An impeccably dressed Rose only came out of the house when Sophie had already finished the tea in her cup.Seeing Rose approach, Sophie stood up with a smile."Mrs. Garland Senior, you haven't aged a day. You still look as young and beautiful as ever!"Rose seemed slightly surprised to see Sophie but quickly regained her composure. Sophie placed the gift she had brought on the stone table then. "This is a little something I brought back from Morvenia. I hope you like it, Mrs. Garland Senior."Naturally, Rose didn't care about the gift. She forced an empty smile and remarked, "I didn't think you would remember me after all these years.""You are Mercer's mother. Of course I always keep you in mind," Sophie replied smoothly.Rose scoffed upon hearing Mercer's name. "You say you came from Riverford, so I assume you've already met Mercer?""Yes." Sophie nodded."In that case, you must know that Mercer is married now, and Calla is pregnant. Mercer is going to be a father soon," Ro
"What more could I want? My heart has always been here at Garland Mansion. If it weren't for the sudden misfortune that befell my family, my child with Mercer would be calling you 'Grandma' by now!" Sophie evaded the question but clearly expressed her intentions."But Mercer is already married..." Rose began to speak, only for Sophie to interrupt her. "He doesn't love that woman at all. I'm the one he loves!""Fine. If you can make him divorce and marry you, I won't interfere. In fact, I'll sincerely accept you and even arrange a grand wedding for you," Rose said. To Rose, it didn't matter if her son married Sophie or Calla—she didn't like either anyway.However, she underestimated Sophie. "Merely not interfering isn't enough," Sophie soon remarked with a smile. "I need your support. Help me drive that woman out of the Garland family and make Mercer give up on her completely."Rose frowned at those words. "This is your relationship. How can I, as a mother, interfere or help you?"
Time flew by. Calla was now almost seven months pregnant.Her belly had grown significantly, making her movements increasingly cumbersome.She could now clearly feel the baby's movements. In a way, she had fostered a deep bond with the little one inside her.One morning, Jasmine came upstairs to report to her. "Mrs. Garland, Mrs. Garland Senior is here to see you." Calla frowned slightly upon hearing this.Since their last meeting in Sedonia, Rose had been absent from her life. Though she didn't particularly like Rose, she acknowledged their current relationship as in-laws. Therefore, Calla got dressed and went downstairs.When Calla entered the living room, she saw Rose sitting primly on the couch."Mom, you're here." Calla greeted Rose with her head lowered.Rose's eyes lingered on Calla's belly for a while before she uttered softly, "Have a seat."Calla proceeded to sit down. She could sense Rose's friendliness. At least for now, Rose's eyes didn't hold its usual hosti
Those words angered Rose, who reprimanded, "Sophie, I am your elder regardless, and you are to be my daughter-in-law. Is this how you speak to your future mother-in-law?"Mindful of Rose's position, Sophie immediately softened her tone. "Mrs. Garland Senior, I apologize. I'm just anxious. I hope you understand how I feel. I just can't wait any longer.""Haste makes waste. Things need to be done step by step; otherwise, they could backfire," Rose said, trying to placate Sophie while also having her own plans in mind. She softened her attitude as well."Mrs. Garland Senior, do you have a plan or not?" Sophie couldn't help but press."I visited that woman a few days ago and have come up with a comprehensive plan, but it will take two more months to implement," Rose explained."Two more months? But why? If you have a plan, let's execute it immediately!" Sophie was impatient."That woman is carrying Mercer's child right now. That child is a member of the Garland family. I must ensure
"It's freezing in the mountains at night. How is your body going to take it if you sleep in the car? And what about Mr. Beck?" Jasmine asked with a frown."It's the weekend. I gave him the day off," Mercer replied."What?" Jasmine exclaimed in surprise. "Did you drive up the mountain by yourself?""Go get some rest. I'll head back to Riverford first thing in the morning," Mercer said before walking out of the villa.Jasmine muttered to herself, "He's always so tough on others, but he can't help but worry, can he?" She then went back to her room to sleep.At that moment, Calla almost dropped her cup.Why had he come so late at night? Was it just to ask Jasmine about her condition? But that could have been done over a phone call. Why travel hundreds of miles back and forth?And why did he choose to sleep in the car instead of the warm villa? She suddenly remembered saying that she wouldn't be able to sleep if he stayed there. Had he taken her words seriously?Jasmine's comment pu
Jasmine, who understood what Calla meant, went out to open the door.Calla was curious about what Sophie had to say. In fact, she was wondering if Sophie and Mercer had continued their affair during the past few months. She imagined Sophie must be frustrated, having to wait for Mercer to divorce her after all this time.A moment later, Jasmine led Sophie into the villa.Calla sat on the couch, coldly watching as Sophie approached with a smile and sat on the couch directly opposite her.Sophie glanced at the bags Jasmine was carrying and smiled. "I bought some clothes for the baby. Since I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, I chose colors that would work for both."Calla felt uncomfortable with Sophie's lack of awkwardness and her behaving as if she had a close relationship with the baby. She immediately said, "Jasmine, why haven't you served our guest tea?""Oh, right. I overlooked that," Jasmine replied, quickly putting down the bags and heading to make tea.Calla's message
Sophie’s words made Calla’s stomach churn.Calla anxiously sat down on the couch with her hands against her waist.Sophie was right. A family like the Garlands would never let one of their own stray from the family.It was clear that the Garlands cared deeply about the child when Rose suddenly visited and brought so many baby items two months ago. But knowing it was impossible was one thing; whether she would fight back was another matter. Calla firmly declared, "I will never give up custody of my child!""It's likely you won't have a choice when the time comes," Sophie sneered.Calla glared at Sophie. "You love Mercer; I won't compete with you for that. But why can't you have your own child? Why do you have to steal someone else's?""It's not that you won't compete with me, it's that you don't even have the qualifications to compete with me. You're just my replacement!" Sophie retorted arrogantly.Seeing Sophie's arrogant attitude, Calla seemed to understand. She probably cam
Sophie continued when she saw Calla's furrowed brows. "Did you know? As soon as you left, Mercer moved me into your old place. I sleep on the same big bed you used to sleep on now. That bed is huge. It's perfect for Mercer and me to… roll around. "You didn't satisfy him when you were together, did you? He's been clinging to me every night these past few months; I can't even get up in the mornings…" "Stop it!" Calla couldn't take it anymore and shouted, clearly emotional.The curtains, sheets, and bedding in that residence were chosen by her after days of careful selection. They were in colors she loved. Now, they were all claimed by Sophie.Of course, Mercer, whom she loved, had also become Sophie's. Calla's heart was in turmoil. She pressed her hand on her chest to soothe that unbearable feeling.Seeing Calla in such distress, Sophie burst into laughter."I'm a bit tired today. I'll chat with you another day. Maybe I'll talk to you about Mercer's preferences, especially in bed
Seeing Pierre's expression, Calla realized that a few words wouldn't dispel his suspicions. She reached into her bag, unzipped it, and pulled out the knife.Pierre's eyes widened as he noticed the gleaming knife Calla was pulling out of her bag. He furrowed his brows in concern. "What are you—"Calla explained, "Mercer told me that Casper is my son, that he wasn't stillborn as I was told. I didn't believe him at first, but I was afraid he might be telling the truth, so I went to his house to see him."But I was afraid he might have ulterior motives toward me. As a woman, I'm naturally no match for him. In a moment of desperation, I had to grab this knife from the kitchen for protection. If he dared to do anything to me, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it on him."Her expression was intense, reflecting her genuine fear and resolve.Pierre looked deeply at Calla, then gently touched her cheek. He took the knife from her hand and placed it on a nearby table.Calla then rushed into
Suddenly feeling Mercer's hand on her shoulder, Calla instinctively recoiled. She swatted away his hand and shouted, "Don't touch me, Mercer!"The harm he had caused her was too profound. Even though she now understood his desperate reasons, she still felt immense aversion toward him."Fine, I won't touch you." Mercer retracted his hands and left them suspended in the air."Don't think you can use Casper to threaten me, Mercer. I will never be manipulated by you!" Calla shouted at him.Mercer's expression turned pained at her words. He took a step back, and his eyes filled with profound anguish. "Do you really see me as someone who would use my own son as a bargaining chip?""Yes," Calla replied sternly.Mercer's body swayed slightly, then he turned away in dejection. "If that's the case, then you should leave."Seeing his forlorn figure, Calla felt a pang of sadness, but she couldn't bring herself to trust him again. She turned and walked out of the house.She stumbled out of
At this moment, Mercer clenched his fists. Even with his resolute nature, his eyes seemed misty."This is where I feel most sorry toward you and Clover. Clover is my daughter too. Of course, I wanted her to come into this world healthy. But I couldn't let Casper disappear from this world either."His condition worsened so severely at that time. I was afraid he wouldn't make it to your due date, so I had to take drastic measures..." Mercer struck his fist hard against the wall.Seeing the despondent and remorseful Mercer before her, Calla felt a twinge of compassion, but she still couldn't accept all his explanations.Glancing at the reports in front of her, Calla placed her hand on her cheek. She could feel her fingers trembling.Suddenly, she looked up and asked, "You kept searching for me in Greendale to get me pregnant so you could use the baby's umbilical cord blood to save Casper?"From the timeline Mercer had explained, Casper's condition must have been severe by then.Cal
Mercer smiled bitterly. "I knew that you wouldn't believe me, so I prepared a copy of Casper's medical reports. You can take a look." He pulled out several thick envelopes and set them on the coffee table. Calla frowned upon seeing those envelopes which were all an inch thick. She opened one of them and flipped through the documents inside, frowning as she read. The envelope held reports of Casper's hospitalization in both the city and state hospitals, spanning two years, starting from when Casper was a year old. They were records of Casper's illness and his recovery process.Calla couldn't help thinking about his adorable, chubby face, and she felt her heart clench. She wondered how Casper had managed to triumph over his illness after two years. She couldn't even fathom how painful and difficult the process must have been.Suddenly, Calla noticed something in Casper's surgery reports—a note about how a newborn baby's umbilical cord blood was miraculously compatible with Casper.
"My heart is already in pieces because of you. So what if I hit, cursed, or even stabbed you now? What's the point of doing all that? I beg this of you, Mercer, please let me live my life quietly and stop bothering me!"Stop making up all these ridiculous justifications too. I'm tired—exhausted! I don't want to deal with you anymore," Calla sobbed, tears running down her face.She knew that she shouldn't have cried in front of him. It wasn't just a sign of her weakness, it might also fuel his assumption that she still cared for him. However, she couldn't control it. Whenever she thought of the suffering she'd gone through in the past couple of years, tears ran uncontrollably down her face."I want nothing more than for you to let me tell you the truth in its entirety. I want you and Casper to not miss out on the chance to reconnect as mother and son. "I promise that I'll respect your choice once I'm done telling you everything, and I won't bother you again in the future!" Mercer l
Calla's eyes widened as she remembered everything that had happened in the past. She stumbled over her words as she said, "B-But we were going to get married after we were back on good terms with each other, and I'd already met Casper at that point. Why didn't you tell me about him back then?"Mercer looked at Calla meaningfully. "Do you remember when I told you, on the day we were about to get our marriage certificate, that I had a big surprise for you?"Calla thought about it, then nodded. He had indeed said that he'd prepared a big gift for her. Could the gift have been Casper?Facing Calla's doubtful look, Mercer nodded. "Yes. I wanted to tell you after we received our marriage certificates, but I didn't expect something else to happen on that day."Calla sneered. "'Something else' is a nice way of putting it. You didn't go to get the marriage certificates done with me, because you chose to hold a press conference with Sophie instead, announcing your marriage with her."When
Mercer's face fell. He sat on an armchair before asking Calla, "Do you dislike me that much? Are you not even willing to stay by my side for one minute?""I don't dislike you—I hate you. Also, one minute is too long—I can't even bear to stay by your side for one second!" Calla replied without hesitation.As memories—filled with love and resentment alike—flashed in Calla's mind, she felt an intense hatred for Mercer. If not for Casper, she would never have stepped inside this place again, much less take a seat across Mercer to have a conversation.Calla's words hurt Mercer. He sat there for a while with his head lowered before lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag.Calla couldn't help coughing when the acrid smell of smoke entered her nose. Realizing that he'd made her cough, Mercer quickly stubbed the cigarette in his ashtray. Calla didn't want to waste any more time with him. She asked impatiently, "Why did you have me come here? Who is the woman you had Casper with?"
Calla finished getting ready, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked over to Clover. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then turned to Fiona. "Fiona, I'm going out to meet a friend.""Okay," Fiona replied with a smile, then continued feeding Clover some water.Calla left the apartment and was about to press the elevator button when Pierre emerged from the opposite door."Hey, aren't you supposed to be off work today? Where are you going this early?" Pierre asked, noticing Calla was heading out."Oh, I'm meeting Alicia. She's going back to work tomorrow, so we're hanging out later," Calla replied hastily, avoiding eye contact with Pierre. She had never been good at lying."She's going to be your bridesmaid. It's only right to express our gratitude," Pierre said with a smile, walking into the elevator with Calla."Where are you meeting her? I can give you a ride," Pierre offered."We're meeting at the department store. It's not on your way, so you should get going. I'
Calla was initially certain that Mercer's goal was to use Casper to ruin her marriage with Pierre.But as the night wore on, Calla's doubts grew. She couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—Mercer was telling the truth. Perhaps Casper was indeed her child, the one she had given birth to all those years ago.She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. What if her child had not died? What if he was still alive and well?As the first light of dawn crept into the room, Calla made a decision. She would go see Mercer, no matter what his motives were. She had to get to the bottom of it.Calla gazed at Clover, who was still fast asleep. She gently stroked her daughter's cheek. "Clover, don't you think it would be wonderful to have an older brother to share your toys and adventures with?Clover's chubby face didn't move. Calla's eyes lingered on her for a moment before she spoke again. "I have to get to the bottom of this no matter what the outcome is. I have to find out if Casp