Book 1: She Becomes Glamorous After the Engagement Annulment

Chapter 6

Chapter 16: Why Do You Look The Same As Me?

Due to it getting late, the light in the narrow stairwell was rather dim.

Pete stared at Cherry in shock.

Her eyes were widened as round as grapes and her mouth slightly ajar. The two stared at each other for some time. Cherry was the first to speak. “Why is there a mirror in the stairwell?”

Pete was puzzled.

The corners of his lips spasmed. “This isn’t a mirror.”

Cherry was dazed and dumbfounded. “Why do you look exactly the same as me, then?”

The stairwell fell quiet for another few seconds. Then, a hesitant Pete said, “Are we… twins?”

Tiny Cherry, who finally reacted, leaped forward and hugged Pete excitedly. “Wow! I found my brother!”

“…”

Pete, who had always refused physical contact with others, stiffened.

Blood relations were simply so peculiar. For example, physical contact with people such as one’s mother and younger sister would give one a very heartwarming feeling.

But as it turned out, Mommy hugged him and eaten dinner with him because she mistook him for someone else?

This realization made Pete turn pale. He sounded a little sad as he asked, “Why did Mommy abandon me?”

Cherry let go of him and hurriedly explained, “Mommy didn’t abandon you. It was our horrid grandpa who sent you away. The reason why we came back to the States is so that we could look for you!”

“Really?”

Afraid that her brother wouldn’t believe her, Cherry nodded repeatedly. “It’s true! It’s true!!”

Her soft hands grabbed hold of Pete and she dragged him down the stairs. “Let’s go find Mommy. She’ll definitely be very happy to see you, and then she’ll take us home!”

Pete was taken aback. “But what about Daddy?”

Cherry paused. “Oh, that’s right. Mommy definitely won’t want Daddy.”

“Why?”

“Mommy thinks he’s trouble and that his familial relationships are complicated, so she finds him very bothersome! Does Daddy like Mommy?”

With an awfully complicated expression, Pete replied, “Daddy seems to hate my mom.”

“What do we do?”

“…”

A minute later, the two little cuties sat on the steps together. The two of them looked just like peas in a pod as they tried to think of countermeasures with their faces, which still had baby fat on them, propped in their hands.

“By the way, my name is Cheryl Smith! You can call me Cherry. What’s your name?”

“Peter Hunt. You can call me Pete.”

“I want both you and Daddy, Pete. And, I can’t leave Mommy, either. Do you have a solution?”

“Yes, I do.”

Cherry suddenly jumped up excitedly. “What is it?”

With a solemn look, Pete replied, “If we get Daddy and Mommy to fall in love with each other, they won’t despise each other anymore.”

The two children leaned their heads against each other’s and talked about it. When they finally separated, Cherry suggested,

“I wanna play with Daddy. Can I pretend to be you tonight?”

It just so happened that Pete also wanted to spend some time with his mother, so he nodded with his eyes shining brightly.

Harboring the noble mission of reconciling a broken family, the children then quietly sneaked back to each other’s residence.

_

Nora contacted the hospital after she left the ward. The dean agreed to her request immediately.

Anti was known as the top surgeon in the world. Several of her surgical videos had become classics in many hospitals and medical colleges.

Having her perform surgery in the hospital was undoubtedly the hospital’s honor.

However, he made a few irrelevant requests—he wanted a few people from the hospital to be assistants so that they could observe and learn from the operation.

Nora, who didn’t mind, acceded to his requests.

Next up were the operation site and facilities. The hospital’s equipment was outdated and couldn’t meet the demands of such a sophisticated operation. As such, she could only borrow a few from New York at last-minute notice.

As the relevant procedures involved were cumbersome, by the time she was done with the calls and settled all the arrangements, more than two hours had already passed.

Only then did she return to the ward, intending to comfort her aunt.

She thought that Henry and Wendy would already have left by then, but unexpectedly, she immediately heard a dispute in the ward as soon as she arrived.

Henry was very arrogant. “If you want Angela to ask Dr. Larson to perform the surgery, then get Nora to surrender the company! Which is more important—that lousy company, or her aunt’s life?”

Irene’s breathing was unsteady. “Angela, I’ve always treated you well since you were a child. This is also what I would like to ask you—is the company or my life more important?”

Angela curled her lip. “When have you ever treated me well, Aunt Irene? You obviously favored that damned fatty. Back when you were a seamstress, you would make the same clothes for us. But you must have used more fabric for hers, right? If you had really treated me well, then you shouldn’t have made any for her at all!”

Her words angered the thin Irene lying on the bed. “Angela, you—”

A dissatisfied Angela went on. “Also, although you gave us the same presents during Christmas, did you think I didn’t know that you always gave that damned fatty another one in private?! Hmph, she’s more of a niece to you than I am,isn’t she? In your eyes, what do you even see me as?”

Irene clenched her fists. “I was giving them to her in her mother’s stead!”

Angela curled her lip. She was just about to say something when suddenly…

Clap!

Lisa grabbed Angela’s hand. She must have been crying for a very long time because her eyes were all swollen. “Please, Angela. Put in a good word for us in front of Dr. Larson and save my mother!”

Right after she spoke, she fell onto her knees and pleaded, “Please, Angela!”

Angela shook her off and stepped away. “Don’t think that I’ll relent just because you’re doing this.”

Wendy also said, “Oh, Lisa, what are you doing? You should be begging Nora for help instead!”

This immediately caught Henry’s attention. As though he had just thought of a good idea, he said, “Heed your aunt’s advice, Lisa. Go to Hotel Finest now and get down on your knees at the entrance, and beg Nora to save your mother!

“Isn’t Nora staying at Hotel Finest because she’s hoping to snag a good husband there? If she doesn’t want to be embarrassed, then she’ll definitely agree to sign the agreement!”

“…”

Outside the door, Nora’s downcast eyes were filled with an icy look.

When she was a child, she had simply thought that her father was partial to her sister because he had misunderstood her. But now, she suddenly understood that he had understood everything all along. There was actually no real reason for his partiality.

He could even bring himself to say such horrible things in such a justified manner.

“Henry!” Irene shouted sharply, “How can you treat Nora like that?!”

She turned to Lisa and ordered, “I forbid you to go over!”

The blood on Lisa’s face drained little by little, and she wept silently on her knees.

“Don’t beg them anymore. Get up, Lisa.” Nora’s uncle, Will Black, suddenly shouted. He pointed at the Smiths and yelled,

“Get out of here, all of you! You’re all ingrates, all of you! Irene had given her all for her nieces, yet not a single one of you is a decent human being!”

He picked up the bouquet of flowers at his hand and threw them at Henry. When he drove the three of them out, he happened to see Nora and he paused.

Nora pressed her lips together, intending to tell him about the operation. “Uncle Will…”

Will’s eyes were already red at this point. He snapped, “You’re just as much of an ingrate. Get lost!”

Chapter 17: How Dare She Insult Mommy And Even Hit Her Brother?

The door of the ward was then shut. However, one could still vaguely hear the conversation inside:

Lisa said, “Dad, Nora is—”

“Don’t speak her name! How kindly did your mother treat her? She treated her like she was her own, but how is she any different from Henry now? She’s holding on so stubbornly to the company and just standing by as your mother dies!”

Irene said, “Don’t say that about Nora. She’s not doing anything because she knows it’s useless even if she lets go of the company. Don’t vent your anger on someone else…”

“I know, but I feel so awful when I see her so indifferent!” Will suddenly couldn’t hold it in anymore, and he started to sob bitterly.

Nora, who was standing outside, could feel their helplessness and anger even through the glass windows.

“Don’t you feel bad?”

Henry stood behind her. “For the sake of a company, are you really going to disregard your aunt’s life?”

Their disputes here were too loud, and it had attracted a circle of onlookers.

Nora looked down and sent a text message to Lisa on her cell phone, telling her to get ready and that someone would be coming to operate on her aunt in a few days.

After sending the text message, she ignored Henry and the other's angry castigation and turned to leave calmly.

Nearby.

Justin stood there with Lawrence. A relative had happened to be hospitalized today, so he had specially come to visit. However, he didn’t expect to encounter such a situation.

Lawrence said, “The Smith's are certainly shameless, but isn’t she a little too callous? No wonder she looks so unfeeling.”

Justin frowned and said, “Check if there’s anything that can be done about her aunt’s illness.”

This wasn’t anything hard to find out. By the time they were in the car and on the way back to the hotel, he had already found out everything.

“Her condition is indeed hard to operate on. There are only two experts in the States who can do it, but the success rate is only 50%. Coincidentally, both experts are currently employed in our hospitals.”

“…”

Seeing that the icy Justin wasn’t speaking, Lawrence couldn’t help but say, “If Miss Smith knows what she’s doing, then she’ll use this as an opportunity to approach you.”

When the car arrived at Hotel Finest, as luck would have it, Justin spotted Nora getting off the cab. Additionally,

when she noticed their car, she even stayed where she was and did not enter the hotel.

Was she waiting for them?

Nora had indeed spotted them.

She didn’t understand what was going on. She obviously had nothing to do with that four or five-year-old child, but she simply couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable the moment she thought of him being abused by his tutors.

They misunderstood and thought that I was pursuing him this morning. If I go over now, I’ll really be seen as a stalker.

Nora lowered her cat-like eyes slightly. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Justin walking past her, surrounded by bodyguards.

Nora suddenly spoke. She said, “I have something to say, Mr. Hunt.”

As expected.

Justin stopped and looked at her with a deep gaze. His exquisite features exuded an aggressive air of heroism, and the mole at the corner of his eye gave off a feeling of slight interest. “What can I do for you, Miss Smith?”

He had already given her a chance, so she would probably start begging him pitifully, right?

In a slightly deep voice, Nora asked, “Are your son’s tutors professional, Mr. Hunt?”

She had only heard what the tutors said in the elevator, and hadn’t seen anything with her own eyes, so she had no way of judging whether or not their words were true. Thus, she merely gave him a subtle reminder.

Justin frowned, however.

Why was she keeping quiet about the doctors and talking about the tutors instead? Was it because she was too embarrassed to ask him about it, so she decided to talk about something else first?

Justin was a straightforward man, so he went straight to the point. He asked, “Do you need me to introduce two doctors to you, Miss Smith? Do you want to speak with Dr. Lane or Dr. Wright?”

Nora was confused.

Although Dr. Lane and Dr. Wright were the most famous neurosurgeons in the States, the success rate was only 50% if they operated on her aunt. Why would she go to them?

Besides, she was talking about the tutors. Why was he bringing up doctors?

Nora replied impatiently, “No, I don’t. Please show more concern toward your son instead if you’re free!”

If the tutors really were abusing him, then the responsibility would lie only on Justin. He must have been neglecting the child.

For some inexplicable reason, she was a little angry, as if it was her son that was being abused instead.

She left immediately after saying that.

Justin stared at her from the back with a slightly stunned expression, but he quickly came back to his senses. Anger welled up in him, and his countenance turned a little colder.

Lawrence couldn’t help but say, “I had thought Miss Smith was so indifferent to her aunt only because she was at her wit's end. I didn’t expect that she really was leaving her to die. She’s too heartless!”

Without surgery, her aunt was doomed.

However, if she went through with the operation, then she would at least still have a 50% chance of survival.

The choice was obvious. But that woman was actually so crazy and heartless, and had rejected his kindness?

Forget it, he would just take it that he had unnecessarily meddled into someone else’s business and misjudged her!

Justin entered the elevator with a sullen look.

In the top-floor presidential suite.

Cherry stealthily returned to the room. She was just about to enter the study when she turned and saw a stern-faced woman walking toward her with a ruler in her hand. She said viciously,

“How can you bring yourself to loiter about elsewhere when you haven’t finished your homework, Pete? Judging from how stupid and dull you look, you must have taken after your mother! Oh, wait, that isn’t quite right because you’re a little bastard without a mother. Hold out your hand; I’m going to teach you a good lesson today!”

Cherry was confused.

How dare she insult her mother? And, she was even hitting her brother?

The soft little girl immediately transformed into the hot-tempered little girl from her gaming time. With her hands on her hips, she was about to hurl insults back at the tutor when the door suddenly opened.

She turned to see her handsome father, who had the potential to be bossy, cool, affectionate, or reassuring, striding in.

Cherry immediately forgot what happened just now. Her tiny form leaped forward as if she had wings, but it was at this moment that the tutor caught her by the arm.

Justin took off his jacket after entering. As per usual, the first thing he did was to ask how his son was doing. “How was Pete today?”

The tutor sighed. “He’s not doing his homework again. Because he didn’t reinforce what he learned, he doesn’t understand when we delve into more complicated topics. He’s awfully stubborn and refuses to listen to us. As a result, his progress is now lagging behind his cousin’s by two

semester's worth of lessons!”

A troubled Justin frowned when he heard her report. Although his son’s IQ was excellent, he was introverted and autistic and had trouble expressing himself. He really didn’t know how he should communicate with him!

He walked up to Cherry, squatted down to face her, and asked patiently, “Why didn’t you do your homework?”

Wow, looking at him up close, Daddy looks even more handsome now!

Cherry couldn’t answer him for a moment there.

Seeing her silent, the tutor secretly scoffed. He was indeed a dimwit that didn’t cry, kick up a fuss, or know how to complain about others.

Relieved, she started to spin more lies. “We’re really at our wits’ end, Mr. Hunt. We can’t discipline or scold him, so your only option is to employ certain special methods of educating now.”

Cherry, who was currently captivated by her father’s good looks, thought to herself, What? They couldn’t discipline or scold me?

Chapter 18: Teaching The Tutor A Lesson

Just as Cherry was about to speak, Justin frowned and asked, “What kind of special methods?”

The tutor sighed and replied, “Pete was born autistic. He doesn’t like to talk nor does he know how to communicate with others. If this goes on, it’ll impede his development. I think you can consider either sending him to medical specialists for

treatment or to a school for children with special needs.”

Her eyes shone after she spoke.

Once Pete was sent to a school for children with special needs, he would be diagnosed as being mentally handicapped. With that, they would be able to ruin his future!

Cherry was confused.

That teacher was horrible!

She looked at Justin. Should Daddy agree, she would stop seeing him as her father and would get Mommy to save Pete from their clutches.

Hmph.

Justin’s expression instantly darkened. He retorted fiercely, “Pete is fine. He doesn’t need to attend a school for children with special needs! If you can’t teach him, then I’ll find someone else!Lawrence!”

“Yes, sir?”

Justin ordered, “Settle her wages immediately. She doesn’t need to come in anymore tomorrow!”

The tutor was shocked by his sudden wrath. Justin was usually very polite to them, which made her forget how domineering a man Justin really was.

She had made a mistake.

She shouldn’t have said something like that. She should have taken it slow.

Seeing that she was out of a job, in order to complete her mission, the tutor put on a sincere and earnest expression and said,

“I am the top domestic tutor in the States, Mr. Hunt. My advice is undoubtedly in your son’s best interests. Since you refuse to listen to the truth, then take it as if I didn’t say anything. I enjoyed myself very much during my time with Pete. Goodbye.”

Her speech was very in line with what an exemplary teacher would say.

Justin’s anger faded a little and he said, “Give her an extra half a year’s wages.”

The tutor was ecstatic. Half a year’s wages were a lot of money! Together with what that person had given her…

Cherry, who was listening to them intently, was very satisfied.

Daddy hadn’t given up on Pete. He was indeed protective of him. However, he had been deceived by that teacher!

As she watched the wicked teacher walk happily toward the door, Cherry’s big grape-like eyes swiveled a little and she asked, “Daddy, am I a little bastard without a mother?”

Justin was taken aback. He looked down suddenly to see his son looking up at him trustingly. His young, childish voice made what he said next sound particularly heartbreaking: “Am I really very stupid and dull? Did Mommy lower the quality of Daddy’s genes?”

Justin was stunned. His son rarely spoke this much.

However, the content was especially shocking to him. He restrained his overwhelming fury and asked gently, “Who told you these things, Pete?”

Cherry stretched out her arm and pointed her chubby little finger at the door. “She did!”

At the door, the tutor’s legs went limp the instant she felt Justin’s murderous aura and anger. She said fearfully, “Stop spouting nonsense, Pete—”

Cherry hid behind Justin and hugged his leg. She stuck out her tongue at the tutor and said, “Please don’t hit me again. I’m sorry!”

The tutor was taken aback.

Was this really that little dimwit who didn’t talk?!

At the sight of how fearful his son looked, Justin didn’t give the tutor a chance to explain anymore. He ordered, “Bring her out, Lawrence!”

“Yes, sir.”

Lawrence grabbed the tutor and pushed her out.

Justin rubbed Cherry on her head comfortingly and said, “Can you play by yourself for a while, Pete?”

The upcoming scene was too bloody and unsuitable for children.

Although Cherry wanted to be with her father, he needed to deal with the vicious teacher now. It was just like how Mommy would also blindfold her and tell her to count sheep whenever she fought others when they were abroad.

She nodded. “Okay,

Daddy!”

Justin only left the room after seeing Cherry pick up a toy without any significant fluctuations in his emotions.

Lawrence was a very efficient man. By then, he had already interrogated the truth out of the tutor. With his head down, he said, “It’s your uncle and his family that bribed them. They wanted to make Pete into a stubborn and problematic child so that their own children can take over the corporation. The two tutors were sent by the old madam, so were negligent and overlooked it.”

The old madam doted on Pete the most. Who would have imagined that the tutors she sent harbored ill intentions?

Justin clenched his fists and asked, “What did they do to Pete?”

At the mention, Lawrence’s head lowered even further. He answered, “They punished him by making him stand, hitting his palms, and reprimanding him. Also, they didn’t teach him seriously. They didn’t dare to do any kind of physical abuse worse than that; because they were also afraid that someone would discover what was going on.”

Justin looked at the trembling woman kneeling on the ground and kicked her in the chest. The blow caused her to immediately cough up blood.

His dark and overcast countenance made him look as if a demon. He ordered, “Throw her out.”

Lawrence’s heart trembled upon sensing Justin’s fury.

However, even he himself was furious, let alone Justin who had always loved and doted on Pete. It was just that his way of expressing it wasn’t quite right.

Justin returned to the room. When he saw Cherry’s tiny little form sitting on the sofa and playing with the toy car, his heart tightened with guilt.

Pete had been with him since he was an infant. He had personally nursed him and changed his diapers, but even until he was one and a half years old, he didn’t speak at all. When they saw a doctor, he was told that Pete had slight congenital autism.

Grandma said that it was because the boy didn’t have a mother and thus, had no sense of security. They mustn’t have him, a grown man, taking care of him anymore, so she had arranged for babysitters, family doctors, and tutors for him.

As Pete slowly grew up and became able to have short conversations with people, it convinced him that Grandma was right.

Pete was a stubborn boy and always went against him. He often made him so angry that he almost wanted to give him a good thrashing. Despite that, he continued to think that this was a phase that all normal children went through.

That was, until that incident last week…

It was all his fault.

Justin walked over slowly. He sat beside Cherry, softened his voice, and said, “Daddy is sorry, Pete.”

Cherry stretched out her little arms and hugged her handsome father. “Everything will be fine as long as you can acknowledge your mistakes and turn over a new leaf, Daddy!”

Justin sighed. Then, he said seriously, “We won’t engage any more tutors. I’ll personally teach you in the future.”

The happy Cherry was instantly petrified. What??

She hated having to do homework the most! Help, Pete!

Downstairs.

When Nora returned to the room, she found her daughter sitting on the sofa and looking at her obediently instead of playing games like she usually did.

She walked over and kissed Pete on the forehead. “You’re so well-behaved today,

baby.”

The soft lips pressed against his forehead, causing Pete to freeze. Yet at the same time, a sense of anticipation also arose in him.

Mommy’s so soft and gentle.

He looked at Mommy longingly and subconsciously stood up and followed after her. As he did, he suddenly found his mother stopping and looking at him with a half-amused smile. “Are you intending to take a bath together with Mommy, Cherry?”

Only then did Pete realize with a start that he had followed her into the bathroom in the master bedroom!

He was about to retreat, but Nora stroded over and picked him up. She said, “Forget it, let’s bathe you first.”

Alarm bells rang in Pete’s head.

Wouldn’t his identity as a boy be revealed if she were to bathe him?