"Do you have any pictures of them?" Sia wondered out loud, perplexed.
Sarah smiled brightly at Sia before showing her the photos of her children that the system had taken for her because she couldn't appear in front of them until she was strong enough.
Sia was also impressed by the photos of the farm. Even though there wasn't much to talk about, there was something.
Richard had no idea Sarah ran a farm, especially given her appearance. The farm and country life didn't suit her at all, but she seemed unconcerned about it.
Sia wasn't done yet, as she boldly asked a question Meleek was afraid to ask at the time, "umm big sister, are you seeing someone? Like, married, in a serious relationship, or just a fling?"
Sarah looked at Sia's guilty expression before turning her gaze to Meleek, who looked as if someone owed him a life.
Sarah decided to take advantage of this opportunity to see how far Meleek will go once he learns the truth about her lifestyle.
"I am not married and have never been. I had IVF for the twins because I didn't want to be tied down by someone at the time. For the time being, I am seeing someone, or rather, some people. I live a polyamorous lifestyle, which means I have multiple partners, each of whom only has me."
Richard was even more surprised now, and he couldn't help but notice Meleek, who looked defeated once the answer was revealed. For the first time, he couldn't help but ask.
He didn't like Meleek, but he could tell the young man cared about Sarah, and he didn't want to see him lose the person he cared about after such a long time.
Even his family didn't want to face the devil Meleek every day; the cute side he'd been seeing all day was the kid he wanted to be associated with.
"Won't having many partners who can only love you alone be a little selfish of you?"
"There was a time when I really did love and had a heart, but that happened in an era that is long gone," Sarah scoffed, "the era I live in allows me to do what I want, and being surrounded by lively and young men who only have eyes for me is what I chose. So, if someone is truly interested in me and desires to be with me, that person must accept reality."
"So, unless that person is open-minded and genuinely interested in me, I and him can never be together," Sarah continued, "I am a serious and straightforward person, so I will not conceal my true self. So, before you decide to get into my pants for the long haul, you have a lot to think about."
When they heard Sarah say this, they knew she wasn't joking. All eyes were on Meleek, who was having difficulty processing everything that was being said.
Sarah excused herself and left the game because she was not in the mood to continue playing with others.
Sia quickly followed Sarah, leaving Meleek, who was not looking good.
"Oh, she had to say that, didn't she?" Meleek scoffed as he remembered everything Sarah had said earlier.
Richard sipped his whisky and turned to face Meleek.
"At least she was being truthful. You've only recently met, and to be honest, your family will not accept someone like her. It's better than the truth came out before you got too attached to her."
Richard would have kept his mouth shut if he knew what he was saying wasn't being taken seriously.
Sia, on the other hand, felt bad for asking too many questions because they obviously disrupted the wonderful mood that was present.
"Big sister, I... I didn't intend for it to turn out that way. I am deeply sorry," Sia apologized and bowed her head.
Sarah laughed as she saw the sorry state of the young girl who is fifteen years her junior, someone who had made her very happy and filled the gaps that had previously existed.
"It's not your fault, darling. It's a good thing you asked because it allowed me to tell Meleek about how I want things done and how I feel in relationships."
Sia was ecstatic that Sarah wasn't mad at her and was even willing to talk about it further. As someone who enjoys reading web novels, she was familiar with reverse-harem stories.
A female will have many male partners or lovers in this situation, just as a man would in a polygamous relationship.
"All right, big sis. How will you deal with them? Are you not afraid of being judged by others?"
These were considered crucial questions.
Society was very judgmental, and if one is not careful, a lot of bad things can happen.
"Darling, it doesn't matter what you do with your life," Sarah said, taking Sia's hands in hers and looking deeply into the young girl's eyes, "people will always judge you; this is unavoidable. So, if you consider them every time you do something, you will die with a belly full of regrets."
"I have always lived the way I wanted from a young age and although that brought only bad results in the end, I don't really regret much as what happened back then became a great life lesson for me. It's also because of that I haven't been able to see my family in years. I've been judged for a long time, so I know how it feels, but that won't stop me from doing what I love."
Sia was so conflicted after hearing this that she immediately asked Sarah, "since you've already gone through the judgmental phase, is it still worth it to do this?"
"Even if I explain it, you will never understand it," Sarah sighed as she looked at the little girl, "but just know one thing, I will never do something that I am not certain of."
The two talked about a variety of topics, and Sarah finally learned more about Sia's family situation.
It was a lovely evening for them, and Sia retired to her suite later that evening.
Sarah never saw Meleek again, which was to be expected; after all, it would be unusual for a man of Meleek's caliber to accept something like this so easily.