Emery shook her head slightly. “There’s no substantive evidence, but all signs point to Fuller Corporation. Also, all the companies abroad are now unable to continue operating.”
“Isn’t Joe in charge of everything overseas?”
She looked at me in surprise before frowning. “Have you been living under a rock for too long? An infectious virus broke out in Western Europe a month ago and it’s total chaos over there. Shopping malls were robbed and used for riots. It’s already a blessing to be able to survive there, so making money is definitely out of the question.”
I really had no idea about all this. I had been too busy with the Lavelian Village project recently and barely read any international news.
There was a knock on the door before Hunter poked his head in. He was carrying a briefcase and dressed in a grey suit with his hair combed neatly. After briefly greeting me, he glanced at Emery and said, “Honey, I have another class in the evening, so I’ll be back slightly later. I’ve booked the flight to J City and packed your suitcase. Go have a look later and see if I missed anything out.”
Smiling sweetly, Emery got up with Xavier in her arms. “I’m sure there won’t be a problem. I’ve always taken pride in my hubby’s capabilities. C’mon, I’ll send you off.”
The two of them acted lovey-dovey and went downstairs. When my bedroom was quiet once again, I sat in front of the vanity mirror and replayed Emery’s words in my mind.
When I came downstairs, Ashton was already gone.
Catching me glancing around, Cameron smiled helplessly. “He’s gone. He waited such a long time for you. He’s busy too, you know?”
I bowed my head, unsure of what to say. After some thought, I looked at Cameron and asked, “Mom, where’s Dad?” I had unconsciously blurted out those words.
All I could think of was what Emery said earlier, so I didn’t realize that I had just officially acknowledged them as my parents.
Suddenly, I noticed the surprise and joy on Cameron’s face as she gazed at me with red-rimmed eyes. Because she was struggling to keep her tears at bay, a few prominent wrinkles had formed on the corners of her eyes. She parted her lips a few times to speak, but perhaps she was too emotional, she only ended up saying, “My dear, did you just…”
She trailed off, as if afraid to ask, and there was also a trace of disbelief sprawled on her face. In the end, she could no longer hold back her tears. She raised her hand and frantically wiped them away, but more tears poured down.
Tears welled in my eyes all of a sudden, and I couldn’t help but recall Emery’s advice. Indeed, I wasn’t the only one suffering in silence.
Even though I was the victim, when a mother hurt her own child, yes, the child felt pain, but the mother’s pain was one that ran deep into the soul.
I looked at her and repeated my question with a smile. “Mom, where’s Dad?”
Cameron replicated my smile with a tear-streaked face and pointed somewhere behind me. “He’s there.” Then, she raised her voice slightly. “Zachary, did you hear what our daughter said just now? She’s looking for you!”
With that, she bowed her head and wiped her tears, but she couldn’t seem to keep the smile from her face.
I looked over my shoulder and was stunned to see Zachary holding the newspaper while looking at me with a small smile and reddened eyes. When he saw me looking at him, he asked in a slightly shaky voice, “What is it?”
I could somewhat relate to how they were feeling at the moment. The first time Summer called me mommy, I held her in my arms for a very long time, overwhelmed with indescribable happiness.
I replied, “I want to know about the situation at Ashton’s company.”
Zachary smiled and motioned for me to take a seat.
He took a moment to rein in his emotions while Cameron cheerfully poured us a glass of lemonade and glanced at me. “Letty, what would you like to eat later? I’ll cook for you.”
“I’m fine with anything.” I smiled.
She was in good spirits as she walked into the kitchen with a subtle bounce to her steps.
Zachary watched her retreating figure and had a helpless look on his face. “She’s probably jumping with joy on the inside after hearing you call her mom.”
I chuckled softly and waited for him to continue.
“The situation at Fuller Corporation is slightly complicated. The public and the government are putting pressure on the company at the same time. For now, we have no way to intervene, especially Louis because if he does, the situation may only worsen. But luckily, Ashton is a capable person and I believe that he can handle it well. Don’t worry too much about it. For a listed company like Fuller Corporation, it’s basically impossible for its competitors to overthrow it. Besides, the Murphys are the only ones in K City who can go up against Fuller Corporation. They’re not like the others who dabble in market competition, so what’s happening now is only a small matter and won’t cause too big of an effect.”
After he broke down the situation for me, I instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Fuller Corporation had grown stronger over the years, not to mention it had hit many snags along the way too. Based on Ashton’s capabilities, he should be able to resolve it.
Seeing my expression, Zachary smiled faintly. “You’re obviously worried about him, yet you pretended not to care. Why didn’t you ask him yourself when he was here earlier? But it’s Fuller Corporation after all. It’s no surprise that it’s constantly targeted. Even the strongest trees can fall. Although it doesn’t seem to be a huge problem, one mistake on Ashton’s part and all his efforts would go down the drain. He’s been having a lot on his plate recently. As his wife, you should check in on him more at a time like this and be a pillar of support for him.”
I nodded, bearing in mind the advice Emery gave me. I was no longer able to deny that I was indeed being a tad too stubborn all this while.
