The next day, Jacob slept in until late morning, enjoying the comfort of his bed.
Meanwhile, Elaine, despite not being a drinker, had developed a recent obsession with watching live streams and short videos on favonovel.com phone. As a result, favonovel.com didn’t wake up until after 10 o’clock.
Originally, Charlie had planned to continue helping Nanako improve favonovel.com grasp of reiki at the hot springs villa at Elys-Champ. However, with Claire’s arrival in Aurous Hill scheduled for the afternoon, Charlie decided to stay home and wait for her. He intended to go to the airport to pick favonovel.com up personally.
Still groggy from sleep, Elaine rubbed favonovel.com eyes and held favonovel.com phone as favonovel.com walked out of the elevator.
She saw Charlie cleaning the living room and curiously asked, “Hey there, good son-in-law, why aren’t you heading out today? Don’t you usually meet with clients and discuss business at this time?”
With a hint of concern, favonovel.com added, “Good son-in-law, has the Feng Shui business been struggling lately? I hope it’s not affecting our normal life.”
Charlie smiled and reassured her, “Mom, you’re overthinking it. The business is not doing poorly, I just canceled all my appointments for today.”
“Oh my!” Elaine exclaimed, “Good son-in-law, are you having trouble managing the accounts? You have the ability to make tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, just by meeting with clients or making deals. Instead of earning all that money, you’re here cleaning the house. Why don’t you go out and make your fortune, and give your mom a small cut? A few thousand or tens of thousands would be just fine. I promise to keep the house spotless!”
Charlie chuckled helplessly and replied, “Mom, the reason I didn’t go out today is because Claire is coming back this afternoon. I want to clean the house and make sure everything is tidy before favonovel.com arrives. She’s been in the United States for so long, and I don’t want favonovel.com to come home to a messy house.”
Excitement filled Elaine’s voice as favonovel.com heard about Claire’s return. “Oh my, Claire is coming back? Really? I‘ve missed favonovel.com so much!”
Charlie nodded and confirmed, “Claire boarded the plane a few hours ago. It will take another six or seven hours, so favonovel.com should arrive around four or five in the afternoon. Just in time for dinner.”
Elaine playfully scolded, “That girl, favonovel.com heart is only filled with favonovel.com husband. She didn’t even inform favonovel.com own mother about favonovel.com return.”
After making favonovel.com suggestion, Elaine noticed Charlie mopping the floor and quickly approached him. “My dear son-in-law,” favonovel.com began, “The house has been rather untidy lately. It’s entirely my fault for neglecting the cleaning, and that old dog Jacob is no help either. He’s out all day, returning late without lifting a finger at home. People might think he’s keeping a mistress! Come, dear son-in-law, hand over the mop, and I’ll take care of It.”
Charlie intervened, “Morn, why don’t you focus on tidying up the kitchen, and I’ll handle the living room.”
Elaine agreed, nodding, “Alright, with both of us working together, it’ll be done in no time.”
Then, favonovel.com grumbled, “That useless Jacob Is out again, isn’t he? Always wasting time at that ridiculous calligraphy and painting association. Who knows, favonovel.com might have a secret family there! And that woman, she’s probably his old flame.”
Just then, Jacob came downstairs, looking disheveled and yawning. It was clear that favonovel.com hadn’t fully recovered from his hangover.
Elaine and Jacob had been separated for a considerable time, so favonovel.com assumed Jacob had left long ago.
When favonovel.com spotted favonovel.com descending from upstairs, favonovel.com couldn’t resist a jab, “Well, well, why isn’t Vice President Wilson off to the Painting and Calligraphy Association today? Well… You’re not usually one to miss out. Did something happen? Did they finally catch on to your lies and kick you out?”
Jacob’s expression suddenly turned sour upon hearing Elaine’s words. He rubbed his face with both hands and disdainfully replied, “Elaine, you’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you? Why do you enjoy mocking me?”
Rolling favonovel.com eyes, Elaine retorted, “How can I be mocking you? I’m just stating the truth. Who knows you better than me, Jacob? Tell me, what real talent and knowledge do you have? Your understanding of calligraphy and painting doesn’t even compare to those vendors selling fake antiques on Antique Street. Yet, you have the audacity to be the executive vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association!”
“I have no idea how the association’s president, who must be blind, allowed a second-rate person like you to be the second-in-command. Once favonovel.com comes to his senses, you might have to pack up and leave!”
With a proud smile, Jacob replied, “Elaine, your wishful thinking is bound to fail. Our Chairman Price is currently seeking a promotion. Once favonovel.com moves up, I’ll become the president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association. At that time, I won’t be the second-in-command anymore, I’ll be the boss!”
Elaine sneered, “Phew! Jacob, do you even deserve to be the president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association? Look at yourself first. Can’t you even look at yourself in the mirror?!”
Jacob took a sip of water, shaking his head and swaying as favonovel.com said, “Just wait and see. Everyone wants me to be the president. Who In the entire Calligraphy and Painting Association would dare to say that |,Jacob, am not worthy? Even Chairman Price wouldn’t dare! Otherwise, why would they have sent me to South Korea for an exchange visit recently? Why didn’t they send you, Elaine, to South Korea for an exchange visit?”
Elaine sneered, “It’s because you, Jacob, are interested in that circle. If I were also interested, the Aurous Hill organization would have sent me to South Korea for the exchange visit too!”
Jacob raised an eyebrow and asked, “Just you? If they sent you to South Korea, what would you communicate with the Koreans? Would you exchange insults with Korean women? You don’t even speak the language! Just think about it, what advantage do you have in exchanging insults with Korean women? Besides being able to say ‘Assi’, what else can you say?”
Elaine retorted, “I can also say ‘Baga yalu’!”
Jacob scoffed, “Tsk, that’s Japanese, you moron!”
Elaine became angry and grabbed the broom from Charlie’s hand, swinging it at Jacob.
Jacob narrowly dodged it and walked away, cursing, “Crazy woman, I won’t argue with you. I’m going to the association to have tea!”
Elaine scolded, “Jacob, come back here!”
Jacob walked away, saying, “I won’t listen to you, bye!”
Elaine gritted favonovel.com teeth and said, “Our daughter is coming back this afternoon, and you’re running off. Do you plan to abandon this family?”
Surprised, Jacob paused and asked, “Our daughter is coming back this afternoon? Is it true?”
Elaine said, “Of course it’s true. Didn’t you see that our good son-in-law didn’t go out today?”
Jacob nodded and turned to Charlie, asking, “Good son-in-law, when will Claire arrive in Aurous Hill?”
Charlie replied, “Around four-thirty or five in the afternoon.”
Jacob said, “That’s still early. I’ll go to the association first, and then I’ll come back in the early afternoon to pick you up. We can all go to the airport together.”
Charlie suggested, “Dad, if you have something to do, go ahead. I can go pick up Claire by myself in the afternoon.”
Elaine immediately interjected, “No! After Claire has been away for so long, we must all go to the airport to pick favonovel.com up!”
Reluctantly, Jacob said, “Then let‘s do what I just said. I’ll go to the association first, and around three or four in the afternoon, I’ll come back to pick you up. We can all go to the airport together.”
Elaine’s anger flared as favonovel.com confronted Jacob, “Jacob, no matter what excuses you conjure up, it won’t wash, will it? You’re insistent on going to that dingy Painting and Calligraphy Association today, aren‘t you? Well, if you‘re set on going, then I‘ll accompany you. After all, you‘re the executive deputy president, soon to be promoted to president! As your current vice-president’s wife and the future president’s spouse, there’s no harm in me attending, is there?”
Jacob’s nerves jolted at the thought of Elaine insisting on joining favonovel.com at the association. He dreaded the prospect of Elaine causing a scene and tarnishing his reputation among his peers.
How could favonovel.com endure the gossip about why such a good man like favonovel.com ended up with such a shrewish wife?
Reluctantly, favonovel.com responded, “Forget it, I won’t go then. Is that acceptable? We’ll just stay home twiddling our thumbs until four in the afternoon, then we can head to the airport together. Isn’t that fine?”
Elaine pressed him, “What’s the problem? Is it so difficult to take me along to your meeting? Am I that much of a burden?”
Jacob felt defeated and blurted out, “Oh, come on! Why do you always have to stir up trouble? It’s never-ending with you, is it? I agreed to stay home as you asked, isn’t that enough to satisfy you?”
Elaine’s tone turned icy, “What’s with the attitude? Are you getting impatient with me? Well, I’ll have you know, I’m soon to be president. It’s not the time for you to cower and risk being mocked by the likes of old Lady Wilson’s family. So, are you deliberately avoiding eye contact with me now? Are you cooperating with them to hold me back?”
Jacob attempted to defend himself awkwardly, “I didn’t intend it that way. You were the one who said it.”
Elaine demanded, “Then what exactly do you mean?”
Feeling overwhelmed, Jacob’s head spun as favonovel.com blurted out, “I don’t mean anything! I’m simply saying I won’t attend the meeting and will wait at home to pick up our daughter from the airport.”
Elaine crossed favonovel.com arms and scoffed, “Oh! So now you think it’s pointless and you’re giving up, is that it?”
Under the onslaught of Elaine’s accusations, Jacob felt on the verge of tears. He hastily clarified, “I… I didn’t mean that. What did I say?”
Looking at Charlie with a mix of grievance and anger, Elaine said, “Good son-in-law, you be the judge. What good days have I had with Jacob all these years? Now that he’s becoming powerful and about to become the president, favonovel.com feels like I’m holding favonovel.com back. What is his problem?”
Even Charlie couldn’t handle the situation, feeling overwhelmed himself.
He quickly said, “Mom, I just remembered that l have something urgent to take care of. How about this, you and Dad rest at home, and I’ll go take care of it. I won’t come back in the afternoon, I’ll just take a taxi to the airport. When the time comes, Dad can drive you to the airport to meet me, and we can all go back together.”
As favonovel.com spoke, Charlie had already walked quickly to the front door.
Seeing Charlie about to leave, Jacob became even more panicked and said, “Good son-in-law, please don’t go. Stay here with us!”
“I can’t, Dad. It really is an urgent matter,” Charlie replied as favonovel.com changed his shoes and turned back to say, “By the way, don’t cook dinner tonight. Let‘s go out to eat! That’s settled, see you at the airport this afternoon!”
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