Chapter 1568 He Won't Hurt Her
The living room scene was giving off major family vibes.
After Arabella brought the tea, she didn't stick around to chat. She quickly found something else to do.
Laura leaned in and whispered, "But if you come home from work every day and help me with Maeve, Carl and Magnolia are gonna get suspicious. And so will Arabella."
"Don't sweat it. By the time you get back, Arabella will probably be on my side," Derek said, taking his time. Seeing Laura's shocked face, he added, "She lives in your building. If we keep this up, she'll figure it out eventually."
Laura didn't have a comeback.
Getting Arabella on Derek's side was definitely the best move, but it made Laura feel a bit weird. "Do you think Arabella will think I seduced you?"
"Laura," Derek cut her off, looking serious. "If our relationship goes public, there will be nasty rumors. People will talk about both of us. I don't care; I'm ready for it. Life is ours to live, so as long as we're happy, nothing else matters. But I'm worried about you."
He didn't spell it out, but Laura got the message. She cared too much about what others thought.
"It's okay," Derek said gently, "I know you don't love me enough right now. I'll keep loving you and wait. When your love for me is as strong as mine for you, you'll have the courage to move forward."
Laura felt a pang of guilt. "Derek, aren't you afraid I'll always be too scared to take that step, and we'll end up with nothing? It feels like I'm always taking from you."
"If you stop taking from me, then I, as your boyfriend, won't have any value," Derek stood up with a carefree smile. "Don't overthink it. Happiness is what matters. I'm really happy now. Even if we don't end up together, I won't regret it. At least I tried."
His eyes were clear and open-minded.
Laura suddenly realized she had way too many worries compared to him.
Thinking about the end before even starting was making this relationship feel restricted.
"Alright, I'm heading back. As for my parents, we'll put on a show tomorrow morning. I'll think of the lines and send them to you later. Just roll with it." Derek kissed Maeve on the cheek before leaving.
Laura sent a message to Cassie on Facebook: [I've decided to attend the training.]
Cassie: [Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you couldn't make up your mind.]
Laura: [I just talked with Derek. He supports me going, and he'll help with Maeve.]
Cassie: [Didn't see that coming. Are you sure?]
Laura: [He's really attentive. He's been great with Maeve, and I trust him.]
Cassie: [Derek must be something, making a divorced woman like you trust him so easily.]
Laura was taken aback. Logically, she should be wary of men after being hurt by love. But she found that while she didn't trust other men, she always trusted Derek without question. Maybe it was because he had never lied to her.
His only deception was out of care for her. He wouldn't hurt her.
This was something Laura deeply understood.
Cassie: [Alright, get ready. We're leaving in three days.]
Not long after, Derek sent over a script for their breakfast chat with Magnolia and Carl the next day.
Laura read it and replied: [I'm not an actress. What if Carl and Magnolia see through it?]
Derek: [I kept it simple. You have very few lines, and I'll be leading most of it. You got this.]
Laura: [Okay.]
Derek: [Isn't it said that women are natural actresses?]
Laura: [Who told you that? Never heard of it.]
Derek: [Practice well. If you don't, I'll just tell my parents tomorrow that I like you, and you want to go abroad for training, so I want to take care of the kid for you.]
Laura: [You win.]
She reluctantly picked up the script and practiced it a few times.
The next morning, during breakfast in the front hall, Laura shyly said to Magnolia and Carl, "Godfather, Godmother, here's the thing. Cassie helped our company secure two spots for training at the Mirage Beauty Emporium's medical beauty research center. It's for two months. I thought about it all night, and I really want to go. Mirage Beauty Emporium is..."
Before she could finish, Magnolia interrupted, surprised, "Is it the global top luxury brand Mirage Beauty Emporium?"
"Yes," Laura nodded, "I'm still young. If I want to advance as a formulator and help the company develop better products, I need to learn more. The research institute at Mirage Beauty Emporium gathers top scientists from around the world. Learning from them would be a huge benefit."
"It's indeed a rare opportunity," Magnolia nodded. She was a career-oriented woman with vision and had seen the world, so she naturally wouldn't stop Laura. "Since you've made up your mind, go ahead. Maeve can stay at the Presidential Palace, and Arabella will take good care of her."
Laura frowned with concern. "But I'm still a bit worried."
Laura paused, then suddenly smiled slyly and said to Derek, "Derek, you're quite free in the evenings now. If you have time, could you come back early to help me look after her?"
Derek quickly said, "Not really, but taking care of her for two months, forget it. I'm quite busy in the evenings too."
"What are you busy with?" Carl suddenly put down his fork, his face stern. "Don't think I don't know. The work you do at the grassroots level is trivial. You're freer than anyone after work. I think you just want to hang out."
A faint trace of annoyance flashed across Derek's face. "Dad."
"Alright, your dad is right," Magnolia said quickly, "Instead of playing outside, you should come back early to help Laura with the child. Don't you like Maeve a lot?"
"Exactly," Laura quickly agreed, "Practice more. Once you know how cute kids are, you might want to be a dad too."
Magnolia's heart was moved, as if reminded of something. "It's decided then. You'll come back early to take care of Maeve."
"Derek, thank you in advance," Laura said with a smile.
Derek looked aggrieved but could only lower his head and eat breakfast sullenly. His act was as convincing as it could be.
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