Ch. 2851..2860

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2851-"Oh, dear…" Simona exclaimed, noticing the slap mark on Sadie's face. "What happened to you? Did someone slap you? Why haven't you tended to yourself?"

Simona hated seeing someone else injured, and it was in her instinct to reach out and check Sadie's face. Sadie, however, was unaware of Simona's true identity and recoiled impatiently. "Don't touch me," Sadie snapped.

Sherman then stopped Simona and said, "You should head home and rest, Mom. Don't worry so much over this whole thing."

Upon learning of Simona's identity, Sadie's demeanor changed, and her eyes lit up. She greeted her amiably. "Hi there, Auntie. I'm glad I came here while you're still around. There are some things I wish to discuss with Sherman today."

Simona became curious. "And what might that be?" The sense of familiarity that Sadie seemed to show toward Sherman surprised her, as she had no idea her son had such a close acquaintance.

Meanwhile, Sherman felt uneasy with how casually Sadie addressed him by his name. Sadie, however, remained unfazed by Simona's questioning and instead smiled brightly. She tried to approach Simona and embrace her arm.

"You probably don't know me too well since Sherman isn't very close with my sister. I'm here as an intermediary to explain my sister's character to you, and I also want to express my concerns about their compatibility. Marriage is a significant decision, and it will be difficult for them to be happy if they aren't a good fit."

Sherman scoffed at Sadie's words.

"I'm afraid you don't know Rita as well as I do. You can't possibly think that I'm unaware of what's going on within your family? Your so-called discussion with my mother is unnecessary. Please leave my office, and refrain from entering the premises without authorization. And if that's not bad enough, causing a scene in the lobby is not at all conducive to our employees who are hard at work."

Sadie's expression soured. She released Simona and approached Sherman anxiously. "Sherman, please hear me out. Did you hear about all this from Rita?

She's only trying to make herself look good in front of you. You have no idea who she truly is! She'll do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, including manipulating you! Why else would she use that video to blackmail you?"

Then, Sadie continued, "This revelation should be more than enough for you to see her for who she really is! You won't be happy with her! I refuse to witness you trapped in a marriage! Don't ruin your life by marrying her!"

Simona sensed that something was amiss with Sadie after observing the exchange. She interjected disapprovingly, "Rita is your sister, and it is grossly inappropriate for you to speak ill of her behind her back, especially to your future brother-in-law. If I were you, I'd leave the office right now and pretend none of this happened."

Sherman glanced at his mother in surprise. He had never heard her om speak with such gravity to another person before, so it seemed quite clear that she was repulsed by Sadie's actions.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2852-"You know I only have your son's best interests at heart! How can you say something like that to me?" Sadie erupted in anger and yelled at Simona.

Even Sherman was taken aback by the scene. He shielded his mother and said, "I warned you not to cause a scene here. If you have a problem, you can take them up with your family," Sherman then swiftly called his secretary through the intercom. "Lucy"

Sadie, however, continued her tirade. "I'm doing this for your own good! Why can't you understand that? Why are you so fixated on Rita? She must've put a spell on you or something! She's only pretending to be nice for the sake of getting closer to you! You were supposed to be a cautious man, but you still

ended up falling for her trap! Can't you see the truth? What do you even see in her?"

Sadie remained immersed in her self-righteous feelings of love. In her eyes, Sherman was a pitiful man blinded by love, and the object of his affection was none other than that wretched Rita. Lucy, as Sherman's long-time secretary, acted swiftly and brought two security guards with her. With two burly men controlling her, Sadie's outburst was swiftly quelled, and she was unable to move.

She could not believe that Sherman would resort to such measures against her.

"Don't you even have the slightest feelings about me? I genuinely like you, but you had me put in this situation! I'm the one who truly cares for you. Why can't you see that?"

Sadie continued shouting as she was dragged out of the office, her voice echoing even after the door closed.

Once Lucy had closed the door, Sherman met his mother's disapproving gaze.

"I never knew my son had so many admirers," Simona remarked.

Sherman then said embarrassedly, "I don't think 'admirer' is the right term to describe her. I have no connection with her whatsoever. I don't know why she showed up at my office and spoke to me like she and I were close. It was unsettling."

Simona sighed. Had Sadie not thrown a fit, she would have been a little more tactful with the situation instead of just letting the security guards remove her by force. Such an act was somewhat disrespectful to Sadie.

"Are you sure it's fine to just let her be dragged out like that? She seemed to be in a bad frame of mind," Simona inquired.

Sherman assured, "I'm not going to just have her thrown out to the street. She'll be escorted back to the Russells That being said, she's not exactly a dignified member of the family she doesn't even bear the Russell surname. She changed it only after her mother married into the family, which means she doesn't have any blood ties with Rita."

Simona did not expect Rita to have that sort of background. "That explains why she was constantly painting Rita in a negative light. Rita must've had a difficult life."

Sherman nodded. "That would seem so."

Simona followed up with a question.

'Do you take pity on Rita?"

However, the ever-rational Sherman avoided giving a direct answer.

should get back to work , and you should head home and rest. There's no need to ask me those questions I've made up my mind. Let

a and the others know that IP be preparing for the wedding."

Elsewhere, at the Russells' residence, Rita stormed straight to her father's study upon returning home.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2853-Rita pushed open the door to Vince's study. A loud bang was heard, but he remained seated at his desk and barely even looked up at her. "You're old enough to know what proper manners are. What happened to the courtesy of knocking on the door before coming in?" Vince chided.

Rita approached her father and slammed her hands on his desk as she confronted him. "What are you trying to achieve, Dad? I already explained that Sherman saved me, and he's already given you his explanation as well. Why are you threatening him with that video when nothing is going on between us?"

"If that's true, then my threats wouldn't have held any weight," Vince countered.

"You're too naive. You see him through rose-colored glasses, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still a man. I understand men better than you do."

Rita felt a pang of disgust at her father's words. "I may not understand men, but I understand my friend. He's not that kind of person at all, and I won't just stand by while my father resorts to such despicable tactics. Just stop this, Dad. It's humiliating enough as it is, and I don't want it to escalate any further," Rita pleaded with her father.

Unfortunately, Vince had made up his mind. He had involved Sherman's parents in the matter, and backing down was no longer an option, especially with his unborn son's future at stake.

"That's enough. I know what I'm doing," Vince said. "You just need to sit tight and wait until the day you get married: You can go out and choose a wedding dress if you want, or you can just stay home. You don't need to go to work anymore. Either way, you're not losing out + can see you like him, so what I'm doing is essentially fulfilling your wish."

Rita would have laughed at his incredulity had the situation not been that tense.

She felt as though Vince viewed her love life like a commodity.

"That's not helping at all. You're only going to cut off any possibility of a relationship between us. I like him, and I wanted to take things slowly by getting to know him as a friend first. Only then will I consider any possibility of taking things to the next step. You've ruined my chances now. Do you know what he said to me? He thinks that I conspired with you to set him up! Your actions drove a wedge between us! Is that your idea of helping me?"

"I don't care. You just need to marry the Parrs!" Vince slammed his hand on the table. Rita was becoming increasingly bold, and she did not seem to take him seriously at all.

No." Rita declared firmly and stood up. "I'd rather remain single than let C my father use such a despicable taetic to force someone that I love into marrying me."

'What's the matter with you? Do you know what people are saying about us after that incident? They're saying that I let my daughter's reputation be tarnished just because I wanted to save a few bucks! It's humiliating for me! Marrying Sherman as soon as possible is the only way to put an end to these rumors. Otherwise, no one will be willing to marry you if the gossip gets out of hand."

Rita was speechless. "Must I get married? I can always be single m forever, right?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2854-"Don't you know that those are all just baseless rumors spread by other people?

I simply want the people I care about to see me for who I am. Why do you place so much importance on the opinions of those who barely know you? Why do you act like they're such a significant part of your life? You've always been too concerned with keeping up appearances."

"This isn't just about keeping up appearances. I'm worried about you! Like it or not, I've already reached out to his family, and they've already agreed to the marriage. All you have to do is wait. You should know that I've gone through a lot of trouble to get to this point. You don't have a choice right now. Besides, you should also consider whether Sherman would agree to you rejecting him."

"You're a manipulator, Dad! How could you stoop so low? This isn't the kind of thing a father should do. Do you genuinely care about my happiness and future, or are you more concerned about the Russells' future and the capital from the Parrs? If there are issues with the Russells, I'm more than willing to help with the investment. But I won't accept having to go through this sort of method, and I refuse to be used as a bargaining chip! I'm your daughter, for goodness' sake!"

Vince's expression soured. "I didn't raise you all these years just to have you talk back to me. Just accept what I've arranged for you. I don't need you to use your influence to attract investment for me, especially when you've been overestimating your abilities."

Rita looked at Vince in anguish. "You've become a stranger in my eyes."

"I feel the same way looking at your irrational behavior. I raised you for all your life, but it feels to me as if I've raised another person's daughter. I planned things out perfectly for you, but you seem to think that I've betrayed you. It's incredibly disappointing."

Regardless of Rita's protests or attempts to reason with him, Vince remained resolute about having her marry Sherman, which Rita had resigned herself to.

Knowing that she would no longer be able to convince her father, she decided to approach it from a different angle. If she could obtain the original data from that video Vince's threats would not matter to Sherman at all. That was the only way for them to resolve only that matter and put an end to the farce.

After making that decision, Rita left the study quietly.

Vince felt a sense of relief when she left, as he had expected her to put up more of a fight. He was a little surprised that she would acquiesce so easily, but he attributed her decision to compromise as being ou of affection for Sherman.

In any case, it would be wise for him to remain vigilant. Rita had become more unpredictable in her two years as a reporter, and he could not discount the possibility that she net might act on an impulse. He needed to make sure that nothing happened techer, at least until she was officially married to Sherman.

As Sadie was being escorted back by a burly man, she happened to run into Rita who emerged from Vinge's study in a state of distress. Karen rushed to Sadie's side after witnessing the scene, but before she could check on Sadie's well-being, Sadie broke free from her and went up to scold Rita.

"You hoe! You'll stop at nothing to achieve your goals. You have some nerve to continue this entire charade in front of Sherman. Do you think he's blind to your true nature? Why are you dropping the act right now?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2855-"He doesn't have any feelings for you. I've just confirmed it! This is all just a facade for him to deal with his family. Once he obtains the evidence he needs, he'll file for a divorce. I hate to break it to you, but there's no hope for you in this situation. You and I are both women, so I know very well how you feel about him."

Rita did not know where Sadie had just come back from, but hearing her assert that there was no future between her and Sherman made her feel deeply wounded. Still, she continued to maintain her composure.

"Is that so? If there is no future between him and me, does that mean there is one for you and him? You seem to have it all figured out, but do you truly see

yourself as a part of your family? Listen up, Sadie Parr. If I'm not good enough for him, then you're even more unworthy of him."

Karen frowned and reprimanded Rita, "Why are you talking to your sister like that? We've been a family for many years, and there's no reason to make such hurtful comments. Your sister is simply stating the facts. You're being very rude to her."

Rita did not spare her either, "You should take care not to let your emotions affect your pregnancy. If something were to happen, well… I'm pretty sure you won't be standing here getting angry at me."

Karen covered her stomach instinctively and felt visibly shaken by Rita's gesture of pointing at her belly. Rita's expression seemed to hint that she would destroy Karen and the baby if she was enraged. As a result, Karen did not dare to retaliate.

"You might still consider yourself the Russells' daughter, but you can't even look at how miserable you are right now. Your name is like a bringer of bad luck. If I were you, I'd just hang myself off a roof," Sadie shot back.

"Even if she's facing a miserable life, that doesn't change the fact that she is still my daughter. You have no right to criticize her, especially since your original surname isn't even Russell." Vince's sudden appearance startled Sadie into silence.

Karen, too, looked at him with a frown. She would not be able to defend Sadie after what happened.

"Teach your daughter some manners during your free time, Karen. I don't want her corrupting our son," Vince said.

His indifferent comment was more than enough to send Karen into a panic. The boy was not yet born, so that there was no need to mention Sadie would corrupt him with her bad attitude.

Therefore, his remarks could be construed as a warning that Sadie might find herself elsewhere in the future if she continued to disobey him. After all, Vince had bestowed the Russell name upon her out of pity.

He had endured mockery, even when people described him as a spineless man who took another woman as his wife and raised another man's child. It was a courtesy shown to Sadie that could be taken away from her should she fall out with him.

Rita cared little for their conversation because it did not concern her.

om Finding it pointless to stay on, she retired to her room and tried to figure out a plan to acquire the necessary footage.

She felt a sense of injustice, especially toward Sherman. He did not even give her the chance to explain himself and merely lumped him into the same category as her father. He even accused her of playing a long con, and she could not help but wonder if all the interactions they had together in the past were not enough to convince him of her trustworthiness.

Forget it. I shouldn't blame him when it was my father who committed all this. I'm sure he'll believe me once I have all the evidence in hand," Rita muttered to herself.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2856-Rita tried to console herself this way, but her tears just would not stop. Just the thought of Sherman looking at her with such indifference, as if she were something dirty, pained her deeply.

She never expected anything more than friendship with Sherman, but she never imagined that her father's actions would make any possibility between them impossible. Even their friendship was forcibly stripped away, leaving Rita feeling bitter.

She could partly understand her father's intentions. The situation with the family business was dire, or he would not have impulsively threatened the Parr family with the videotape. Nonetheless, his actions were incredibly foolish. The entire Russell family could cease to exist if Sherman were to truly get angry.

At that moment, Rita was unaware that Vince did all that for the sake of his unborn son. She still naively believed that her father's actions were partly out of love for her and concern for her future.

Having just been discharged from the hospital, she needed to return home for a long period of recuperation. After a day of turmoil, she collapsed on her bed without even covering herself with a blanket and fell asleep.

Rita was awakened the next morning by the cold. Her face was still very pale when she went downstairs for breakfast.

Vince noticed and furrowed his brows. "What are you doing? Is it so difficult just to marry Sherman? Do you have to resort to using your own body to blackmail me?"

Rita quickly frowned. "What are you talking about?"

It was early in the morning, and he was already making her feel miserable. She just could not understand her father.

Karen smiled, trying to mediate.

"Rita just got out of the hospital, so it's normal for her to look a bit off. But why are you so irritable early in the morning? Look at how serious you are. You're scaring Rita. Come sit next to me, Rita. Have some breakfast. Donna woke up early to make your favorite crab croissant for you."

Surprisingly, Rita sat nonchalantly beside Karen, ignoring the disdainful look from Sadie sitting opposite her She picked up a croissant and put it on her plate, then even looked up and smiled at Karen. "Thank you, Karen."

Karen immediately got goosebumps. Could Rita really have gone crazy? Why else could her temperament change so drastically?

Watching the family gather happily, Vince finally smiled. This was the life he wanted.

"Alright, let's not dwell on yesterday's events. I don't want to see the same thing happening again. It's much better for us to be happy and harmonious from now on," Vince said.

Karen nodded. "Yes, we're all family. Sometimes, conflicts are inevitable, but it's fine as long as misunderstandings are cleared up."

"She's right. It's normal for some conflicts to arise among family members. As long as we talk it out it's fine. Alright, dig in before the food gets cold. After eating, you should take a walk in the garden to soak up some sun and relax."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2857-"The reason you're so weak right now is because you've been running around too much outside. You might as well take this time at home to rest properly,"

Vince suggested. Rita nodded and quietly ate her breakfast.

Vince looked at her and felt that his daughter had grown up. Perhaps she could understand his intentions.

Little did he know that she was already planning to search the study for evidence once he was out of the house.

With only Vince having a job, the atmosphere at the table changed completely once he left. Rita did not say a word but subtly moved her seat further away from Karen.

"Hey, weren't you sitting close to me? Why the sudden change?" Karen remarked.

Rita replied with a smile, "Oh, I'm afraid my negative energy might affect the baby in your belly."

She remembered Karen saying something similar when she initially tried to get close to her. Karen had said Rita brought back luck, and that supposedly caused her mother's death. Rita had kept that in mind for a long time.

Surprisingly, Karen nodded seriously. "Yes, it was pure luck I was able to conceive. It's better for you to stay away. After all, your father is hoping for a son from me! I'll give him what your mother couldn't!" Rita's hand holding a spoon paused in the air before she resumed eating as if nothing had happened. On the other hand, Donna could not contain her anger.

At this moment, Vince had gone to work.

The current household staff had been working there since Rita's mother was alive. Donna was about to serve pudding to Rita when she coincidentally overheard Karen's derogatory remarks about Rita. Unable to contain her anger, Donna slammed the pudding onto the table. "Ma'am, aren't you being a little too harsh? Is this how you should speak to Miss Rita?"

"Oh, calm down. Who do you think you are? How dare a servant like you shout at me? Have you forgotten who's in charge here?" Karen retorted.

Donna chuckled softly. "I may not know who's in charge, but it certainly isn't you. This household bears the Russell surname, and at the very least, Mister Vince is in charge. So you have no right to speak like that to Miss Rita! I wonder what Mister I Vince would say once he finds out you've been belittling his late wife."

Knowing Vince's penchant for putting on a loving facade, trouble would surely stir up if he were to hear what Karen had said about Rita's mother.

"You despicable creature, how dare you threaten me? Do you really think you're someone important?" Karen shot back.

Karen, pregnant with Vince's son, thought she was invincible. Thus, even though her baby bump was still not showing, she straightened up arrogantly.

Even Sadie frowned in disdain at Donna. 'Who does this servant think she is?

How dare she talk back to Mom? How laughable!' "You're right, I'm not someone important in this family. But don't think you are too, just because you're pregnant with Mister Vince's baby!

You should really watch what you're saying . At the very least , you shouldn't have spoken like that to Miss Rita. After all, she's Mister Vince's only child right now. Ma'am, I suggest you take care of yourself and the baby in your baby. You can show off all you want once the baby is born!" Donna retorted.

Gasp! What a filthy mouth you have.

Are you cursing my mother? I warn you: my father really values the baby in my mother's belly now. None of you will get away with it if anything were to happen to the baby!" shouted Sadie.

Karen took a couple of deep breaths, realizing her precious condition made her above these lowly people . Why bother getting angry with them?

Miss Rita, the food has gone cold.

Let me reheat it for you."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2858-"The weather's perfect today. How about I set up a small table in the garden for you to enjoy the sun while having some snacks?" Donna suggested.

Donna took a deep breath. She knew that standing up for Rita did not amount to much; it was just a momentary satisfaction. After all, Rita had been through such situations countless times over the years. It was better to get Rita away from Karen and Sadie, so that her appetite would not be ruined at the sight of them.

Rita smiled and said, "Sure, please reheat it for me. I'll head out to the garden in a bit."

She patted Donna's arm and turned to Karen. "Karen, have you told my dad about your relationship with Esmond?"

Karen tensed up as soon as Esmond's name was mentioned; she no longer displayed the relaxed demeanor she had before.

"What are you talking about? I don't even know that person. Since we're strangers, why would I bring him up in front of your father? Your father is busy now. As his daughter, you should be more considerate. Why do you always bring up unrelated people to trouble him?" Karen responded sharply.

"Oh?" Rita raised an eyebrow. "If he's truly unrelated, then fine. But he's your ex-husband, isn't he? Isn't that relevant?"

Rita then glanced at Sadie, only to find her frozen in place.

'Does this Esmond have anything to do with me? No, it can't be,' thought Sadie, instinctively denying it. However, as soon as she made eye contact with Karen, she knew the truth.

Before Karen could respond, Sadie blew up in anger. She stood up abruptly, pushed her bowl away, and even threw her spoon on the ground. "What's the point of bringing up people from the past?

He's already an ex-husband, so why does Mom need to tell Dad about it? Are you intentionally trying to upset Dad?"

"No, I don't want to upset Dad, but if someone insists on upsetting me, then don't blame me for being ruthless. Besides, Esmond is your biological father, Sadie. Do you think just because you've carried the Russell surname for so long you can cut ties with the past so easily? Tsk, tsk. I wonder how shocked the others would be if they were to find out you have such a father like Esmond?"

said Rita.

Sadie clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

Seeing this, Karen reached out to grab Sadie's hand in concern, but Sadie shook it off violently. Karen's hand hit the table edge hard, startling even Rita.

"What are you doing? Have you gone mad?" Karen asked, rubbing her hand, visibly in pain.

Karen finally realized how impulsive her daughter was becoming. Every time the past was mentioned, she would explode like a firecracker . Rita , on the other hand, remained calm, even when her mother was being insulted to her face.

I'm asking you have you been in contact with that man again? I've told you to cut ties with him completely.

Are you out of your mind? Why would you contact him again? Don't you remember how much he made us suffer ?! " Sadie demanded.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2859-"I lived with you in that rundown alley until I was eight years old. Even now, I still feel nauseated thinking about the smell of that filthy drain. If you've forgotten, I haven't. If you want to reminisce about the past, go ahead, but don't drag me with you!" exclaimed Sadie.

Karen, forgetting her pregnancy for a moment, stood up and rushed to Sadie, attempting to cover her mouth. "Have you gone mad? Watch your words. When have I ever met up with him? Rita was just asking; she didn't mean anything by it. I haven't had any contact with him for years. Considering how he treated me and you back then, why would I even want to contact him?"

Rita watched the drama unfold, realizing Esmond's influence was more significant than she thought. After all, just mentioning his name caused Karen

and Sadie to fight among themselves!

It seemed Sadie indeed cared a lot about the past, holding onto resentment even after so many years. It was understandable, though. For someone as vain as her, one's background was crucial.

Sadie once again shook off Karen's hand. "Why should I be careful with what I'm saying? I'll say it straight today: I'll sever all ties with you if you dare to contact Esmond again. My surname is Russell, not Parr. Remember that!"

After dropping these firm words, Sadie turned and left.

Karen sank into her chair, visibly upset.

"Karen, are you okay? You need to take care of yourself, especially since the baby is still growing. It would be troublesome if anything were to happen to the baby. Both you and Dad are looking forward to this baby, so you should take extra care of yourself!" said Rita.

Karen cast Rita a resentful glance. "Since when do you care so much about me? bet you're secretly wishing for something bad to happen to the baby.

Unfortunately for you, I've always been in good health, and I'll take good care of this baby. Just wait and see, this family will soon belong to the baby!"

Rita did not even dignify her with a response. As Donna finished tidying up the outdoor table, Rita moved there.

The Russell family was not originally just hers, and she never wanted to compete with anyone. It was not because she did not want to but because she simply did not deign to. However, if someone insisted on forcibly taking something from her, that was another matter entirely.

Karen had always been wary of Rita, afraid that she would swallow up the entire family fortune or that her father would give it all to her. Needless to say, she never once considered that only Rita had the right to inherit the family fortune since she was Vince's bio ne daughter.

'Huh! Does Karen really think Sadie and the unborn baby are worthy contenders?' thought Rita.

However, she truly did not wish ill upon the baby in Karen's belly Regardless of the conflicts between the adults, the baby was innocent.

After setting down the snacks, Donna did not immediately leave. Instead, she looked at Rita with concem You've been through a lot over the years. Since your mother left, you've had to endure all of Karen and Sadie's mistreatment. It must've been very hard on you, hasn't it?"

Rita smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm all grown up, so I can fight back and protect myself now You, on the other hand, don't need to stand up for me anymore. There'll be times when I'm not home, and I won't be able to save you if they decide to take it out on you."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2860-Donna chuckled indifferently. "You're not here often anyway, so it doesn't really matter if I stay or not. If she wants to find faults with us to kick me out, so be it.

You know I won't have trouble finding another place to go. Besides, I've been around your mother and you for so long that I just can't stand Karen. I've been thinking about leaving for a while now. If it weren't for you occasionally coming back home… Sigh…"

Rita knew that Donna had followed her late mother into the Russell family and that the two of them were more like sisters than anything. That was why Donna had always been loving and caring toward Rita. In fact, Donna and the household staff who had watched Rita grow up would have left a long time ago if Rita was not there.

'I bet Karen probably wishes the staff would all leave so she could replace them with her own people,' thought Rita.

"Donna, would you be willing to stay here a little longer for my sake?" Rita placed her hand on Donna's. Donna, in turn, held onto her hand and squeezed.

"You've lost weight again. I'm going to fatten you up while you're here. If you're here, then I'll stay. But why are you asking?"

Rita gazed into the distance as she responded, "I need some evidence for something, and I was hoping that if you stay, you could help me look for it," Rita explained.

'What evidence could possibly be found in the family mansion?' thought Donna with surprise. Out loud, she said, "If that's the case, I'll stay and help you."

Rita smiled. "I know you care for me, Donna."

"You've always been a sweetheart since you were little. It's just that, even though you love my cooking, you never seem to gain any weight," Donna said, gently patting Rita's head.

Rita had never been able to gain weight ever since her mother had passed away. No one could tell that she used to be a chubby girl when she was young.

Donna attributed this to Rita not having her mother by her side, making her seem weaker than others. However, that was Donna's perspective. In fact, Rita felt that her health had improved significantly in the past few years, especially after becoming a reporter, on account of her having to be outside all the time.

"Alright, I won't disturb your meal anymore with my chatter. The food will get cold soon. You should eat something. It's almost noon, and I'll cook your favorite food for lunch later," said Donna.

Rita smiled and nodded. She did not even need to tell Donna what her favorite food was since Donna knew it very well. The food Donna prepared was sure to be Rita's favorite.

After Donna left and Karen was not at the dining table, Rita cautiously went upstairs. She wanted to go into Vince's study and take a look around.

Vince had never imagined that his daughter would go this far for Sherman. When he saw his daughter sneaking around from the

surveillance footage on his phone, he could not help but laugh in disbelief.

'What a 'good' daughter she is. I put down my pride for her and went to force Sherman to marry her, and this is how she depays me? My own daughter betraying me in my own home!" Rita was determined not to marry Sherman, even though she liked him.

Vince could not understand what was going on in his daughter's mind .