Chapter 171 Negotiating With a Tiger
Lauren got what Kimberly meant and was pissed. She felt like she was being handed off.
Kimberly chatted with Ethan for a bit, then smiled at Lauren. "I'll go check on Matthew. You two eat, don't wait for me."
With that, Kimberly nodded at Ethan and left the table.
"Ethan, don't mind her. My mom means well, but she puts you in a tough spot," Lauren said, feeling bad.
Ethan got it. From now on, he'd let his actions do the talking and not push Lauren to choose.
"Don't worry. I know your mom well and understand," Ethan said with a simple smile, although he was actually pretty happy inside.
Lauren just focused on her food, feeling like Kimberly had made the dinner awkward.
After Ethan finished eating and left in a good mood, Lauren confronted Kimberly.
"Mom, you talked too much today. Why'd you say those things to Ethan? Aren't you embarrassed for me?" Lauren pouted.
Kimberly shrugged. "Lauren, even at my age, I can tell who cares about you. Ethan's been there for years. Haven't you felt anything? He's great and doesn't mind our background. Stay with him, and life won't be so hard."
"Mom, you know my situation. He deserves someone better." Lauren shot back. The real issue was she couldn't give her heart to him right now.
"Ethan doesn't mind, so why do you?" Kimberly asked.
"I know the White family won't accept this. A marriage without family support won't be happy. I don't want to go through that again. Right now, I just want to make money to support Matthew and you, so please give that idea up," Lauren said firmly.
Marriage isn't something one can pick up and toss away when he is tired of it.
Matthew's tears cut Kimberly off. She rushed to soothe him and stopped pushing Lauren.
With Kimberly taking care of Matthew, Lauren had time to work on her designs. Since Ethan got her this job, she'd bought a ton of books and studied top home designers.
She felt both amazed and excited. If she could make a name in home design, her life would have meaning.
This design gig was huge. It was her first job since having a kid and marked the start of her new life, so she had to nail it.
As night fell, Lauren played with Matthew for a bit, then got back to her design work.
She didn't notice someone across the building watching her with binoculars, occasionally snapping photos.
Sophia and Sarah met in a bar's private room.
"Miss Hall, you talked about working together. I've taken so many photos, but you haven't done anything. I'm starting to doubt if you're serious about this," Sarah said, eyeing Sophia suspiciously.
Sophia flashed a charming smile. "I'm not lying to you. Teaming up with me benefits you. You've got nothing to lose. I haven't acted yet because I need solid proof. Be patient. These photos won't prove Lauren and Quentin are divorced."
Sarah sneered, hoping Sophia was being honest. She didn't want to be used as a pawn.
"You're hurting Quentin by doing this. I don't get why," Sarah said, clearly distrustful.
Sophia smiled gently. "Don't you want to be with Ethan? I just want to make sure Lauren can't go back to Quentin. Our goals don't clash!"
Sophia had a point. Sarah wanted Lauren out of the picture and had already made some progress. But lately, she'd seen Ethan visiting Lauren.
Lauren was a real problem. She had to get her out of Ethan's life.
"Fine, I'll trust you one more time," Sarah said arrogantly. After clinking glasses with Sophia, she downed her drink.
Sophia's eyes showed disdain. Sarah was getting too full of herself. But for now, Sophia could tolerate her since she was still useful.
For three consecutive days, Lauren focused on her design. Once she was happy with the final draft, she nervously handed it to Ethan.
"Ethan, please give this design to Mr. Hernandez and get his feedback. Whether it's good or bad, tell me exactly what he says, no sugarcoating," Lauren instructed.
"Don't worry. Besides, you have Mr. Hernandez's contact info. If you don't trust me, you can ask him directly!" Ethan said with a smile.
Lauren scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. She believed face-to-face communication showed respect, so she hadn't reached out to Richard Hernandez herself.
"Well, I don't care. You have to attend the designer meeting. If they mention my design, pay attention," Lauren said, blushing. She hoped everything would go smoothly. If her design got approved by the company's official designers, she'd feel more confident.
Ethan smiled gently. "Got it."
Just as Lauren and Ethan were chatting and laughing, Kimberly hurried over, holding Matthew.
"Lauren, Matthew seems off today. His forehead feels hot. He might have a fever," Kimberly said anxiously.
Lauren was shocked. She quickly felt Matthew's forehead and found it indeed very hot.
"Ethan, can you take us to the hospital?" Lauren was very anxious. It was her first time dealing with Matthew being sick, and she was naturally worried.
Without a word, Ethan nodded. Lauren grabbed her wallet and got into Ethan's car.
Lauren focused on Matthew, feeling guilty. She blamed herself for neglecting him over the past two days and not noticing he was sick. She felt like a bad mom.
Kimberly noticed Lauren's guilt and tried to comfort her. "It's normal for kids to get sick. Don't beat yourself up."
Lauren was very upset. "I've noticed Matthew's low spirits these past two days but didn't pay attention. Maybe he started feeling unwell back then."
