"Because you are too kind."

She shook her head.

"Tessie and I have been friends for a long time, even longer than I knew Rhea. You know, one of the most vivid memories of my life is from my third year of senior high school. It was right after the State Holiday—Tessie was with me. When the festival was over, we didn't go back to the dormitory. Instead we sat by the river and watched the moon in the middle of the night. You know, when they're best friends, kids always make promises at times like that. Ours was that we would treat each other's children as our own. Who knows, we might even become in-laws when our children grow up."

After Tessie gave birth to Ethan, Erica did keep her promise and treat him as her own son. However, she didn't expect her friend to have cheated her.

Erica draped an arm across her eyes to hide the tears she felt coming.

“I thought when my hair is grey, I would have my husband, my children and my best friends all with me..."

She had imagined a sweet and happy life in her old age.

Now, though, it seemed that the future that she had imagined would never be; she'd had to end her friendship with Tessie today.

Matthew looked down and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't cry. I promise you. I'll ask someone to keep an eye on her there. If she changes for the better, we'll just Leave her alone, and then she can go anywhere she wants. Okay?"

Like he said, his wife was too kind for her own good.

"Okay!" Erica sobbed, nodding.

Even if Tessie had cheated her, she couldn't just sit by and watch her suffer too much.

They stayed there for a while, with Matthew comforting his wife, hoping that someday, perhaps, she wouldn't let herself be hurt so easily.

But eventually they had to leave the station. Matthew dropped her off back at the school, then went back to his company.

After settling in his office, he called Paige in. She came in to find him framed before the large window, staring out into the city. With a slightly theatrical air, he turned around and asked her, “What's the significance of the surname Niugulu?"

Paige was speechless for a moment. ‘Is Mrs. Erica being naughty again?‘ she wondered. Last time, Erica had called the CEO "Matthew Xitala." To confirm her guess, Paige asked tentatively, “What is the first name before the surname Niugulu?"

Matthew simply answered, “Erica Niugulu."

Paige held back her Laughter. Mrs. Erica was so naughty and cute.

“Mr.

Matthew, there is a famous female leading character in a historical TV series. The setting is in the imperial palace of the ancient times," she explained.

"The heroine used to be a simple and innocent girl. But after experiencing many intrigues in the imperial household, she became a very intelligent and shrewd empress and was granted the Manchurian surname of Niugulu by the emperor. After this series became popular, people on the Internet turned the name Niugulu into a kind of meme. It refers to an innocent and weak girl who changes in order to become scheming and manipulative against her enemies."

Mrs. Erica was such a weird girl. Paige silently thought that she had to watch more historical dramas after she went back home.

"So that's what Erica Niugulu means?' Matthew mused to himself.

‘Erica wants to become a scheming, manipulative woman?' It was one of the most bizarre ideas he'd heard in a while. He really couldn't imagine his wife becoming that.