A Graduation Gift

Taking a glimpse at Lionel, Jill hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke out, "I know you don't like Cassandra, but she was selected by your father. It won't be easy for Ivy to replace her as your wife, Lionel.

Maybe, we should talk to Ivy. If she agrees to carry the pregnancy to term and give you the baby, we can pay her off with a huge sum of money. We can make the whole sum negotiable, so as to find a fair deal for both sides." Lionel didn't even know how he felt about that decision. Ivy had been with him for so many years, and he had promised her a lot of things. Right now, it seemed that the marriage he had promised her wasn't going to come true.

To add to that, there was no way she could face the possibility of being stripped of the right of a mother. It would be too cruel for her.

Carefully studying the hesitation on Lionel's face, Jill knew that it was hard for him to break up with Ivy, in whom he had been emotionally invested for years.

But Jill persisted, regardless of his feelings. "How about, you let me do it on your behalf, if you feel too bad about talking her into the deal?" she suggested.

Given the current state of things, the best person to carry out this task would be Jill.

However, she underestimated the resistance the pregnant girl would put up.

"This baby is mine. No one can take it away from me!" Ivy shouted.

To her, Jill must be kidding. She had been waiting for the day, when she would become a legal member of the Tang family, for so many years. If she was just after the money only, she could have chosen a sugar daddy, anyone wealthy enough to shower money on her. What she really wanted wasn't the small pay-off that Jill was offering. It wasn't even mere love from Lionel that she wanted. The girl had her eyes set on the capture of entire Tang Group.

As a common trend in the society, a woman could turn her life upside down by a good marriage. For seven years of her relationship with Lionel, Ivy had painstakingly planned for her turning point. How could she just give up for the paltry pay off that Jill was proposing?

Over the years, Ivy had come to know that Jill was a cunning woman and not someone to deal with easily.

That emboldened the girl more. "Whether the baby will bear Luo or Tang as the surname, is yours to decide," Ivy threatened. There was no way she was going to let Jill have the last word on this.

Inside, she told herself, 'I don't really care what the surname of the baby is. What I really care about is getting legally married to Lionel!

Now this baby is my last chance and my bargain chip. I have to make full use of it.'

"I'm pregnant with your son's baby, Madam. The only thing I want is for him to be responsible and give me a home. Given the complications I'm having with the pregnancy, I only want to live with him until the baby is born. After that, if Tang family doesn't approve me as a daughter-in-law, I'll leave the baby to your family, go overseas and never come back again!" Ivy declared her terms with her teary eyes.

It was difficult for Jill to tell whether the tears were genuine or she was just being melodramatic.

"All these years I have been with Lionel, believing we were meant to be a perfect couple. That was until Cassandra Qin came in and ruined our relationship. Now I have realized that Lionel and I may be just doomed to part our ways. The only thing I ask for now, is to have him take me in for the next few difficult months of the pregnancy. Is it too much to ask just for a few months of him taking responsibility?" Ivy challenged.

This was indeed her last chance. If she could just outwit Jill on this, she would be closer to pulling her real clincher. As a woman herself, Jill could feel for Ivy and her choice to trade the baby only for a few months of living with Lionel. With an open heart, Jill fell for the deal.

"Rest assured. We will treat the kid as part of the family! He is my first grandson! You can start preparing yourself to move in. I will talk to his father about the arrangement once I find a chance."

After seeing Jill off, Ivy, while still in tears, smiled sarcastically.

'Women are the most fragile creatures in the world, but are also the most cruel ones in the meantime.

she desires; while a woman with a heart

Cassandra, finally we are able to battle face

about you?'

a sprite, enjoying the

for the party. The hotel shone bright in the dark night. The main entrance was paved

show with a perfectly

through the door, they made heads turn,

milk white evening dress, and the other in

her own right, both looked

from the women all over. They just couldn't take their gazes away from her.

revelers kept guessing and talking in low tones about the identities

his navy blue business suit, he looked stunning as well, drawing even

with a genial smile and signaled

grace, Cassandra placed her palm into his, and put her

picture. They were the most perfect couple of the night without a shadow of doubt.

had noticed, that the other woman beside Cassandra,

be the most enchanting moment of her entire life. But Rufus didn't even honor her with a simple glance. To make it

married woman! How could she

the eyes of everyone else,

and Rufus took to the dance floor gracefully.

her an even more elegant sparkles, but she was

his head to enjoy the beauty, he whispered into her ear, "You are so captivating that I can't even move my eyes off from

compliment made her face blush. It was not the first time she heard his praise, and it was

closely watching the two. Jealousy engulfed her like a

her and invited her for a dance, "Miss Qin, may I

man for a few seconds. It was obviously a familiar face, but the

her. It was Arthur Zhuang, the head of Dawn Star Group. Of course, his

anger, she faked an innocent smile out and placed her slender

maybe he was deliberate or maybe not - Cloris noticed they constantly got close to the pair of Cassandra

tell that Cassandra was really enjoying it, as indicated by the big grin on her face.

not

to get straight to the burning issue on her

am

man replied politely, not taking offence

was thinking that your wife might have failed to attend for one reason or another, like

something wrong in her statement, just as

sister is married?" he asked in