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.

of stone to obtain what she desires; while a woman with a heart to love is bound to lose everything.

we are able to battle face to face

that. How about you?'

and dancing. Everyone was in a sprite, enjoying

Cloris arrived for the party. The hotel shone bright in the dark night. The main entrance was paved with a red carpet to complete

beautiful sisters stole the show with a perfectly timed late arrival.

they came through the door, they made heads turn,

dazzling milk white evening dress, and the other in a stunning deep

each was different in her own

drawing envious eyes from the women all over. They just

about the identities of the two ladies,

suit, he looked stunning as well, drawing even more envious

his hand to Cassandra with a genial smile and signaled

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

the most perfect couple of the night

noticed, that the other woman beside Cassandra, had

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

married woman! How could she

in the eyes of everyone else,

took to the dance floor gracefully.

balanced lighting in the room, giving her an even more elegant sparkles, but she was shy

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

and it was not the second, but she would never acquire the skill of remaining

by Cloris, who was closely watching the

young man reached his hand to her and invited her for a dance, "Miss

was obviously a familiar face, but the name

the head of Dawn Star

placed her slender hand on his. Following behind him, she moved onto the

deliberate or maybe not - Cloris noticed they constantly got close to the pair of Cassandra and Rufus.

she could tell that Cassandra was really enjoying it, as indicated by the big grin on her face. Like a dagger, that grin pierced

you not with your wife

straight

am not married,"

man replied politely, not taking offence at the

you were married. I was thinking that your wife might have

acutely sensed something wrong in her statement, just as

Your sister is married?" he asked in doubt.