At the first meeting, Bella Hatly's high heels got stuck on the manhole cover, and Thomas Hodder helped her pull them out. On the second meeting, Bella was drunk at a bar and was taken to the police station by taxi drivers. Thomas picks her up. The third time they met, Thomas was invited to attend a reunion where Bella also was attended; As fate would have it, Bella fell in love with Thomas. Bella has always felt blessed to be with someone as good as Thomas. She always thinks she is a lucky dog. Until that day, Thomas told Bella this was all his scheme ...
Bella Halty was going on a blind date today, her 12th time this month.
She was painting a landscape when her mother Bobby Hice called to remind her of the date. Only then did she remember that she had an appointment at 19:30.
The clock told her that it was almost time.
She grabbed a cloak and hurried downstairs.
According to Bobby's description on the phone, the man was a success in the finance industry and was just back from the UK to find a lifelong partner.
"You must behave well this time. He's the last good man I know. If you miss him, you can find no one better than him," the old woman said over the phone. Afraid that Bella would be offhand with the date, she threatened, "If you mess it up, wait and see how I'll punish you!"
"Please don't worry. I promise I'll bring a son-in-law to you this time," Bella smirked flatteringly.
She raced all the way to the rendezvous.
Clack! While she was running like a gust, her heel was caught in a crack. With a stumble, she almost kissed the ground.
She regained her footing and lifted her shoe, trying to get the heel out of the crack. But the heel didn't move a bit as if it was rooted to the ground.
This made her rather anxious. Why was she so unlucky today?
She exhaled deeply and peered around. Thankfully, the passers-by were all in a hurry and didn't bother to look at her.
Taking off her shoe, she stood on one foot and wobbled uncontrollably. Angry, she put her bare tiptoes on the ground, squatted down, and tried to pull the shoe out with one hand. But however she tried, the heel was still firmly stuck in the crack.
She huffed irritably, "Are you going against me on purpose?"
While she was anxious and helpless, she heard a magnetic, deep voice, "Watch out!"
A pretty hand reached over to protect her from teetering.
She was astonished by the moist warmth from that hand.
As the man squatted, Bellia could only see his short black hair and tan neck.
He did not use much strength, afraid to break the heel. With a few attempts, he finally got the heel out of the crack.
"Thank you." Bella took the shoe hurriedly and patted her toes. With her head lowered, she put on the shoe.
A white tissue appeared in front of her.
Bella hesitated for a moment and landed her gaze on his well-shaped hand. Who could own such a hand except for a pianist?
When she wanted to say "thank you" again, he had turned around.
She lifted her head and glanced at his side face that sent her heart pit-a-pat. Never had she felt fascinated like this before!
Stunned, she watched him leave until that cream-colored windbreaker became a spot in the distance.
The door of the club was pushed open.
The baroque style of decoration was rather dazzling. Bella drew her attention from the gorgeous colors and pulled out a note from her pocket. Then, she dialed the number.
Finally, she saw that "good" man. He had short hair, a medium figure, and an ordinary square face. Basically, he was the type that was inconspicuous among the crowd, which meant he would have a more brilliant career if he chose to be an agent.
"I'm sorry to be late. I was stuck in traffic." Bella said apologetically as she folded her cloak and placed it on the backrest. Then, she sat down opposite him.
"Miss Halty, you're 21 minutes late. If you were my business partner, I would doubt your sincerity. Within 21 minutes, the stock market can go up or down by a few percentage points, which is enough to bankrupt many people," the man said seriously.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to be late." Being severely preached, Bella could only apologize again.
Softly, she brushed her wet hair. She had been in such a hurry when going out that she hadn't taken an umbrella. Afraid to be late, she could only run ahead against the rain.
After running a long distance, she looked a little pale. Her rain-soaked hair stuck to her forehead, making her a bit awkward.
With a frown, the man handed a tissue over. "Wipe your hair."
Bella forced a smile and took the tissue. "Thank you."
"What would you like to drink?"
She looked up into his eyes which were ordinary but extremely shrewd.
"Coffee."
He beckoned to the waiter and helped her order a coffee.
"I heard that you're an artist, right?" he asked.
"Well, I'm an art teacher in a primary school, not exactly an artist," she corrected and explained immediately. As she said, she crumpled the wet tissue and threw it into the ashtray.
"I see," the man drawled, stirring his coffee with his head lowered. "Academic degree is not important for a woman. The educational background of an ordinary university is quite enough. Certainly, I'm pleased to know that you're good at arts. This way, you can teach children about the arts in the future."
"Children?" Bella asked in confusion.
"Yes. Don't you want children after marriage?"
Well, they had just met. Wasn't it too fast to talk about children? Bella felt a twitch on the corner of her lips.
"How long have you been back?" She didn't want to continue the topic that seemed too far from her.
As she asked, the waiter served the coffee. She held the cup with both hands and felt its warmth.
"About half a month." The man raised his cup gracefully and had a sip of coffee.
"Do you get used to the life here?" She also sipped the coffee that was as bitter-sweet as life.
"Well, not quite. Although I'm a very adaptable person, I haven't got used to the life here after being in England for a long time." He spread his arms on the backrest leisurely.
"What are your hobbies, Miss Halty?" he kept asking.
"I like painting, reading, and..."
"Can you cook?" he interrupted.
"Yes, but not that much." She usually went to the company's canteen on weekdays and her mother's house at the weekend. So basically, she didn't need to cook by herself.
"A woman is very important for a family. She's the one who sustains the stability of a family. Only when families are stable can our society be harmonious." the man went on seriously.
Bella was rendered speechless. She had never known that she, as a woman, was playing such a significant role in society.
"It's a virtue for a woman to look after her family in China. A modern woman must be good at cooking. If we get married, you should quit your job and be responsible for housekeeping. After we have children, you just need to stay at home and take care of them. It's a man's thing to earn money. Anyway, teaching is lowly-paid and hard. Do you think so?" the man said without a pause.
Bella nodded hastily. She had never thought about these moral responsibilities which sounded pretty surprising and fresh to her.
The man was very pleased with her meekness.
Then, he began planning for their future. As he babbled, Bella couldn't help frowning, but she told herself that she must tolerate it.
As the rain kept pattering, the glass window was gradually covered with a layer of haze. The restaurant became moist and sultry with a little mist.
While the man was talking animatedly, his phone on the table rang. He looked somewhat stunned with a look at the screen and hung up the phone instantly.
But the caller was not discouraged and called again.
"You may answer the phone. I'm okay with this," Bella said as he was about to hang up the phone again.
He frowned. "I'm sorry. I need a few minutes."
The man's gentlemanly British style made her feel like an egg was stuck in her throat.
While he talked on the phone, Bella went to the restroom to catch a breath.
When she went out of the restroom, a tall figure, wearing a cream-colored windbreaker, whooshed past in front of her.
Surprised, she followed him immediately until he walked into a room. For a long while, she stood there in a daze.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."