A Love Trap

"I only found out about this today. I'm really sorry," the middle-aged woman apologized sincerely.

Ashley and Ellie were displeased with the result, but they had no intention of putting her in an awkward position. After all, the woman was nice to them.

"It's okay. Now that you are going to sign a contract with someone else, we're fine with that," Ellie replied.

"I'm really sorry for wasting your time," the woman continued apologizing, with guilt written all over her face.

Ashley and Ellie bid her farewell and walked out. There was no point in crying over spilled milk.

...

They had come there to sign the contract in good spirits, but neither of them expected this to happen.

"It's so annoying! We have to go somewhere else now to rent a shop. What's going on? We agreed to sign the contract," Ashley whined in frustration as they left the shop.

"Things change, you know. Never mind. We'll find a good place," Ellie comforted. But there was a tinge of displeasure in her voice.

The two girls perked up again and started to look around for another suitable shop to rent.

For some reason, they were having a really hard time finding a suitable shop to rent. Even though they had found a few perfect shops, each time they were about to sign the contract, something would happen and the owners would suddenly back out of the deal.

The owners of the shops would have a different reason for doing so.

One of them said that they suddenly realized that the shop had already been reserved and that she had received the deposit for it.

and didn't want to lease his shop

have time to sign the contract since he was going to his hometown because his wife

...

and reasons but the end result was always the

settled everything, but when it came to signing the contract, something would always crop up and the owner

couldn't or wouldn't sign the contracts to lease their shops out to the two girls, Ashley and Ellie were beginning to be suspicious that something was going on. After all, it was too

day of looking for a storefront, Ashley and Ellie dragged their tired bodies back to their apartment. They trudged

saw the caller ID was, Peggy on the screen, she

to call Ashley and pester her with

with Peggy's attitude and behavior towards her. After all, she was an adopted child, not a servant. The Mus instructed her to do things all the time as if she

the phone. She had already assumed

she said acidly.

took you so long to answer the phone? You didn't want to take my call, did you? Why did we adopt an ungrateful child like you? You..." Peggy's shrill voice resounded from the other

her insults and degradation. Each time she received a call from her foster mother, the latter

knew Peggy would just say even more harsh words if she

usually did when she would call her. But since Ashley didn't say

be there at 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Do you hear me?" Peggy said in a

Ashley

your manners? Your date has a doctoral degree and he has studied abroad. He is older than you, but he is

go on that date if he is such an excellent man? You made it sound like he is the best man in the world, ' she retorted

man tomorrow, I will have nothing more to do with the Mu family. It doesn't matter if you refuse to admit it. I recorded our

assured, I wouldn't break my word. You'd better be on the date on time and behave yourself!" Peggy

had only asked her to talk Ashley into going on the blind date, but he never mentioned disowning Ashley.