"Well? You won't be losing out, you know!" Kenneth Butler tilted his head towards Emily Avery.
Emily's expression turned serious. "Kenneth, from the moment you took time out of your busy schedule to save me today, I could tell you're a kind person. And I believe a kind person wouldn't force another kind person to sleep with him, right?"
Kenneth opened his mouth, but at the sight of Emily's earnest, serious face, he found himself at a loss for words.
"I made it very clear last time. The reason I agreed to sleep with you and have a child was because of special circumstances. Now that my husband is back, I won't do such a thing again. You may think once or twice makes no difference, but to me, it makes a world of difference."
Emily paused before continuing, "As for my photos, do as you please. If you want to leak them, there's nothing I can do. But leaking someone's private photos without their consent is illegal. I may not have money or power, but if you infringe on my rights, I won't let it go easily!"
With that, Emily stood up, took out her wallet from her pocket, and after rummaging through it for a while, she finally pulled out some money and placed it on the table.
"You saved me, so I'll treat you to a meal." She put the scattered bills on the table and left.
"Hey! You're no fun at all!" Kenneth called out, but Emily didn't look back.
Kenneth looked at the pile of bills in frustration. The largest denomination was twenty dollars, with the rest being tens and fives, totaling a hundred dollars.
"So, you really are dirt poor, huh?"
Kenneth chuckled helplessly. To be honest, he rarely saw bills of such small denominations.
After some thought, he made a call to Zoey. Just as he was about to leave, Lionel Mendez's call came in.
Emily took the last bus home. As she reached her doorstep, she remembered she had forgotten to buy medicine.
Since there were only a few households in the neighborhood, the surrounding shops had gradually closed down. The nearest pharmacy was probably several miles away.
"Forget it," Emily muttered as she unlocked the door and stepped into her home.
Zoey was still lounging on the couch, engrossed in her favorite pastime-watching TV dramas, especially those Korean ones.
Emily didn't pay her any mind and headed straight to the kitchen. As usual, there was no dinner waiting for her. Feeling a bit worn out, she decided to cook herself a bowl of instant noodles and sat down in the dining room to eat.
After finishing her meal and cleaning up, Emily was about to head upstairs when she suddenly remembered she might need some antiseptic. She was due to join a film crew soon, and her arms and legs were covered in scrapes. With the current season, infections were easy to catch, and she couldn't afford to let them get worse.
"Zoey, do we have any antiseptic? I scraped myself today," Emily asked politely, knowing she needed a favor.
Zoey glanced at her, then pulled a plastic bag from under the coffee table and handed it to her. "See how good I am to you? You don't know how lucky you are!"
Julia opened the bag and found it filled with antiseptics and wound-cleaning supplies, all brand new.
"Thanks!" she said, taking the bag and heading upstairs.
---
At the bar, the place was alive with vibrant lights and pulsating music, another night full of excitement.
In the center of the stage, a pole dancer was performing, drawing cheers from the crowd.
"Way to go!" shouted a fair-skinned, handsome young man with strikingly large, bright eyes that gleamed mischievously as he squinted.
This was Lionel Mendez, known to many as Mr. Lionel.
He took a swig from his bottle, then turned and draped an arm over Kenneth's shoulder.
"Kenneth, are you telling me that your fling that day was actually with your own wife? Your wife wants to have a baby by borrowing someone else's seed and cuckolding you?"
Kenneth glanced at him but remained silent, continuing to sip his drink.
"I'm telling you, a woman like that, if she does it once, she'll do it again.
And if she does it again, she'll do it a third time, and then a fourth, and so on. I can already see a green glow on your head! Hahaha!" Lionel Mendez said, patting Kenneth's head.
"Get lost!" Kenneth Butler glared at Lionel. After a moment of silence, he said, "I threatened her with her own photos, and she still wouldn't sleep with me. Plus, I saved her. It's a double test."
"Double test, my foot! You just haven't been around enough women! Women say no with their mouths, but their bodies tell the truth. Don't listen to what they say; listen to what they really mean."
Kenneth Butler pondered this. To be honest, when Emily Avery refused him today, he felt a secret joy. He had planned to reveal his identity to her, but after hearing Lionel Mendez's words, he thought there might be some truth to them.
Kenneth Butler suddenly turned his head. "Then why do you think she, being so young, wants to have a baby?"
"Who knows! Your wife is quite the odd one!" Lionel Mendez rubbed his clean-shaven chin. "But maybe she just wants an excuse to fool around!"
Kenneth narrowed his eyes.
"Who can say for sure! I can't imagine any young girl wanting to have a baby these days. Even women in their thirties, who are already successful in their careers, don't want to get married and have kids!"
Kenneth Butler nodded.
"Looks like I need to test her a bit more."
Lionel Mendez patted Kenneth Butler's shoulder. "Alright, stop thinking about your unlucky wife. Which chick caught your eye today? I'll help you get her! You deserve a break. Let's make sure you have a good time tonight!"
Kenneth pushed Lionel Mendez's hand away in disgust. "I'm leaving."
"Hey, don't go! You've already lost your innocence, why pretend to be pure now?"
Kenneth didn't say anything and strode out of the bar with determined steps.
He couldn't understand why all the women here wore heavy makeup and revealing clothes, but it made him feel sick to his stomach.
Soon, Emily would be joining a film crew to start shooting. Although her role as the third female lead wasn't extensive, it would still take about a month. She needed to arrange everything for Oliver before leaving and also finish his graduation thesis.
This week seemed to be the busiest week for Emily Avery.
To be honest, after her last separation from Kenneth, Emily felt a bit anxious. If he got angry and decided to release her photos, she would be in big trouble.
However, a few days passed without incident, and she gradually relaxed.
After finishing her thesis and making sure Oliver was settled, Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tomorrow was the day she would join the film crew, so she needed to pack her things tonight.
As soon as she walked through the door, Zoey ran up to her. "Why are you so late? Sir is coming back today! You need to get ready!"
