Chapter88
“For example, it can chat with you, go for walks with you, and adjust its personality based on your preferences. If it’s for elderly people living alone, it can also have more safety and health monitoring systems.”
“Of course, some of these ideas are just my own. Because putting all smart controls into a single robot that’s also
lightweight and affordable will require a lot more research and experimentation.”
As Harriet spoke enthusiastically, Ellsworth just sat there
holding the book, watching her.
It wasn’t until she noticed Ellsworth’s gaze that Harriet realized she might have been talking too much and possibly disturbing
him.
Feeling a bit awkward, Harriet smiled at Ellsworth and said,
“Sorry, I might be talking too much.”
But Ellsworth replied, “Not at all. Your ideas are great. Go on.”
Ellsworth actually wanted to hear more, which surprised Harriet
this?”
Ellsworth hadn’t studied engineering; his background was in
economics and law.
Seeing Harriet’s surprised look, Ellsworth teased with a smile,
“You don’t want to talk? Are you guarding against me?”
“No.” Harriet replied, “Besides, I’m not sharing any core
technology with you, just talking about our goals.”
With that, Harriet continued the previous topic, sharing some of
her own ideas and pointing out some of the current challenges
Galaxy Innovations was facing in their research.
Although she had been away for three years, after catching up
with Jonas Zuniga and the others today, Harriet had sorted out
her thoughts and could already see some of the issues.
So now, with Ellsworth willing to listen, Harriet couldn’t help but
talk more.
Beside her, Ellsworth watched Harriet intently, seeing her
animated and excited, and couldn’t help but smile.
In the three years of their marriage, she had always been polite,
proper, and dignified, even when talking about work. But now, she actually seemed more like a 23-year-old woman.
When she talked about her favorite field, her eyes sparkled.
Noticing the faint smile on Ellsworth’s lips, Harriet suddenly stopped talking and returned to her usual composure. “Am I talking too much?”
As soon as Harriet finished speaking, Ellsworth cupped her chin and leaned in to kiss her lips.
He had wanted to kiss her earlier, when she was talking so
animatedly about her robots, but he held back so as not to
interrupt her enthusiasm.
Ellsworth’s sudden kiss made Harriet instinctively fall back, her
back thumping against the bed.
Lying still and looking at Ellsworth, Harriet hadn’t expected him
to listen to her talk so much.
In the past, he had always been impatient with her.
Propping herself up on the bed, Harriet looked up at Ellsworth.
When Ellsworth reached to take off her clothes, Harriet grabbed
his arm.
She had been happy talking about her field, but intimacy with Ellsworth was a different matter.
Joining Galaxy Innovations and getting a divorce were two separate things.
Holding onto Ellsworth’s arm, she pushed him away and reminded him, “It’s late. Let’s get some rest.”
Ellsworth looked at her and said with a faint smile, “You’ve
already changed jobs, but you’re still holding a grudge?”
Harriet replied, “I’m not angry. I have work tomorrow, so I’m
going to sleep first.”
With that, Harriet lay back down under the covers.
Seeing this, Ellsworth turned off the main light in the room and
lay down as well.
Lying side by side, Harriet didn’t feel sleepy at all. Her mind was full of work, since today was only her first day at the new job.
After tossing and turning a few times, Harriet turned to
Ellsworth and tentatively said, “Ellsworth, about the
agreement…”
She left it at that, knowing Ellsworth would understand.
She had already thought about discussing it with Ellsworth while showering earlier. He seemed to be in a good mood tonight, which made it a good time to talk, but she got
sidetracked talking about robots.
With the room dimly lit, Ellsworth turned to look at Harriet and said in a flat voice, “Do you really think you can just walk away from the company without leaving any impact at all?”
Harriet kept her eyes on him and asked, “So are we just going to
keep dragging this out?”
She could sense that Ellsworth actually wanted a divorce too,
but he was considering more factors.
Looking into Harriet’s eyes, Ellsworth’s voice remained calm:
“You just left the company and now you’re in a hurry to get the
paperwork done. Harriet, don’t tell me you’ve really fallen for
Reginald?”
Ellsworth’s voice was magnetic and pleasant to the ear.
Harriet found it amusing that he brought up Reginald, but she
didn’t get emotional. She just said calmly, “It’s fine if you insult
me, but don’t insult others. We’re not right for each other. I
wasn’t capable of being a good vice president, or a good Mrs. Townsend.”
