novelraw Chapter 215: Learning to Make Money
Chapter 215: Learning to Make Money
Ethan Sterling saw her name appear on the screen, a bit surprised, and immediately smiled as he answered, "Just landed, is there something up?"
"Nothing, just figured you’d arrive around this time and wanted to call." Ruby Sullivan told a small lie; she couldn’t betray Howard at this moment. "Um... I don’t have any plans to date for now, at most just meet a couple of friends. I think... you don’t need to worry too much."
Ethan Sterling felt a bit confused, not sure why she was telling him this. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly smiled like a child, cautiously verifying, "You mean, I still have a chance?"
Ruby Sullivan felt a surge of warmth in her face, not directly answering his question, and said somewhat proudly, "But there’s one thing you need to understand, which is that we’re divorced. It’s only natural for me to meet new male friends, and you can’t interfere in any form. Plus, your frequent trips to Meridia won’t change anything, it only makes me uneasy."
Upon hearing this, Ethan Sterling’s smile faded, suddenly feeling extremely uneasy, "Did my trips to Meridia cause you trouble?"
Ruby Sullivan frowned, thinking her words might not be entirely accurate, "Well, not exactly..." She bit her lower lip after speaking.
Since when did she become so bad at expressing herself?
She sighed, "I’ve heard some news from back home through various channels, and I’m somewhat worried about you. At this stage, I and the kids still rely on you for living, so I hope you can focus more on the company."
Ethan Sterling frowned as well, giving a wry smile, "Is it so hard to just say you’re worried about me? You have to explain so much instead. Don’t worry, I know how heavy the burden on my shoulders is."
"Okay." Ruby Sullivan hurriedly hung up the phone, her face still hot.
Seeing that it was about time, she went out to pick up the kids from school.
After sending Seth Sterling to the boxing club, Ruby Sullivan didn’t rush to take Honey home; instead, she took her to a nearby convenience store to buy two lollipops.
The nearby park has swings; although it’s a bit chilly now, sitting on the swings watching the sunset is quite cozy.
Honey chose the vanilla cream flavored lollipop. Ever since she insisted on eating meat and ended up in the hospital, almost losing her life, Honey hasn’t been stubborn about food anymore. Today, her mom offered her a lollipop, and she was so happy, she kept grinning, as if eating a lollipop was the peak of life’s joy.
"Mom wants to talk to you about Dad." Ruby Sullivan knew her daughter was smarter now; there was no need for too much preamble, as long as she spoke simply and clearly, Honey would understand.
Honey nodded while eating her lollipop.
"Dad’s been very busy lately, you can’t be willful and ask him to come to Meridia to see you anymore."
Honey thought for a moment and said, "I didn’t ask Dad, he said he wanted to see me." If Dad wants to come, should she tell him to focus on work? Would Dad misunderstand that she doesn’t want him?
Ruby Sullivan pondered while eating her lollipop, "If he says he wants to come, you should tell Mom first; Mom will talk to Dad. Right now, Dad is covering all our living expenses in Meridia. If he doesn’t work well, we won’t have money for food."
Ruby Sullivan felt this expression was very simple and straightforward, understandable for Honey.
Honey paused, seemingly thinking about her mom’s words, then nodded obediently.
After the sun went down, the wind became chilly. Ruby Sullivan took Honey back to the car and sent her home first.
On the way, Honey said, "Mom, I don’t want to go with you to pick up brother."
"Why?" Ruby Sullivan was a bit puzzled, as Honey previously didn’t want to stay home alone.
"Hmm, no reason."
Ruby Sullivan knew Honey had learned to keep secrets, and didn’t press further, "Alright."
After Ruby Sullivan left, Honey went to find Mama Bennett, saying she wanted to learn how to bake cupcakes.
Mama Bennett thought Honey wanted to eat them and promised to bake some the next afternoon so she could have them after school.
But Honey frowned and insisted, "I don’t want to eat them, I just want to learn how to make cupcakes!"
Some kids in her class were selling homemade soda on the weekends and making good money. On the way home, Honey thought of Mama Bennett’s cupcakes, which were fragrant and sweet, incredibly delicious, and she believed they could sell well too.
She thought that if she worked hard to earn money, she could make Dad have more time to come to Meridia to see her.
When Ruby Sullivan went to pick up Seth Sterling, she received another invitation from Ian. Since Honey wasn’t there today, Ian was more direct.
He was a concept artist, normally working from home, with quite a bit of freedom, and mentioned that he was fairly well-known in the industry, earning a decent income. He hoped to have coffee with Ruby Sullivan.
Ruby Sullivan didn’t expect this man to be so persistent. Logically, he should back off after seeing Ethan Sterling, right?
She smiled, thinking it’s better to spell things out, "Though I’m divorced, there are still some issues with my ex-husband that are unresolved. Also, Honey doesn’t quite understand my relationship with my ex-husband, so I don’t want to date anyone at the moment."
Ian also smiled, "I know your ex-husband is pursuing you; in fact, he even warned me. But... this makes me even more curious about you. Besides, it’s just coffee; you don’t have to be scared."
Ah, these artists. Ruby Sullivan suddenly thought of Leon Sterling, then considered Ian’s point. Should she never date anyone just because of Ethan Sterling?
So she agreed to meet for coffee tomorrow afternoon before picking up the kids from school.
Though this couldn’t be shared with Honey, Ruby Sullivan thought it wise to inform her son.
"That’s great, Mom. As long as you’re happy," Seth Sterling replied sincerely.
Since deciding to leave The Sterling Family with Ruby Sullivan, Seth felt that his dad had wronged his mom, and she deserved a better man to love her. Would Dad ever be gentle with a woman? All he remembered were Dad’s cold expressions. Despite not discussing this with his mom, Seth supported Jack’s father pursuing her. Moreover, from a certain angle, having someone pursue Mom shows Dad how wonderful she is.
"But, if you reconcile with Dad, I’d be happy too." After all, Dad is his blood, even though he likes Ian as well.
"Thank you, son." Ruby Sullivan found her son’s words heartwarming.
Seth Sterling thought for a while, "I don’t quite understand grown-up matters. But if a friend hurt me deeply, even bullied me with others, even if they apologized one day, I might never forgive them."
Ruby Sullivan knew her son was thinking of her, which touched her, "This situation’s complicated, and I haven’t fully figured it out myself. Maybe you’ll understand my feelings when faced with similar challenges as you grow. But I hope you never get hurt by friends or loved ones in your life."
"But life is full of unknowns." Seth Sterling chuckled, indifferent.
Ruby Sullivan looked at her son’s calm demeanor, unsure whether to laugh or cry, wondering how to keep her four-year-old acting like a simple child instead of a mature man of forty.