Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Hearing those words from her, Herman Hawthorne realized for the first time just how much she had suffered.

He turned to the side. ”Whatever happens to her, I won’t get involved again.”

Zoe Ellsworth suddenly laughed. ”You’re not getting any younger yourself—almost thirty. I may not be able to spend the rest of my life with you in such a formal, loveless marriage, but I’m sure plenty of women would be willing to.”

He fell silent.

”If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her.

”If... if one day I fell in love with you, would you come back to me?”

”Don’t ask such hypotheticals. People change. Maybe by the time that day comes, I’ll have already fallen in love with someone else. Besides, I’m young; I won’t have any trouble finding a man. Remember this: I, Zoe Ellsworth, can have nothing, but I will never be without pride. I will not marry a man who doesn’t love me twice. Absolutely not.”

”Last night... you and that man—”

Zoe Ellsworth chuckled. ”Money really is a wonderful thing sometimes. A rich man can find all sorts of young, beautiful women. It’s the same for women. As long as I’m not married or in a relationship, why can’t I do the same? You shouldn’t ask so much about my business. Even if you do, I won’t tell you. To me, you’re just like an older brother now. Nothing more.”

Herman Hawthorne had always known Zoe Ellsworth thought differently from other women. At this moment, he felt her uniqueness was simply a form of egoism.

”I thought that by respecting your choice, I wasn’t losing anything. But, Zoe... I feel like I’ve lost something I never imagined I would—something money can’t buy.”

Zoe Ellsworth’s heart stirred, but she quickly responded, ”Of course you can’t buy it. You’re talking about time. No amount of money can take you back a few years.”

Seeing his silence, she said, ”My mom’s waiting for me.”

She pulled open the car door and got out.

Herman Hawthorne watched from the car as she walked with hesitant steps. It took her an unexpectedly long time to get from the car to the front door.

’From the day they married, he had planned to spend his entire life with her.’

’He’d never thought about divorcing her.’

’And he’d never imagined she would divorce *him*.’

’This was completely unexpected.’

’The moment he thought of another man sleeping beside her, a knot of discomfort tightened in his chest. He wanted to have the man drawn and quartered.’

’But an alarm bell also rang in his mind, reminding him that she was no longer his wife. She was his ex-wife.’

’And just like that, he had lost her.’

Zoe Ellsworth stood at the entrance to the living room, taking a moment to compose herself before stepping inside.

”Did you move in over there? You were just getting a DVD.”

Zoe Ellsworth walked over and placed the DVD on the table. ”I ran into him in the yard. I don’t know when he got here.”

Mrs. Ellsworth shot to her feet. ”You silly girl, why didn’t you invite him in?”

”Mom, what are you doing? I’ve already said everything I needed to him.”

”Still, you can’t just leave him outside.” Mrs. Ellsworth hurried to the doorway with Ethan Ellsworth right behind her. She called out to Herman Hawthorne, who was just getting out of his car.

”Herman! You’re here. Come on in, have a seat.”

Herman Hawthorne walked over.

When he reached the door, he and Ethan Ellsworth exchanged a high-five.

”Did Young Master Grant go?”

”Yeah, he went. With his two sons there, how could he not?” Ethan Ellsworth’s words stunned Mrs. Ellsworth.

”Two sons? Whose are they?”

A rare smile touched Ethan Ellsworth’s lips. ”Quentin’s, of course. Twins. They look to be about two, and a couple of very bright kids at that.”

When it sank in, Mrs. Ellsworth was overjoyed, as if they were her own grandsons. ”Does his mother know?”

Ethan Ellsworth shook his head. ”I doubt it. I’m the one who told Quentin in the first place. Mom, don’t you dare tell Mrs. Grant. I don’t think Quentin is going to tell his mother, and you know what she’s like.”

Mrs. Ellsworth nodded. ”I’m not a gossip. She’ll find out when Quentin decides to tell her. I won’t say a word. It’s not our place to get involved.”

Zoe Ellsworth chimed in eagerly, ”Ethan, why didn’t you take a picture for us? I really want to see what Quentin’s kids look like.”

Ethan Ellsworth was grinning from ear to ear. ”If you know what Young Master Grant looks like, you know what those two kids look like. They’re spitting images of their dad, one hundred percent. Oh, wait—their mouths. They have Nora’s mouth. But everything else is just like their father.”

Zoe Ellsworth could just imagine what the boys looked like, a smile gracing her face. ”That’s wonderful! Now that Quentin has gone over there, he’ll surely bring his wife and kids back with him.”

Ethan Ellsworth sat down. ”I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s hard to say.”

Herman Hawthorne sat in silence. Ethan Ellsworth nudged him with his elbow. ”You’re really something else, you know that? I’m not even back for a day, and you’ve already lost the title of ’my brother-in-law’.”

”It’s a long story.”

Zoe Ellsworth said with a smile, ”What’s the big deal? Lots of people get divorced these days. You just find someone new. A three-legged toad might be hard to find, but the streets are full of two-legged men. They’re a dime a dozen.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Ellsworth coughed awkwardly.

Herman Hawthorne replied, ”Yes, there are plenty of men out there, but quality men, I think, are rare.”

”What good is a handsome face without a heart?” Zoe Ellsworth retorted.

”Maybe that heart hadn’t been awakened yet. But perhaps it’s waking up now.”

Zoe Ellsworth looked at him, and he met her gaze.

”Was it hibernating? ’Waking up’ now?” she scoffed. ”Anyway, I’m single again. Mom, Ethan, I’m ready to get into a serious relationship. I’ll bring the guy I’m seeing home for you to meet in a few days.”

She stood up. ”I’m going upstairs to bed. I’m tired.”

The atmosphere in the living room instantly became incredibly awkward.

Mrs. Ellsworth gave a strained smile. ”Herman, would you like some tea?”

”No, thank you. I’m fine just catching up with Young Master Ellsworth. It’s been too long.”

Mrs. Ellsworth stood up. ”Alright then. You two talk. I’ll head upstairs.”

*

Meanwhile, the two little Grant boys led their father to the studio where Nora Ainsworth was supposed to film a dating show. As they were climbing the steps, Quentin Grant suddenly asked, ”What are your names?”

”Dylan.”

”Elmer.”

Hearing this, Quentin Grant’s heart swelled with joy. ’The kids have my surname! They’re Grants!’

”Dylan... Elmer...” Quentin mused. ”Do your names mean anything?”

”’Dylan’ is for the epiphyllum flower, and ’Elmer’ is for the elm tree,” the older boy replied.

”Hm, good names.” Quentin Grant then asked a staff member, ”Excuse me, where can I find Nora Ainsworth?”

”She should be in the makeup room. Filming is about to start.”

”Got it.”

With that, he took a boy in each hand and strode excitedly toward the makeup room.

As he stood at the doorway, her voice drifted into his ears.

The door was thrown open. The people speaking inside fell silent. Their eyes met, and for a moment, no one could speak.