Chapter 9

The young man laughed, saying, "The car you called for must be the one behind." "I'm sorry." Lisa felt terrible. She immediately unbuckled her seat belt and ran out in embarrassment. Upon entering the Honda, the young man knocked on the window and reminded her gently, "You forgot your suitcase." He opened the back door and placed the suitcase inside. The young man then waved and smiled. "I noted down the plate number. Remember to send me a message when you reach your destination." Lisa was taken aback but quickly realized the young man was concerned about her safety. He thought it might be risky for her to enter an unfamiliar car at night. The young man intended for the driver to hear his words. Lisa promptly pretended to know the young man and nodded. She replied, “Sure, you get home safe, too.” Her heart continued pounding as the car drove away. ‘Gosh! I’ve never met such a handsome, gentle, and considerate man. If only the pesky Leonard were like that.’ … Lisa did not know who that young man was. Soon after she left, the Maserati drove into the Parker family’s driveway. Leonard had just come out of the shower when he heard a knock on the door. He impatiently walked over and said, “You want to go again—” He abruptly stopped when he saw his friend standing at the door. Leonard punched his friend in the chest. “Lucas, why were you so quiet?” Lucas chuckled playfully. "Who did you think I was? You were speaking with such a nasty tone." Leonard ignored him, turned, and said, "Come in." "Is it okay to come in?" Lucas smirked. "I heard you’re married now, so my new ‘sister-in-law’ might be here." "Cut it out." Leonard furrowed his brows as soon as Lucas mentioned marriage. "I sent her to another room." "Don't be so cruel! You're newlyweds!" Lucas walked in and looked around. "This room feels so cold, unlike a married couple's room." "I’ll divorce her sooner or later.” Leonard grabbed a towel and wiped his wet hair. "Speaking of which, are you still hung up on Stephanie?" Lucas found a sofa, sat down, stretched his legs, and continued, "One is a renowned orchestra musician with talent and beauty, and the other is the unknown daughter of the Jones family. “The difference is quite significant. Any man would struggle with that." Leonard glanced at Lucas. "Has Stephanie been in touch with you lately?" "No." Lucas shook his head. "I heard your family asked Stephanie’s parents for her hand when they decided to marry you off, but Stephanie never showed up. Tsk, I guess she feared becoming a widow after marriage. I thought she loved you.” Leonard frowned coldly and said, "Forget it. It's over. People are selfish. It's normal for her to refuse." "You’re that understanding?" Lucas was surprised. "It seems like there's a chance you might get a divorce and then marry Stephanie. Would you?" "Cut it out." Leonard threw his wet towel on Lucas’s face. "Hahaha, I was just kidding. By the way, I encountered an amusing lady near your house," Lucas changed the subject, "She mistook me for a cab driver. She was sweet-looking and was carrying luggage at night. Someone living nearby must’ve kicked her out. How pitiful.” Thoughts of Lisa flickered in Leonard’s mind when Lucas said the words “sweet-looking.” ‘That woman has sharp teeth, and my arm is still hurting! Damn it!’ Lucas rambled, "If I had such a beautiful lady in my house, I’d never chase her out at night. It would break my heart." "If you feel so worried, go after her," Leonard said coldly. "It's fine. I jotted the cab's plate number. Nothing will happen to her." Lucas spoke confidently. Leonard was utterly speechless. ‘How can such a cold-hearted person like Lisa get along with someone like Lucas?’ … Lisa’s cab arrived at a community entrance near a university at 8 p.m., where Leslie was waiting. Leslie wore an apricot sweater, accentuating her slender figure. Unlike Lisa, Leslie's appearance was charming and bright, but her personality was gentler. "Leonard kicked you out, and the entire family turned a blind eye to it?” Leslie took her younger stepsister’s suitcase and continued expressing her frustration, "They begged you to marry into the family, and now they kick you out after he wakes up? “That's it? You're just an old shoe they used and discarded?” "They don't even know I'm gone. It's all right, don't be angry. Whatever happens, I hope Leonard will divorce me soon," Lisa replied, unperturbed. She had not seen Leslie in about two weeks, so she looked her up and down playfully before commenting, "It seems you've been doing well. Tsk tsk. Your face looks rosy." Leslie blushed and stared at Lisa in embarrassment. "Well, I guess so." After a pause, she asked, "Is my dad still angry?" Lisa nodded. "You took your documents and eloped with Christopher. Your dad has been in a foul mood." "I had no choice," Leslie sighed, "He only wanted me to marry into the Parker family to secure a dowry. It felt like falling into a money pit. As long as I have enough money, I only need to feel safe and secure with the person I love." Lisa knew how Sebastian was. He only saw Leslie and Leonard’s arranged marriage as a means to rise to the top using Leonard’s status. Therefore, he hoped Leslie would quickly marry Leonard, have a child, and secure the Jones family’s position. However, Sebastian did not expect his efforts to be in vain. He also had to constantly be on guard to prevent Leonard from discovering he had married off his stepdaughter instead of Leslie. At times, Sebastian looked like he could strangle Leslie. Lisa helplessly told Leslie, "It's one thing for you not to marry Leonard, but another for you to elope with Christopher. Not only will your father probably die of anger, but your mother might too.” “My mother said she wished she had never birthed me.” Leslie looked frustrated but soon smiled again. “Still, Chris is a good man. My father will come around and accept him soon.” Lisa nodded in agreement. Christopher was the youngest associate professor at her university, and his achievements were nothing short of remarkable. He had created a legend for himself. He was the best exchange student at Hoxford University and pursued a double doctorate abroad. He also had several of his research papers published in prestigious international journals. In addition, he even led a team to victory in a regional competition during his school days. Such a man seemed out of reach throughout the academy. Christopher was someone the students could only admire from afar. Lisa admired him greatly but felt sorry that he had become her brother-in-law.