Tiffany almost missed the implications behind Jackson’s words. When realization dawned on her, she was pleasantly surprised. He was defending his father. He was clearly worried Tiffany would misunderstand his father. This was a good sign. “I know, I know. Your dad has a poker-face, and he’s quiet so he looks a little intimidating. Honestly, I was just being sensitive since I haven’t been living a high-flying lifestyle for a while now. I know how hard it is to earn money so I think it’s unnecessary to hire a housekeeper. When your dad said your family is not lacking that small bit of money, I just felt self-conscious. That’s all,” she explained. “I know my status is a lot lower than yours and that’s why I’m working hard to be worthy of you. Don’t worry. I know your dad doesn’t harbor any ill intention. I’m just being sensitive, that’s all.”A smile bloomed on Jackson’s face. “Hey, you’re more than worthy of me. Don’t ever think otherwise.”At this moment, his phone beeped, indicating t
The doctor mulled it over for a moment. “What I can do, at this stage, is to list out all possible complications that may occur. If you want to carry the child to term, it’s not completely impossible. However, physical examinations will be mandatory once Mrs. Tremont is four months along. It’s also highly advisable for Mrs. Tremont to rest as much as possible and avoid tiring herself. If you decide to continue with the pregnancy, we’ll have to closely monitor her progress to reduce the complications. The child would most likely be born prematurely, but the survival rate is relatively high.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Examination result indicates that Mrs. Tremont’s uterus has recovered somewhat. Hence, there are grounds to be slightly optimistic. However, what we do, going forward, will have to depend on both of you.”As soon as Arianne heard there was a possibility the child might survive, all traces of hesitance vanished into thin air. She quickly said, “I want the ch
Arianne nodded. She left the kitchen and went into the living room. At the same time, Grandma Wynn returned with bags filled with infant clothing and maternity products.“Oy, Arianne! Come and have a look. See if I’ve missed out on anything you might need. I’ve once helped prepare all these things for your aunt when she was expecting so you can trust me on this,” she said. “See these? Just you wait, it’s going to come in handy. Look at these baby clothes I picked, they’re all made from premium materials.”Prior to this, Arianne only knew her grandma as a relentless bully who failed to provide any sense of kinship or warmth. However, this time, her grandmother almost brought tears to her eyes.“Granny… You… You really believe I have a chance at becoming a mother?” She asked softly.The old woman hesitated for a moment. “Well, I’ve heard bits and pieces of what happened. Your body is not the strongest. However, if you really want the child, then, have it. The Tremont business is huge, th
Mark Tremont clicked the door shut, and for a few moments, the air was still.He began, “I’ve asked; the doctor cannot ensure that you’ll survive this. Accidents could happen, always, and that’s the last thing I want. To me, you are more important than anything else under the sun, do you understand? Fine, I concede that a lot of things in the past were all my bastardly doing, but listen to me — even if it is true that you can never be a mother, there’s no woman out there who’s going to replace you, let alone bear me my child. So please, rest your heart. My only concern is you; it always has been. To that end, I can give up on my child.”However, Arianne had hardened her stance so much that nothing could pierce through the walls she had built. “The doctor said the rate of complications isn’t a hundred percent, remember? He didn’t say this child is doomed!” she countered, her tone resolute. “I was there. I’m not deaf! Here’s the ultimatum, Mark Tremont. You either divorce me right now, s
Tanya gave a split-second answer, “Considered the job taken; I’m your gal! It was me who kept my home and Arianne’s café spotless every day, so you can count on me!”A while later, after hearing that Tanya had arrived, Arianne gave the girl an inquiring call, who gleefully reported everything from her new job to her new residence without failure before concluding cheerily, “So you see, Ari, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just got a job as a janitor in Eric’s company and will be staying at his place until I find a room or house for myself, so yea. You focus on nurturing that baby and don’t worry about me, okay?… Oh! If there’s ever a convenient time, I hope we can meet up!”Arianne knew not if such convenience might ever exist; all she knew was how stringent Mark’s stay-at-home order was — she was even denied a stroll out of the house. Consequently, no one came to see her at home, either.“Er, about that… Let’s just focus on your new job and settle down for now. We can always plan
When Arianne heard the subtle meaning behind Zoey’s words, she scoffed even more. She just wanted to take the old woman back so that she could get paid every now and then. She wasn’t an idiot. Besides, she was the only person who was allowed to scold Helen. This woman in front of her was not worthy. She pulled away her hand expressionlessly, “My mother has contacted me. I know exactly where she is. I do have a family of my own, so you really don’t have to concern yourself with that. I’m afraid that Granny won’t be going home with you. You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”Zoey could tell that Arianne wasn’t easy to deal with, so she had no choice but to try and persuade the old woman, “Mom, you can’t let someone from the younger generation hate me like this. Regardless of the things I’ve done, I’m still your daughter. Come home with me…”The old woman was annoyed, “Stop changing your tune all the time. I’m old. I don’t have the energy to deal with this. I’m not going back. I’ve bee
Henry lowered his head and mumbled a reply. Mark went upstairs straightaway, walking on tiptoes, afraid that he would wake Arianne.He walked into the room and headed to the bed to check on her. Confirming that she was fast asleep, he changed his clothes and went to the study. …That night, Tanya waited for Eric to get off work before following him home. Eric had always lived on his own, so he preempted Tanya, “My house is pretty messy, and I’m usually at the office. I don’t come home sometimes, so it’s only cleaned by a temporary worker once a week.”Tanya patted her chest, “Don’t worry. Leave the house to me from now on. I’ll make sure that it’s neat and tidy! You won’t have to waste your money on a temporary worker anymore!”Eric smiled bitterly, “That’s not what I meant… I’m saying, please don’t get annoyed.”Tanya smiled at him and flashed her cute canine teeth, “No, I won’t! By the way, I’ll pay you for rent. In fact, I’ll transfer the money over to you right now. You can cut i
Just as he was about to call her and asked, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it and was shocked. Tanya was carrying bags of ingredients, from top to toe. Her face, however, was still smiling, “I’m sorry. I made a wrong turn so I got back a little late. It’s raining outside…”He took the grocery bags from her, “Go and get changed. I’ll wash the vegetables.”Tanya sneezed, “O-okay, I’ll come by as soon as I can.”Tanya emerged, ready and clean, before he could take the vegetables out of the grocery bags, “I’ll do it. You sit down. Dinner will be ready soon.”Her optimism seemed infectious. He had never met such a strong girl, “Why didn’t you call me when you got lost? It’s raining too. I could’ve driven over to pick you up. One more thing. The grocery shop is pretty far, isn’t it? Don’t you know how to hail a cab?”Tanya was wholly focused on picking out the vegetables, “I was afraid that you might think I was an idiot. It’s not that far anyway. I can walk there. Hailing a cab is