Cody said thoughtfully, "It's okay, Mommy. I can pretend that I'm the only child there. That way, I won't feel upset if no one plays with me."

Hearing this worsened Jessica's mood, and her hatred for Zane deepened.

...

When the car stopped at the door, I was surprised to see Willow's grandparents standing there.

I turned to look at Zane.

Zane got out of the car to greet them. "What brings you guys here?"

The last time we visited, Willow's grandmother, Dorothy, was still lying in the hospital bed, and she looked in poor spirits.

Milton explained, "After she woke up a few days ago and heard that Willow came to visit her in the hospital, she felt much better. She finally got discharged today and wanted to meet Willow. Is this not a good time?" Milton was a bit concerned. "If it's inconvenient, we'll leave right away."

Seeing that Milton was about to usher Dorothy along, Zane quickly said, "Let's go inside first, and we'll talk."Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Although Willow had begun to open up emotionally, she still couldn't speak to her grandparents.

It seemed like she felt guilty toward them, so she got out of the car silently and followed them. Her round little face looked serious.

I walked over to Willow's side.

Willow took my hand and smiled at me.

I smiled back at her.

It seemed like her mood had improved a little, and her eyes brightened into a smile.

...

Harry pulled over by the side of the road.

Zachary watched from a distance, looking at Annalise's back, his eyes filled with longing and affection.

Willow couldn't speak. So, Annalise would always find ways to stand up for her when she was bullied. Not only that, Annalise always thought of solving the problem at its root. She wanted Willow to be able to communicate with others. That was how Annalise had always been. She genuinely hoped for the best for her child.

Zachary's eyes welled up again as he thought about it.

Annalise was no different when she was with him. No matter their problems, Annalise never once got angry with him. She was always so gentle, teaching him how to solve the problem.

Back then, how did he not notice how good Annalise was?

He was foolish to be deceived by Jessica. Thinking that Jessica was the one who truly cared about him...

Zachary regretted it deeply.

He covered his face, unable to control his sobs. "Mommy, I'm really sorry. Please forgive me."

...

Just as Steven opened the door to his room, Jessica eagerly approached him.

She leaned in and hugged his arm. "I tried your advice and worked with Zane to solve the problem."

Steven was very repulsed and instinctively tried to pull his arm away. "Hmm?"

"Zane said it wouldn't have too much impact on Cody," Jessica said, lowering her head.

She noticed that Steven's body would stiffen noticeably at her touch. In this situation, if she kept pushing and continued to create intimate moments, it wouldn't be long before Steven realized he didn't actually like her. Ultimately, Steven would surely find a way to break up with her.

Jessica began to sense a looming crisis.

Lately, the money she had received from Steven wasn't enough to satisfy her desires. She needed to find a way to keep Steven believing he liked her.