Jason reached out and took the food container, saying, "Thank you.""You're welcome," Iris replied with a smile."I live alone, so it might not be appropriate to invite you in," Jason said, closing the door promptly behind him.Iris blinked, realizing she had been left outside without even a sip of water. Although no one witnessed this embarrassing scene, it still felt quite awkward. She cleared her throat and turned to leave.She herself had not had dinner yet because she was busy cooking. Fortunately, she had saved a portion for herself. Now, it was time to go home to eat.Meanwhile, Stanley had been summoned back to the Stein family mansion by Renee. Upon entering, he spotted Fiora standing in the dining room, looking at him with a sweet smile. "Welcome home" she greeted.Stanley responded with a simple acknowledgment.Renee said to Fiora warmly, "Hurry up and sit down.""I’ll help serve the food," Fiora said."Oh, no need. Leave it to the servants," Renee replied, patting
He couldn't believe his eyes. Someone actually dared do such a thing to a lawyer's front door? They must be tired of living.As he reached for his phone to call the police, he hesitated. Who would call him a cheater? Aside from Iris, he hadn't done anyone else wrong.Had she finally lost her composure?It should have been an infuriating situation, there was no trace of anger on his face. Instead, a hint of excitement flickered in his eyes. He dialed Iris' number."Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently busy..."It was then that he remembered Iris had blocked him. He rubbed his forehead helplessly but assured himself that it was fine; he would make her come to him on her own.Early the next morning, Iris was awakened by a knock at her door. Upon opening it, she found two police officers standing outside."Are you Iris Glover?" one officer asked.Iris nodded, "Yes, that's me.""We received a police report and have come to ask you some questions," he said.The other offi
Stanley kept quiet. His expression darkened. Iris didn't have time to waste on chit-chat. "Did you check the surveillance footage?" she asked pointedly.Stanley hesitated. He had immediately assumed it was Iris and hadn't bothered to check the footage. Still, he feigned calmness. "I did.""The surveillance footage showed that I did it?" Iris did not believe it. She didn't do it, so there was no way he could pin it on her. "I want to see the footage." Stanley's gaze flickered guiltily."Don't tell me you have no evidence?" Iris challenged, glaring at him. "You're just speculating that it's me, aren't you? And you call yourself a lawyer – an elite lawyer, at that. Is this how you usually handle cases?""Are you done?" Stanley stood up, frustration evident on his face. "I'll show you the surveillance footage.""Okay," Iris replied.After they exited the law firm, Stanley opened the car door for her. "Get in."Without a glance at him, Iris said, "I'll drive myself."Stanley sti
Iris glared at Stanley, her heart stinging sharply. So in his eyes, her biggest value was doing laundry and cooking?"So, in your eyes, am I only worth doing laundry and cooking for you?" Bitterness surged in her throat, but she forced it back. She refused to shed another tear for him. "I guess I only have myself to blame," she said. She must have been blind when she chose someone like him to be her husband.Stanley realized that his words may have been a little hurtful, yet he stubbornly maintained his viewpoint. "You may not want to admit it, but that’s the reality. What you learned in school can't be fully applied in real life. You're used to working in the kitchen; your life revolved around me. You can't adapt to the deceit and politics of the workplace. Besides, you studied law, but you've abandoned it for too long – it's hard to pick it back up."Iris didn’t want to argue. Before she achieved anything significant, her words felt weak and futile. Her achievements would be her b
Mike nodded.He looked up at Iris. "I can't stand guys like him. I'm a man too, but I look down on men who cheat."He paused, anger bubbling up. "When I saw him kissing another woman, I got mad. It felt incredibly disrespectful to you. So, I went to his house and splashed his door with feces to disgust him. Did he look for you?""Yeah," Iris replied."Did I cause you trouble?" Mike asked. He had calmed down now and realized that he may have been too impulsive.Iris shook her head. "No, you didn't."She appreciated that Mike was looking out for her."Did you divorce him because he cheated?" Mike asked.Iris actually did not want to discuss such a painful topic, but she realized that she couldn't avoid it forever.She responded with a faint "mhm.""What a scumbag!" Mike exclaimed angrily."It's all in the past now," Iris said.Mike poured her a drink. "I understand how you feel, Iris."Despite having moved on, being reminded of her past with Stanley still made her feel a twi
Jason watched in disbelief."Ouch..." Iris groaned, struggling to get up. The food container had fallen to the ground, rolling to a stop against the wall.Jason walked over and, like lifting a small child, grabbed her arms and pulled her up."Ouch, ouch!" she cried out. She had twisted her ankle, unable to put any weight on it. "I can’t stand…" she said helplessly.In response, Jason lifted her into his arms. The sudden movement caught Iris off guard, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her mind going blank in surprise.In the elevator, the space felt cramped and the air stagnant. Their bodies were close, breaths intertwining, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere. If it weren’t for the alcohol still clouding her mind, Iris would have wanted to find a hole to hide in to avoid the embarrassing situation."What floor?" his low voice broke the silence.Iris felt a bit more sober by now, but considering the situation, she could only pretend to be drunk still. S
Iris could no longer maintain her composure. Jason's expression suggested she had made a fool of herself when she was sleeping.Her grip on the coffee cup tightened. She accidentally crushed the paper, spilling coffee all over herself. It jolted her back to her senses. Mortified, she realized what she had just done. Once again, she had embarrassed herself in front of him. "What's wrong with me?" she thought frantically.Jason said, "We have to spend the night here. You’ll have to figure it out yourself." With that, he got into the car, leaving Iris speechless.She patted the coffee stains on her clothes, only to dirty her hands. Jason started the car, rolled down the window, and handed her a packet of tissues.Iris took it, murmuring, "Thank you." She wiped her hands and body. Although she wasn't totally clean, it was better than feeling damp. She settled in for the ride and placed the tissues on the back seat."Where are we going now?" she asked."We're going to eat, then head
"She doesn't lack anything..." Stanley muttered.Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Iris passing by outside the glass window. He could not be mistaken; after seven years together, her silhouette was etched into his memory."I have to use the restroom. You stay here and keep shopping," he told Fiora before striding out of the jewelry store and heading in the direction Iris had gone.Iris was standing in front of a flower stall, carefully admiring the blooms, seemingly wanting to buy a bouquet. In the past, whenever Jason returned home, he would see fresh flowers on the table and Iris bustling in the kitchen. Even when work was challenging, going home brought him comfort. But now, he found himself disliking going home. The maid couldn't even keep the most basic level of cleanliness, which caused him a lot of frustration.He slowed his pace as he approached her. Iris was caught between choosing sunflowers or daisies. The florist chimed in, "Ma'am, I think sunflowers suit you better."
The woman was surprised by Iris' refusal."Don't you regret getting divorced?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. In her view, marrying into the Stein family was a significant achievement for Iris. There were many beautiful women in the world, but not all of them could marry wealthy men. She thought Iris was incredibly lucky.If she were the one who married Stanley, she would never divorce him no matter what. She would be fine with Stanley cheating on her as long as he gave her money. There used to be a popular discussion on the internet. The question was: if your husband is never home, but you get $20,000 every month, are you okay with that?She would be more than okay with that.It would be great if she had money and her husband was never home.She genuinely could not understand Iris' decision.Instead of answering, Iris said, "Illegitimate children also have inheritance rights nowadays. As long as you give birth safely, you will get what you want. I already gave you my contact, a
As a lawyer, despite her limited experience handling cases, Iris understood the importance of maintaining a clear, objective perspective. She recognized that allowing emotions to cloud her judgment could compromise her ability to provide effective representation.Her refusal to take on the woman's case stemmed from a desire to avoid digging deeper into the potentially painful truth. She could analyze the case objectively, but deep down, she was still apprehensive about facing the darker aspects of human nature and the emotional turmoil experienced by the victim which led to her taking her own life.The woman's face sank. "Oh, I see."Iris nodded."Okay, I'll think about it," the woman said as she stood up.Iris followed suit and opened the door for her."Thank you for your advice," the woman said politely."You're welcome," Iris replied, watching the woman leave."Wait."Suddenly, Iris called out to her.The woman turned back, and Iris approached her."Take my phone number.
"I hope, through your conversations with your father, you can discover part of the truth."What does your father mean by 'becoming closer'? How did he attempt to do that? What was your sister's reaction? How many times did this behavior occur, and under what circumstances? "Finding out these things will help you gain a clearer understanding of the truth. From there, you can assess how serious your father's actions might be – whether they constitute indecent behavior or rape. Once you've had a good grasp of the situation, you can thoughtfully consider whether to support your sister or your father."As it stands, the reason your father was allowed to be released on bail is due to a lack of evidence at this point in time, but that doesn't mean he'll definitely be fine."From our conversation, you seem to be conflicted, but lean towards supporting your father. Your stepmother was aware of the situation before the suicide happened. With all the witnesses, alongside the victim's testimo
It would be hard not to develop an introverted personality growing up in that kind of family environment, thought Iris."On the day of the suicide attempt or the day before, did she experience any direct triggers? What date was the suicide note written?" she asked."She had the note prepared well in advance, revising it multiple times. The police report indicates that the last revision was made on the 25th of last month," the woman explained."So it's a digital document?""Yes, it's a notepad document. She also wrote one by hand, but that's a much simpler version."Iris pressed further, "During the period leading up to her suicide attempt, did she encounter any specific triggers?""I'm not sure; I just got back from abroad," the woman replied."What stage is the case currently in?""It's in the investigation phase.""How long has the investigation been ongoing?""About a week.""Has your father met with a lawyer?""No, he has been released on bail.""What is your father's
"She only wrote that it's been happening since she was a child. Because she was so young back then, she only has vague memories of someone touching her and holding her down," the woman explained.Iris asked, "Did you just find out about these incidents?""Yes. After my parents divorced, I lived with my mother. I then went abroad at a young age. I only came back because of this," the woman replied.Iris nodded. "Do they all live in the same house?""Yes, and my sister has her own room. Supposedly, when her mother was away, my father entered her room and did inappropriate things to her... My stepsister has always been a bit introverted. Her mother has a foul temper, so she's always been a bit scared of her family. The suicide note stated that from childhood through 10th grade, my father has molested her multiple times. In 10th grade, he raped her for the first time – the first time she was aware of it, at least.""So, she had an impression of these incidents as a child but wasn't en
Iris fastened her seatbelt and said, "I left the medicine inside, so I went back to retrieve it. On the way back out, I ran into my former father-in-law and exchanged a few words with him."Jason responded with a silent stare.What a small world. She had just been harassed by her ex-husband, and now she ran into her former father-in-law."He brought his mistress here for a prenatal check-up. Looks like my ex-husband is about to have a sibling," Iris continued.Jason was speechless."Does infidelity run in their family or something?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his voice.Iris paused, then laughed. "Probably."As they drove off, Jason's eyes reflected his disdain.Iris tilted her head and remarked, "You seem unhappy."Jason kept quiet.With Fiora marrying a Stein, he could see potential troubles ahead.The Just family had always maintained a low profile, avoiding scandals. But in the future...Iris did not continue the conversation. She sat quietly."I'll take you home.
Jason examined his palm and said, "It's already healed."Iris served him some food, cautioning, "You can't be too careful."The wound was really deep, so it's best to see a doctor to make sure.After they finished their meal, Iris cleaned the dishes and tidied up before they left for the hospital together.The doctor assessed Jason's hand, which had healed well. He removed the stitches and prescribed medication for scar removal, instructing him to apply it to the wound every morning and evening for optimal healing. He assured Jason that it would heal well since it was a new scar.As they left the hospital, Jason's phone rang. It was Fiora calling, prompting him to step aside to take the call."Jason, when are you bringing your girlfriend over for dinner? Mom said you're already living together, so don't even think about lying to me," Fiora said.Jason glanced at Iris. "If you have so much free time, why don't you check on your fiancé? Ask him what he's been up to lately.""Why
His arms were strong, and his broad and sturdy frame created a comforting embrace.The weather had turned warm, so they were wearing thin clothes. Iris could feel the heat radiating from his body, almost burning through the fabric.She lowered her gaze slightly and shifted her body. "Stop fooling around," she said.Leaning closer, Jason whispered near her ear, "What are you thinking about?""I'm not thinking of anything," Iris replied, though she quickly realized what he really meant to ask. When she turned her head, their lips brushed, and a flush crept across her face. Trying to maintain her composure, she added, "You want to know if I still have feelings for him, right? Wasn't my attitude just now firm enough?"Jason studied her slightly offended expression. "Are you angry?""I don't like being tested. You know about my past, so you should brace yourself.""Brace myself for what?" he asked, a hint of a smile playing on his lips."Brace yourself to be harassed by my ex-husban
Before Jason could reply, Iris continued, "I'm the only child in my family. My family is quite ordinary; my parents are common folks, and my relatives are just regular people.""My family is... comfortable. I have a younger sister, and my parents are alive and well," Jason replied succinctly.Iris nodded. She had finally gained a preliminary understanding of his background. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. The police seemed to have arrived.As Iris moved to open the door, Jason grabbed her arm. "You stay inside the house," he instructed firmly, then went to answer the door instead.The cops asked who had called the police. Jason explained, "My girlfriend called the police. This guy is harassing my girlfriend, banging on the door and attempting to trespass. His actions have severely affected her normal life."Stanley, hearing Jason repeatedly refer to Iris as his "girlfriend," felt a painful buzz in his head. He sneered, his face twisted in anger. "Your girlfriend? She's