[This novel has 57 chapters on Patreon.]
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Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 119
Karlos was not sure if Larry would answer the call. Perhaps he was busy, but Karlos dialed the number anyway.
Immediately, Larry answered the phone.
"Hey, Karlos, right timing. I was actually thinking about buying gifts for your kids right now. What do you think are the best birthday gifts for them?"
"Anything that's not expensive," Karlos answered, surprised that Larry picked up the call.
"Not expensive? So about 10,000 pesos' worth?"
"..."
Ten thousand pesos was expensive. That was the average monthly salary of the middle class.
Karlos immediately realized that their sense of money was very different. Even though Karlos earned a decent amount of money daily, he was still not comfortable spending 10,000 pesos so casually.
"I- If you think so."
"So 10,000 pesos, I guess... That's quite small. I don't even know what to buy with that amount of money."
"You can buy a lot of things with that amount of money."
With 10,000 pesos, Karlos could buy more than ten sacks of rice. That amount would last them almost a year, since their rice consumption was not very high and the family only consisted of two adults.
"Is that so?" Larry sounded uncertain. To him, 10,000 pesos felt like loose change.
After some light conversation, Karlos finally talked about his real intention. He explained what had happened earlier, his tone growing heavier as he described the events in detail.
"You don't have to worry. It's just a simple matter," Larry assured him. His calm tone carried confidence, the kind that came from experience. He had settled issues like this countless times.
As expected, Larry could handle this kind of problem easily.
"I'll take care of it."
He already had ways to resolve it. The simplest method was money, just give Claire money. If she was not satisfied, give her more. And if she wanted to seek revenge, Larry had ways to prevent her from doing so.
It was obvious that Larry had experience with these kinds of situations. It was probably not his first time dealing with something like this.
Larry had been saved by Karlos, and he owed him greatly. Even handling matters like this felt insufficient to repay the favor.
There were times when Larry wanted to offer more help. He had even considered paying for their house construction, but he knew that would be an insensitive gesture, something Karlos and Maya would never appreciate. Larry didn't want to overstep, he wanted genuine friendship with Karlos.
That was why, tonight, he was genuinely happy that Karlos finally asked for help. At least this was something Larry could easily handle. A small grin appeared on his face as he felt a sense of fulfillment.
"Also, don't blame Mrs. Wanda. It's not her fault."
"Alright, if you say so. Your children's birthday is getting close, and you probably need another maid in the villa. I'll transfer one over."
"Thank you, Larry."
"You don't have to thank me. This isn't even a problem for me," Larry laughed deeply and heartily.
The call ended, and Karlos finally felt relieved. When he returned to the dining room, he saw that Mrs. Wanda had finished cooking dinner. The table was filled with dishes, and freshly cooked rice and meat were still steaming. The twins were excited to eat again.
Now that Claire was gone, Maya felt that eating in the dining room was safe. At the very least, she no longer had to worry about a maid casting dirty glances at her husband. Only Maya was allowed to look at Karlos like that. Her eyes softened as she met Karlos's gentle smile across the table.
Once they were full, the family returned to their room. Arabella and Iñigo immediately fell asleep, exhausted after playing all day.
The couple then had a sincere conversation. There was no intimate touching, but it was clear that they deeply loved each other. Karlos repeatedly promised Maya that she was the only woman he would ever love. It made Maya extremely happy. Her heart fluttered as she rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.
"Really, you love me that much?" she asked.
"Of course."
"What if I get fat? Would you still love me?"
"I will always love you."
"What if I go bald?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll still love you. Although I'll miss pulling your hair whenever I smash—alright, alright, no funny business." He raised his hands in surrender, grinning mischievously as Maya playfully smacked his arm.
"Then what if I turn into a worm? Would you still love me?"
"I'll put you in my stomach so we'll be together forever. That's how much I love you."
"Babe... you're disgusting."
Maya couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, her husband was deeply in love with her. There was no need for ridiculous hypothetical questions.
"Well, if you turn into a worm, I'll also put you in my stomach, because I want you to always be inside me," Maya replied with a teasing grin.
That answer was absolutely diabolical. It had another meaning.
Karlos chuckled and hugged her tightly. Even though what happened earlier was unpleasant, even though the tension had been suffocating, the couple found comfort in each other's arms and resolved everything through calm conversation. The conflict didn't even last a full day. By the time they fell asleep, there was no issue left between them.
...
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January 20, 2001.
Very early in the morning, Karlos and Foster were already at the wet market. They bought meat ranging from chicken to beef, along with vegetables. They purchased every essential item needed for the birthday party later that day.
They had woken up at 3 a.m. to maximize their time. For Karlos, waking up early was nothing unusual. For Foster, however, he yawned constantly, clearly not used to waking up so early.
After spending an hour at the market, they left with the truck filled to the brim with ingredients and supplies. They returned to the villa around 4 a.m.
By the time they arrived, the maids and Maya were already awake and preparing for the birthday celebration.
The new maid who had arrived two days ago was a middle-aged woman who previously worked at one of Araneto's mansions. She was transferred here after Claire was fired.
Three days had passed, and Claire never returned to the villa. It seemed that Larry had kept his promise and taken care of the issue. Karlos had initially expected a police officer to show up and arrest him for assaulting a woman, but it turned out that he had worried for nothing.
Did he regret what he did? Absolutely not. If he could go back in time and face the same situation again, he would still do the same thing. His purpose was to protect his wife and children. Although he admitted that what he did was technically wrong, one mistake could have landed him in jail.