Book 2 : She Becomes Glamorous After the Engagement

Chapter 34

Chapter 712: It’s Cured?

On the way here, Nora had already looked at the photos and the description of the symptoms that Iris had forwarded to her and silently computed the formula.

The prescription contained very low drug dosages, so they shouldn’t pose any danger to the flowers.

Nora had always been very confident in her knowledge of her specializations. After all, when she was in California, no one would come to her for medical consultations. In order to improve her medical skills, she had instead treated the flora and fauna at home!

That was why she was so knowledgeable about orchids.

Of course, this was really difficult to achieve.

Because flowers were undoubtedly different from humans. If it weren’t because Nora had experimented with flowers and plants for so long, she probably would not have mastered such fine control of drug dosages. Iris was a little dumbfounded when she saw the piece of paper she was offering to her.

She immediately took a photo of the prescription and sent it to Matthew.

It was only after she sent it that she raised her head and said, “Nora, you wrote that prescription so quickly.”

She had settled on a prescription without even speaking with Matthew.

Nora slowly replied, “I have treated that disease in other flowers before, so I kinda understand it.”

Iris: “…”

As the corners of her lips spasmed, she received a call from Matthew. He said, “Mdm. Iris, this prescription that you sent me?”

Iris glanced at Nora and said, “My daughter-in-law came up with it. You can give it a go! I can at least guarantee that nothing will go wrong with it.”

Matthew sighed. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that… you gave it to me a little too late!”

Iris was taken aback. “What?”

Matthew said, “Lauren has just borrowed that pot of Ghost Orchids from me, saying that while she cures them for me, she would also like to hold an orchid exhibition so that the people who like orchids in New York could admire them.”

What Matthew didn’t say was that Lauren hadn’t just approached him, but also people from various wealthy and aristocratic families in New York. After all, precious and expensive flowers like orchids weren’t things that ordinary people could afford.

Lauren had assembled a group of people with the euphemistic excuse of letting everyone visit an exhibition featuring famous flower species. This way, everyone could learn something new and widen their horizons. Therefore, people shouldn’t hide and keep all the good things to themselves.

The meaning between the lines was that Iris was too petty.

Matthew didn’t want to sow discord between them, so he had left that part out.

Iris frowned. “She has cured your Ghost Orchids?”

“Pretty much.” Matthew sighed. “Actually, when I called you, I’d already used the prescription she gave me. I didn’t expect the Ghost Orchids to really become much more alive just half an hour later.”

Iris sighed silently.

She hadn’t expected things to develop this way! What an unfortunate turn of events!

She said quietly, “Congratulations.”

“What is there to congratulate me about?” Matthew smiled wryly and said, “She will be holding an exhibition tomorrow. Even if it’s just for the sake of my flowers, I’ll have to attend. Not only do I have to contribute my flowers, but I also have to contribute my presence. That woman is just so… Mdm. Iris, orchid lovers like us are usually people at peace with the world. We just take care of the orchids for our own joy, but look at her, isn’t what she’s doing no different from forcing me to…”

Iris didn’t like talking about people behind their backs, let alone when it was about Lauren. Thus, she said, “It’s for the best that the flowers are cured.”

“Yeah.”

Matthew then said, “Your daughter-in-law is very talented, though! Her prescription is only one herb off from Lauren’s! Using alternative medicine to cure orchids is Orchidiance’s specialty. Many alternative medicine practitioners also wanted to give it a try. As a result, so many orchids have died from their attempts over the past few years. Lauren is the only one who has finally mastered the technique after studying it for a long time.”

At this point, Matthew sighed heavily. Unable to stop himself anymore, he said, “Mdm. Iris, you have to be careful. Lauren is bent on beating you in orchids this time. I heard that after she caught wind of the fact that you like orchids, she has been imitating Orchidiance’s methods in treating orchids for the last five years. Who knows how many orchids she has destroyed before she finally became as experienced as she is today.”

Matthew, who sounded like he found the orchids somewhat a pity, added, “Who knows how many precious orchid varieties she has destroyed just to vent her frustrations, sigh!”

Matthew looked down on Lauren’s actions very much.

They were taking care of orchids because they truly loved orchids, but Lauren was just using the orchids as a springboard to edge out Iris.

It was just a pity that no matter how much one was into their hobby, they would still have to bow down in the face of reality.

Iris didn’t pay any attention to those things. However, she still found it somewhat a pity.

She had already lost the gamble before it even started.

She looked at Nora and said quietly, “Alright, I’m hanging up!”

Unfortunately, the next moment, Nora grabbed the phone.

Nora stared at the phone and asked, “Which other herb did she add to the prescription?”

Matthew seemed surprised by her voice. In the end, he named a herb.

The corners of Nora’s lips curled into a smile. After Iris hung up the phone, she said, “Let’s go to the orchid exhibition tomorrow.”

Chapter 713: Reconciling With Yourself

As soon as Nora said that, Mrs. Landis, who was next to her, said, “But we don’t have an invitation!”

Nora and Iris looked at each other. The two spoke at the same time, “We will have one very soon.”

Mrs. Landis: “?”

A puzzled Mrs. Landis looked at Justin. “Are you going to ask Mr. Hunt to ask for two tickets?”

“No, it’s fine.”

As soon as Iris said that, someone knocked at the door. Then, the mailman appeared and said, “Mdm. Iris, mail for you.”

Iris and Nora looked at each other again.

A look of realization flashed across Nora’s eyes, and she said to Mrs. Landis, “See, isn’t that the invitation?”

Mrs. Landis: “?”

Mrs. Landis took the mail from the mailman. When she opened it, she found that it was indeed an invitation for the orchid exhibition. She was astounded. “Ms. Smith, Ma’am, aren’t the two of you too amazing?”

Iris scoffed. “By holding the orchid exhibition right after she returned to New York, she’s clearly coming right at me. Since she wants to slap me in the face, how could she possibly not invite me?”

Mrs. Landis couldn’t help but smack her own forehead. “Look at me, because I’ve been living here all this time and haven’t come into contact with people much, I’ve even forgotten about such basic household infighting!”

Both Nora and Iris were amused by Mrs. Landis’s use of the words “household infighting”:

Iris patted her and asked, “Where did you learn all these words from?”

Mrs. Landis replied with a smile, “Oh, you know how I watch all those TV dramas when I have nothing to do! I learned it from them!”

Iris suddenly gave her a fierce look and said, “Mrs. Landis, how dare you slack off while I wasn’t paying attention! You sneaky treacherous woman! I’m going to deduct your pay!”

Mrs. Landis pretended to be scared. “Ma’am, other people work only nine to six, whereas I wait on you twenty-four hours a day! Aren’t you even going to allow me to watch a bit of TV for entertainment?”

Iris smiled. “Your salary is for twenty-four hours of work each day! You should already be thankful that I’m letting you sleep!”

Mrs. Landis protested, “You capitalist!”

“In that case, I’ll pay you for sixteen hours instead?”

“Ma’am, if you exploit your staff any further, I might secretly add poison into your favorite food.”

The two of them bickered and started to joke with each other.

There was finally a smile on Iris’s face that was calm and serene all year round.

Mrs. Landis looked at her, very glad and relieved.

The two of them were just joking around, of course. Iris had given Mrs. Landis much more than her salary all these years. Both of Mrs. Landis’ children were already married, and they both had their own properties in New York and were living lives of luxury. This was all thanks to Iris.

After twenty years of her company, Mrs. Landis was more like family to Iris now.

Justin stood at the side and watched them bicker and joke with each other.

To be honest, for so many years, his mother’s appearance had long become vague and blurry in his mind-because every time he came over, all he would see was Iris’s frosty face.

The woman’s lively appearance faintly reminded him of how she had hugged, kissed him, and teased him when he was a child.

At that time, she had also laughed and talked happily like what she was currently doing.

Originally, because he hadn’t had much contact with Iris for more than two decades, Justin had felt some estrangement towards his mother. However, that sense of estrangement had lessened considerably at this instant.

It was as though the mother in his memories, who loved to talk, laugh, play, and joke around, had returned. For him, the word “mother” was no longer just an identity but had once again become vivid and animated.

The feeling made the corners of his lips curl upward imperceptibly. He cast his eyes down and hid the complex emotions in his eyes. Mrs. Landis was a huge mischief-maker. She had also wanted Iris and Justin to reconcile for very long. Seeing that the atmosphere today was great, she said, “Mr. Hunt, you really loved the ravioli I made when you were a child. Why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”

Justin subconsciously looked at Nora.

When she saw him looking over, Nora nodded and said, “Alright.”

Mrs. Landis became excited at once. She rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen as she said, “Since you guys are staying for dinner tonight, I will have to show off my culinary skills! Ma’am eats too little, so she doesn’t give me a chance to show off my skills at all.”

_

After Mrs. Landis entered the kitchen, the atmosphere among the trio standing outside immediately became a little awkward.

Iris looked at Nora and then at Justin. At last, she said, “I’ll go and give Mrs. Landis a hand. Given her age, she’ll be too slow!”

After speaking, she also went into the kitchen.

Nora and Justin were the only ones left outside. The two of them looked around the greenhouse. Justin pointed at the orchids and said, “I heard that people who raise orchids have high moral character. Now it seems like that’s not always the case.”

He was referring to Lauren.

Nora, however, laughed and said, “I don’t know about others, but I know why my god-sister likes taking care of orchids.”

Nora deliberately emphasized the words “god-sister”.

Justin: “??!”

He raised his eyebrows, knowing that Nora was being cheeky and asking to be taught a lesson again.

As soon as the thought formed, he looked at Nora’s lips, wishing he could take a few nips to vent his “anger”.

As for Nora, she said, “Do you want to know why? If you do, then call me God-aunt Nora. I’ll tell you if you do.”

Tsk.

She was starting to take advantage of him now.

Justin stroked his chin and suddenly leaned forward. He lowered his voice and asked, “Ms. Smith, are you sure you want to be my god-aunt?”

Nora: “?”

She decided not to tease him anymore, lest it backfired on herself. She coughed and said, “Iris… I mean, Aunt Iris and I already knew each other before she even knew who I was. She told me at that time that she was raising all these flowers because her son had given her a pot of orchids once.”

Justin was stunned.

He looked at the orchids, his jaw tensing up.

He remembered now. When he was ten years old, he had indeed given her a pot of orchids on her birthday. The woman had accepted his gift. At the same time, she had also told him that she had only accepted the gift because she liked orchids.

Since then, the floodgates opened and she started to buy a lot of orchids.

Justin had always thought that it was because she liked orchids. But as it turned out, it was just an excuse for her to accept her son’s gift.

He turned to look at Iris in the kitchen.

Mrs. Landis had prepared some ingredients, and she was picking and choosing from among them. However, everything that she picked out just so happened to be his favorite.

Justin lowered his head.

In truth, his mother had never really left him all these years, and he’d always had his mother’s love with him by his side, right?

In this instant, he suddenly reconciled with his mother—or rather, with the part of himself that had been uncomfortable because his mother hadn’t taken care of him.

He also suddenly became open-minded and let go of some things in this instant.

He let out a silent sigh. Right at this moment, his cell phone rang.

When he answered, Herman’s voice came from the other side.

“Justin, didn’t you want to know why your mother has been avoiding you? I will tell you now.”

Chapter 714: A Call From Hell

Upon hearing his voice, Justin narrowed his eyes. He wanted to say he didn’t need it—he wanted to hear it from Iris instead—but he suddenly paused.

Iris would never tell him about her grievances. He would only be able to hear about her grievances from others.

For example, Iris would probably never tell him why she liked orchids because she had never been a woman who knew how to express her feelings.

Justin thought about it and said, “Okay, speak.”

In a villa in the outskirts of New York.

Herman and Lauren sat on the sofa.

Lauren was looking at Herman, who said, “You probably only know that I cheated on your mother with Lauren back then, so all this time, you must have thought that all the problems with our marriage lie with me, right?”

Herman’s words gave voice to the mentality that most women held—that every man who cheated was a scumbag.

Justin lowered his eyes, but he sneered, “You are wrong.”

Herman was taken aback.

Justin said, “You are not a good husband, and at the same time, you are not a good father either.”

Many people thought that once a man cheated, he would no longer be a good father.

But that wasn’t necessarily true.

Some men might cheat on their wives a lot, but they wouldn’t hold back on their love for their children. Perhaps the cheating itself might affect the children, but even so, they would still try to make up for it later.

Besides, some married couples were indeed not suitable to stay together. Even if they had children, those who needed to divorce would still divorce each other. However, the divorce did not affect their love for their children.

But this wasn’t true in Herman’s case.

Not only had he cheated and hurt Iris, but he had also left Justin to fend for himself afterward. It was as if he’d never had a son like him.

He hadn’t just let Iris down, but also Justin.

Herman was stunned for a while. Then, he tried to explain himself. “Justin, it’s not that I didn’t care about you, or that I did not love you…”

“At your age, you shouldn’t keep going on and on about things like love and romance.”

Justin dissed him mercilessly again.

Herman: “…”

Justin said concisely, “Just tell me the reason.”

Herman spent a while organizing his thoughts. Finally, he sighed and said, “Justin, I know I’ve neglected you, but you have to understand. I did all that because your mother cheated on me first! I am a man, how could I let someone cuckold me? That’s why I went to Lauren! Don’t be fooled by how Iris looks as if she’s at peace with the world! She is not as indifferent to fame and fortune as she makes herself out to be!”

Iris had cheated on Herman?

Stunned, Justin suddenly looked at the woman in the kitchen.

Herman took a deep breath. “She had found another man outside. I couldn’t condone her behavior, so I filed for a divorce. When your grandpa wanted to keep you in the family, I couldn’t just let her sit back and enjoy the rewards of her success, and even hog my family’s business on top of that. Besides, all she could think of was that man, so I made a request—that she would leave you alone. You were still young at that time, and I was afraid that she would usurp your power and become the real master of the Hunt's. Justin, I schemed and did all this for your own good!”

Justin frowned.

Herman’s argument might sound seamless and completely logical at first hearing but in truth?

If what he said was true, why did Iris spend all these years in agony in the suburban villa instead of going to her adulterous lover and keeping him company? He sneered, “Do you think I will believe that?”

Herman also panicked. “I have evidence!”

Justin asked, “What evidence?”

He was already biased towards Iris at the moment and was highly disapproving of Herman’s statement. If that was really the reason, then Iris’s decision to ignore him would really be too absurd.

While he was feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing, Herman said, “Those orchids! Those orchids are the evidence! She didn’t like orchids at all in the past. You should remember that there were barely any orchids at home when you were young, but look at how she started to take care of so many orchids after she moved to the suburbs! It’s exactly because her lover loves orchids! Ha, because I trapped her in New York, she couldn’t meet her lover anymore, so she could only pour all her yearning and pining into the orchids instead!”

Justin: !!

What smooth logic!

If Nora hadn’t told him just now why Iris was keeping so many orchids, he’d probably really have become suspicious.

But now…

Justin scoffed. “Is that so?”

Herman said, “Yes, everything I said is true. Justin, Dad has actually been very worried about you and has done a lot for you, so don’t be so distant towards me. I know I have never shown you any fatherly love, but I can give that to you in the future.”

“I don’t need it.”

Justin straight-up rejected him. “Is there anything else?”

Herman said, “I want to visit your grandmother tomorrow, she’s my mother after all. Tell the people at home to let me in!”

Justin scoffed. “Nice try. You can forget about ever entering the Hunt Manor for the rest of your life.”

He wanted to hang up after saying that, but Herman shouted, “Justin, Justin! You can’t do that to me! I did all that for you! You refuse to let me in, yet you allow Iris to enter! Tell me, did Iris bewitch you? Has she been badmouthing me all these years? No matter what, I am still your father… toot… toot… toot…”

Justin hung up on him.

Herman had called him just to sow discord between him and his mother, so as to make his way into the Hunt's little by little.

In the villa.

Herman stared at his mobile phone with a frown after Justin hung up on him. He couldn’t help but curse, “That brat! Why is he so stubborn?!”

Lauren looked at him: “Is the reason you said just now true?”

Herman scoffed and said, “Half of it is, I suppose.”

Lauren rolled her eyes at once. “Aren’t you afraid that Iris will tell him the truth? It will become even more difficult for you to repair your relationship with him then!”

Herman said confidently, “She won’t.”

Lauren was taken aback.

A self-mocking Herman said, “Because if she does, it would bring great trouble to her son. That’s why she will never say it.”

It was only after Iris and Mrs. Landis made a total of six dishes that the three of them finally sat down.

Iris wanted Mrs. Landis to eat with them, but the latter took her food and went into the kitchen instead of eating at the same table with them.

After the three of them sat down, Justin stared at Iris. Suddenly, her cell phone rang.

She was taken aback for a moment, seemingly never expecting anyone to call her.

But when she looked down at the phone, it turned out to be an unfamiliar number.

Iris’s hand started shaking and she rejected the call immediately.

However, the other party persisted and kept calling

Iris became obviously nervous. She stared hard at the phone, as though the caller hailed from the depths of hell itself.