Take My Breath Away

Matthew's absurd question made Erica want to laugh, but she didn't quite manage it. "Of course not," she said. "Tessie is my good friend. How could I do anything to bully her?"

Her husband studied her carefully. "Didn't you two fall in love with the same man?"

"Who gave you that idea? Well, let me tell you something. Tessie has good taste in many things—sometimes better than mine. But when it comes to taste in men, hers is really not as good as mine!" Erica said proudly.

Matthew arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Now, why is that?"

The girl was immersed in complacency as she explained, "She likes a man who is in his forties. But my husband is rich, handsome and powerful. And most important of all he is still young! Now, don't you think I have better taste than her?" She left off with a satisfied wink.

Her playfulness had a way of reducing the tension in the room. Matthew nodded in agreement, but there was something else that he couldn't help but say. "You know, I seem to recall you marrying me because of your father's taste, rather than your own. Not to mention that you lied to me, saying that you were pregnant again, all in the hopes of getting out of marrying me. Does my memory serve me right?"

Erica's chuckle was ruthless, and her answer was the same. "If I could turn back time, I still wouldn't want to marry you." After all, who would be stupid enough to willingly marry a man who didn't like her and who she didn't like?

Truth be told, though, she had never regretted marrying Matthew except when she was angry.

Matthew's smile fled in an instant. Despite himself, he was a bit hurt by her words. His wife really could be heartless sometimes.

Unwilling to continue the conversation, he disappeared back into the closet.

Some minutes later he emerged, now in his pajamas. It was only then that Erica thought she understood the point of their conversation. "Did Phoebe tell you that I bullied Tessie back in school?" she asked at length.

Matthew didn't answer her.

In her eyes, his silence was an admission. "So, you believe it's true?"

"Not yet." He wouldn't turn against his own wife just because of Phoebe's words. Phoebe didn't have that much influence on him.

"What do you mean by 'not yet'?" Erica asked, her heart beginning to sink.

"Because she's given me no evidence except for her word."

The girl continued, "So if she shows you some evidence, then you'll believe her?"

Matthew answered with a question of hi

when they suggested that major, but Wesley was able to sense that she wasn't really interested in it. No doubt she'd just been unwilling to disappoint them.

So he had asked her what she really wanted to learn.

After hesitating for a long moment, Chantel had said, "I want to learn acting." She wanted to be an actress! Indeed, this had been her biggest dream. As she saw it, she had to seize the opportunity, now that it was before her.

After discussing it among themselves, Blair and Wesley had pulled some strings and sent Chantel to the Department of Performance of the School of Drama in A Country.

Chantel had never been to a university before, so obviously she had started out as a freshman there.

"That's good," Blair said. "If you need anything at school, just tell me. Don't be shy."

"I will, Aunt Blair. Thank you both," the girl said pleasantly. With that, she lowered her head and went back to eating, hoping they wouldn't notice her eyes watering. She had only been in the Li family house for a few days, but Uncle Wesley and Aunt Blair had shown her so much kindness. She really didn't know how to repay them.

After dinner, Chantel stood up and was about to clean up the table, but Blair stopped her. "Don't you have to practice dancing? We have maids here. You don't have to worry about the housework. Just attend to your studies."

Chantel had started slower than others, so she needed to work harder in order to catch up with her classmates. Taking Blair's point, she didn't insist on cleaning the table or the dishes. She touched Ethan's tender face, said goodbye to the two elders, and went back to her room.