Ch. 1871..1880
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1871-At night, when Roxanne came back from the research institute, she was greeted by the sight of her three children pouting, especially Estella.
The little girl was scowling. “Mommy, you promised to take me to the design expo, but you didn't make time for me. Daddy was the one who brought me there in the end!”
“Essie, don't be mad. Mommy is really busy with her doctor and research institute work.”
“That's right, Essie. Why don't you let Mommy make it up to you next time?”
Both Archie and Benny tried to comfort Estella as they explained Roxanne's situation to her.
Roxanne felt guilty after listening to Estella. She crouched down to level with the little girl and apologized to her.
“It's my fault. I forgot about our promise, Essie. This is a serious mistake on my part, and I'm really sorry,” Roxanne said.
She reckoned that she had to set a good example for her children to follow by first apologizing when she made a mistake.
Estella was only throwing a minor tantrum and did not expect Roxanne to take her words so seriously. She shook her head and dashed into Roxanne's embrace.
“It's all right, Mommy. I forgive you, but could you let me know next time? I got up really early in the morning, changed my clothes, and went to your room to look for you, but you weren't there,” Estella mumbled indignantly.
Roxanne hurriedly nodded and kissed her little cheeks. “It's my fault. I will make sure to let you know next time. Okay, you may make two requests, and I promise I'll fulfill them this time.”
Estella told Roxanne that she needed time to think about it.
In the meantime, Lucian got down from the study upstairs and explained the reason their mother had to work overtime that day.
It turned out that she had to save a researcher's life. Archie, Benny, and Estella finally understood why their mother had to work all of a sudden.
Estella nodded and said, “Mommy, you're so great for saving lives. So, I just have one request. Let's go visit Aunt Madilyn. I haven't seen her in a while.”
“That's right, Mommy. What's Aunt Madilyn doing these days? Why doesn't she come by to play with us anymore? We miss her too,” Archie and Benny chimed in.
Roxanne and Lucian agreed and promised that they would go to Madilyn's house the next day.
Roxanne called Madilyn, who was overjoyed to hear that the children missed her. Looks like I didn't adore them for nothing.
Madilyn also said she missed the children.
After playing with the kids for a while, Roxanne went upstairs to take a bath.
All of a sudden, Elias and Sonya arrived at Lucian's place, and they asked where Roxanne was right after stepping into the living room and seeing Lucian.
“Mom, Dad, what happened? Why does it seem like you guys are in a rush?” Lucian asked. “Roxanne is in the shower. I'll ask her to come downstairs later.”
“Of course we're in a rush. Lucian, the geomancer has picked a lucky date today, but your dad and I just realized that despite us planning every single aspect of the wedding, we have forgotten about the most important people!” Sonya said with furrowed brows.
Lucian was stumped.
Elias regained his composure and lamented, “Have you forgotten as well? We're talking about Roxanne's parents! Our family owes her a lot, and we have to make things right this time. However, we don't know much about her family. How careless of us!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1872-Lucian was not ignorant. The fact that Roxanne had never mentioned her parents had not gone unnoticed by him.
With that in mind, he even asked Archie and Benny about their grandparents, but both had no impression of ever meeting them.
All that pointed to the fact that Roxanne was deliberately avoiding her family.
A thought flashed through his mind that reminded him of something from years ago. It seems like my first marriage with Roxanne directly resulted from her father and stepmother's greed for money.
“Dad, Mom, I need you guys to back off regarding this. There's more to Roxanne's family than meets the eye, and I don't think it is a must for them to show up at our wedding!” Lucian thought maybe Roxanne didn't have a deep relationship with her family. Hence, it wasn't a good idea to track down Roxanne's father and stepmother now.
Elias and Sonya immediately exchanged knowing glances with each other. They seemed to recall some matters from the past as realization struck them.
“Oh, yeah. I remember her father, Grant Jarvis, owned a medium-sized factory in Horington. He sold Roxanne to us when his factory ran into money trouble.” Elias nodded.
“Yes! Yes. I recalled that as well. I've met Roxanne's stepmother once. Her name is Winnie Chardon. She was in her forties then, dressed skimpily. I know she didn't like Roxanne.”
When Roxanne married Lucian, Winnie repeatedly tried to get on Sonya's good side. Nevertheless, she failed because Sonya was averse to Roxanne then, not treating her marriage to Lucian seriously. To her, the wedding was just a tool to bring luck so that Ethan Farwell, Lucian's grandfather, would have a speedy recovery.
“Now, both of you know why Roxanne doesn't talk to them anymore. I think she will be frustrated if we ask them to show up abruptly,” Lucian said sternly.
Sonya and Elias shivered. Luckily we did not accidentally make a mistake. If Roxanne had been here just now, she would have felt so uncomfortable because of the topic.
“Then, what should we do now? Should we really skip the part about informing Roxanne's parents? We don't know where they are now, though. It's unusual for Grant and Winnie not to show up when Roxanne returned to the country with great accomplishment,” Sonya questioned. She was just as confused as Lucian.
“I think I might have some information about their whereabouts. Grant is no longer in Horington because after Roxanne and Lucian divorced, many of Grant's creditors knew he had lost his guarantor, so they urged him to repay his loans. Due to his debt issue, he became an untrustworthy and dishonest judgment debtor. In the end, he ran away from Horington,” Elias explained, shedding light on the situation.
“With a dad like Grant and a stepmother like Winnie who cared only about money, there's really no need to invite them to the wedding. Why don't you ask for Roxanne's opinion? We're okay with her decision if that's what she wants.” Sonya spoke.
Elias nodded, agreeing with Sonya.
After that, Elias and Sonya chatted further on this matter before they left the mansion.
Roxanne came back downstairs after she got changed. She noticed Elias and Sonya were gone, so she asked, “Honey, were Dad and Mom here just now? I heard their voices. Where did they go?”
“Yeah. They showed up to inform us that they'd chosen a date for our wedding. It's going to happen soon!” Lucian looked thrilled.
“Really? Then... Let's do this.” Roxanne smiled happily.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1873-It was nine in the morning. The biggest flagship store under Flora Verba Group, founded by Roxanne, was about to open its doors on the first floor of Magnificent Mall, Horington, to hundreds of people queuing outside. The crowd was so massive that it blocked the other tenants' entrances on the same level.
As Flora Verba Group's flagship store neighbored a few overseas high-end brands, the staff in those shops looked on with jealousy and envy at Roxanne's shop's popularity. They couldn't help but think about the rumor they heard about Flora Verba Group wanting to open more franchises in Horington soon, with many wanting to switch jobs.
Meanwhile, Elektra arrived early at the flagship store to handle the massive crowd. She was currently in the storage room, counting the stocks. They could only produce four to five thousand sets of products, which wasn't enough to meet the crowd's demand.
And so, Elektra began to give orders for that day's task. Then, the dozens of staff smiled professionally, opening the doors and allowing the crowd to flood the store.
“Dear customers, please stay in line. We will give out numbers now. Please don't cut the queue or crowd around. Everyone is only allowed to get two sets. Anyone who manages to make a purchase, please don't queue up again. Please ensure your safety!”
“Dear customers, we've prepared chairs and snacks here. Please follow the rules. We hope you will have a great shopping experience today!”
“Dear customers, five hundred numbers will be given out on the first round. Then, the numbers will be repeated. A total of four thousand sets will be available for sale today and for the next seven days. So, please, do not congest the traffic!”
Despite the high marketability of the store, Elektra lacked the delight she had in the beginning.
Maybe this shop won't exist anymore in the third phase.
Elektra lamented the loss. With her keen business vision, this flagship store of Flora Verba Group was shaping up to be one big business that could be worth more than hundreds of billions. However, Elektra had no choice but to execute Christina's plan.
After the plan, the business would probably suffer even if I gained control of Flora Verba Group. The best option then would be to work with a publicity team. We should hire a competent publicity team at a high price.
That conclusion formed in Elektra's mind. She left the flagship store and headed toward the research institute. Half an hour later, she arrived at her destination. The woman put on an overjoyed expression before pushing open Roxanne's office door. “Roxanne! It's a sellout this time around. With a production capacity of one hundred thousand sets, I estimate those products will be sold out in seven days. No, less than that. Maybe around three to four days. Is it possible to increase the production capacity?”
In contrast to Elektra's radiant happiness, Roxanne was unruffled. She shook her head, rejecting Elektra's suggestion. “The factory is already working at full production capacity, and working through the night makes it easier for accidents to happen. So, we can only wait for the new factory to open up. That's my final decision in the second phase. Let's wait until the third phase to make any changes.”
Elektra's mood darkened, unhappiness rising within her. Roxanne's management skills were vastly different from hers. She could predict that even if they were to work together peacefully for the foreseeable future, they would get embroiled in a huge conflict at the end of the journey.
Elektra's mood darkened, unhappiness rising within her. Roxanne's management skills were vastly different from hers. She could predict that even if they were to work together peacefully for the foreseeable future, they would get embroiled in a huge conflict at the end of the journey.
Research and development are undeniably crucial to a business, but that doesn't mean managing an entire brand can be done at the technical level. I'm the one who was there for this brand every step of the way, from the brand launching press conference to the training of the staff at the flagship store.
Elektra gave a flustered smile, replying, “All right. I'll follow whatever you plan. I'll do my best at sales.”
Roxanne nodded. She put on her lab coat and walked into the laboratory, leaving Elektra behind.
Elektra was about to leave when she saw a red invitation card.
Whose wedding is this?
She picked it up. Then, Elektra was wholly stumped. It was Roxanne and Lucian's wedding invitation card, and the event was set twenty days later.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1874-Frostiness gradually appeared in Elektra's eyes. She cursed at her foolishness.
I can't even compare to Aubree. At least Aubree was once in an intimate relationship with Lucian, being his fiancee. What about me? I've been his childhood friend for so many years and hod many chances to make him mine, but I've lost all of them. I want to know what Lucian truly thinks of his feelings for Roxanne! Is it love? Or is it because she has improved so much in her capabilities? Roxanne was worthless six years ago, so she got abandoned by Lucian. But now, she owns a research institute, hospital, company, and Flora Verba Group. Does that mean Lucian's love for her was built on her improvement in becoming a successful person? Does that mean Lucian will look at me in a different light if I become a powerful woman and take over Flora Verba Group?
Elektra was overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions as different thoughts appeared in her mind.
Lucian took it upon himself to do everything when the wedding preparations began. He chose the venue, the outfits, and the band and even came up with the list of guests. Moreover, the man even suggested inviting celebrities to their wedding. After all, many top stars in the entertainment industry were part of Lucian's social circle.
Yet, Roxanne gave a firm no. She didn’t want their wedding to be headline-worthy news. If that happened, information about their three kids would be exposed to the public, causing them to be under public scrutiny.
With Lucian's full attention on the upcoming wedding, company- related matters became Jonathan and Cayden's responsibility. Jonathan was mainly tasked with the strategy part, while Cayden controlled the execution of their plan. Their current goal was to compete with Crawford Heights Group for the Alendor market.
Alendor was known for its plentiful resources of minerals. It was the raw material base for various non-ferrous metals. If one could get their hands on this place, they would enjoy greater power in developing these areas.
Since their last failure in the foreign trade market in Epea, Crawford Heights Group placed heavy investment this time. Their bidding price was higher than Farwell Group's every time. In an instant, Crawford Heights Group had the upper hand.
However, Jonathan didn't panic, for every time he reported these findings to Lucian, the latter would ask him to wait longer, and Jonathan believed in Lucian'sjudgment.
As expected, Crawford Heights Group ran into trouble one week later. Chaos broke out at the mineral production area that they bought at a high price, and a war ensued. What was troubling, though, was that the war ended peacefully within days. The newly- appointed leader overturned the original trade agreement, claiming it was invalid. In other words, Crawford Heights Group's investment had all gone to waste.
Over at Crawford Heights Group, Shawn swept the decorations on his table to the floor with his right hand in the CEO's office. These items dropped to the floor and shattered into pieces.
What followed soon after was Shawn's screams. “Trash! Useless!
Contact the project leaders now! I want their explanation. They've been living in Alendor for so long, so why didn't they consider these possible risks?”
Biting the bullet, Danny said with difficulty, “Mr. Crawford, I've contacted them already, but they won't pick up the phone, choosing to extend their resignation instead."
“What?” Shawn clenched his jaw angrily. He connected the dots soon. “Did these people pocket the company's money?”
Realization dawned on Shawn. No wonder the asking prices were sky-high. They were double the amount of those offered by Farwell Group. I fell into the trap because I wonted to get the resources. Now I know why Lucian competed with me for a period before suddenly giving up. Did he set me up?
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1875-Danny kept mum. Regardless, he knew the fault wasn't his to bear, for Shawn was the one who put these people in charge.
Shawn was so frustrated that he felt like he was on the verge of exploding. “It's all over. I'm done this time. Two billion in funding, all gone!”
Even though Shawn had been in the business for a long time, he was still an amateur compared to Lucian.
His family had only given him two billion to make something of himself. If he did not succeed, that would mean that Crawford Heights Group in Horington would be declared bankrupt. Besides that, Shawn had relatives from other branches of his family that he had to answer to. After all, the amount of money he got was no small sum.
Shawn had a dejected expression on his face, complaining, “D*mn you, Lucian. Why are you constantly setting me up? I was too foolish! Unexpected situations always impact overseas businesses.”
With that, he waved his hand, asking Danny to leave.
Not long after, Coralie knocked on the door. She walked into the office directly when Shawn didn't respond to her.
Coralie gestured for the secretary to clean up the trash on the floor when she noticed Shawn's dazed look.
After the secretary cleaned up the place and walked out, Coralie threw a report onto the table before Shawn. Her voice was calm as she announced, “You've spent every penny of the capital given to you. Following this, you will have trouble managing the staff and office costs. There are two choices left for you now. Either you continue with your current venture by getting financing from others, or you must take out a loan with the bank.”
Shawn lifted his head. He looked lost and puzzled. “Coralie, it's highly impossible for me to beat Lucian!”
“Is that so? Why are you so afraid of failure? Grandpa failed in his business, too, all these years ago. But then, he managed to build our empire in the north side of the country, so why are you so worked up over this? It's not like you've run out of time to make something of yourself.” Coraline's voice was calm. She didn't care whether Shawn was too unhappy to listen to her words as she continued, “I've looked into it. The mineral land that Lucian bagged was not ample in size, and it could be developed relatively quickly. At the same time, he also has connections with the group that caused chaos this time, which means that he had ensured the resources would stay in his hands in advance. Hence, I can conclude that our background check was not thorough enough.”
"Coralie, this is not the time to analyze this information. My plan has gone down the drain. I don't know how I should face the pressure of those people when I get home.” Shawn grabbed a handful of his hair, frustration written all over his face.
In response to Shawn's words, Coralie sneered coldly. Disappointment slowly showed up in her eyes.
“If you don't analyze the reason for your failure, the same thing will happen to you next time. Both of these mistakes you made resulted from you seeking instant benefits. If you had taken the time to observe Lucian's behavior, you would have understood why he was not as hasty as you thought. You would have concluded that he had set a trap, waiting for you to stumble in,” Coralie retorted curtly. Then, she told Shawn that she had made a summary report and that he should have a look.
He should let our family know why he failed, admit his mistakes, and accept his punishment accordingly to exhibit his true manliness.
Coralie walked out of the office with a smile, knowing that all of these were part of Lucian's plan and Jonathan was probably just the executioner. A gleeful feeling appeared within her as thoughts flashed across her mind. Jonathan may seem like an easygoing and honest person on the surface. But in actuality, his capabilities and determination are more substantial than anyone expected!
With that, her fondness for Jonathan grew. “Oh, he's dreamy and irresistible! I wonder when will he fall in love with me?” Coralie wondered out loud.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1876-Two days later, Crawford Heights Group declared bankruptcy.
The placement of thousands of employees was carried out in an orderly manner.
Coralie let Frieda handle the compensation plan for the employees and returned to the north with her brother.
She believed she could put in a good word or two for him if she went back with him so that he would not lose all his opportunities in the future.
Frieda and the finance department staff provided the employees with severance compensation with each person receiving an additional two months' salary.
The severance package invoked a sense of regret among the departing employees. They were all sorry to part ways with such a great company.
Despite having only worked for a month, they were given three months' salary. Crawford Heights Group had also explicitly stated in the employees' resignation report that they were let go due to the company's poor management and that it wouldn't affect their employment record.
That day, Frieda finally completed her task after working overtime.
She wanted to call Shawn to see how he was doing because she was worried about him but eventually gave up, as she knew she could not be of any help.
After taking a sidelong glance at the empty office with a complicated expression, she walked out of the building.
Before stepping out of the premises, she could not help turning around to take one last look.
Finally, she came to the realization that she was far less capable than Coralie, not to mention Roxanne.
After all, Roxanne's Flora Verba Group was thriving with a remarkable growth trajectory.
The company began with a start-up capital of around one or two billion but quickly surged to a market value of two hundred billion. The market value continued to climb even after the launch of their second phase of products.
On the other hand, Shawn's twenty-billion investment had yielded nothing in return.
After contemplating her failure for a brief moment, she turned around and was ready to hail a cab to take her back to her mansion.
Suddenly, she saw a familiar face from a distance.
It was her brother, Jonathan.
"Jonathan...” Frieda subconsciously called out.
Only then did she come to understand the meaning behind her brother's words.
Lucian was indeed a formidable opponent to be reckoned with, and the Queens were lucky to have Lucian as their ally.
Jonathan asked, "You want to come home with me? Shawn probably won't be coming back to Horington anytime soon.”
Frieda shook her head, declining his offer.
She was grateful that her brother neither held any grudges against her nor ridiculed her.
Nonetheless, there was no turning back for her now. She no longer had the right to return to the Queen family after the previous incident involving the medicinal herbs' price hike.
It would only put the Queens in an awkward position if she were to return.
Furthermore, Lucian might take it out on the Queens if she were to return to the family.
“Jonathan, everything seems clear to me now, and I've learned my lessons. You don't have to worry about me. I might go abroad to pursue my studies or start a small company from scratch. As for Shawn, I don't know if he really cares about me or if he was just using me. But I know what I did was wrong. Thank you, Jonathan!” Frieda took the opportunity to open up to her brother.
Recently, she had been reflecting on herself and all the horrible mistakes she had made.
She finally understood that everything Jonathan did was in the family's best interest.
After a few seconds of silence, Jonathan inclined his head in acknowledgment.
"Call us when you're free. Dad and Mom still care about you no matter what. You need to stop being willful. Lucian and Roxanne will not harm you as long as I'm around!” Jonathan promised. He then returned to his car and took out a bank card before handing it to his sister.
"Take this. There are about three to four million on this card. I'm surprised you could tolerate not having a car, considering you've been pampered since you were young.”
Frieda froze and did not know how to react at first. She instinctively wanted to reject his help but still reached out her hand to take the card.
“All right. Take good care of yourself. I'll be leaving now!” Jonathan got into his car after waving his sister goodbye.
Frieda's tears fell uncontrollably as she watched the car gradually drive away.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1877-"Yay! Daddy and Mommy are getting married!” Upon seeing a large stack of wedding invitations and Lucian and Roxanne’s beautiful wedding photos, the three little ones began to prance around in excitement.
The wedding was only ten days away, so Lucian had been extremely busy lately. He was constantly occupied with phone calls and WhatsApp messages and also received numerous congratulatory messages from guests, among which were those who hoped to receive an invitation to attend the ceremony.
After all, Lucian had provisionally limited the number of guests to five hundred for this once-in-a-lifetime wedding of his.
An unverified rumor circulating suggested that the admission standards for guests invited to the event were strictly limited to individuals from elite families.
Considering the limited number of available spots after including some relatives and friends, Lucian had to be highly selective in choosing additional guests.
"Daddy, Daddy. Is there anything we can help with?” Archie held the hands of his younger siblings and walked up to Lucian, hoping to do something for the wedding.
Lucian replied, “Yes, of course. There are plenty of tasks you can help with. Archie, go through the invitations and the guest list to cross-check them with the list I have here to see if we missed anyone. We must make sure all the guests who should be invited are included. Benny, take this list and calculate the total amount of the gift money. We plan to donate all the money to underprivileged children living in remote areas. Essie, since you're the more artistic one here, could you check if there are any areas where we can improve the wedding outfits, venue, and floral arrangements provided by the bridal agency?"
Upon receiving his orders, the three little children got to work right away.
Their help relieved Lucian of the numerous trivial matters involved in wedding planning.
Soon, Elias and Sonya arrived, giving Lucian a few more name lists and discussing more details about the wedding with him.
Meanwhile, in the research institute, Roxanne was also busy working in her office.
Just as Elektra predicted, the products of the second phase were sold out within three days.
The warehouse's inventory that was accumulated through great effort including the additional portion produced by the employees who worked overtime was all sold out. They even fell short by two days' worth of inventory.
With a post-tax cash flow of two hundred million, the entire company's financial situation had improved significantly.
However, Roxanne had no desire to keep the money in the company's account. Instead, she planned to use a significant portion of the funds to reward the research and development team and distribute the remaining amount to all the employees in the factory.
According to the agreement made with Elektra, Roxanne would forgo her annual salary, which amounted to tens of millions.
The current issue bothering Roxanne was the number of product units to be launched for the third phase.
Elektra was actively expanding the business on her end. There were already more than ten franchise stores in Horington alone, and they planned to establish a total of three hundred stores in major cities all across the country.
Roxanne was concerned that they might not have enough inventory to supply all the stores.
Linda knocked on the door and brought in a report. “Ms. Lane expressed a desire to upgrade the office building. Since the building that Crawford Heights Group had stopped renting still has a couple more years' lease, Ms. Lane was thinking of taking over the building as it fits our needs perfectly. Anyway, she had negotiated a great deal with the building owner.”
Roxanne froze for a few seconds before remembering Crawford Heights Group was the company established by Lucian's opponent. She was taken aback to learn that the company had declared bankruptcy despite being in business for only a month. Indeed, the road to entrepreneurship is perilous.
Elektra managed to take over the lease of the building at a sixty- percent discount. That showed how savvy she was when it came to business.
“No problem, Linda. Tell Ms. Lane that she doesn't need to report the company's operational matters to me in the future. I give her the right to manage it directly.”
Roxanne wanted to focus solely on product development, as she believed Elektra was far more competent in marketing than she was.
After going through the report Linda brought in, she exclaimed, “What? Three hundred thousand units? That's a lot!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1878-At the same time, the office building Crawford Heights Group had moved out of was left in a huge mess.
Given that the twenty-story building with a three-year lease was rented at a sixty percent discount, Elektra felt that it was a shame.
The reason was simple. Flora Verba Group might go the way of Crawford Heights Group in the not-too-distant future.
Just the thought alone filled her with sorrow.
After painstakingly building up Flora Verba Group's reputation and gaining the support of the authorities, Elektra was certain that it would grow into a conglomerate one day.
Unfortunately, she had to destroy it with her own hands.
It felt as if she was suffocating her own child to death.
Alas, she could only hope that the controversy would only affect Roxanne and try her best to mitigate the negative impact on the company.
When her phone rang, she saw that it was Christina on the line again, just as expected.
The latter had been calling every day to pressure Elektra, who had been dragging her feet with the excuse that the third phase of products had yet to be manufactured.
"I've learned that the second phase of products has sold out, so it's time for the third phase to begin. Make sure you're ready.”
Christina spoke in a tone entirely devoid of emotion.
Despite her resentment, Elektra had no choice but to reply, "I am. More than three hundred flagship stores have begun operations one by one. The third phase will definitely take the market by storm.”
"Haha, I'm glad to hear that. When the time comes, this issue will be too big for Lucian to deal with no matter how powerful he is.
This is so exciting!”
“I'm sure I'll get affected by it, too. Once I get my hands on the shares of Flora Verba Group, I'll definitely share them with you!”
Christina's hysterical laughter carried with it a sense of ruthlessness that disregarded any and all consequences, sending a chill down Elektra's spine.
Therefore, Elektra knew that even if Roxanne was crushed, she would barely benefit from it due to all the dirt Christina had on her.
As a result, she had to ingratiate herself with Christina by giving up her shares in Flora Verba Group.
“Sure. I'll gladly accept your kind offer. It will be our reward for taking down Roxanne. I don't need much, so two billion will do. Also, please help me look for my family.” The tension in Christina's voice eased as it took on a friendlier tone.
Even though it was a casual comment, Elektra derived a sense of security from it.
As Christina's parents are still in the country, I can use them to control her. Otherwise, she’ll betray me once she has achieved her goal.
"No problem. I'll help you search for your family. If there's anything else I can do for you, feel free to let me know.”
Upon ending their discussion, Elektra left the office building.
When she received a sudden call from Roxanne, her eyes narrowed in response.
"Elektra, why were you on the phone for such a long time? I needed to speak to you urgently!” said Roxanne anxiously. She had called Elektra many times but kept getting an engaged tone.
Elektra had assumed that it was a friend or relative trying to get the latest product through her. Little did she expect it to be Roxanne.
Feeling guilty, she replied, “I'm sorry. I was in a meeting with a business partner and missed your calls.”
"Don't worry about it. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you really need three hundred thousand pieces. I was thinking that two hundred thousand pieces should be enough. Otherwise, it will place tremendous pressure on the production lines. Another option would be to extend the deadline by ten days, as the one-month deadline is just too tight!”
Other than the speed of manufacturing, Roxanne was also concerned about her impending wedding.
No matter what, she had to take a few days off to prepare. If not, Lucian would give her an earful over it.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1879-“I really can't do that, Roxanne. All the foreign brands will be launching their new products during this period, too. If we don't increase our productivity, we will lose market share and waste all the effort we have put in. Also, we have opened many new affiliated stores. If we fail to distribute products to them, we will need to compensate them for reneging on the contract. On top of that, we have also started our online channels. The online merchants demand a certain amount of goods. Otherwise, they won't be bothered about helping us promote our product.”
The barrage of reasons Elektra peppered Roxanne with rendered the latter speechless.
In the end, she had no choice but to agree.
Fortunately, the factory had just expanded its operations by adding many new assembly lines.
From Roxanne's perspective, Elektra was a go-getter in the business world and was particularly talented in sales.
Never could she have imagined that Elektra was doing all this just to set her up.
After instructing Linda to distribute the prize money to the researchers, Roxanne headed to the hospital to visit the sick researcher so that she could hand the reward over in person.
When afternoon arrived, Madilyn invited her out to have coffee.
The moment both of them met, Madilyn began ranting as usual.
A few days ago, Lucian and Roxanne brought the three children over to Madilyn's place to visit her but inadvertently caused her a lot of trouble.
Lorraine, who was enamored of the children, kept pestering her daughter to get married soon.
Soon, the nagging became a habit. Every day, she would bring up the topic by praising the three kids, putting pressure on Madilyn.
However, other than buying Madilyn health supplements, Jonathan barely paid attention to the issue.
"Hahaha, he bought you health supplements?” Amused, Roxanne burst into hearty laughter.
Madilyn rolled her eyes in response before frowning. “I wasn't the one who brought this up, and I have no idea what's going on in his head. The body checkup he did last time clearly showed that his brain is working fine!”
Intrigued by the conversation, Roxanne urged Madilyn to continue.
In the end, Roxanne summarized, “I find Jonathan's reaction interesting. From his perspective, he probably just thinks you deserve the best. After all, those are the most expensive health supplements on the market! Hahaha...”
“Stop laughing!”
When Roxanne's laughter caught the attention of the other customers, Madilyn felt the urge to strangle her to death.
"All right, let's drop this topic and talk about something serious instead. How's Jonathan's gastric coming along?”
Roxanne stopped embarrassing her friend by changing the topic.
“As a doctor, you should know better than anyone else that gastric illness takes time to heal. That said, his condition has improved a lot and he no longer suffers from inflammation. Soon, he can stop taking my medication and recuperate by taking yours instead.”
Madilyn's tone calmed down all of a sudden.
Roxanne stole a glance at the look in her friend's eyes and realized the latter was seemingly hiding something.
Truth be told, Madilyn was worried about his depression more than his gastric.
I wonder if he's still suffering from insomnia and has been taking medicine without my knowledge.
"Oh, by the way, I have investigated Coralie's real identity. It turns out that she's Shawn's younger sister. Don't you think it's a strange coincidence that Jonathan's sister, Frieda, is in a relationship with Shawn?”
"What?”
Madilyn was stunned for a few seconds.
Coralie is Shawn's younger sister. In other words, she's the heiress of a rich family too!
In that very instant, the look in Madilyn's eyes turned grim.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1880-As both of them continued to chat, Roxanne gave Madilyn some encouragement upon sensing her lack of confidence.
Nevertheless, Madilyn responded with a wry smile before changing the topic to Roxanne's wedding.
In reality, Madilyn wasn't afraid of Coralie's family background but was instead wary of the latter's vibrant demeanor and the confidence she exuded that stemmed from her prominent identity.
Madilyn, comparatively, had to face life's cruel realities since young as an illegitimate child whose mother was abandoned by her father.
Furthermore, she could sense that Coralie's vigor was exactly what Jonathan needed to cure his depression.
Perhaps she's a lot more suited to him. That thought flashed through her mind unbidden.
Not wanting Roxanne to worry, Madilyn kept such thoughts to herself and focused on discussing the wedding preparations. She even told Roxanne that she would meticulously choose a wonderful gift for the latter.
When Roxanne asked her what it would be, she replied that she had yet to make a decision, eliciting an eye roll from the former.
It wasn't until darkness began to fall that both of them went their separate ways.
Upon returning to the mansion, Roxanne was greeted by the sight of everyone busying themselves in the living room.
As the star of the wedding, Roxanne felt embarrassed for not having to do much.
“Mommy, you had a long day. Here, have a glass of water!” The adorable and attentive Estella was always the first to welcome her mother home.
Archie and Benny were just as enthusiastic as they grabbed one of Roxanne's hands each, showering her with attention.
“What's going on? What do you want from me this time? Spit it out.”
The children's overwhelming affection naturally aroused her suspicions.
Lucian simply shook his head with a smile. “Nothing's going on. The children are just happy to see you, that's all. I showed them a photo album just now, and they all understood how much you have suffered over the years.”
“That's right, Roxanne. It must've been hard for you. While you were in Epea, you had to raise the two boys while studying medicine and developing your career at the same time! You have my respect for that. In the past, I was blind to not have noticed how exceptional you are!” Sonya chimed in, praising Roxanne with utmost sincerity.
Her demeanor was a huge contrast to how she used to treat Roxanne in the past, so much so that Roxanne began wondering if she really meant what she said.
At the same time, Elias nodded with a grin. He, too, felt that Sonya was exaggerating, making it sound like flattery.
“I see. Let me know if there's anything I can help with. It is my wedding after all. I can't just let all of you do the work.”
Even though having a wonderful family like that was every woman's dream, Roxanne still felt uneasy not doing anything. She felt the need to be useful as if that was the only way she could retain her current state of bliss.
However, Lucian shook his head with a thoughtful expression as his eyes suddenly veered toward Roxanne's belly.
“There's only one thing you can do now. The children are waiting for another brother and sister, while my parents want to experience raising a grandchild again. Essie was, after all, difficult to manage due to her illness. Plus, she resented them. Therefore...”
Realization quickly dawned upon Roxanne.
All of them are pampering me because they want me to give birth.
Nonetheless, she shared their sentiments.
It was just as her husband had said. Everyone in the family had their own regrets.
Their previous marriage of three years and the six years they spent raising the children were all unhappy times.