The Runaway Groom

Still keeping her back to the camera, Lulu said, "My button was loose, and you saw it without saying a word. Is that respect?" Zachary reclined against his seat, perhaps exhausted from work as he rubbed his temples.

Still, he said, "But I saw nothing... Or was there something I was supposed to see?"

He did not mean it.

Moreover, he was a normal, physically healthy man, and she was the woman he loved-he certainly had some funny ideas!

Something would be wrong with him if he was unmoved!

Lulu bit her lip to repress her displeasure for Star's sake-she just had to be more careful from now on.

As she still kept her back to the camera, Zachary got upset and said, "You're working for me. What's the issue with doing as I tell you?"

Lulu was speechless-she certainly was being paid as a babysitter and should respect her employer's request.

In fact, why was she so repulsed, as if she could not take even a minor offense?

Holding tightly onto Star, she slowly turned around, keeping her head down and refusing to meet Zachary's eyes.

Zachary stared at her without missing a beat, intent on her making her respond.

Lulu refused, however, and kept her head down.

The stalemate lasted for minutes, and Zachary eventually gave in. "Thank you for taking care of Star..."

"It's nothing. It's just my job," Lulu quickly said.

"Get some rest."

With that, Zachary disconnected the video call.

As the screen darkened, tears trickled out of the corner of Lulu's eyes.

Star seemed to sense her mood and stopped squeezing her rubber duck.

"Ba... Yaya..."

Lulu composed herself as she held her, whispering under her breath, "Mommy wants to watch you grow up..."

With that, she took Star for her bath, read her a story, and patted her belly, coaxing her to sleep.

As endless darkness arrived, Lulu was struck with a sense of loneliness like never before.

She only found an anchor when she held Star, her loneliness caused because of her baby's presence.

She stared at Star's little face, which was fleshed out with soft pudginess and looked especially adorable in her sleep.

Lulu could feel warmth all over her heart seeing her little frame, and slowly closed her eyes.

She managed to sleep soundly that night.

Time slowly ticked past, and the darkness faded as dawn arrived over the horizon.

Thud, thud, thud-

Vivian was knocking on the door early in the morning, waking Lulu up.

She glanced at Star, ensuring that she was still asleep before getting the door.

Vivian was cutting a miserable

et

figure even as she stood there, her cheeks red in frustration to see Lulu standing there comfortably in her pajamas!

"You're really lucky, aren't you?" Vivian growled through her teeth.

Lulu frowned, perplexed-why did she have to vent her frustration on her?

"What's got your goat?" Lulu asked.

Vivian promptly spilled the beans.

"What a jinx! traveled all the way to

el.net

South City just to get Mr. Slate's favorite food, and it was such a taxing journey, but Mr. Slate wouldn't even see me! It's killing me how could he do this to me?! This is too much!"

Lulu stared at her, speechless.

Did she not understand the principle of doing unto others as you would

govem do unto you, or thate

too eager never

rworked?