Lilly's Frustration and James's Insights

James and Lily have already had dinner. Lily was sitting in the dining room waiting for Ava. She heard the front door open and saw Ava came home.

"Why are you so late?" Lily asked in a slightly angry tone.

"I had something to do." Ava looked at the food on the dining table and suddenly realized she haven't had anything to eat since she woke up at the noon. Now she was feeling very hungry.

Lily looked at Ava carefully, her face was glowing. These days after she broke up with Oliver she has been like a living corpse but today she looks different, she is smiling and looking energetic. Suddenly Lily felt a fear in her heart, she asked worriedly, "Ava, you are not back with Olive, are you?"

Ava ignored Lily's question and quietly went to the dining table and sat down. Her hungry tummy was making angry noises so she started to eat.

How could Lily not understand why Ava was ignoring her question, looks like her suspicion was correct. Lily sat down solemnly and said, "You are." It was not a question.

"Mom, what if we got back together?" Ava put down her chopstick and looked at Lilly carefully.

"Ava I hope you know what you are doing. Oliver is not right for you why can't you see that?" Lily said annoyed.

"What's wrong with Oliver? He is a good man, loves me very much, his financial conditions are also very good and he will be able to give me a good life. He is an ideal son-in-law. Isn't that what every parent wants for their daughter?" Ava picked up the chopsticks again and put a piece of braised pork into her mouth.

"Yes, I didn't say he was bad in fact, that is the problem he is just too good for us. In which way we can match with their status?" Lily said helplessly.

"Mom, we are in love so those things don't matter to us. I don't want to be in a loveless marriage. I want to live my life not survive it every day." Ava said every word rationally and very seriously.

"So, you two made up?" Lily said in a slightly lost voice. She couldn't understand why her daughter was so stubborn about being with Oliver.

Ava decided not to hide it. Eventually, she will have to tell her so why not now. Ava nodded, "Yes."

"And what about Sam? Do you think Oliver will accept that you slept with Sam?" Lily said sharply.

"Oh Mom, I forgot to tell you, actually nothing happened between me and Sam that night. It's a long story and I don't want to get into details. It was just a misunderstanding."

Lily felt very complicated in her heart, she stared at Ava for a while then said in a weak voice, "But Ava, have you ever thought about the future? What if Oliver is not really in love with you? Or Knight International goes bankrupt one day, facing billions of debts, what would you do then?"

"Mom, that can happen to anyone I get married to. We don't know what the future holds for us, so why worry about it? And as for Oliver, I have no doubt that he loves me and I also love him very much." Ava looked at Lily and said firmly.

Lily didn't know how to convince her daughter anymore she sat there with a sullen face. After dinner, Ava made an excuse to write a paper and went to her room.

Lily felt very frustrated she decided to talk to James. Ava has always been attached to her father and normally listened to him, maybe he would be able to convince her. Lily pushed open the study door and entered with a glass of hot milk for James. James was at his desk reading a file very seriously. It has been always like that since Lily married James. He is very serious about his work, he would plan his work in advance and execute them efficiently.

Lily looked at the man at the desk and suddenly remembered the young man who started his business from scratch. James was very poor but he was ambitious and very hard working. Lily's family was a scholar family and was well off on the society. So when James asked for Lily's hand in marriage her parents denied it directly. They believed a poor man like James wouldn't be able to give Lilly a good life.

James was still struggling at that time to make a footing in his business. But Lily was determined to be with him and they secretly got married. Later when she was pregnant with Ava her family had no other choice but to accept James. After Ava was born, James established the Green group and from then on his business gradually started to expand. Lily followed James from the beginning and supported him as much as she could. She admired James's courage and sense of responsibility.

In fact, Lily always wanted her daughter to find a man like James. She didn't mind her son-in-law being poor if he had the sense of responsibility and took good care of Ava that was enough for her. That was the reason she liked Sam over Oliver. Although Oliver was a successful businessman but she was not sure if he could take good care of Ava. She didn't doubt his ability she just doubted his character. Oliver is always associated with different women and young models from his company and known as a womanizer. How could she trust him with her only daughter?

"What happened? Why are you upset?" James raised his eyes and saw Lily was lost in deep thought, he knew immediately something was bothering his wife.

"I'm worried about Ava. She has made up with Oliver." Lily put down the milk and sat down on the sofa.

James relaxed, he wasn't worried about Ava being with Oliver. He smiled and said calmly, "Lil, I don't think you need to be worried about this, maybe Oliver is the one she is destined to be with. Why worry then? Be happy and bless your daughter,"

"You really think so?" Lily asked uncertainly.

"Well, yes, I do."

"But I don't know why I feel very uncomfortable. I always feel like Oliver will cheat Ava." Lily said with a heavy heart.

James stood up and came to Lily's side then said softly: "Lil, do you remember, when you decided to be with me, your parents didn't accept me but aren't we doing well now?"

"It's not the same."

"It's nothing different. I know you are worried thinking his association with other women but in the upper-class society, it's normal. Besides Oliver runs a multinational company, it's important for him to maintain good relations with both men and women from different sectors so he can run his business smoothly. There is nothing wrong with that." James sat down beside Lily and held her affectionately in his arm.

"I know what you said is true but I still can't help but worry," Lily said, holding her forehead in a headache.

"Lil, do you believe in me?"

"Of course I do," Lily said without hesitation.

"Listen to me. The day Oliver had dinner with us, I played chess with him. I observed him the whole time and realized he was deliberately letting me win but he didn't make it obvious which made me feel that Oliver is very sensible. If he didn't care enough for Ava then he wouldn't bother to make a good impression on us. He is intelligent but at the same time, he is also humble. I don't think if Ava decided to marry him it will be anything bad for her in fact, I think quite the opposite, I think Oliver will be very good to our Ava."

"But he is the Knight, how we are going to match with their status? Wouldn't people say that we are social climbers if we let Ava marry him?" Lily sighed.

"Lil, you are worrying for nothing. As long as we have a clear conscious why should we care about other people? My intuition tells me Oliver is a good man and Ava will be happy with him." James smiles calmly.

"Really? You think so?" Lily was surprised James was so calm about this matter.

"Yes. Now calm down and let Ava be with Oliver if that's what she wants." James smiled and hugged Lily happily.

Lily was short-tempered and would easily get swayed by meaningless things but James always thinks about matters deeply before reaching any conclusion so when comes to matter like this, James was indeed better than Lilly.