The man looked at the young, attractive couple.
Their new tricycle, tables, and chairs—everything was new.
The husband was wearing a hairnet, a face mask, and a spit guard.
He also had on an apron and protective sleeves.
He looked fully geared up, the picture of cleanliness.
“I’ll take one.” The worker, dressed in his uniform and covered in cement dust, had a weary look on his face.
“You got it!” Hazel Sinclair quickly replied, grabbing a disposable container to dish out the food.
Leon Sterling, holding the container, looked at the man and asked, “Is there anything you don’t like?”
“Nope, I’ll have a little of everything.”
Fish, pork, stir-fried chicken with shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried tomato and egg, and green vegetables.
Leon Sterling didn’t hold back.
He piled on three main dishes, filling the container right up.
The green vegetables and tomato and egg could only be placed on top, making it impossible to close the lid.
The worker stared, stunned for a moment, then took out his phone, scanned the code, and paid the twenty dollars.
“You two really do seem like first-timers,” the worker said.
He took his food container, walked over to a low table, sat down, and dug right in.
Just then, Leon Sterling seemed to remember something.
He crouched, rummaged around, and pulled out a case of herbal tea.
He opened it, walked over to the worker, and handed him a can.
“Grand opening.
It’s on the house.”
The worker looked at the can of herbal tea and chuckled.
‘This young couple really has no idea how to control costs.
They don’t seem like they’re cut out for making money.’
“Thanks.”
After a brief acknowledgment, Leon Sterling went back to the stall.
Hazel, however, didn’t stay put.
She sat down next to the worker and asked with a smile, “What time do you guys get off work for lunch?”
“Twelve o’clock.”
‘So that means we have to get up early to buy groceries and be here before noon.’
‘It’s a tough gig.’
Hazel nodded.
Looking at the meal in front of him, she smiled and asked, “So, how’s my husband’s cooking?”
Leon Sterling, busy with his work, had sharp hearing.
When he heard her say the word “husband,” the corners of his mouth lifted slightly beneath his mask.
“Your husband’s a pretty good cook.
It’d be even better with some chili, though,” the worker remarked after taking a bite.
‘Chili peppers!’
‘Right, I forgot about that.’ Hazel chuckled.
“Sorry about that.
We won’t forget to bring chili sauce tomorrow.”
The five dishes sold out quickly.
Once the last worker had left with his food, Hazel glanced around.
Seeing that no one was left, she said, “Time to pack up and head back.”
When she saw the insulated containers were completely empty, a huge smile spread across Hazel’s face.
“Not bad, Leon Sterling,” Hazel said, looking up at him and giving him a playful bump with her hip.
“Making money, starting a company… it’s all within reach now.”
Leon, his head down as he worked, paused when she mentioned starting a company.
He asked, “Do you really think I can start a company again?”
“Why not?” Hazel frowned at his question.
“Didn’t I swallow my pride and marry you because I was betting on your potential?”
“If you don’t think you’re up for it, then let’s just get a divorce.
Don’t stand in the way of me living a wealthy life.” Hazel rolled her eyes at him, her words brutally blunt.
As if that wasn’t enough, she continued, rattling off a string of even more inflammatory remarks.
“I’m gorgeous and beautiful; plenty of guys like me.
If you’re going to be poor forever, why should I waste my time sticking with a dead-end like you?”
“If things get really bad, I’ll just run back to the Sinclair Family.
I’ll get on my knees and beg them to find me a new, rich husband.
And if that fails, I’ll just start my own business and make my own money.”
Leon Sterling stopped what he was doing.
His deep, dark eyes blazed with an unprecedented level of determination and obstinance.
He spoke slowly, each word deliberate and serious.
“I’m not going to divorce you.
And I will work hard to give you the life you want.”
‘Hazel was unimpressed.
‘Sure, you’ll be rich in the future,’ she thought, ‘but that’ll have nothing to do with me.
As long as I can rack up enough ‘Disgust Value’ to fake my death and get out of here, I can be my own boss.”
‘She just hoped her current, money-obsessed persona would leave an indelible mark on Leon Sterling.’
Just as they finished packing and were about to drive off, Jill Kensington appeared in front of them on an electric scooter.
“Hi, handsome!
We meet again!” Jill Kensington stopped her scooter and waved at Leon, a wide, happy smile spreading across her face.
Hazel’s eyes went from the woman in front of them to Leon, who was sitting beside her.
‘It was only then that she suddenly remembered: the male and female leads had already met.’
Leon, however, just stared at Jill Kensington, his brow furrowed deeply.
He broke the silence, asking, “Who are you?”
Hazel was speechless.
Jill Kensington’s expression immediately soured.
‘After all this time, Leon Sterling still didn’t remember her?’
“It’s me, Jill Kensington!”
Jill was furious inside, but she kept a wide smile plastered on her face.
“I’m Jill Kensington.
The one who helped you when you were smoking by the river.”
‘So that’s where they met.
By the river.’
‘Wait a minute—the river!’
‘Why would Leon be at the river?’
“Why were you at the river?” Hazel Sinclair demanded, grabbing his collar.
“Were you planning to kill yourself?
To stop providing for me?” Hazel jabbed a finger toward his face, her voice turning sharp.
“If you wanted to kill yourself, you should have divorced me first!
Don’t you dare make me known as the wife whose husband killed himself!”
The thought of his zero-balance bank account made Hazel so angry she punched him.
“You broke loser!
You couldn’t even scrounge up two thousand dollars, and you were thinking of killing yourself?” Hazel’s face was dark with displeasure as she spoke.
Leon quickly explained, “I wasn’t thinking about suicide.”
“I’m sorry I made you angry.”
The sight of the future powerful chairman so humbly placating this woman stung Jill Kensington to the core.
‘She couldn’t understand it.
This woman was so materialistic, and she was verbally abusing him when he needed comfort the most.
Yet, looking at Leon’s face, he didn’t seem to mind at all.’
“Is money the only thing in your eyes?
Mr.
Sterling is under so much pressure!
As his wife, why aren’t you comforting him?”
“Not only are you not comforting him, you’re berating him with such horrible words!
You’re despicable!”
Jill condemned Hazel’s every word and action, wishing her rebukes could strike her dead.
‘Then Leon wouldn’t be so stressed that he’d consider jumping in a river.’
“You’re nothing but a burden, a stumbling block holding Mr.
Sterling back!
Mr.
Sterling, why do you waste your energy on her?”
Leon saw his wife’s expression growing darker and darker.
His attempts to placate her were failing.
He held back as long as he could before finally snapping at Jill, “Haven’t you said enough!”
“This is my wife.
What right does a stranger like you have to stand here and criticize her?”
The word “stranger” made Jill Kensington freeze.
‘She was helping him!
Why wasn’t he grateful?
Why was he calling her a stranger?’
“Mr.
Sterling, she’s just using you as a meal ticket!” Jill couldn’t stop herself from shouting.
“In her eyes, you’re nothing but a tool for making money!”
“She doesn’t care about you at all!”
Hearing this, Leon turned and fixed her with a deathly glare.
He spoke slowly, “This is between my wife and me.”
“And it’s not the place of a stranger to interfere.”