"Have you met him yet?" Melinda asked.


    "No, not yet."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The concerned Melinda frowned. "Well, why don''t you meet him, then? He''s found you anyway. I know you''ve always been thinking about him."


    The woman''s voice sank slightly. "I don''t know how to face him, and I don''t want to hear him talk about anything remotely rted to that family. He''s doing well, and I''m content with the asional see updates about him in the financial news."


    "If you truly felt that way," Melinda said, "you''d be sleeping soundly right now instead of calling me to talk about it. Deep down, you know that it''s not just your son who''s been searching for you. Your son''s fathe must be the same, too. He still cares about you, and doesn''t a part of you still think about him?"


    The woman''s tone turned bitter. "Does he? If he did, he wouldn''t have gotten married at the drop of a hat. Don''t sugarcoat this, Melinda."


    Melinda responded, "But I heard that their marriage is on paper only. A few years ago, the woman was sent to their summer resort to live alone. She won''t be allowed to return for the rest of her life." The woman fell silent but eventually answered, "I''ve moved on from them."


    Melinda understood that it would be a futile exercise to continue discussing it over the phone. "Okay. I won''t talk about it anymore. I''lle over once Adam settles everything here. We can talk about it in person."


    "Has Lilinpleted her homework?" the woman shifted the topic.


    "She only managed toplete one painting from the homework you''ve assigned to her. She''s been a bit temperamentaltely, and I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t worried."


    The woman assured her, "Don''t worry. Lilin is a good child. She''ll never disappoint you as she grows up. It''s your husband''s eldest daughter that you should be more careful of." Melinda was stunned for a moment and was taken aback when her best friend identified her main concern. She felt touched andforted at the same time. "I know. I''ll be careful."


    "I told you that being a stepmother is no easy feat, but you insisted on marrying a man who constantly goes around killing people. And for what? Love? Sigh!"


    "Weren''t you the same back then?"


    Both friends sighed simultaneously before hanging up.


    Love truly was the bane of every woman''s existence.


    When the call ended, Melinda looked around and realized that neither Adam nor Sophia was around. She immediately hurried down in search of them.


    Sophia and Adam returned to the dining table and found Zachary eating with Lilin. The seat ''Benjamin'' upied remained empty.


    "Why are you alone with Lilin? Where''s Benjamin?" Sophia inquired.


    Zachary replied calmly, "He went to the bathroom."


    He was hoping Sophia would not notice any discrepancy if Benjamin came back after a change of clothes.


    Sophia found it a little odd because Zachary had always been quite concerned about Benjamin''s safety. Before this, he insisted on apanying the boy to the bathroom and only felt at ease if ''Benjamin'' was apanied by Lilin.


    She wondered to herself, ''Why would he allow Benjamin to go to the bathroom on his own? Is he no longer worried that Benjamin might run off again?''


    "Why does Benjamin need to use the bathroom so much today? Does his stomach hurt?" Sophia asked.


    Zachary responded, "He probably drank too much juice."


    Sophia looked at the empty ss of juice near ''Benjamin''s'' seat and found his exnation reasonable.


    As they were in the midst of the conversation, Adam returned to the table with a sullen expression.