"Why are you still as stubborn as you were in the past?" Wendy chuckled, finding Larissa's determination amusing."Why do you still enjoy exposing me like you always did in the past?" Larissa pouted and glared at her.Their eyes met, and both of them couldn't help but laugh."This is great. It feels just like old times," Wendy sighed contentedly. "Yes, it does," Larissa agreed with a nod. Although time had passed and they both had changed, their friendship remained unchanged.In the end, Wendy drove them home. She lived on the outskirts, so there weren't many tall buildings. Every house in this area was a villa with a huge courtyard. It was the same for Wendy's house. Wendy had bought the house in full payment with her savings. "This place cost me about as much as a restroom cubicle in Bartham." Larissa was envious and even more so when she entered Wendy's house and saw her garage, game room, and gym. She could also afford these things but lacked such a big house. "The on

Larissa was caught off guard by her question and instinctively denied it. "Well, I haven't eaten for a day, so it's not unusual to be starving, right?" "That makes sense." Wendy nodded and accepted her explanation. However, the situation persisted into the next day. Larissa once again found herself being pulled out of the bed by Wendy. They had to complete the admission procedures at the language academy, so they had to get up early. Larissa had set the alarm but was so deep in her sleep that she didn't hear it.Wendy couldn't help but complain, "Are you a pig? You were asleep the whole day yesterday. How could you still sleep at night?" Worried that Larissa might be experiencing jet lag, Wendy had planned to stay up all night chatting with her. To her surprise, when she returned from taking a shower, she found Larissa fast asleep in her room. With a sleepy yawn, Larissa admitted, "I might actually be one."Wendy prepared breakfast. There was toast, fried eggs, bacon, and a

In her memory, she had indeed been celibate for a long time. Wendy gripped her hand, her expression slowly getting serious. "Do you want this child?" asked Wendy. "No!" said Larissa without a moment's hesitation. There was no way she could birth this child that had come into her life out of the blue, and she didn't even know who its father was. There was no way she would allow her own tragedy to befall her child. She wasn't Yvette and couldn't bear to do such a cruel thing.Wendy told the doctor Larissa's decision, and the smile on the doctor's face faded into a regretful expression. "I will schedule your surgery as soon as possible," she said, "But you need to undergo a comprehensive pre-surgery examination." After almost an hour of hassle, the doctor said, "You aren't in a fit condition for surgery." She handed Larissa a bunch of medication and said, "Go home and tune yourself back to health and come back for another checkup in a week. I also hope you can reconsider your decisio

Larissa failed to escape because Wendy held her still and quickly pulled her into a chair opposite Barbara. A small, round table separated them, adorned only by a candelabra bearing a lit candle and a thick stack of tarot cards. "This is my best friend, Larissa." Wendy made the introductions."Nice to meet you, Larissa," said Barbara faintly. Every time she spoke, a chill would go through Larissa. "Hi," said Larissa while forcing a smile. Barbara picked up the tarot cards. In the dim candlelight, Larissa saw that Barbara's hands were completely tattooed in weird pictures or, to be more accurate, symbols."What would you like to ask?" asked Barbara. Wendy answered in Larissa's stead, "She came here from Caldor recently, wanting to forget the past and start a new life. Can you help predict if her new life will go smoothly?" "Okay." Barbara nodded and spread the tarot cards across the table, gesturing for Larissa to pick out five cards. Larissa didn't believe in the divine at a

"Larissa, it turns out you're pregnant. Congratulations!" Larissa's initial reaction was to turn to look at Wendy and demand with a glare, "Were you gesturing behind my back?" Wendy batted her hands with a look of innocence. "I didn't do anything! I already told you Barbara's very accurate, and you didn't believe me!" exclaimed Wendy."You will have a bright future and a happy relationship. The child in your belly will be the source of your strength, your motivation to push forward, and the compass that points you in the right direction," said Barbara, not knowing what they were talking about. The fifth card was the death card in reverse. "This card echoes the wheel of fortune. Good luck will return to you soon and give you a 'rebirth.' At the same time, you will reconcile with your old flame, which refers to the man you still love. You and he will end up together."The moment Barbara finished speaking, Larissa got up and left without looking back. "Hey!" shouted Wendy, and she qui

Larissa was stunned, but she also felt guilty. She and Wendy had been best friends for a long time, but Larissa had never seriously paid much attention to Wendy's love life. No doubt, she had no idea that Wendy had planned such a future for herself. "Back then, I gave up my high-paying job and went overseas to study without turning back because I wanted to escape the pressure of my parents rushing me to marry every year." Wendy gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "They can argue about anything, but studies are the only thing they can agree on." Wendy was a Covenford local and studied at a local university, but she never went home on weekends. During summer break every year, she would be the last person to leave the dormitory and the first person to return.Larissa had asked her out of curiosity before and found out that Wendy's parents had divorced when she was in high school. Each of them had formed a new family and had new children of their own. Larissa guessed that Wendy's de

Larissa smiled in her sleep. After deciding to keep the child, she would have to deal with the difficulties that came with pregnancy. Lucky for her, the child was well-behaved and didn't bring her much trouble. Aside from experiencing an increased appetite and constant drowsiness, Larissa didn't feel much different than usual. It was just that it became more cumbersome for her to move about as her belly grew bigger with each passing day. In the middle of July, Larissa received an email from a lecturer at Wendy's university informing her that she had been accepted into a master's course. At the end of August, she officially went to university. When the lecturer saw her pregnant belly, he didn't display any signs of shock or surprise; instead, he treated it like something he saw every day. He even advised her to take care of her health and not to overexert herself.Life as a postgraduate student was undoubtedly busy, but it wasn't too hectic. Of course, this was because the lecturers

Five years later, in Bartham, Caldor. A black Mercedes was speeding along the highway from the airport to the city center, and in its spacious backseat sat a woman accompanied by a young boy who was approximately four or five years old.The woman sported a pixie cut and was dressed in a Chanel suit. Her impeccable makeup and attire exuded an aura of elegance and professionalism. There was a laptop on her lap. Even while traveling at high speed, she seemed engrossed in her unfinished work. The young boy next to her was dressed in a preppy style. He wore a white shirt, a red bow tie, plaid shorts with suspenders, and a pair of shiny black shoes. The little boy was every inch a young gentleman. With his nose pressed against the car window, his eyes were wide open as he stared without blinking at the passing scenery."Mommy, is this your hometown?" the boy curiously inquired. His voice was as clear as the jingle of silver bells. Larissa tore her eyes away from the complex repor

As someone had lived in the apartment before Larissa, it came fully furnished, although the furnishings were slightly dated. Larissa didn't mind. With her busy schedule, she would only return home to sleep. Everything else was of no use. She made the beds in the two bedrooms and hung up their clothes in the closet one by one. Aster ran around happily and helped Larissa out by handing the clothes to her. After she finished unpacking, the takeout she ordered arrived. Larissa set her laptop on the table and made a video call to Wendy, who was on the other side of the world. After a moment, Wendy's face appeared on the computer screen. Aster greeted her cheerfully, "Godma!" Tears welled up in Wendy's eyes as soon as she saw him. "Aster, my dear! I missed you so much too!" "Don't cry, Godma!" Aster turned to Larissa helplessly, slightly panicked at Wendy's tears. Larissa threatened her nonchalantly, "If you're going to cry, I'll hang up immediately!" Through her tears, W

Larissa spent a long time coaxing Aster before he finally calmed down. After he had eaten and taken a shower, Aster put himself to bed. He was mature for his age because Larissa and Wendy often traveled for work. He had to learn to manage himself since preschool. Massaging her throbbing temples, Larissa collapsed on the sofa and made another video call to Wendy again. Seeing as Larissa was alone, Wendy asked, "Is Aster asleep?""Yes." Larissa sighed. "He refused to leave without me.""Give him some time. He'll come to terms with reality in a couple of days." Wendy had spent more time taking care of Aster; thus, she understood his personality better than Larissa. "I hope so," Larissa pursed her lips. "When do you start work?" Wendy continued. "Tomorrow." Larissa had just sent an email to Winston Hotel's senior management, informing them of a meeting in the conference room at 9 am sharp. "So soon?" Wendy was somewhat surprised. Looking disapproving, she chided Larissa