Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

”Yeah, this is my daddy and mommy’s room. Come on, I’ll show you around,” Dylan Grant said, leading the way.

The three children closed the door and played hide-and-seek in their parents’ room. After a while, Dorothy Ellsworth picked something up off the floor.

”Is this a balloon?”

Elmer Grant craned his neck over, took the condom, and looked at it again and again. Finally, he reached a conclusion. ”This isn’t a balloon. See? It says so right here—a condom!”

”Elmer, what’s a condom?”

Dylan Grant snatched it from Elmer Grant’s hand and tossed it into the trash can. ”This is a grown-up thing. Kids like us don’t need to know so much about it.”

”But I want to know.”

”It’s a tool to stop people from getting pregnant,” Elmer couldn’t help but blurt out.

”Then how do grown-ups get pregnant? How are babies made?” Dorothy Ellsworth asked next.

”How do you not know anything?” Elmer said with disdain. ”Daddy and Mommy just sleep in the same bed for a night, and then there’s a baby. You don’t even get something that simple?”

Dorothy Ellsworth completely ignored his disdain and suddenly grew excited. ”Does that mean if Dylan and I sleep together, we can have a baby?”

Elmer Grant: ”...”

Dylan Grant: ”...”

”Isn’t it? That’s what you said, right?”

Elmer groaned. ”Are you an idiot? How old are we? Having a baby? We’re still babies ourselves! Bro, get your wife in line. She’s trying to brainwash me with her stupidity.”

With that, he turned and walked out.

Dorothy Ellsworth looked a little hurt. Dylan Grant stepped forward and took her chubby little hand. ”When we’re grown up, you can have as many babies as you want.”

Dorothy Ellsworth’s little face flushed red as she mumbled an, ”Okay.”

Herman Hawthorne was exhausted by the time he finally managed to squeeze into Zoe Ellsworth’s car.

”I’m going to my shop. You’re going to the university?”

”I’m going wherever you go.”

Zoe Ellsworth snorted. ”I’m going to the women’s restroom. You want to follow me in there, too?”

”Sure. It’d be a convenient place to... get something done.”

At the mention of that, Zoe Ellsworth’s inner world exploded in fury. ’Damn it, how dare he talk about ”getting something done” in front of me.’

”Get something done my ass.”

Herman Hawthorne laughed. ”Why didn’t you answer when I called you?”

”Why should I? Who do you think you are?”

”Your ex-husband.”

”Since you’re just my ex-husband, it doesn’t matter if I answer or not. You’re in the past tense, anyway.” Zoe Ellsworth reached out and turned on the music, and the car was instantly filled with the sound of a pulsing dance track.

The driving beat was infectious.

Herman Hawthorne hated hearing her say things that implied they had nothing to do with each other anymore, even though it was true that, right now, they had no relationship.

”In that case, Miss Ellsworth, may I participate in your present tense? And perhaps take up permanent residence in your future tense?”

She said bluntly, ”No, you can’t. Because I’m really not interested in an old ox like you anymore. Please go find some other pasture to graze in.”

”Zoe Ellsworth!”

”Present. I’m not deaf. Why are you shouting?”

”I’ll say it again. Please, do not insult my character. I... am still very young...”

Zoe Ellsworth smiled. ”But to me, you’re already old. You like young grass, and so do I. I’ve got a date tonight with an eighteen-year-old pretty boy. He’s so handsome, and his skin is so fair and smooth. Just looking at him gets my heart fluttering. I’m going to have a little taste tonight.”

”Then you definitely won’t be seeing him,” he said with conviction. ”Do you think I’d give you the chance to debase yourself like that?”

”How am I debasing myself? You’re such a meddler. It’s obvious you’ve got nothing better to do than get your balls in a twist.” She’d long known he was the mastermind behind the scenes. Why else would every young guy she asked out end up canceling? Once or twice might be a coincidence, but after dozens of times, even a blind person could see what was going on.

”It’s not just a twist here and there. It’s a terminal condition.”

Zoe Ellsworth opened the car window, speechless for a moment before forcing out a single word, ”Pathetic.”

He leaned back against the seat. ”Nipping every potential male rival in the bud requires a combination of mental, emotional, and physical effort. I’m going to all this trouble for you. How are you going to repay me?”

”How about I give you twenty kicks?”

”No.”

”You ruin everything. Now all I do is go to the shop and go home. I heard the Alveria Group’s singles’ party is coming up again. I wasn’t planning on going, but you’ve forced my hand. I’m going tonight to find someone, out in the open. If you dare ruin my fun again, I’ll make you streak for thirty laps!”

”Mm, I won’t this time,” he said lightly.

Zoe Ellsworth was a little surprised. ’He’s being so agreeable. Did he suddenly give up?’

Although she felt a faint sense of disappointment.

”Hm?”

Herman Hawthorne turned his head to look at her and spoke like a father giving advice to his daughter before her wedding. ”When you go, wear something unique. You have to be back by nine o’clock. If any man harasses you, report it to me, and I’ll put a bullet in his head.”

”I thought you were going, too.”

Herman Hawthorne gave a lazy little laugh. ”I would never go to such a boring place.”

The car stopped at the university entrance. ”Get out.”

”Give me a kiss, and I’ll get out.”

Zoe Ellsworth reached out, opened the car door, kicked him out, and then slammed the door shut and drove away.

Never before had he been so unceremoniously kicked out of a car. Herman Hawthorne brushed off his pants where she had kicked him, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked through the university gates.

”Professor Hawthorne, there’s someone waiting for you in your office.”

”Mm, got it.”

Pushing the door open, he knew who it was the moment he saw her silhouette.

”Shea Rhodes, what are you doing here?”

Shea Rhodes immediately stood up. ”Boss, I came to give you something.”

”What is it?”

She pulled a red invitation from behind her back and handed it to him. ”It’s my sister’s wedding invitation. She said she really hopes you’ll attend her wedding.”

Herman Hawthorne took it, flipped it open, but as soon as he saw the groom’s name, he snapped it shut and tossed it on the desk.

”Your sister is really digging her own grave. That groom’s name is so familiar... Tell her I won’t be attending. She disgusts me.”

Shea Rhodes lowered her head. ”Boss, my sister can never get pregnant because of Zoe Ellsworth. She’s getting married, and you’re not even going to go? Don’t you feel even a little bit guilty toward her?”

Herman Hawthorne sat down in his chair. ”Any guilt I had for her was worn away long ago, and any love I had for her has faded to almost nothing. The man she’s marrying... isn’t he the same one I personally witnessed in bed with her? Didn’t he abandon her? Why would he marry her now? I really don’t understand what kind of man could be so magnanimous. Or maybe... the two of them never really broke up at all. What do you think?”