Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Mrs. Grant picked up the nearby branding iron and snorted coldly. "This must have been prepared for you. I think I’ll have a go myself. If it weren’t for you, I never would have done so many things to hurt Nora. Even though you were just the catalyst, I can’t stand to watch you continue to scrape by in this basement. Come, let me add a little something extra for you."

She held the branding iron and pressed it right onto Catherine Callahan’s face.

"SIZZLE..." The sound of burning flesh mingled with a continuous, horrified scream.

The sound was bone-chilling.

Mrs. Grant didn’t stay any longer, following Luna Ainsworth upstairs.

They sat in the living room.

The two of them sat facing each other.

Mrs. Grant’s eyes were filled with deep sorrow. Haltingly, she began to openly speak about some of the ways she had hurt Nora. The devastating blow made her hate herself more than she ever had before.

And she felt so pathetic.

’A person like me... even I can’t bear to look at myself. I don’t deserve to be alive.’

But, she didn’t want to die.

’If I die, I can’t do anything. Only by living can I properly make amends and pay the price for what I’ve done.’

The tragedy of the two boys sparked a wave of sorrow among the nation’s netizens.

When news broke that Nora Ainsworth was so devastated she had fallen into a coma for several days,

the internet erupted in an uproar once again.

But most of the comments were encouraging, with messages like, "The dead have passed on; the living must remain strong."

Mrs. Ellsworth had never been a Buddhist, but now she went to burn incense and pray every few days for her family’s safety.

For several days, Dorothy Ellsworth had been pitifully quiet and hardly ever smiled.

Ethan Ellsworth and Chloe Marshall knew she was unhappy.

To prevent any long-term effects, Chloe Marshall decided to talk with her.

After dinner,

she went into Dorothy’s bedroom. She found her lying on the bed, hugging a teddy bear and staring sullenly into space, not looking the least bit sleepy.

She went over and lay down beside Dorothy, asking softly,

"Mommy knows you’re sad."

Dorothy Ellsworth nodded. "I miss Dylan, Mommy. Will I never get to see Dylan and Elmer again?"

Chloe Marshall didn’t know what to say, but she spoke anyway. "I’m sure they miss you, too. But... those sweet boys were killed by a bad person. Dorothy, nobody wanted this to happen. And on top of it all, your aunt still hasn’t woken up."

Tears streamed from Dorothy Ellsworth’s eyes. "Mommy, how can I see Dylan again? I want to see him. He hasn’t made me his bride yet, how could he just..."

Chloe Marshall hugged her. "We’ll never see them again."

’I have to let Dorothy know the truth. I can’t lie to her.’

Dorothy Ellsworth sobbed uncontrollably. She pulled the covers over her head and said in a muffled voice, "Mommy, go be with Daddy. I’m going to sleep."

Chloe Marshall patted her. "Okay. Try not to cry. You have kindergarten tomorrow."

She threw back the covers, tears streaming down her face. "I don’t want to go to kindergarten! I’m never going to kindergarten again!"

"Alright then. How about we ask your teacher to come here and give you lessons at home?"

Dorothy Ellsworth shook her head. "No, Mommy. I don’t want to have lessons. At least... not for a little while."

"Okay. No lessons for a little while, then. Whatever you want."

"Goodnight." Dorothy Ellsworth pulled the blanket over her head again.

"Goodnight." Chloe Marshall turned off the light, closed the door, and walked out.

Back in her bedroom, she felt just as gloomy. She wanted to comfort her daughter, but the truth was, she couldn’t even comfort herself. In trying to soothe Dorothy, she was really just trying to find words to soothe her own pain, to apply a balm to her own wounds.

Ethan Ellsworth came out in a bathrobe and put his arm around her. "Honey, let’s get to bed."

She nodded, kicked off her slippers, and lay down, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Boss Ellsworth, do you know what the worst feeling is?"

"I know. We’re experiencing it right now." He pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his arm.

"Nora... she..." Chloe Marshall trailed off, suddenly unable to go on. She couldn’t think of any words that could possibly describe what Nora Ainsworth must be feeling.

Ethan Ellsworth sighed. "It just goes to show, bad people will always find a way to do what they want, even if it means taking lives. Chloe, after what happened to you last time... I just hope our family of three can live in peace."

Chloe Marshall nodded. "I hope so, too. Being safe is the most important thing."

"Let’s get some sleep. I have to be on set early tomorrow. We can’t delay the production any longer. By the way, I have a kissing scene tomorrow." He rubbed his nose unconsciously as he spoke.

Chloe Marshall hummed. "You mean like in that TV series you did with Nora? Dorothy saw it and asked, ’Why is Daddy kissing Auntie?’"

Ethan Ellsworth shifted uncomfortably. "I wasn’t finished. It’s a fake kiss, just camera angles. I won’t take on any more romantic dramas like this from now on, okay?"

Chloe Marshall looked up at him. "Will you feel like you’re making a huge sacrifice?"

He shook his head vehemently, denying it. "Not at all!"

She pecked him on the cheek. "That’s the right answer. Goodnight."

Ethan Ellsworth smiled and switched off the lamp.

"Boss."

Herman Hawthorne stood near the entrance of the school dormitory. He was quite surprised to see Jasmine Walsh, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. "What is it? Is there trouble with the team?"

"That’s not it," Jasmine Walsh said.

"If that’s not it, then it’s late. Go home and get some rest."

"Boss, I’ve been waiting here for you since this morning. All day. I tried calling, but I couldn’t get through."

"What is it? Spit it out." He was getting impatient.

"I’m 26 years old."

Herman Hawthorne grunted. "Go on."

"Boss, I know you don’t like me, but I’ve been in love with you for years. I’ve always been completely devoted to you. I’ve thought about this for a long time... can you please give me a chance?"

Herman Hawthorne looked baffled. "You waited all day just to tell me this nonsense?"

All the courage Jasmine Walsh had mustered was instantly doused, as if by a bucket of ice water. "It’s not nonsense."

"It is to me. I wasn’t interested in you then, and I’m not interested now. Have you forgotten what I told you when we were abroad? I said that if you ever dared to bring this up again, I would kick you off the team."

"I know," she admitted. "Since I dared to bring it up again, I came prepared for that."

Herman Hawthorne gave her a once-over. "Fine. You’re off the team as of tomorrow. Consider it approved."

He pulled out his key and was about to unlock the door when Jasmine Walsh suddenly threw her arms around him. "Boss, just let me hug you one last time. I made my choice before I came here. If you accepted me, great. If you didn’t, I’m going to start going on blind dates tomorrow. I’m not going to wait for you anymore."

Herman Hawthorne’s first instinct was to shove her off, but then he considered that she had been with him for several years. She might not have had any great achievements, but she’d certainly put in the effort. "Then go on your blind dates. Find a good man and get married. Send me a wedding invitation. I’ll be there."