the power of now

"AAhhh... You are so tight." Ash groaned in ecstasy. "Ah... Ash! harder..Keep doing that...Please." I asked him shamelessly. After being betrayed by her ex and her elder sister, Catherine swore to become the couple’s aunt! With that, she took an interest in her ex-boyfriend’s uncle. Chapter 1 Slap! A resounding slap landed on Catherine Jones’ face. “You’ve really let me down. Your sister has had a rough time out there for more than 20 years, and here you are planning to snatch the man from her. How could you?!” Covering the part of her face that was aching, Catherine looked at her mother incredulously. “Mom, Ethan is my boyfriend. How can you guys be so unreasonable?” Catherine had just come home after a business trip, only to see her long-lost elder sister, Rebecca Jones, sitting with her boyfriend, Ethan Lowe, on the couch. Her sister, who returned not long ago, was holding Ethan’s arm and seemed intimate with him. Seated on the other side of the couch were both Rebecca and Ethan’s parents who were having a pleasant chat with each other. In fact, Ethan was Catherine’s childhood sweetheart! She could not help but come up to Rebecca to question her. However, she ended up being slapped by her mother in the face right there and then! “Mom, please stop hitting Cathy.” With an anxious look, Rebecca said, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come back…” Ethan quickly held her shoulders. “No, Rebecca. It’s my fault. I’ve always treated Catherine as my sister, which is probably why she misunderstood my feelings for her.” Something seemed to have exploded in Catherine’s head. The pain was so terrible that she could barely breathe. “Stop!” She found those words unbearable. “You’re the one who should shut your mouth. Is this how you’re supposed to speak to your sister?” Mrs. Jones told her off sulkily. “Can’t you just be tolerant of Rebecca, considering that she has gone through 20 years of hardships?” Shocked, Catherine was slightly slack-jawed. At that point, Mr. Jones stood up and told her off glumly as well. “Are you done? Ethan isn’t into you either. We still need to discuss Rebecca’s engagement party now. Get lost. You’re such an eyesore here.” All of a sudden, she felt like a joke. These people were the ones she cared most about, yet every one of them was taking Rebecca’s side at that moment. Tears were seen streaming down her face. After wiping the tears away, Catherine turned around and left with her suitcase without looking back. She sped through the journey once she got into the Maserati. Not knowing where to go, she stopped and called her best friend, Freya Lynch. “Come and have a drink.” Her voice sounded hoarse amid her sobs. Freya immediately agreed. “Sure. I’ll be there in a moment.” By the time Freya rushed over to S1897 pub, Catherine had already finished one whole bottle of drink by herself. “You came at the right time. Let’s have a drink together. I’ve ordered a lot.” “What’s wrong?” It was very rare for Freya to find Catherina behaving in such a manner. She sympathized deeply with Catherine. “Where’s Ethan??” “He’s ditched me, and he’s going to get engaged to Rebecca.” Freya gaped. “What kind of a campy plot is this?” Catherine briefly told her what happened that evening. Freya felt a sense of incredulity. Ethan and Catherine were childhood sweethearts who had established a romantic relationship since high school. Throughout these years, however, Catherine studied abroad while Ethan was busy with work. It explained why they had yet to get engaged. Both their parents were under no illusions about it. They also gave their blessings to the couple. Everyone in the entertainment industry knew that the couple would get married sooner or later. Now, it turned out that Ethan had gotten together with Rebecca, which would then make Catherine a laughing stock. “This is absurd. You and Rebecca should be equally important to your parents. Are your dad and mom out of their minds?” Catherine clutched the bottle. “They probably feel that Rebecca has suffered too much out there. Now that she’s back, they just want to give her the best.” Freya was in a state of disbelief. “But you’re their daughter too!” Catherine forced out a smile. “Hah. Now that Rebecca has returned, all they care about is Rebecca. “Since young, they’re the ones who wanted to marry me off to Ethan. Now that I’m treating the matter seriously, they’re calling me immature. “Also, Ethan promised to be with me forever, yet he has changed his mind just like that. I hate him…” Toward the end of her sentence, Catherine began to choke. Holding the bottle, she started feeling a little dizzy. “Don’t drink too much.” Freya grabbed Catherine’s bottle to divert her attention from it. After that, she glanced around the pub. Never did she expect to see a familiar figure. “Hey, look there!” Freya gave Catherine a push and pointed to the man who was sitting at a corner. The man had his eyes closed and was leaning against the couch, giving off an aura of brilliance. When the rotating spotlight shone on him from time to time, he looked so attractive that his face was just like the perfect side profile one often saw in comic books. After a glimpse, Catherine averted her eyes from him. “No matter how attractive he is, I’m in no mood to enjoy anything that’s pleasant to the eye right now.” “I’m trying to tell you that the man is Ethan’s uncle.” Ethan previously mentioned that he had a mysterious uncle. However, his uncle managed a company in a foreign country, so she had never seen him. A few days ago, she heard that his uncle had returned. “My brother told me when we attended a party the other day. I heard he’s clever with tricks. Even Zachary is at his mercy.” Zachary Lowe was Ethan’s father. Catherine’s eyes glowed. She had an idea crossing her mind at that instant. “Well... What do you think will happen if I marry his uncle?” “Pff...” Shocked, Freya spat out the wine from her mouth. “Say that again.” Catherine gazed intently at the tall, handsome figure. “Since I can’t become the Lowe family’s daughter-in-law, I shall be Ethan’s aunt to fill the couple with love. “I’m on your side! His uncle’s appearance is perfect. Even Ethan isn’t as good-looking as his uncle. His uncle’s wealth and power are also comparable to that of the Lowe family.” Catherine was dazed for a second. Freya might be straightforward, but what she said was true. Catherine snatched Freya’s purse on impulse to search for lipstick and foundation. Her pure face soon looked radiant. Freya blinked. “Uh, are you sure you can deal with him?” “He’s just a man, isn’t he?” Catherine swept her hair over one shoulder, then held a half-full glass of drink. With a tipsy and pretty look, she walked toward the man proudly. “Hi. Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me the time now?” Catherine tapped her finger on his shoulder twice. When the man opened his eyes under the dim light, the word ‘devil’ flashed through Catherine’s mind. Her brain shorted out for a few seconds. After regaining her senses, she wore a pretty smile and said, “I think our first encounter here is the start of our happiness.” With furrowed brows, Shaun Hill coldly said, “I’m not a doctor. I don’t provide treatment.” “What?” “You’re crazy, aren’t you?” The man’s lips moved slightly. Nevertheless, the words that came out of his mouth were extremely mean. At that moment, Catherine felt like getting a mirror to take a hard look at herself. Was she not pretty? Really? “I’m actually crazy, crazy for you.” Catherine swiftly calmed down and gave an embarrassed smile. “I started getting crazy when I met you for the first time.” “Alright, I got it. You may leave now.” The man averted his eyes away from her in a careless manner. From his expression, it seemed that he was unbothered by her. Catherine was deeply hurt. She was a great beauty and the pride of Sydney. At this moment, she had the urge to turn away. The moment she pictured herself becoming Ethan’s aunt, however, she summoned up the courage to talk to him again. “Pretty boy, could I add your contact to my w******p?” Lying on the couch lazily with his eyes closed, Shaun looked delicately elegant. “Pretty boy, could you give me your number? “Pretty boy, could you tell me your name? “Pretty boy, you look so charming with your eyes closed that women just find it irresistible.” Annoyed by the owner of the voice, Shaun opened his eyes and asked in annoyance, “What on earth do you want?” “I want to marry you,” Catherine blurted out. The corners of Shaun’s mouth twitched. While smiling, Catherine added, “Actually, I’m quite a catch. I’m 22 this year, and I graduated from the University of New South Wales. I’m a competent woman who does well both at home and in public. Moreover, I’ll pamper my husband. I’m capable of earning money too. I’m healthy and don’t have any bad habits. Above all, I’m not a fickle lover.” Shaun was speechless. He rubbed his eyes, then gazed at her strangely. Catherine raised her hand. “I can swear that from now on, I’ll only treat you well and promise you everything I’ve said...” “Stop.” “If you want to marry me, bring your birth certificate and meet me at the registry office at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.” The man stared down at her with one hand in his pocket. Catherine was dumbfounded. She then stammered, “Are you lying to me?” “You can give it a go.” Upon looking away, Shaun turned around and swaggered to leave. The plot twist happened so quickly that Catherine suspected she had drunk too much. Such a thought remained until Freya came to tap her on the shoulder. She said sympathetically, “Don’t get too upset. It’s not easy to capture the heart of a wealthy and handsome man. Keep it up—” “No. He told me to meet him at the entrance of the registry office tomorrow at 10 a.m.,” Catherine replied with a dazed look. Freya remained uncannily quiet for a moment before she burst out laughing. “Congratulations on becoming Ethan’s aunt!” Catherine asked, “You believe him?” Freya forcefully pinched Catherine’s soft face. “Why not? Please. With your naturally pure look, you can easily beat those young ladies in the entertainment industry. Let’s go and have a drink to celebrate your marriage.” Catherine seriously wondered how much Freya had drunk while she was away. A Bentley Mulsanne slowly moved toward the pub entrance. The valet opened the car door, and Shaun subsequently went to the backseat. He undid the two buttons of his shirt while leaning against the leather seat lazily. “Didn’t I tell you to keep it low-key?” Hadley Young politely replied, “This is actually the cheapest car in the Hill family’s house.” Shaun frowned a little. “Who else knows that I’m in Melbourne?” “No one except Senior Madam.” Shaun’s brows relaxed. By the look of things, the woman’s appearance just now was sheer coincidence. “Find out who this person is. I want to know her information before dawn.” The morning sun shone through the curtains. Catherine, who was deep asleep, was woken by the noise outside. Just as she opened her eyes, she saw Ethan opening the door and striding into her room. Freya, who followed him into the room, roared. “This is my house! You’re basically invading my home!” “Sure enough, you’re here.” Ethan stared keenly at Catherine who had bloodshot eyes and slightly messy hair. Catherine became wide awake at that moment, her eyes expressing dejection. “The two of you should have a good chat. It hasn’t been easy being together for so many years.” After some thought, Freya turned around and left, closing the door behind her. The room was silent. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ethan stretched out his hand to touch her hair. With a scornful look, Catherine dodged away from his hand. “Does Rebecca know that you’re here?” Ethan’s handsome face froze, then he clenched his fist. “Cathy, you’re probably unaware that the Jones family has decided to give Rebecca 80 percent of the company’s shares.” Catherine was so shocked that her lips turned pale. “This is impossible.” “It’s true. Your dad said it himself.” Catherine seemed to have grasped everything within minutes. She lifted her head and looked at her childhood sweetheart whom she loved back then. Tears began to gush from her eyes. “So that’s why you abandoned me and chose Rebecca, right?” Ethan gripped her hands. “This is just temporary. I’ve just gotten engaged to Rebecca, but I’ll leave our wedding on the back-burner. As you know, my dad has an illegitimate son. If I don’t do this, I wouldn’t even be able to compete. Cathy, I just want to provide you with a good life.” “Liar.” Catherine snatched her hand out of his grasp and threw insults at him. “You’re only 25. Even if you don’t get any inheritance from your family, can’t you just start your own business?” “You’re too naive.” Ethan stood up slowly, hiding the emotions in his eyes. He said helplessly, “It’s not in our power to choose certain things due to our background.” Catherine looked cold without uttering a word as she found it unreasonable. Amid the silence, Ethan sighed softly. “Give me three years, Cathy. You’re still young. You can afford to wait.” Catherine nearly went mad. How dare he say such things in a self-righteous manner when he only wanted to make her keep her youth for him? “You’ve chosen to be engaged to Rebecca for the sake of your career. Who knows whether you’ll marry her three years later? Please get out of my face. I don’t want to see you anymore!” “Time will show my love for you. You can be upset with me, but don’t go out and drown your sorrows with alcohol. It’s not good for your health.” Since Catherine was not going along with what he said, he merely advised her before he turned around and left. Upon hearing the door shut, Catherine flung a pillow to the wall with reddened eyes and spent a few seconds sitting still. After that, she frantically put on her shirt and dashed out. “He’s left. What’s the point of going after him?” Freya quickly stopped her. Catherine took a deep breath, then gnashed her teeth. “I agreed to meet him at 10 a.m. to get married.” Freya said, “You actually believe him?” “Didn’t you say you believed him last night?” Freya embarrassedly replied, “That’s because I drank too much.” “What if he’s serious about it?” Catherine pushed her away and ran out. Catherine took a taxi directly to the Jones family’s house. At that time, Mr. Jones had already gone to work. She rushed upstairs to take her birth certificate. Just as she walked to the living room, she saw Rebecca coming out of the study with a large pile of documents. “You’re finally back, Sis. I was still worried about what happened yesterday.” A guilty look spread across Rebecca’s face. “It’s just that Ethan is really not into you. You can’t force someone to love you.” Catherine shot her a cold gaze. “Enough is enough. You can stop acting since there’s no one else here. I underestimated you before this.” “Don’t treat me this way.” Rebecca bit her lip, her tears streaming down her face. “I’ll just yield to your demands in the future, okay? I won’t get involved in matters related to the company. I’ll pass you these documents.” As she was speaking, she shoved the documents into Catherine’s hands. Catherine found it strange and subconsciously extended her hands to push the documents away. As a result, all the documents dropped to the floor. “What are you guys doing?” Suddenly, Sally Lennon walked down the stairs and caught sight of Rebecca’s teary face as well as the scattered documents. “Aren’t these the company’s documents that your dad asked you to go through?” “Don’t be mad at her, Mom. It’s my fault.” With a pale face, Rebecca hurriedly explained, “Cathy asked me to stop getting involved in the company’s matters and hand these documents to her. I was planning on giving her the documents, but she’s probably unhappy about the issue with Ethan, so—” “You’re lying—” “Stop!” Sally glared at Catherine. “Who gave you the right to have a hand in the company’s matters? It’s your dad and me who asked Rebecca to go through the documents. Rebecca will officially become the manager of the company next week. You’d better behave yourself.” Catherine was dumbfounded. “Speaking of education and experience, I’m more qualified than her. Despite joining the company one year earlier than her, I’m not even a manager yet. What gives her the right to jump to a managerial position just like that?” “Mom, I’d better not become a manager. I don’t want to ruin my relationship with Cathy,” Rebecca immediately said while sobbing. Sally’s heart ached very badly. “Look how much Rebecca cares about your sisterhood. What about you? You’re narrow-minded and calculating. You’re not even qualified to be a manager. No wonder Ethan would choose Rebecca instead.” Both Rebecca and Catherine were her daughters. However, Sally was so biased toward Rebecca that she believed everything she said. Catherine had been by her mother’s side since young. Did Sally not know her character? As anger rushed through her body in a way that had never happened before, Catherine took two steps backward. “Fine. Since I’m so terrible, I’ll leave, okay?” She went to her room right after she finished speaking. She got a suitcase and subsequently stuffed her clothes into it. Rebecca’s voice came from the door. “Mom, Cathy’s mad. We should talk her out of leaving.” “Don’t bother with her. That’s just how she behaves. She has been pampered too much. She’ll come back two days later. Let’s go and buy you some clothes since you’re going to get engaged soon.” After 40 minutes, Catherine saw a man’s figure at the entrance of the registry office. She rushed toward him after parking her car. “You actually came.” The woman’s voice was filled with surprise and joy. Catherine was aware that a few young women who were going into the registry office to get married were casting glances at him. “What a handsome man.” The man beside the woman said, “The girl looks pretty too.” “That’s true. They match each other well. Their future children will probably be good-looking, unlike ours. How worrying...” When the discussion reached Shaun’s ears, he said straight away, “We won’t have children.” Catherine was at a loss for words. Shaun said, “We’ll divorce three years later. I’ll give you a sum of money which will be enough for you to live the rest of your life. Also, I won’t meet your family. Think about it carefully. If you can’t go along with this deal, you can leave.” Catherine felt like something was stuck in her heart. She was under the impression that he liked her at first sight last night. She did not mind him not loving her at first sight, though. With her charisma, she believed that she could win the man’s heart in three years’ time. She had to consolidate her identity as Ethan’s aunt. “Alright.” Once the two of them entered the registry office, they first went to take pictures together. The cameraman, who had spent a long time taking pictures of them, was not satisfied with the outcome. “Can’t you guys get close to each other and look sweet? Also, sir, please smile.” An impatient look crossed Shaun’s face. Catherine immediately hooked her arm around his, then said with a smile, “His facial nerves have been damaged, so don’t force him anymore. Just let him be.” “...” Deeply insulted, Shaun shot an icy glare at the woman who was wearing a cheery smile. “You’d better stop talking if you want to stop taking pictures,” Catherine whispered in his ear boldly while standing on tiptoes. Shaun froze and remained silent. After Shaun and Catherine were done taking pictures, they headed to the first floor to register their marriage. It was only when Shaun took out his citizenship certificate that Catherine finally learned his real name—Shaun Hill. However, Ethan’s mother’s surname was Lyons. In that case, his uncle’s surname was supposed to be Lyons as well. In a daze, Catherine asked, “Why is your surname Hill?” “Uh-huh.” As Shaun was lowering his head to sign the documents, he did not bother to know what she meant. He casually answered, “I adopted my mom’s surname.” “Oh.” Catherine finally understood. She had been filled with fear earlier, thinking that it was a case of mistaken identity. She approached him for the very reason that he was Ethan’s uncle. However, she felt that something was somehow not right. Ten minutes later, the marriage certificates were issued. Catherine felt a twinge of sadness but found this to be incredible at the same time. Since young, she had always assumed she would marry Ethan. Against her expectations, she married a man whom she had only met once. “Here’s my contact number. I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.” Shaun jotted his number on a piece of blank paper for her before he left. “Wait a minute...” Catherine stopped him the moment she came back to her senses. “Now that we’re a married couple, we should live together.” With a dull expression, he replied, “I don’t enjoy living with someone else.” “I’m your legal wife, not someone else. Even if we’re going to divorce three years later, we should still live together.” Shaking the marriage certificate in her hand, Catherine pouted in an attempt to gain his sympathy. “I’m really miserable. Ever since my long-lost sister returned, my parents have been treating me with contempt. Now that I’ve been kicked out of the house, I don’t have a place to stay.” “You can go and rent a place.” Shaun walked away with indifference. “Don’t abandon me, hubby!” Catherine suddenly let out a howl, hooking her arm around his. “I’m left with nothing but you right now.” Her increasingly loud voice had attracted a lot of sidelong glances in the registry office. Pulling a long face, Shaun regretted getting married to her at random. “Fine. I live in Jadeite Bay. Go there on your own.” Shaun could not help but stomp out of the registry office. He then warned her softly, “You’ll sleep in the guest room. You’re not allowed to step into my room.” Secretly elated, Catherine believed that he would be the one begging her to enter his room in the future. “By the way, don’t disturb Fudge.” “Fudge?” Catherine gasped. “You already have a son?” Shaun raised his eyebrows. “Take good care of him.” Once he finished his sentence, he left straight away. Catherine was so shocked that he forgot to go after Shaun. Although she had braced herself to marry someone she did not love, she was not at all ready to be someone’s stepmother. At last, she dashed into the mall to buy children’s toys after glancing at Ethan’s photo. A person named Fudge had to be a boy. After selecting several types of toy cars and Lego sets, she drove to Jadeite Bay. Carrying a variety of things, she took a deep breath in front of the door. She punched in the password and the door was opened. A friendly smile spread across her face. “Hi, Fudge—” “Meow!” A cat with a white body and light yellow ears was seen lying on the couch lazily. It produced a cute sound in the quiet living room. “...” Catherine blinked. “Fudge?” “Meowww!” Catherine was speechless. Shaun should have explained this earlier. She had spent the past few hours worrying about being a stepmother! A feeling of helplessness washed over her. Then, she scanned around the house that had three bedrooms and two living areas. There was a master bedroom, a guest room, and a study. Was this really the residence of Ethan’s uncle? The man was supposed to be a successful entrepreneur. It was one thing if he chose not to live in a grand villa, but there was no sign of luxury in this place at all. Something did not feel right. Could it be possible that this man was not Ethan’s uncle? The overthinking was painful to Catherine. She retrieved her phone to ring her friend. “Are you sure that he’s Ethan’s uncle?” “Of course, I heard it from my brother. He even had a meal with that man before.” “I was afraid that I married the wrong man.” “Well, the two of you should treat me to dinner at the very least.” “Um... Nothing has really happened between us yet.” Catherine summoned up the courage to explain her exchange with the man. “You’ve got such a pretty face but love hasn’t been easy for you.” Freya showed her sympathy. “But don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll surrender to your sugar-coated bullets in no time.” “I believe so.” After the phone call ended, Catherine dropped by the nearby supermarket. The new house was too cold and empty to be called a home. It definitely needed a new makeover. 4:00 p.m. at Jennings Solicitors. Shaun had just flipped open the document file when Chase Harrison stepped foot in his office. “Congratulations! Should we have dinner with your new wife tonight?” “It’s not like you don’t know the real reason why I got married,” Shaun replied coolly without lifting his head, his eyes glued to the words on the documents. “You truly are inconstant in love. I heard that Catherine Jones is quite a beauty. Aren’t you at least a little bit interested?” Chase was filled with excitement. Shaun paused what he was doing for a split second. He recalled the woman’s smooth, milky skin and her face that was as beautiful as a blooming flower. However, her behavior... He replied several seconds later, “I’ve seen countless attractive women.” “Fair point. An insignificant young lady from Melbourne wouldn’t stand a chance to be your wife if you weren’t trying to avoid an arranged marriage set up by the elders of your family. Indeed, she’s not a good match for your grand status.” Chase let out a meaningful sigh. “So, the famous undefeatable legend has returned. How are you adapting to working in a small place like Melbourne?” “It’s certainly an experience to live like a common person.” “Tsk.” Chase hissed. “The world is so unfair. We graduated at the same time but you’ve already climbed to the top of the ladder.” “It all comes down to the structure of our brains,” Shaun replied, lifting his indifferent gaze. Chase gritted his teeth at the humiliation. “Forget it, I’ll leave this as is. Do me a favor, let’s have dinner with several other solicitors of the company tonight.” “Hmm,” Shaun replied. His phone then beeped with a notification sound. He picked up his phone to see an incoming text from someone named ‘Shaunerine’. [Hubby, this is Cathy.] Shaun did not know what to reply. He massaged the space between his eyebrows and accepted the message request. [Hubby, will you be home for dinner?] Catherine sent another text within seconds. Shaun: [No. Don’t call me that.] Shaunerine: [Fine then, I’ll call you Shaunny. It’s a cute name.] He did not know what else to say. Later that night. The group of people was enjoying dinner in the interestingly designed courtyard-style restaurant. The bunch of lawyers exchanged their opinions on the new cases recently taken in by the law firm. Shaun listened absent-mindedly when he heard a notification alert on his phone again.