Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 116: Down-to-Earth Mr. Sterling

Ruby waved her hand, "Back when I was under Dr. L, I endured a lot of hardships. The reason I succeeded so quickly, I think, is that I was in dire need of money. My daughter has a terminal illness and has been a money pit since birth." She spoke nonchalantly, not wanting to dwell on the hardships of the past.

Young remembered her first marriage with Ethan Sterling that ended in divorce after three years. She suddenly felt that Ruby’s glamorous appearance was just a facade to hide her scars, and the difficulties she went through were invisible to others.

Seeing Young lost in thought, Ruby added sincerely, "Actually, I think you’d be well-suited to be a Perfumer. This profession can be somewhat lonely; only by conducting hundreds, even thousands of experiments with essential oils can you achieve the scent you desire. You have a rare patience for solitude, which I really admire."

"You’re not trying to encourage me, are you?" Young was a bit surprised.

"Of course not. It’s because I trust you that I’m willing to share so much with you," Ruby smiled. "Even though I support your decision, I would be genuinely heartbroken if you did resign."

After the meal, Young went to take the subway, and Ruby returned to the office to continue working overtime.

As she reached the entrance, she noticed someone sitting in the lab and was stunned.

The lab door was fingerprint locked, only accessible to lab employees, Howard, and Ethan Sterling. And at the moment, who was sitting there in a daze but Ethan himself?

Ethan heard footsteps, turned to look at her, and complained, "Weren’t you supposed to be working overtime?"

Seeing him sitting there gloomily, Ruby didn’t find it frightening. Instead, she found it a bit cute. "Yes," she replied slowly, wondering if something was wrong with her brain for associating the word "cute" with Ethan Sterling.

Ethan frowned, "Then where did you go?"

"I..." Unable to hold back, she burped. The garlic in the seafood pasta made an especially awkward scent in the lab full of fragrant smells.

Ethan, sitting a meter away, caught a whiff of this inexplicable aroma, his expression worsening. "Don’t tell me you went to eat?" And you had garlic too. Planning to stink me out tonight?

A thought crossed Ethan’s mind; her nose was more sensitive than his. Was she trying to harm herself with this stench?

Ruby couldn’t decipher Ethan’s odd expression, not knowing the complex emotions behind it. She only felt that the atmosphere was too heavy and had to cover her nose with one hand and fan the air with the other. To ease the awkwardness, she asked him, "Do you need anything from me?"

"Nothing," Ethan glanced at his watch, not wanting to waste any more of her time. "I’ll be in my office. Come find me when you’re done."

"No need. I drove here today; you can leave first. I can drive myself back," Ruby responded honestly, seeing no reason for Ethan to wait for her at the office.

Ethan shot her a glance, "If you dare leave by yourself, you’ll be sorry tonight." With that, he stormed off in a huff.

Ruby blushed at the thought of Ethan’s mischievous punishment methods and blinked a few times.

In the office of the CEO, Ethan’s coffee table was laden with takeout, all of Ruby’s favorite foods.

He had thought she might not want to go out for dinner since she had to work late, so he ordered early, planning to call her to eat before continuing work. But when he went to find her, there was no one in The Fragrance Lab, and her office was locked.

Ruby’s office door only opened for her fingerprint, indicating that she wasn’t there.

Ethan waited for her in the lab, thinking she might have gone to the breakroom or restroom. Yet he ended up waiting for over an hour, and she actually had gone to eat dinner.

Eating takeout made him more frustrated, and he accidentally finished all of the dishes, leaving him collapsed on the sofa feeling even more miserable, rubbing his stomach unwilling to move.

When Ruby came to leave with him after work, he was still too full. While getting in the car, he couldn’t help but ask, "Do we have anything for digestion at home?"

Ruby thought for a moment, surprised that Ethan would overeat. She assumed he was disgusted by the garlic scent and wanted her to digest it quickly.

She hesitated but covered her mouth and deliberately turned her head, saying, "If you’re bothered by my breath, I can sleep in the guest room tonight."

Ethan couldn’t understand her logic, wondering how she concluded that he was disgusted with her. Spotting an open pharmacy on the roadside, he pulled over and went to buy a box of hawthorn pills.

When Ruby saw him chew one down right away, she was momentarily stunned, "You’ve got indigestion?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

Momentarily speechless, she mused that there really wasn’t a problem. It was just that his image seemed too otherworldly, and she never imagined indigestion as something that would happen to him.

Seeing Ruby laugh so hard she had to bend over and cover her mouth, Ethan felt a bit irritated, casting her a cold glance, "It’s because someone ditched her husband to eat by herself."

Ruby paused, thinking that had nothing to do with his indigestion, and bluntly said, "I was eating with Young."

Ethan felt as if a knife had flown from the sky, piercing his chest directly, "I’m starting to dislike that researcher."

"Hey!" Ruby felt anxious, "Young is an invaluable talent. If you’re not giving her a raise, don’t think about doing anything sketchy."

"Hmph." Ethan pouted like a child, with a smugness that puzzled Ruby.

Ruby found it both amusing and exasperating, feeling that he was in a rather good mood. She couldn’t help but ask, "Tell me, was Levi Joyce forced to resign by you?"

Ethan knew she would ask eventually, and he didn’t plan on hiding it. Besides, even if he didn’t say, Levi might.

"I didn’t force him; I offered him a great deal," he said, placing one hand on her leg. "I couldn’t stand a young guy constantly hanging around my wife."

Ruby heard him speak so convincingly and couldn’t help but laugh, "Don’t tell me you’re jealous?"

"Why not?" Ethan felt a bit embarrassed by her laughter, frowned, "Another part is thankfulness—he’s your lifesaver after all."

Ruby was stunned, looking at his profile, suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, and with some embarrassment, she shook his hand off, "Focus on driving." With that, she turned her head away.

She always thought that he might have been a bit disappointed she survived, thinking that if she had died, there would be none of these later troubles. But it turned out he was being truthful—he really wanted her alive.