Chapter 106

Rosemary stopped her complaints and instead threw Martin a look that said, “See, you just don’t get

him.”

She let out a sigh and mused to herself: The two-faced rascal was truly an expert at deceiving

others.

Seeing how convinced Martin was, she couldn’t bear to burst his bubble about Maxwell. After all,

they were friends who had grown up and been through thick and thin together. She decided not to

be the bad guy stirring up trouble between them.

It was now the afternoon, with little traffic. It only took ten minutes to drive from the apartment to the

mall.

She couldn’t just be too straightforward to dismiss the guy who gave her a ride like that. Martin

wasn’t a chauffeur she’d hired, after all.

Rosemary unfastened her seatbelt and asked, in a half-hearted way, “Would you like to go in and

take a look? Maybe you could help me choose?”

That was just a polite phrase, not even heartfelt. But Martin directly turned off the car and agreed,

“Sure.”

They went from the first floor all the way to the sixth, skipping the three floors in the middle that sold

female and children’s stuff. They went to every other floor, but did not find anything suitable.

Given her relationship with Oswald, she couldn’t choose something too expensive, as it would make

him feel burdened; nor could it be too cheap, as that would seem too casual. It definitely couldn’t be

personal items like clothes or shoes – they weren’t close to that level yet. In the end, she settled on

a decent calligraphy set.

During her time at Heritage Revive Studio, Rosemary was fortunate to see Oswald’s calligraphy. It

was master-class, with sharp strokes and a powerful flow. Each character and stroke was

meticulously crafted.

She took the gift box from the clerk and thanked Martin, “I really owe you one for today. I’ll treat you

to dinner sometime.”

Martin had been a big help in choosing this set. Rosemary hadn’t expected him to know so much

about calligraphy supplies; she had thought only insiders or older folks used this stuff.

Martin played it cool, “It was nothing.”

The two left the store, chatting and laughing.

Not far away, Pearl, who had seen everything, quickly pulled the person next to her behind a pillar.

Sandra, who was walking just fine, nearly tripped when yanked and steadied herself before asking,

“What are you doing? Acting like a thief?”

Sandra and Pearl were old friends, but she had been abroad for many years and only returned a

few days ago, finally shaking off the jet lag today.

They originally agreed to meet up for a coffee upstairs, but on the way Pearl got sidetracked by an

art supply store, saying she wanted to pick out something for her daughter-in-law.

Pearl asked, “What do you think of those two?”

The floor wasn’t crowded, so Sandra quickly caught sight of the couple not far away. Although she

wasn’t sure why Pearl had suddenly asked this question, she honestly answered, “Quite a nice pair.

The man is handsome, the woman beautiful. Their physiques and temperaments match well. They

both look friendly, and I bet they’d have cute kids.”

Sandra had just become a grandmother recently; hence, everything she saw made her think about

kids.

She had spent these years abroad and had only heard about Maxwell’s marriage, but hadn’t seen

his wife, so she didn’t recognize Rosemary.

Seeing Pearl looking unhappy, she asked, “What’s wrong with you? You look as if the sky’s fallen.

Are you telling me that your menopause is so severe that you’re starting to be jealous of young

people dating?”

Pearl rolled her eyes at her, “Which one looks better to you, that man or my son Maxwell?”

Sandra thought her friend was a bit neurotic, but under Pearl’s piercing gaze, she had to reply,

“They’re different types. That man seems gentle and easy-going, while Maxwell is more aloof and

has a stronger presence. In terms of looks, they’re both top-notch.”

Pearl looked sad and downcast, “A gentle man is nice, right? What woman would like to spend

every day with an ice-cold man? If it were me, I wouldn’t choose that rascal Maxwell either. Not only

is he cold, but he also can’t concentrate on one thing. He is always hanging around with that

Victoria, with their relationship unclear. As for Martin, there has been no rumors of any romantic

involvement for years, not even the presence of any close female friends.”

Sandra listened to Pearl rambling on like chanting, “Aren’t we going shopping anymore?”

“No. I’m going to look for that good-for-nothing Maxwell and have him ask Martin for his birth details.

Then I can find a master to do some fortune telling,” she said with a mournful expression, “It might

be needed any day now!”

Given the situation, it would be soon!

What a pity that her wonderful daughter-in-law was about to become someone else’s!

After leaving the mall, Pearl went straight to the Templeton Group.

She rarely came to the company. When Christ saw her, he was startled and then stood up to greet

her, “Ma’am, what brings you here?”

“Is Maxwell in his office?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pearl nodded, “You go on with your work; no need to bring tea.”

Christ wanted to follow her and inform Mr. Templeton ahead of time. But Pearl’s expression seemed

murderous, and he was stopped in his tracks by her cold glare!

Pearl barged into Maxwell’s office and saw her no-good son with his head buried in paperwork. She

felt a sudden rush of anger, “You earn all this money — are you planning to use it in the future to

buy yourself a costly retirement home, so you can find a nurse who won’t mistreat you?”

Martin, who had never had a girlfriend, knew to accompany girls shopping. But there her son was,

all about work.

Maxwell had no idea why his mother was so riled up, but given her anger, it was most likely his

father’s doing. He stood up resignedly, “Mom, what are you doing here?”

He reached out to help her, but Pearl wasn’t having any of it, huffing and turning to sit down on the

sofa, “How long has it been since you last accompanied Rosemary out shopping?”

Maxwell was silent. He couldn’t answer the question.

He had never gone shopping with Rosemary, not before marriage nor after. If Pearl found this out,

she would probably lash out at him.

Since he is her very own son and seeing that he wasn’t saying anything, Pearl already knew the

answer.

Compared to Martin, her son wasn’t even fit to tie his shoes.

“Do you have Martin’s birth details?”

From Pearl’s disappointed expression when she walked in, to what she had just said, and

considering it all deeply, Maxwell suddenly got a cold look in his eyes, “What do you need that for?”

“To check if Martin and Rosemary are compatible. Even if you two split, she’s still like a daughter to

me. I know this stuff isn’t exactly credible, but you can’t just disregard it either.”

Maxwell was feeling a bit agitated. He picked up a cigarette and lighter from the coffee table, but put

them back again when he remembered Pearl’s health wasn’t good. He asked, “Mom, did you hear

something?”

Otherwise, why on earth would she suddenly want to check the compatibility of Martin and

Rosemary?