she should not have married Victor. This was something Victor would never tolerate, not even a joke!
Somehow, Levi could already imagine how badly his mother would be tortured by his father later, as a punishment for her sharp tongue.
“Sigh.”
He shook his head helplessly again. To be honest, he was sure that he must have been adopted by his parents! Otherwise, how could a smart and lovely child like him have such a foolish mother like Angela?
He was feeling a mild aversion towards Angela now! When they were going out together in the future, he vowed to stay away from her. He must not let others know that he was her son.
Look, his slow-witted mother did not even realize the seriousness of the matter! She still said without shame, “Janell, you must remember what I said to you. Otherwise, when you meet a better man in the future, you will regret it so much.”
Janell Joy took a bite of her food, blinked her eyes, and asked, “Little Aunt, you have been married to Great Uncle for so many years. Have you regretted it?”
Janell Joy knew exactly what Angela wanted to do. She would not just sit there and let Angela push her around. She would fight back, and she was prepared to attack Angela's weakest spots.
Janell Joy asked Angela with a smile, and her voice was soft. In Angela's eyes, Janell Joy was still a cute little child, that was why she let down her guard.
Angela patted her chest and sighed, “Janell, you asked if I have ever regretted? Let me tell you, all these years, there was not one day that I did not regret my decision.”
Hearing this, Janell Joy’s eyes widened, showing a look of sympathy for her. “Little Aunt, do you mean that you regret marrying Great Uncle all these years?”
“Little Aunt, if you dare to admit that I will definitely sympathize with you today.” Janell Joy thought to herself.
She didn’t expect that Angela, who had always been so clever, actually nodded in agreement to that question. Perhaps she was too focused on breaking Janell Joy and Nathaniel up.
“Yes," Angela nodded and admitted to it. Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes, her acting becoming more and more genuine. “Janell, you must take me as an example. Before marrying someone, you must think it over carefully. Once a woman gets married to a man, the man will think of you as someone inferior and will no longer care about you. My husband thinks of me poorly every day, and even my son does so too. They would always gang up and bully me. I’m living in a war zone every day. Sometimes, I would even think about getting a divorce. If I have another chance, I will definitely not marry this bastard Victor.”
Angela had received all types of the best actress awards in the past few years, and her acting skills had nearly reached a level of perfection
After her emotional performance, anyone would think that she really had been living in regret all these years. It was as if marrying Victor was the biggest mistake in her life.
Janell Joy gave Angela a thumbs-up in her heart. “Little Aunt, you are a real hero! I really admire you!”
Bang!
This time, it was not the sound of plates and chopsticks, but the sound of the hard slamming of the door.
Victor's face became more and more upset, and he was so angry that he slammed the door and left.
If it weren’t for the fact that Nathaniel was there, and that Victor didn’t want to do anything too embarrassing, Victor would have thrown Angela out of the window a long time ago.
“Mom, Dad is so angry, he left!” Levi tugged the corner of Angela's clothes again, thinking that she should go out and apologize this time. There was still room for negotiation. After all, his father wouldn’t want to see his mother being sad.
“Your Dad’s just in a bad mood today! Don’t worry about him. Have more food.” Angela placed more food on Levi’s plate again.
Levi was speechless.
It seemed that he was going to stay in Janell Joy’s house for a few days until the war at home had subsided.
Angela even smiled apologetically at Nathaniel. “Mr. Cooper, my husband’s a little moody sometimes. It’s nothing against you personally. Don’t mind him.”
“I know!” Nathaniel nodded, with a bright smile in his eyes. Actually, he thought that the way their family interacted was what a real family should be like. Getting angry when it was needed, arguing if it was necessary, throwing some tantrums if it was required…
This was very unlike his family. Even if the Coopers had to sit at the same table for dinner, everyone had their own matters to attend to. If they wanted to say something, they would definitely consider all consequences of saying it, always afraid that they would say something wrong.
A real family should be this gentle and sweet. They could argue and reconcile occasionally. They would also go the extra mile to protect their children and always want the best for them.
However, in his family, when it came to marriage, choosing the right partner with the most suitable or influential background was the first thing to consider.
In fact, they could only choose a partner from a few noble families, as marriage was an opportunity to synergize power and benefits.
Angela asked again, “Mr. Cooper, what do you like about Janell?”
“Janell?” Nathaniel moved his hand and grabbed Janell Joy’s hand. He looked at her and said, “In my heart, I like everything about her.”
“As the President of Country A, you have to be responsible for the whole country. If you want to hold on to your position, you have to work hard. Do you think you can spend time with her and love her as much as an average man could?”
In the end, Angela was still worried that he would neglect Janell Joy because of his work and hectic schedule. These problems were very realistic, and also the root of the problems between couples after being together with each other for a long time.
Marriage was not equivalent to love. In love, a couple could be impulsive and capricious. However, to make a marriage work, a couple would have to be calm, rational, and work together collectively to move forward.
“There were many good men in this world, but they might not be necessarily compatible with you. If you couldn’t meet the best man, then you should train your own man well!” This was Angela's belief.
For example, her Victor used to be an arrogant military officer, he never understood her and would never care for her. Over the years, after being trained by her, Victor had changed a lot. He was no longer a b*stard, he was now a good husband and a good father.
Although Victor's gentleness and consideration were not on the same level as her cold brother’s, he had made great progress. Besides, they still had a long way to go. She still had a lot of time to teach Victor how to be a good husband.
1011
“Little Aunt, Great Uncle was so angry that he left. Are you really not going to check on him?” Janell Joy asked Angela.
What Angela asked earlier was too difficult to answer. Hence, Janell Joy changed the topic to pull Nathaniel out of his predicament.
Janell Joy was always like this. To avoid her family making things difficult for Nathaniel, she always stood up for him, to shield him from any grievances he might suffer.
Nathaniel felt touched and couldn’t help but hold her hand tighter. He smiled gently at her and said, “Janell, don’t worry.”
But yet, Janell Joy was still worried. “Brother Lucas, I.”
He reached out and pressed Janell Joy’s lips with his thumb to stop her from talking. He then looked at Angela and replied with a smile, “Being the President of Country A is important to me, but it is much less important than Janell Joy to me.”
He had gone through so much hardship and put in so much effort to rise to the position of President of Country A. It could be said that it was the proudest moment in his political career.
Many people could only dream of his position, so everyone would assume that this position was the last thing he would want to lose in his life. But to him, this position was not worth anything when compared to Janell Joy.
Only Nathaniel knew the strength Janell Joy gave him. This strength kept him going, and nothing could beat him down… As long as he was not beaten down, the position of President was nothing! He could achieve anything he wanted.
Angela was very satisfied with Nathaniel’s answer, but she was not the kind of person who would surrender just after hearing a few nice words. She looked at Nathaniel for a while and said, “Anyone can say nice words, but most of them do not practice what they preach. So, Mr. Cooper, which one are you? Are you a man who abides by his word, or a man that makes empty promises?
Janell Joy became anxious again and said, “Little Aunt, don’t make things difficult for Brother Lucas. I know his character, but..”
She wanted to explain more to defend Nathaniel’s character, but Nathaniel squeezed her hand and interrupted her, “Mrs. James, don’t worry. I will try my best.”
Angela glanced at Janell Joy and warned her to shut up. She then said, “To be honest, Mr. Cooper, I don’t really care if you are a man of your word. I only hope you can do your best and love our Janell in the best way possible.”
Nathaniel nodded, “I will.”
Angela added, “You should also understand that today, I’m just evaluating you on behalf of my brother and sister-in-law. If you want to get the recognition of everyone in the Carter family, you have to continue to work hard. Of course, it cannot be just for show. You have to really take care of our precious Janell sincerely.”
Nathaniel continued to nod.
Of course, he knew that Angela was the easiest person to convince. The real obstacle was still Edwin Carter. Janell Joy would be Nathaniel’s only if he passed Edwin's final evaluation.
“Okay, please continue with your dinner. I’ll go and check on my Victor.” Angela put down her cutleries and got up to leave. After two steps, she thought of something. She looked back and said, “Brat, aren’t you coming with me to find your father?”
Levi shook his head and said, “Mom, I’m not full yet, I want to eat more. You can go and look for Dad on your own.”
He was not so silly. Why would he follow his mother when his father was still angry? Levi knew clearly that he would suffer very much if his father’s temper flared up.
As Levi insisted that he wanted to stay at the dinner table, Angela did not continue to persuade him. She turned and left to look for Victor.
Looking at her walking away, Levi shook his head and sighed, “Oh Lord, I hope Mom can come back alive.”
“Levi, you must be very happy! You’re probably thinking of how your mother will be tormented by your father, aren’t you?” The shrewd look in Levi’s gaze did not escape Janell Joy’s eyes.
“How would I? I’m worried about my delicate, beautiful, and benevolent mother!” Although there was a little bit of happiness in his heart, he must not say it out loud. If his mother ever found out about it, he would get into trouble.
“There’s no one else here. What’s wrong with telling the truth? You’ve been bullied by your mother for so long. If you can’t take it anymore, say it out loud, maybe you’ll feel better.” Janell Joy tried to tempt him.
“Janell Joy Carter, you are right. I am bullied every day at home and I am also the most pitiful one in our family. But I still love my mother very much!”
Even if threatened with death, he would never admit that he really wanted his father to teach his mother a lesson. However, this was really what he wished for, so that his mother would control herself and wouldn’t be so arrogant in future.
Janell Joy squeezed Levi’s little pink face and said, “Levi, don’t you normally address me as ‘Sister? How dare you call my name so arrogantly now! I am older than you are!”
Levi said, “I just remembered, based on my Dad’s seniority, you are technically a generation below me. You should call me Uncle!"
This was the consequence of the convoluted relationships in their family. Victor was Janell Joy’s father’s uncle! Janell Joy was rendered speechless, she could not refute the little one.
“Levi, you really need to be taught a lesson!” Janell Joy smiled at him. Since she couldn’t win by arguing, she would try other ways. “You’ll wait and see. I will find a way to arrange for you and Little Precious to stay together during the New Year’s holiday. He will teach you how to love and appreciate me!”
“Never!” If Levi were forced to live with that silent Julien Glover Carter for a month, he would go crazy
“Hmm.” Janell Joy snorted smugly.
“Sister Janell, you are the best cousin I could ever have!” As the saying goes, a great man knows when to yield and when not to. Although Levi was a child, he knew how to play by the game.
As long as he didn’t have to stay alone with Julien, he would even be willing to kneel and beg Janell Joy for forgiveness. Levi really didn’t want to hang out with Julien, that little boy who wouldn’t talk and acted so cool!
“That’s more like it.” Janell Joy patted his head but he rolled his eyes at her. After all, not everyone could pat his head so casually, especially girls.
Nathaniel finally had a proper dinner with Janell Joy’s family, and it turned out to be rather chaotic. However, he didn’t feel that he was neglected at all. Instead, he felt that all of them treated him as part of the family, and hence they could be so natural around him.
Even the little Levi had a slightly better attitude towards him. He even squeezed to his side and opened his arms to him. “Brother Cooper, can you carry me?”
“Of course!” Nathaniel exclaimed. Levi’s adorable words were very heartwarming. Nathaniel felt very pleasant, for a child to be fond of him.
“Brother Cooper, will you really take my Sister Janell away in the future?” Levi came close to his ear and whispered, “Although she always bullies me and I sometimes don’t like her very much, I will still be very sad if I’m not able to see her in the future.”
“I won’t take her away.” Nathaniel smiled gently and said, “If she marries me someday, it does not mean that I will take her away. Instead, there will be one more person who will love her as much as you all do.”
1012
Perhaps, this was what true love should be like.
Nathaniel, Janell Joy, and a little child that belonged to them.. Perhaps they would argue occasionally, but after their argument, they would still be able to live their days happily and peacefully.
Such a beautiful family life, made Nathaniel feel very envious. He yearned for this kind of life very much. He had been secretly planning his future with Janell Joy Carter in his heart.
Two years later, he would marry Janell Joy, so that they could live a peaceful, easygoing, and sweet life together.
In this life, he would never give up on love and give up his family, all for the sake of power. This was something his father Griffin did. For his entire life, Griffin was deeply embroiled in the wars of politics, neglecting his family.
He should have a love that belonged to him, a family that belonged to him, and a child who belonged to him and Janell Joy. This vision of their future seemed really wonderful. He had to work harder and strive to have Janell Joy’s father, Edwin, accept him into the family as soon as possible.
“Brother Cooper, I can trust you, but my Mom is right. There are still a lot of people who love my sister in our family. You have to get all their approvals before you successfully pass the test!”
Levi was a child, but he was smart. He now understood that Nathaniel didn’t plan to snatch Janell Joy away from their family. Hence, he did not want to continue making things difficult for Nathaniel.
However, if it weren’t for the fact that Nathaniel was so handsome, it would not have been so easy for Levi to accept him. Levi was actually an aesthete! He loved things that looked nice.
“Well, that’s good. This is what a sensible child should do.” Hearing what Levi said, Janell Joy was very happy and lowered her head to kiss him.
Unexpectedly, the little one turned his head away and avoided her kiss. He looked disgusted, “Girls shouldn’t simply kiss another person. If you want to kiss someone, kiss your boyfriend.”
“Little one. I kiss you because I like you, how dare you be disgusted at me?” Janell Joy looked embarrassed. Were all children so precocious and witty nowadays?
Nathaniel looked at them from the side. Listening to them, he couldn’t resist getting closer to them. “Alright, Levi doesn’t want you, but I do. You can kiss me wherever you want.”
Janell Joy pushed him away and said angrily, “Brother Lucas, you’re ganging up with the brat to bully me before you even joined the Carter family. Where’s your confidence from?’
“Alright, I just want to kiss you.” Nathaniel smiled and quickly took action. He grabbed Janell Joy’s head, pulled her closer, and quickly covered her lips with his.
Janell Joy was extremely surprised. When did Brother Lucas become so restrained? There was an innocent child sitting next to them. Why would he make the situation so inappropriate?
Janell Joy was worried about teaching Levi the wrong things, but Levi didn’t even care about them kissing. After all, he was used to having such things happening at home. His parents were always arguing and making fun of each other, and most of the time, Levi could consider it as not child-friendly.
However, had his mother caught up with his father yet? If she did, how would his father teach his disobedient mother a lesson?
“Sigh.”
Levi sighed again. He was their child. They were his parents. But actually Angela and Victor looked like children that Levi had to worry about instead.
Levi pondered about his misfortune of being born into this chaotic family. If he had a chance at being reborn, perhaps he should widen his eyes and look carefully when picking his family!
His parents were hot-tempered and unpredictable. The reason why he could live well till now was definitely because of luck.
At the same time, the situation Levi was worried about was ongoing elsewhere.
In the underground parking lot of Moon Bay, Victor and Angela were having a showdown.
Victor sat in the car. Angela opened her arms and stood in front of the car, staring fiercely at Victor who was in the car.
“Victor, don't you want to get off the car?” Victor put his hands gently on the steering wheel, looking ahead, but his eyes were not focused on her at all.
He didn’t want to talk to this woman, nor did he want to listen to her voice, so he closed the window tightly. No matter what she said, he couldn’t hear her.
“Victor, I’m talking to you. Do you hear me?”
If it weren’t for the fact that the car was really expensive and the repair fee would be very costly, Angela would have given both Victor and his car a hard kick.
Duu, duu----
He didn’t respond to her and then he pressed on the honk fiercely, indicating for her to get out of the way. He didn’t want her to block him. As a consequence, Angela was so furious that she was about to explode.
She could no longer care about the cost of the car. She stepped forward and kicked the car hard. “Victor, where did you get your courage from?”
Not only did this man refuse her entry into the car, he made her suffer in the cold wind outside, which was freezing her to death. She didn’t argue with him, because she knew that she said something wrong earlier. She had disclosed some details about their private relationship without letting him know first.
So, she endured this torment, thinking that it would be fine if he could just calm down. But she didn’t expect that this man actually wanted to test her patience and even honked loudly to chase her away!
She couldn’t stand it anymore. She became so angry and impulsive. She told herself, “If I do not murder this rascal Victor today, I will change my name permanently to Angela James!”
Angela was very proud of her name, Angela Carter, and never wanted to change it despite being married to Victor.
Angela James?
Angela repeated the name silently. As it turned out, it sounded quite pleasant. Perhaps, if she had a daughter in the future, she could give her this name.
A little girl called Angela James, it was absolutely perfect. Perhaps her daughter would be a miniature version of herself! Angela Junior!
Duu, duu---
Angela's daydream was interrupted by the loud honking again. When she looked at Victor, he was also staring at her, with no intention of making peace with her.
This time, Angela was so angry that she simply clambered on the bonnet of the car and sat down. She pointed at Victor, who was still in the car, and said, “Victor, if you want to leave, you’ll have to run over my body.”
Duu, duu-
He still kept honking.
“Victor, you want to fight with me, is that it?” She knew she was wrong and came to apologize to him. Why was he being that stubborn?
“Oh goodness, look at that woman on the car bonnet! She looks so unsightly.” As Angela had been making a fuss for quite a while, many bystanders had surrounded to watch the scene. Some people were quite idle, so they stood by for quite long to enjoy the drama.
“Yeah, yeah, look at her fierce look, any man won’t be able to stand her. Such a fierce woman, it would be better to get rid of her as soon as possible!” The onlookers were very judgmental
“What are you looking at? What are you talking about? If you continue to talk, I will cut off your tongues!” What Angela hated most in her life was people talking nasty things about her.
Besides, she couldn’t vent her anger on Victor, thus this group of people became her punching bags.
No matter who they were, if anyone dared criticize her, she would definitely condemn them more viciously. She would scold as much as she wished so that she could feel much better!
1013
In a short period of time, Angela had reprimanded three of the gossiping bystanders. They soon shut their mouths and walked away.
However, when they were about to walk away, another woman stood out and said in an unpleasant tone, “This woman is not only a shrew, but she must also be insane. Let’s go now, otherwise she might go crazy and bite us!”
“What did you just say?” Hearing this, Angela turned over and jumped off the car. She pushed up her sleeves and wanted to rush over and fight the woman.
The woman said again, “Look, look at her fierce look. It’s no wonder she had been rejected and had to wait outside of the car. She deserves it.”
The woman glanced at Victor's car and saw that it was of a luxury brand. Then, she saw Victor who was inside the car, who seemed to be a little older than Angela. She instinctively regarded Angela as a mistress who hooked up with a married man.
She shook her head and said, “For a woman like you, don’t seduce someone else’s husband just because you are pretty now! Every woman will grow old and lose her beauty one day. If you do this to someone else now, perhaps others will treat you like that too someday.”
Angela was happy to hear that the woman said she was pretty, but the latter half of the sentence upset her.
Angela was Victor's wife, so why was the woman talking about seducing someone’s husband? This was unbearable to her. She said, “He is my husband!”
This was not the first time such a thing had happened, and it was not the first time that Angela had proved to others that Victor was her husband, but they just didn’t believe it.
Once, in a fit of anger, Angela took out her marriage certificate and showed it to others, proving that she and Victor were husband and wife.
Perhaps it was because she was very pretty, and she was much younger than the old man Victor, hence the public wouldn’t believe that they were rightfully married.
Thinking of this, she looked back at Victor, who was sitting in the car with his eyes closed, like he was resting. This damn stinky man was really getting a little too comfortable.
The woman said again, “Nowadays, mistresses who claim other people’s husbands as their own are getting more and more ridiculous, the one living next door to me is one too… You little bitches are really shameless!”
Angela just kept quiet.
She was fighting with Victor. Why did she suddenly become the heat of the topic for being a mistress? She was his actual wife! The one and only Mrs. James! However, she agreed with this woman’s point of view. Relying on their appearance to attract men would not last long. When she grows old, she would be like an average woman.
She hated those little b*tches who seduced other people’s husbands, especially those who wanted to hook up with Victor. She wanted to punch them to death.
“My wife, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk and not returned home all night. I’m sorry!” At this critical moment, Victor finally got out of the car and stood behind Angela to support her.
“It’s good that you know you’re wrong. Since you’ve apologized, I’m not an unreasonable woman either. Let’s go home.” As long as he gave her a way out, Angela grabbed onto this lifeline faster than anything. She didn’t feel ashamed at all.
Seeing that the two of them were actually husband and wife, the woman blushed in embarrassment and left in disgrace.
Only Angela and Victor were left in the huge parking lot.
Angela was worried that Victor would get into the car again and ignore her. She then turned around and hugged Victor tightly like a koala. “Hubby, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said that. Please forgive me.”
At this time, Angela did not dare argue with Victor for ignoring her. She only wanted to lure him back first.
Unexpectedly, Victor's face changed and suddenly darkened. “Angela, you are a mother of a seven-year-old child. Can’t you think before you talk?”
“Think before I talk? Victor, you know me. Sometimes I just speak whatever I want to say, you know that.” Angela shamelessly explained her stance, but she was still able to speak with joy, as if nothing happened at all.
“Well. You’re the only one who could say these things.” Victor wanted to throw Angela away, but this woman was really good at grappling him. He could not push her off.
“In order to make my husband happy, I can even say things that are more shameless.” Angela rubbed against Victor's arms and said, “Captain James, now that I’ve apologized, please forgive me.”
“Forgive you?” If he forgave her that easily, she would definitely do something worse in the future. This time, he would not forgive her easily.
“You don’t want to?” Angela loosened her grip around his waist and quickly fell to the ground. “Victor, I was saying that just for little Janell's sake. Janell is your sister’s granddaughter, as an elder, don’t you want to help her? If Janell's cheated by a man, would you want to watch your sister cry in pain?”
Victor said, “You are talking nonsense again.”
Angela smiled and said, “I can talk nonsense because I know that you love me. If not, I wouldn’t even dare to say anything even if I had the courage.”
She threw herself into his arms again, acting coquettishly and cute. “Captain James, you’re a big man, I’m a little woman. If you really want to argue with me, you’re going to look petty.”
Victor responded, “I am petty”
Angela dragged him away and said, “If you’re petty, I’m afraid there won’t be any generous people in this world. Go back. When I went out earlier, President Cooper said that he had something to discuss with you. You can’t leave him there.”
After provoking Victor, Angela knew she needed to convince him vehemently. Anyway, she had to bring him home no matter what.
Victor was not someone who was too difficult. As long as Angela followed his rules, a few words would be enough to soothe him.
They had lived together for so many years. Angela knew everything about his character, that was why she could be so arrogant.
Because she knew that Victor would never stay angry with her, nor would he abandon her and completely ignore her. He would still feel sorry for her.
She pulled Victor into the elevator. Angela looked up slightly and saw his beautiful jawline. She looked at him attentively and saw how seductive his neck looked.
D#mn it!
This man was so old, but he was still so alluring.
She was so seduced by him that she swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She mustered up her courage and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his neck. She merely touched him, and it made Victor grunt.
Victor immediately pushed her away and said, “Angela, do you know what you are doing?”
Angela winked at him and said with a smile, “My husband is too delicious. I want to have a bite.”
1014
Neil just kept quiet
How could this woman be so…
He thought for a while and thought of some adjectives to describe Angela. She was not a typical woman. She was bold and unrestrained. Was there anything in the world that she would not do?
He had never seen anything that she could not do. She had the courage to soar over mountains and seas to get what she wanted. She could even go through the Gates of Hell.
Angela snuggled up to Victor again and said, “Victor, when I kissed you, you must have felt very happy inside.”
Victor pushed her away and didn’t let her get close to him. “Angela, we are in the elevator. Please be mindful of where we are.”
“Sigh..” Angela snorted, “Neil, we are already so familiar with each other. We have seen each other naked so many times! You are naked in my mind! You don’t need to pretend to be so pure and innocent.”
Victor glared at her and said, “I have never had another woman apart from you in my life. I am pure at heart! Why would I have to pretend?”
“Pff..” Angela chuckled and looked at Victor attentively “Do you feel proud that you only have one woman in your life?”
Victor said arrogantly, “At least it proves that I am truly pure at heart!”
Angela tried hard to hold back her laughter. After a pause, she said, “Victor, you’re too old to pretend to be pure at heart. Don’t act innocent in front of me. I won’t buy it.”
The corners of Victor's mouth twitched. “Angela!”
Angela responded again, “Did I say anything wrong?”
Victor glared at her and didn’t want to continue this conversation with Angela anymore. If she said one more word, he might crush her to death.
Angela once again gained the upper hand. She was in a good mood and suddenly rushed to Victor's arms. She held him tightly and said, “Kiss me, Victor.”
Victor refused to even look at her.
Angela didn’t give up and kept leaning onto his body. She took the initiative to kiss him. This time, before she touched his lips, Victor pushed her away again.
Victor looked at her coldly and said, “Angela, I’m not over it yet. I’m still mad at you. Don’t take me for granted.”
Angela pinched him and said seriously, “Victor, let me tell you, those old men who can’t get married are all because they are too petty. It’s your blessing that you can get married to such a beautiful and virtuous wife. Don’t be so ungrateful.”
Victor was taken aback.
He had long known that Angela was a shameless person, but he didn’t expect for her to be this shameless. The wall of this elevator was probably not as thick as her ego.
Ding dong!
Just as Angela and Victor were arguing, the elevator arrived at the designated floor.
Victor didn’t want to give any attention to Angela. He took a step forward and was about to go out, but Angela moved faster. She hugged him, quickly pressed on the close button on the elevator, and then she pressed the button for a random floor.
Victor was angry. “Angelapp, what do you want to do?”
Angela grinned and said, “Victor, let me tell you, if you don’t forgive me today, we will stay in this elevator for the night.” Victor did not respond to her.
Angela ignored his upset face, and she just didn’t want to let go of him. “Victor, we have been married for so many years, did you notice anything better about my body?”
Victor couldn’t stand Angela's shameless attitude anymore, so he had to surrender and said, “Angela, stop talking. I forgive you.”
“Forgive me?” Angela smiled and said, “But your expression doesn’t look like you have forgiven me. Give me a smile. If I think it looks good, then I'll consider that you have forgiven me.”
This annoying woman!
Victor couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed her waist, pushed her back against the elevator, and he kissed her heavily.
After working so hard for such a long time, this big fish finally took the bait. Angela was so happy that she wanted to celebrate. However, just as she was feeling happy, the elevator door opened again.
There were several people standing at the elevator door. Some were old and some were young. They were watching the scene in the elevator, and one of them said disdainfully. “The moral standards in this world are getting more depraved every day…”
What did the person mean?
Angela was not happy!
Her husband was only kissing her. Why did that person have to say that their moral standards were depraved?!
Angela struggled instinctively and wanted to fight that person. However, Victor did not let her go, so she was not able to break free.
This was the difference between women and men. Men were born to be physically stronger than women. In a physical fight, a man would definitely have the upper hand.
“Woo...” Victor was kissing Angela violently, and she could only whimper like a crying baby. She was completely bullied.
“They’re just a few steps away from home and they’re already making out in the elevator. How hungry and impatient are they?” The voices of the crowd were ringing in their ears.
Angela not only wanted to swear at them, she even wanted to beat them up. She struggled hard, but Victor kissed her to the point where she felt dizzy and could not move much.
It was not until…
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the two of them, and Victor slowly let go of her. Under everyone’s gaze, he took her out of the elevator and said, “Let us through.”
He held Angela in his arms and walked out of the elevator. Before the elevator door closed, he added, “Honey, are you satisfied this time?”
Angela was quiet this time.
What the f*ck!
This man was absolutely unbelievable. Obviously, he was letting the people in the elevator know that she was the one who asked him to do this, and that he was not the one who was willing to act that way.
Angela raised her foot and stepped hard on Victor's foot as revenge. However, Victor gave her a little smile and said, “Alright, stop fooling around. Let’s go home. Our guests are still waiting for us.”
Angela was still quiet.
For her to be seen as a joke, he was very happy. He was really, really happy. Because when he held her in his arms, his chest was shaking because of his suppressed laughter.
Angela expressed that she was angry, but she couldn’t find a reason to be mad about him because he didn’t really do anything wrong.
Victor pinched her red lips and said, “It’s just two floors away. Let’s use the stairs. It’s good for us to exercise more since we’re old.”
“So you know how old you are? When you kissed me so hard just now, why didn’t you think of how old you are?” Hmph, petty person
“I was doing it to satisfy your needs anyway!” He said. His lips curled up slightly, and the smile on his face became wider.
Looking at his smiling face, Angela realized that Victor was actually an old fox. Every time they argued, it would seem like she won. In fact, the final winner was him, and the one who lost was her!
However, since they were husband and wife, they had to be together for the rest of their lives. When they fought with each other, why would it matter who won or lost?
