Chapter 41 Another Gift

"Having a backup plan is always better," Jane advised, sharing her experience.

Tina sighed, "I'm so busy with work, where would I find the time for backup plans? It's a miracle I haven't been driven crazy by those useless people at the company."

I rested with an eye mask on, listening to their conversation as I gradually fell into a dream.

After the plane landed, we took a seaplane to the island. The scenery from above was breathtakingly beautiful.

"It's truly beautiful."

Finally, we arrived at the pre-booked overwater villa, overlooking the picturesque turquoise sea and blue sky. Yolanda immediately got excited and said, "I've made up my mind. Arthur and I will have our honeymoon here!"

"I self-proclaim myself as the diving queen!" Jane confidently stripped off her clothes and jumped into the private open-air pool wearing a bikini.

Tina and Yolanda also joined in the fun, not wanting to be left behind. The three of them played joyfully.

I lay on a lounge chair, playing with my phone. I hesitated for a moment when I saw Jason's $8,000 transfer, but I decided to accept it. Money wasn't an issue for me, but considering the pride of a young man, I couldn't refuse. It would be too tacky.

Jason sent a message with a smiling face emoji: Mrs. Harrison, I will return the rest to you as soon as possible.

I replied: No rush.

Speaking of which, Lauren also owed me $2,000, but Charlie abruptly ended her part-time job, so it would probably take a while for her to pay me back. I didn't mind.

"Rose, come down and play! We'll eat later!" Yolanda waved at me from the pool.

I got up, took off my coat, but instead of getting into the pool, I headed for the waterslide, smoothly gliding into the water. I swam freely, feeling much more refreshed.

Since graduating, the four of us hadn't had the chance to play together like this. It was mainly because I got married early and my capacity to love had occupied my brain, so I was repeatedly turning down the invitations from the other three.

I decided to make it up to myself and enjoy life to the fullest. As for the love and hate back in America, I put that aside for now.

Originally, it was a 4-day trip, but we had so much fun that we ended up going to Bali for a stroll. Jane expressed her desire to visit a Dutch town, so we immediately headed to the Netherlands. After experiencing the picturesque scenery of a fairytale town, we finally booked our return tickets, still yearning for more.

This spontaneous and unplanned adventure felt interesting to me. Half a month passed in a whirlwind of eating, drinking, and having fun. My complexion became noticeably tanned, and I looked quite healthy.

"Madam, you're back!" Elizabeth greeted me with joy.

"Elizabeth, gather the other housekeepers. I brought gifts for all of you," I said with a smile.

Elizabeth was taken aback by the favor and quickly went to gather the other housekeepers. I gave each of them a silk scarf and a bottle of perfume, with each gift priced at around $2,000.

"Thank you, madam!" They happily expressed their gratitude.

I smiled, excused myself, and went upstairs to take a shower and change into a fresh set of clothes. Then, I notified Tim to pick me up from Maple Villa as I had to make a trip to Chicago.

It takes a few hours to fly from New York to Chicago, and Tim diligently drove me to the airport while I rested in the back seat with my eyes closed.

As the car passed through the border area of New York, I called for a stop, saying, "Stop for a moment."

Not far away was Lauren's old neighborhood, where a group of people had gathered, loudly shouting and holding banners that read "Protesting Against Unscrupulous Merchants" and "No Demolition."

I calculated the time in my mind. In my previous life, Charlie's redevelopment and demolition of the chemical factory happened about six months into his pursuit of Lauren.

Sure enough, after being reborn, some events' timelines have also changed.

I looked at the chemical factory gates in the distance. Opening that gate would reveal the factory covering 80,000 square meters, which used to be famous in New York, providing employment for many workers and stimulating the economy in the vicinity, transforming the deserted area into a thriving urban-rural blend.

Apart from Charlie, no one dared to take over this place. I shifted my gaze and said, "Let's go."

The car continued on its journey, and by evening, I arrived at my in-laws' house.

"Rosalie? Why didn't you inform me that you were coming?" My mother-in-law, wearing reading glasses, was sitting and reading a book. She seemed surprised and appeared quite pleased when she saw me.

"I suddenly wanted to see you and dad. Is dad not back from work yet?" The maid took the gifts I brought, but I chose to carry the sapphire-blue box myself.

"He's not back yet. He has a social engagement, so he probably won't be back until late. Have you eaten? Wait a moment, I'll have someone prepare food." My mother-in-law got up and went to the kitchen.

I sat down on the sofa. The surrounding decorations had a retro style that my in-laws liked, exuding a refined and luxurious European atmosphere.

The maid poured me a cup of tea and respectfully said, "Madam, please enjoy your tea." I smiled at her and took a sip from the cup.

After a few minutes, my mother-in-law returned and asked, "Why didn't Charlie come with you?"

"I think he's busy. I've been traveling abroad for the past half month and having a great time with some friends. I forgot to contact Charlie," I replied with a smile.

"It's not that you forgot. It's that Charlie doesn't know how fortunate he is!" My mother-in-law's tone carried a hint of resentment when she mentioned her own son.

I also didn't understand why my in-laws, who were such kind-hearted people, ended up with a scoundrel like Charlie.

I didn't respond to my mother-in-law's comment. There was no need to speak ill of Charlie in front of her. Instead, I handed her the sapphire-blue box and said, "I found this while shopping overseas, mom. Take a look and see if you like it."

My mother-in-law opened the box, and her eyes immediately lit up. She picked up the jade pendant, the size of a walnut, carved from top-grade old pit ice jade. It depicted a Buddha, intricately and meticulously crafted, and it carried a hefty price tag.

She was an experienced jade collector, so she could tell the quality of the jade at a glance.

"Rosalie, is this jade pendant for me?" My mother-in-law's eyes brimmed with joy as she asked me.

"Yes, mom. When I saw this jade pendant, I thought you would like it, so I bought it for you. Isn't your birthday coming up soon? Consider it an early birthday gift from me." I earnestly and obediently sought to win over my mother-in-law's favor.

"Thank you for spending so much. Charlie knows I like jade and has never given me anything!" My mother-in-law sighed, seemingly a bit disappointed with her son's thoughtlessness.

When it was my dad's birthday, the gift Charlie gave was not less expensive than this jade pendant.

He was someone who weighed the pros and cons carefully. His own mother, whether he gave her a gift or not, would continue to support him as always. But it was different with his father-in-law. He knew my father could help him a lot, so it was important to maintain a good relationship on the surface.

Because of a jade pendant, my relationship with my mother-in-law became closer, and we chatted happily. We had never been alone together like this before, let alone having a conversation.