Everyone looked at Paula's finger and saw droplets of blood oozing out.
In the past, Rose only cared about Kevin. She paid no attention to her daughter, for her mere existence
had disgusted her.
Rose wanted to make up for her mistakes, so she showered her daughter with love and took extra care
of her.
She kissed Paula's fingertip and smiled at her. "Paula, Sally didn't bully you. Didn't you ask her for the
flower? She gave it to you because you liked it. My poor baby's finger is bleeding. Mommy will put a
bandage and make the pain go away."
Anne sighed. Children of the same age had fights and conflicts. Moreover, Sally had been on her best
behavior; she didn't bully Paula.
No one saw the thorn on the flower. It was a mere accident.
"Mom, I don't like to play with Paula. I didn't bully her. She is blaming me for no reason!" Sally whined.
Everyone adored Sally at home. However, now they were at Paula's house. Sally had only fulfilled the
little girl's wish by giving her the flower, but her reaction hurt her.
Anne kneeled down and wiped the tears on Sally's face. "Sally, Paula is your cousin, and she is the
youngest one." She smiled. "That's very kind of you to give her the flower. You have done a good job,
honey. I'm proud of you.
She is still a little girl and doesn't understand people's intentions. That's why she has misunderstood
you, Sally. Being the elder cousin, you've got to be more generous and forgiving."
Sally frowned and looked at Paula. She was in her mother's arms, biting her bottom lip.
Sally looked away. She didn't like Paula and didn't want to play with her.
Both Anne and Rose were tired of dealing with kids. They were too young to listen to their parents.
"Rose, Paula's finger is still bleeding. Take her home and apply some ointment," Anne suggested.
Rose nodded and left with Paula in her arms.
Kevin and Mark exchanged glances, shaking their heads helplessly. Understanding children's behavior
was beyond their comprehension, so they didn't bother interfering in the problem.
Fathers were always fond of their daughters, and Kevin was no exception. He loved Sally; the tears in
her eyes broke his heart. Kevin swept his daughter in his arms and smiled. "Our little princess has
been wronged, huh? Play with me, okay?" He flicked her nose playfully.
Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. Kevin smiled at Anne and began to play with the
children.
Mark and Anne smiled at him in return and sat back in their chairs.
"Children at this age are the happiest. They don't have a care in the world." Mark took a sip of his juice
and watched them play.
Children enjoyed every moment of their day, oblivious to the fact that they were creating everlasting
memories.
Anne sighed and nodded. Just then, Rose walked out of the house with Paula in her arms.
Mark waved, gesturing for her to come over. He saw Paula's bloodshot eyes and smiled. "Naughty girl,
why are you crying?"
Paula pouted and buried her face in the crook of Mark's neck. Rose looked at Anne and rolled her
eyes. "Anne, poor Sally must be feeling bad. I will talk to Paula and ask her to apologize to her."
Everyone knew that Sally had been a loving cousin who gave her little sister the flower she had asked.
No one could blame her for Paula's wound.
It was sheer accident.
Anne smiled. "That's all right, Rose. Paula is hurt. She is already sad. Sally is older; she will
understand. Don't worry about it."
Rose turned her head to look at Kevin, who was playing with the children. A smile stretched across her
lips.
Children had pure hearts and led simple lives. Perhaps as adults, they shouldn't interfere too much and
change their perceptions.
As expected, after Mark's encouragement, Paula and Sally happily played together again, as if they
never fought with each other.
Everyone was happy to see that the kids had reconciled.
Anne and Kevin returned home with their kids that evening.
Selma was happy to see her grandchildren again. She headed straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner,
ignoring Anne and Kevin.
However, her attitude didn't bother them, for they were accustomed to it by now.
With her three precious grandchildren home, Selma wouldn't bat an eyelid at them.
Kevin had been disappointed in his mother at first. He even asked her if she cared for him. However,
Selma's answer seemed to shut him up forever. She told him that she had wanted her son only to have
grandchildren. Now that she was blessed with three adorable grandchildren, there was no reason for
her to pamper him anymore.
Kevin had been upset about his mother's behavior for a long time. However, Anne found it funny and
couldn't stop laughing for days.
Selma devoted all her time taking care of her grandchildren. Although Kevin missed the attention, as a
father, he was happy that his mother adored his children.
He couldn't compete with little ones to get Selma's love.
That night, Anne sat at her desk and skimmed through Cherry's photos. She began drawing rough
sketches of the outfits that might look good on her.
Although this wasn't the last chance to prove her talent, Anne didn't want to miss a golden opportunity
that could reverse all the damages.
She had been trying hard to get rid of the bad image about her that had etched in the minds of people.
If Anne proved her talent this time, everyone would change their opinion of her.
She put her heart and soul into designing the outfit for Cherry.
Opportunities seldom knocked on people's doors. Anne had to succeed in one stroke.
Kevin was in his room, looking at the stock statement of the company. An involuntary smile stretched
across his lips as he saw the graph scaling upward. The steady rise in the graph indicated the
company's profit -- they had been doing well so far.
After Kim's fiasco, most of the shareholders had withdrawn their investment. Only a few people who
trusted Kevin and the company chose to stay. However, Kevin was determined to make the situation to
his advantage and push the company to a higher peak.
Anne opened the door and walked in. "Kevin, I should meet Cherry. I can't draw inspiration by merely
looking at her photos and videos." She saw Kevin sitting on the bed and curled on his lap. The
helplessness seemed evident in her voice.
The worth and importance of this opportunity scared her witless. Anne couldn't afford to make any
mistakes. The possibility of failure terrified her. She didn't know where to begin and how to proceed
further.
Anne had designed about ten outfits in the last few days. But nothing seemed to impress her. They
lacked uniqueness that would make Cherry stand out from the crowd.
Being a designer, if Anne was not confident enough to prove herself, she would undoubtedly lose the
competition.
Kevin smiled and hugged her. "Don't worry, Anne. I'll arrange it tomorrow."
Anne nodded and let out a weary sigh. "I agree this is a good opportunity, but it is not the end of the
world. You only have two weeks to design the outfit. If you can't, then it's okay. We can't think of other
ways. Don't strain yourself like this," Kevin added.
Anne nodded in understanding. However, she was determined to put an end to the problem once and
for all. She had to show her true potential to the world.
Kevin looked at Anne and realized that she was lost in her train of thoughts. He shook his head,
knowing that she hadn't listened to him.
The next morning, Cherry arrived at Anne's office on time. She had intended to meet Anne, but seeing
her in person was different.
It brought memories of the past. Cherry's mouth became dry, and her cheeks flushed with
embarrassment.
She wanted to run out of the building as fast as she could. However, Kevin's offer stopped her. Cherry
forced herself to stay back in Anne's office.
She had dreamed of becoming a superstar and winning people's hearts.
Seizing the opportunity was the only way to accomplish her goals.
Anne pursed her lips and raked her eyes across Cherry's body, examining her every feature.
"Can you stand up?"
A frown lined Cherry's forehead, but she followed her orders.
Cherry was a popular star. Countless designers and experts worked hard to design her outfits. She
never listened to them before, rather gave them the orders. However, it was the other way round with
Anne. She had no choice but to listen to her.
Anne stood up and observed Cherry's physique and face.
Although the woman was cunning and had crooked ways of accomplishing her goals, Anne couldn't
help but admire her face. She had become more beautiful after the plastic surgery.
Cherry had a petite, oval face. Her big eyes and small lips made her look like an innocent girl.
Moreover, she pretended to be a pious woman in public.
Cherry had deliberately modified her age when she started her career. She was publicized as a girl of
twenty-three years old and could pull off the image of a sexy and virtuous woman at the same time.
This was perhaps the reason why people seemed surprised when she got involved in a scandal with
Kevin.
"Acting is a profession for young people. Only a few actors manage to rise in their careers and stay in
the limelight for a long time. Your age and mannerism have enabled you to create the image of a
virtuous woman. Even playing the role of a seductress has made you famous in the industry. With a
slight modification of the makeup and dressing, you will not only look pious but will also have the
majestic aura of a queen!" Anne remarked, studying her face intently.
Cherry had faith in Anne's talent. However, the woman's careful evaluation surprised her.
Anne was right. Cherry's features had become more distinct after the plastic surgery -- she looked
beautiful than ever. However, despite everything, she emanated an innocent aura. There was a hint of
childishness in her face that limited her to only playing virtuous roles.
Cherry's agent had advised her to stick to such roles for a few more years because she was still young.
However, her career might end if she continued doing the same roles.
Cherry hadn't tried deviating from her path. However, Anne's words ignited a spark of desire in her
heart.
For a moment, she wished to look like a noble queen.
"Well, you usually stick to clothes that make you look like a pure, conservative woman. However,
changing your style statement when you walk on the red carpet will captivate everyone's attention.
People would be surprised to see you like this." Describing Cherry's features gave Anne a clear picture
of what might look good on her.
Cherry's heart began to race in her chest.
If Anne really could package her and make her have the aura of a queen, her style would change. With
Kevin's help, she could bag powerful roles and win the viewer's hearts. People would be happy to
watch her experiment with new characters and accept her as a superstar.
"Anne, I am counting on you!" Cherry grabbed Anne's hand excitedly.
However, Anne frowned and shook her hand away. Cherry stepped back, smiling awkwardly.
"Don't worry. I'm not doing this just to help you, but to redeem myself as well. I will try my best to make
you dazzle during the event," Anne replied.
Cherry nodded gratefully. Anne took her measurements before letting her go.
After Cherry left, Anne slumped on the chair and looked at her picture. The mental image of the outfit
grew vivid. She immediately picked her pencil and drew a quick sketch.
Anne couldn't wait any longer.
She was determined to succeed this time.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda