After the old man left, only the two of them remained in the elevator."You have a way with people." Hayden broke the silence.Shelly shook her head. "If you interact with the elderly more, you'll find that most of them are kind and tolerant. They have lived most of their lives, and they've experienced and seen many things. That's why they are very open-minded towards the people around them. I've only occasionally met that old man around the neighborhood, and we haven't really had a deep conversation. As long as you smile at them, they will think highly of you."As Shelly finished speaking, the elevator came to a stop.Shelly watched as the elevator doors slowly opened, and her heart pounded like a drum.If Hayden followed her home, he would discover Audrey, but Shelly had no viable reason to keep Hayden from entering her house.If she refused to let him in just to keep Audrey hidden, Hayden, being such a proud man, would be frustrated, and he might not want to have anything to d
Fergus was stunned by what she said."Fergus, I kind of like him," Shelly continued. "Which is why I want you to find a woman you love and who loves you back."Realization dawned on Fergus. "Why do you like my boss? Do you have any idea how wealthy his family is? Shelly, we are from the same hometown, and I won't lie to you. There are more women who love my boss than you can count.""I know that, Fergus. It's not that I can't see the gap between me and him, but I can't help it. Sometimes, feelings can be such a nuisance.""Does he know you have a kid?" he asked. "His family probably won't accept a single mother as a match for their son, right?""Who told you that I want to marry him?""All right! I see that you won't give up until the last moment!""That's not it. I just want things to run their course. I don't intend on doing anything.""So you are just going to wait? That's so silly!" he exclaimed.Shelly did not know what to say.She was not just waiting around like Fergus
"We feed him fish oil, as I mentioned before. It's recommended by the nutritionist. Aiden can take a little solid food now so we've been giving him mushed fruit and vegetables. He has a great appetite and eats a lot," Avery said with a smile. "His father keeps saying that we are making Aiden fat, but we really don't feed him anything extra. He just has a strong build.""I don't think he is fat, either. He's just big," Shelly said."Yeah! He is slightly taller and bigger than most babies his age, so he is naturally heavier, but his weight is within the normal range.""Thank you for taking care of him every day, Aunt Avery," Shelly said gratefully."Aiden is my grandson, so you don't have to thank me for taking care of him! Besides, with the nanny's help, I don't need to take care of him at night!"Avery did not think it was hard to care for a baby and had had a rather fulfilling six months. Once Aiden got older, she would be able to take him everywhere with her.Meanwhile, in Drea
Hayden glanced around the cafeteria.It was crowded and noisy, so it was not the ideal place to discuss private matters."Let's talk after we finish eating," Hayden suggested."Oh, okay," Fergus replied, having exhausted all his courage earlier; his cheeks were flushed, and he felt awkward and unsure of what to do.Eliam brought food for Hayden and placed it in front of him before discreetly moving to sit elsewhere."Do you have any suggestions for the company?" Hayden asked Fergus, breaking the silence.Fergus did not dare speak freely in front of his boss, so he turned to flattery; it was his only option. "I think the company is great. The benefits and compensation are better than other similar companies. I feel fortunate to work here."Hayden listened to Fergus's flattery with indifference. "That's hardly something that needs to be said.""Oh... but I'm telling the truth!" Fergus protested. Apart from meaningless flattery, he had nothing useful to say. If he could easily spo
Hayden listened silently without interrupting."Although Shelly has had a child, I think she is better than many women who haven't had children. So if you also have feelings for her, I hope you won't look down on her. And if you don't like her, I hope you can reject her quickly." Fergus did not want Shelly to be strung along by Hayden. "She told me she likes you. I don't know if she told you, though."Hayden contemplated Fergus's words for a moment and asked, "Is it possible that she's using me as an excuse to reject you?"Fergus was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I don't think so. She rejected me a long time ago. Actually, I'm not that bad of a catch. If she didn't have someone she liked, I don't think she would have turned me down. I believe she genuinely likes you."Hayden was not surprised by his answer."So, what do you think?" Fergus could not quite figure out Hayden's thoughts on the matter through his calm demeanor. "Shelly and I are from the same hometown, and even
He wanted to see what Shelly's daughter looked like, and he wanted to know how old she was. "Damn, that woman! She appears so calm and composed, but who would have thought she had such audacity?! It's no wonder that she was willing to let us have Aiden in the first place; it must have been because she has been keeping the other child to herself! Otherwise, as a mother, how could she bear to give her child to someone else?" Hayden thought furiously. "Mr. Tate!" Fergus chased after Hayden. "What's wrong?!"Fergus had no idea what he had done to provoke such anger from Hayden."Don't follow me!" Hayden angrily shouted.Fergus immediately stopped and began to reflect on which words might have upset Hayden. No matter how much Fergus thought about it, he could not figure it out.He had told Hayden about Shelly having a child right from the beginning, and Hayden had not reacted with surprise or curiosity back then, which further confirmed that Hayden already knew about Shelly's child.
Hayden had already left the company, and he called because he needed to know where Shelly was. She took a deep breath and answered the call."Shelly, are you still at my parents' house?" Hayden said in a distant tone."I'm outside your parents' house.""Good. Head back home! I'll wait for you there," Hayden said and hung up.Shelly tightened her grip on her phone and hesitated for a moment before calling her mother to inform her about the situation.Her mother was not particularly alarmed."It wouldn't have stayed hidden for long anyway. It's better that he knows, so we don't have to hide and be so afraid of taking Audrey out," Mrs. Taylor said."I'm afraid he wants our daughter," Shelly pessimistically replied. "I will talk to him and fight for custody of our daughter.""Well, you always said their family is kind. They should understand our situation. After all, you didn't ask for anything in return when you gave birth to Aiden," her mother said."Mom, it's not the same now
When Shelly arrived home, she spotted Hayden's car outside her building, but Hayden was nowhere to be seen."Has he already gone inside?" she thought as she rushed inside.She stepped out of the elevator and spotted Hayden's shoes outside her apartment door.The door was wide open, but there was no sound coming from within.Shelly had not expected Hayden to arrive before she did and realized that Hayden was here to see Audrey.She darted toward the door and changed into her slippers.Mrs. Taylor immediately walked up to Shelly and said, "You two talk. I'll go buy groceries."Mrs. Taylor had already said everything that needed to be said to Hayden, but it did not have much effect. In the end, it was up to her daughter and Hayden to have a private conversation.After Shelly acknowledged her mother's words, she entered the house.Hayden stood in the living room, holding Audrey in his arms.At her age, Audrey was not shy around strangers and liked anyone who held her.Shelly gaz