The Maybach disappeared in a cloud of dust. Heaton’s cold gaze was fixated on the diminishing figure in the rear-view mirror.
The little munchkin sitting next to him climbed onto his lap mischievously. Her tender and fair hands held her father. “Daddy, why can’t Monty join us for dinner?”
Heaton lowered his eyes. He caressed his daughter’s head with his big hands and patiently asked, “Jelly Bean, you really like Monty that much?”
“Yes!” The little munchkin blinked her dewy eyes and nodded her head furiously.
“You like her because she gave you candy?”
Even though the other ladies from the wealthy families that he had gone on a blind dates with brought Little Jelly Bean her favorite snacks, she did not seem to like them as much. She even cried because she did not want her father to get along with them.
How did Verian captivate Jelly Bean’s heart?
Little Jelly Bean shook her head. She made 

Hah, she was surely a bold one. There were tones of women who wanted to sleep with Heaton in North City. There were also countless women who wanted to be his mistress. However, Verian was the first who had the audacity to say that she wants to become Mrs. Fudd. 
Where did her confidence come from?
“It is true that I’m lacking a wife. However, there are many outstanding women who want to be my wife. What rights do you have to negotiate with me, let alone make a deal with me?”
Verian spoke up just when Heaton was about to hang up. “Seeing how you conducted an interview to look for a wife, it seems like your family is pressuring you to get married. I can accept a fake marriage. I would not bother you after the marriage.”
A fake marriage?
Expressionless, Heaton’s lips twitched slightly. ‘This woman is quite an interesting one.’
Verian tried to hold in her nervousness and spoke up again when she did not hear Heaton’s response. “If you marry another woman, she might be very clingy even though it’s just a fake marriage…”
“Are you that confident that you won’t be clingy?”
“Of course. To be honest, Mr. Fudd, I am a frigid woman. My heart died three years ago.”
Three years ago, she was the daughter of a wealthy family, but her life was turned upside down overnight. After experiencing a series of traumatic events such as losing her dignity being a surrogate, her father’s suicide, Jensen’s shameless betrayal, and receiving vicious threats by the Sheen mother and daughter she only had one thing in mind. It was to take revenge.
Heaton was still pondering over the word ‘frigid’. He said in his cold, magnetic voice, “You better be frigid.”
“So… Mr. Fudd…?”
“This is a serious matter, so give me two days to think about it.”
Verian heaved inaudibly. “Alright, I will wait for your reply, Mr. Fudd.”
…
Heaton hung up the phone. A tiny arm pushed open the study room’s door. 
“Daddy! Who were you talking to on the phone? Why are you not drawing with me?!”
Hugging her drawing that she had just completed, the little munchkin trotted into the study room with her short legs. Heaton lowered his body and carried his daughter. He looked at his daughter with doting eyes. “Let daddy take a look at Little Jelly Bean’s drawing.”
Heaton looked at the watercolor painting. It was drawn by Little Jelly Bean a few days ago. There was supposed to be only him and Little Jelly Bean in the drawing, but now there was an extra person. Frowning slightly, he asked, “Who is this?”
 
 
The little munchkin spoke with a small voice, “This is Monty. I secretly drew it during Monty’s art class because our teacher said that we have to draw ourselves and both our parents. So, I cannot leave out mummy. Daddy, will the other kids believe me if I tell them this is my mummy?”
The little munchkin pointed to Verian on the drawing with her fair fingers as she asked Heaton with innocence on her face.
Heaton was worried that he would upset his daughter. He lowered his head, kissed her forehead, and said, “Yes, they will.”
“Daddy, if Mummy is on Mars and needs a long time to come back, can Monty be my temporary mummy?”
Stunned, Heaton looked at the little munchkin amused as he muttered, “You might need to ask Monty about this.”
She grinned and squinted her eyes happily, “I will ask her tomorrow when I go to school!”
…
Guin grabbed Verian and kept asking questions as soon as she arrived at their house.
“Rainie, how was your interview today?”
Verian facepalmed herself when Guin brought up the topic. “Don’t even mention it. I entered the wrong venue and made a fool of myself.”
Guin sensed that she was not in a good mood. She realized that she was carrying a portrait of Grayson Mont. “Did you go back to the Mont Family’s villa this afternoon?”
Verian brought a wrung towel out from the bathroom.  She gently and carefully wiped the dusty portrait as she answered, “Yup, I met Queena Sheen and Jensen. They were moving.”
“What? You met them? Did they do anything to you?”
She shook her head and smiled unenergetically. “No. I was so naïve to let Queena Sheen and Wanelle Sheen push me around. I was even dumped by Jensen. I’ve already lost everything. There’s nothing left to be afraid of.”
“Queena Sheen and Wanelle Sheen are such pretentious bitches! That Jensen is also a scumbag! I’ll introduce my brother to you one day! He’s the most considerate guy in this world! You can stop thinking about that bastard Jensen!”
Verian stared at Guin. She bit her lips lightly as she thought of the deal with Heaton. ‘Will Guin think that I’m a bitch if she found out that I sold myself to save my father’s villa?’
‘Forget it. I’d better not tell her first in case she misunderstands me. After all, my deal with Heaton shouldn’t last long.’
…
She slept uneasily that night.
She woke up from her dream and was sweating profusely on the bed.
Three years had passed, but the nightmare still haunted her.
At times, she wondered who the man was, who was the child’s father, and what kind of person he was.
“Rainie, are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?”
Guin’s concerned voice could be heard from outside the room.
“Yes, I’m fine!”
She looked at the alarm clock beside her. It was 7.45 a.m., almost 8 a.m.
She lied back down in bed and put her arms over her forehead drenched in sweat. After calming down, she climbed out of bed.
Then, she washed up and had breakfast before heading out to the foreign language kindergarten.
She arrived at the kindergarten at 8.30 a.m. Little Jelly Bean, who was carrying her pink Peppa Pig backpack, shouted in her baby voice from afar, “Monty!”
Verian looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the little munchkin was running towards her. She dashed toward her so fast that she could not stop herself and collided into Verian’s legs.
“Monty, good morning!”
Wearing a faint smile on her face, Verian caressed the little munchkin’s messy short hair. “Morning, Jelly Bean.”
She held the kid’s hand and looked outside the kindergarten subconsciously. “Who sent you to school today, Jelly Bean?”
“It was daddy!”
Verian was startled as she thought of her deal with Heaton. She lowered her eyes and stared at Little Jelly Bean. Would Little Jelly Bean feel unhappy if she found out that Verian is going to be her stepmother?
Verian was unsure why she felt pity for the little munchkin when she learned about her family’s situation during their first meeting.
“Monty, I have something to show you.”
The little munchkin tugged on Verian’s hand as she was spacing out. Verian led her to sit on the stairs and took the backpack off her back.
Verian pursed her lips and chuckled, “What do you want to show me?”
The little munchkin opened the zipper on her bag and fished out a painting. “Monty, look at this! I drew you next to daddy! In that case, daddy won’t feel lonely anymore! Monty won’t feel lonely too!”

Verian heaved a sigh and sat down beside Little Jelly Bean. She looked at her and said, “Your name is Little Jelly Bean, am I right?”
The little munchkin frowned and glared at her. “Did the principal tell you my name?”
“You’re so cute and you have such a nice name. Why are you fighting with the other kids?”
Little Jelly Bean crossed her arms. “Hmphh! They all said that I’m a liar! Jelly Bean doesn’t lie! They don’t want to play with me; I don’t want to play with them too!”
The little munchkin turned her fair and tender face aside. Verian could not help but to laugh at the little girl trying to be arrogant. “I believe that Little Jelly Bean is not a liar, but it’s not right to hit other people, Jelly Bean.”
The little munchkin pouted her lips high and remained silent. Verian continued speaking in a soft tone, “I’m sure you can’t defeat all of them by yourself. Next time, tell me if they s

The Maybach disappeared in a cloud of dust. Heaton’s cold gaze was fixated on the diminishing figure in the rear-view mirror.
The little munchkin sitting next to him climbed onto his lap mischievously. Her tender and fair hands held her father. “Daddy, why can’t Monty join us for dinner?”
Heaton lowered his eyes. He caressed his daughter’s head with his big hands and patiently asked, “Jelly Bean, you really like Monty that much?”
“Yes!” The little munchkin blinked her dewy eyes and nodded her head furiously.
“You like her because she gave you candy?”
Even though the other ladies from the wealthy families that he had gone on a blind dates with brought Little Jelly Bean her favorite snacks, she did not seem to like them as much. She even cried because she did not want her father to get along with them.
How did Verian captivate Jelly Bean’s heart?
Little Jelly Bean shook her head. She made two circles with her fingers and placed them on her eyes. She stared at her father with sparkling ey

Chapter 10 Lacking Mrs. Fudd