Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

Flynn Howard had been incarcerated, but how to handle Flynn’s subordinates, who would take over the territory—these issues needed consideration.

Suzanne Saunders’ birthday was approaching fast.

It happened to fall on a Saturday. Purple Summers lied to Atra Blanc in advance, claiming she would spend the night at Jane McCain’s home due to a party and would not return until Sunday.

Atra Blanc did not suspect a thing and told Purple Summers to have fun with a smile.

Purple Summers felt incredibly guilty. She thought Atra Blanc’s treatment of her children was just too…

Ah, it was indescribable.

On second thought, it made sense. If Atra Blanc were a bit shrewder, how could she have failed to notice her son’s oddities? If Atra Blanc were more assertive and fought for her children’s interests, would Alexander be the person he was today?

Atra Blanc was that kind of person; sometimes, she moved Purple deeply, and yet at other times, there was a helpless frustration with her, like hating that iron could not become steel…

After school on Friday, Purple did not go home but met Aria Jackson. Together, they pushed a supermarket shopping cart, selecting ingredients.

“How about hot pot?” Purple Summers looked at the vast array of hot pot bases and asked Aria Jackson’s opinion. “No need to sauté vegetables or steam rice, just wash and cut the vegetables should be simple enough.”

“Is this your birthday you’re planning for, or someone else’s?” Aria Jackson was speechless, observing Purple Summers enthusiastically as if she was preparing for someone else’s birthday celebration.

“It counts for both.” Purple Summers chuckled, “Right now, I am Purple Summers. I’m celebrating Suzanne Saunders’ birthday, so it’s both for myself and for someone else.”

“Secretive as ever…” Aria Jackson gave her a suspicious look and muttered, “Every birthday before, it was you and I celebrating together. This time, you’re ditching me… Could it be…”

She stopped suddenly, surprised, and looked at Purple Summers: “You’re not in an early romance, are you?!”

“Pfft!” Purple Summers laughed, leaning on the shopping cart, “I’m 26 years old, a big leftover woman—what ‘early’ romance?”

“That’s not right.” Aria Jackson scrutinized her seriously, her gaze piercing, “You are definitely in love.”

Purple Summers pursed her lips, smiling without reply, took a hot pot base from the shelf, and asked her, “Do you prefer the tomato flavor or the mushroom soup?”

“Let’s go with spicy.” Aria Jackson pulled out a spicy hot pot base packet, jesting, “After eating, you’ll feel hot and fiery, your blood boiling and your heart racing, guaranteeing you a passionate night.”

Purple Summers tossed the spicy one back out, choosing a mushroom soup base packet instead, “Better to keep it light, a gentle and enduring flow is preferable.”

“Ha! You really are hiding something!” Aria Jackson was extremely surprised and immediately followed up, “Who is it? How did you meet? How old are they? What do they do for a living? Surely, they can’t be a student from your class?”

Aria Jackson couldn’t believe Purple Summers would fall for some teenage kid; her eyes darted around, then she exclaimed, “Or could it be… you’re in a teacher-student relationship?!”

She had heard the school Grey attended was full of promising young men.

Purple Summers was picking eggs when she heard this and almost crushed the free-range egg in her hand.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Purple, feeling helpless, glanced back at her, “When the time is right, I’ll introduce you! Stop guessing wildly!”

Hearing that, Aria Jackson continued to help Purple pick vegetables. After a while, she couldn’t help asking again, “What about Nathaniel Summers? Since it’s been clarified that Jade Carlson was behind the medication incident, doesn’t that make Nathaniel somewhat an innocent party?”

Upon hearing this, Purple Summers’ mood turned somber. She remained silent for a long while before replying, “Getting together with him in the first place… was a mistake.”

There was never love to begin with, and it was irresponsible to deceive herself into thinking feelings could develop over time. If love could blossom easily, it should have during the four years he pursued her.