Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ethan and I spun around when we heard the noise, and there was Hunter, tottering towards us on his tiny feet.

I blurted out, "Hunter can walk now!"

I was so pumped, I grabbed Ethan's hand.

He was more chill than me, but I could still see the excitement in his eyes.

Harper saw Hunter walking and started giggling in Hope's arms, squirming like she wanted to get down too.

Hope set her on the ground and held her steady with both hands. Harper copied Hunter, first holding onto the sofa, then slowly letting go, lifting her little feet, and trailing behind him. I was over the moon.

It felt like all the clouds had cleared, just like the sunlight pouring into the yard at that moment, warming my head and Ethan's shoulder perfectly.

Two months later, I finally got my driver's license and could drive solo.

In September, Abby was supposed to start daycare, but she still didn't have her ID.

I thought Richard should help with this, but Sophie didn't want to bother him. Since she had Abby out of wedlock, getting the documents was tricky. So, I took them downtown.

The registration clerk asked for the child's name, and Sophie hesitated for a long time before softly saying, "Abby Hill."

"Who said that's her name?"

A familiar voice suddenly cut in.

Sophie trembled and turned around, and I did too, seeing Richard in a black tracksuit walking in with a scowl.

At that moment, Sophie, holding Abby's hand, looked especially flustered.

Richard's sudden appearance caught me off guard too.

Richard took a few steps to stand in front of Sophie, glancing at Abby, who was clutching Sophie's hand.

Abby seemed a bit scared of him and timidly hid behind Sophie.

"How can you give her last name Hill?" Richard said, frowning.

Wasn't he the one who named her? Why was he blaming someone else now? Sophie didn't change the name out of respect for him.

But Sophie kept her head down and didn't say anything.

"Please hurry up!" the clerk inside the window urged.

"Can't you wait a moment?" Richard snapped.

Sophie had no choice but to step out of the line and let the people behind go first.

Sophie always seemed a bit indecisive in front of Richard, just like I used to be. She had no opinion on anything, and Richard made the final decision, naming her Abby Winsdor. After getting the documents, we realized it had started to rain.

Standing under the eaves, Richard glanced at Abby, who still seemed a bit scared of him.

He gave a wry smile, then put his hands in his pockets and walked straight to a motorcycle parked in the rain.

"Let me give you a ride."

I stood on the steps, speaking to him through the fine rain.

He looked at me, put down the helmet he had picked up, and smirked.

"Thanks, but no need. Getting wet in the rain is a kind of enjoyment!"

With that, he put on his helmet, and with the roar of the engine, he rode off on his bike.

After Abby started daycare, I brought Sophie into The Emoire Artistry Group.

Sophie was a lot like I was when Aurora first brought me into the Moore Group-timid and insecure.

I took her into the makeup room, picked up a comb, and started doing her hair.

Sophie said uneasily, "Emily, I can do it myself."

I smiled and said, "Let me help you."

I tied her hair, revealing Sophie's pretty face.

I admired her and said, "Sophie, you have very delicate and beautiful features. And you're only 20, so youthful, an age I'll never have again. Many people would envy you." Sophie smiled shyly.

"Emily, I understand what you mean. I'll work hard to make myself better and not let you down."

At the end of October, I contacted the medical school to arrange for The Emoire Artistry Group members to attend lectures in batches, learning about medical wellness concepts, so they could maintain a passion and high level of trust in medical beauty and wellness.

For the first lecture, I personally led the group over.

Entering the medical school gates, we were led towards the multimedia building by enthusiastic students.

"Mr. Foster!"

I suddenly heard a group of girls shouting in unison.

I looked up to see a few girls excitedly looking into the distance.

Following their gaze, I saw Jason coming down the stairs of the office building, holding some documents. Jason was rocking a crisp white shirt with the sleeves half-rolled, a fancy watch on his wrist, and neatly pressed dress pants. With his good looks, he totally had that clean, sunny boy-next-door vibe. Among the college students, he fit right in.

He must've spotted me earlier because he was heading straight towards me.

"Mr. Foster, I love you!" one of the girls in the group suddenly shouted, making everyone laugh.

Jason just gave a faint smile and quickly walked up to me.

I teased him, "You have admirers everywhere you go."

He grinned and said, "You always manage to keep me humble."

Jason led me to his office, where a girl was tidying up his desk.

Hearing footsteps, the girl looked up.

"Mr. Foster, the desk is all clean."

The girl turned out to be Jennifer.

I smiled and nodded at her.

Jennifer put away the towel and walked out with the basin.

I looked around his office, which was spotless and bright.

I sat down in front of Jason's desk, saying, "Do girls line up every day to clean your office?"

Jason made me a cup of coffee, sat down, and said, "Only Jennifer. She's very diligent."

He looked at his computer and started typing while chatting with me.

I felt that his current work environment was indeed much better than the hospital-simple and quiet, dealing only with college students and faculty, not complicated. I could sense a relaxed vibe emanating from him.

I thought Jason had likely found a lifestyle that suited him, though I wondered when the right person for him would come along.

Lacey had gone abroad; were they still in touch?

One sunny Sunday, after lunch, we were sitting in the living room watching TV.

Entertainment news was broadcasting Faye's marriage into a wealthy family, showing a series of wedding photos.

The rich groom didn't look young, was a bit chubby, with small eyes, and quite ordinary-looking. But the wedding was lavish, and Faye, in her wedding dress, was beaming as she held his arm. Maybe Faye finally got what she wanted!

I looked at Ethan, who was peeling grapes for the kids.

Both kids stood in front of Ethan. As soon as he fed one, the other eagerly stepped forward, puckering up for a grape. To satisfy both, he was quite busy. Ethan didn't show much emotion about Faye's news.

After eating grapes for a while, the kids started playing around the coffee table. Suddenly, Hunter called out "Papa" in his tender voice, repeating it several times.

Ethan was overjoyed and picked Hunter up, kissing him repeatedly.

"Good boy, my son!"

As he held Hunter, Harper got upset and tugged at his pants, crying in grievance.

Ethan sat down and picked up Harper too, letting both kids sit on his lap.

"Good boy! And good girl!"

After a while, the nanny took them outside to enjoy the sun.

Ethan moved to sit beside me, turning my face to look at him.

"Why so quiet? Are you jealous of the kids? Come, let me make it up to you!"

He said, leaning in to kiss me.

God knew, who got jealous of our kids? He just wanted an excuse to be playful.

I blushed and pushed him away.

"There are still a lot of people outside."

Ethan's lips brushed against my face. He used to shave every day, but now it seemed he hadn't for two or three days, and the stubble was a bit prickly.

But his slightly bearded look made him even more mature and charming. His increasingly heavy breathing as he kissed me stirred my nerves, and I eventually gave in to him.

I tried to shrink into the corner of the sofa, the armrest conveniently blocking any potential outside view, giving me a thrill of secrecy.

After a while, Ethan held me close, breathing heavily in my ear, "Honey, the kids will be two next year. Let's go on a vacation."

Thinking about our family of four going on vacation felt so warm, I agreed.

Peaceful and warm days flowed by like water.

I no longer wanted to recall the painful past.

In late autumn and early winter, we liked sitting in the yard.

The sunlight now was just right, not too harsh, warm on the skin.

Ethan was playing the guitar and singing, with the two kids standing in front of him, their faces full of innocent smiles, looking at him with admiration.

The kids giggled as he entertained them.

I said, "I read that music can develop children's intelligence."

Ethan calmly glanced at me, saying, "The kids are definitely smart, no need for development. As long as they're happy."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, but my heart was already filled with happiness.

At that moment, Luna came over to tell me someone was looking for me.

Before she finished speaking, she was pushed aside, and a woman strode in.