My Four Miraculous Treasures

Willow wasn't in her office. Upon her desk lay an envelope. Tyson brought this back to Jasper.

It was a letter of resignation. Frowning, Jasper read the reason she'd given:noveldrama

'Sorry, I've found someplace better, so I'm leaving the Hughes Corporation.'

These words had been typed out and printed... but they were undersigned by Willow herself!

That was her own signature, no mistake!

Jasper's expression became grim.

Willow actually had the gall to quit?! How did she plan to pay the two-hundred- dollar penalty?

He called HR. The Director of Human Resources informed him, "Willow resigned of her own volition, and paid her penalty on the spot the full total of two hundred thousand dollars. According to her, her new employer provided the necessary funds to secure her services immediately."

As per Frank's instructions, Jasper was absolutely not to know that Willow had actually been fired. In case he asked, the HR Director was to come up with a convincing story about Willow resigning voluntarily.

After wracking her brain the whole morning, she'd settled on this as the most plausible story.

Having heard this report straight from the mouth of the HR Director herself, Jasper had now become the epicenter of a brewing thunderstorm.

Without another word, he hung up.

Willow returned to her apartment, with Rachel alongside her.

Lara told her about how earlier, she'd only stepped out for a minute, when little Hailey came chasing after her for some milk, and nearly got hit by a car when she stepped out onto the road.

Simply hearing about this caused tears of fright to well up in Willow's eyes. She scooped up her daughter in her arms and stroked her face tenderly, her heart caught in the grip of barely contained panic over what might have happened.

"Hailey, dear... you can ask the nice old lady next door to get some milk for you. You can also learn to make it from milk powder yourself. So no more going out on your own anymore, okay?"

Nuzzled in the warm embrace of her own mother, Hailey nodded obediently. "Okay. I'll learn to make my own milk, since the granny next door is always too busy to talk with me."

The forthright innocence of the child caused Willow's heart to roil with grief and regret.

Wiping away her tears, she set the girl down, then knelt down to talk to her. "Mommy's got time for you," she said gently. "I'll teach you how, alright?"

"Uhuh! Alright!" Hailey nodded enthusiastically.

"Mommy, teach me too!" Lilith came running in on her short little legs.

"Me too!" Julian had his hand raised. "Then I can prepare milk for everyone!"

Tristan spoke up, a serious expression upon his handsome face: "I want to learn, too." His reasons were the same as Julian's.

Seeing her children all so bright and hopeful and so full of affection for one another, Willow felt blessed but also heartbroken.

"Alright. Everyone come along, then. Mommy will teach you." Willow led them into the kitchen, where she fetched the milk powder and several bottles from the cupboard.

Combining freshly boiled hot water with some cold water to produce warm water, she placed several spoonfuls of milk powder into each bottle.

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As she worked, she explained what she was doing: "120 ml of water to four spoonfuls of milk powder. 150 ml of water if it's five spoonfuls instead. Cap the bottle, then shake it, just like this... once it's all mixed through, it's ready to drink

"Okay, I got it! wanna make it myself, now!Lilith said confidently. Hurrying over to the stove, she reached up to get the kettle. Unable to reach high enough to get a good grip on it, she caused it to tip over instead. Boiling hot water came splashing out...

"Watch out!" Willow shrieked.