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
Jasmine sighed with relief after hanging up the phone. "Ms. Reynolds said since a car wouldn't be fast enough—given the urgency of the situation—they're sending Mr. Garland's helicopter to pick you up, Mrs. Garland. It should be here in about 20 minutes."Upon hearing this, Calla also breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't expected Mercer to have a private helicopter. Poverty certainly had limited her imagination.True to Ally's words, a small helicopter landed in front of the villa half an hour later. Ally and the pilot personally came to escort Calla. Jasmine carried a bag full of essentials and helped Calla onto the helicopter.As the aircraft slowly ascended into the blue sky littered with white clouds, Calla stared blankly at the shrinking villa below. For some reason, she began to panic.She usually didn't have a fear of heights. But today, her head was pounding severely, and her heart felt uneasy, possibly due to pre-labor anxiety.Sensing Calla's nervousness, Ally held
"Is Calla Sherman's family here?" the doctor asked in a raised voice."Doctor, how is she?" Rose remained seated while Ally approached to answer her."The patient has developed pre-eclampsia. Her condition is dangerous. Please prepare yourselves mentally!" After saying this, the doctor turned and went back into the delivery room.Upon hearing this, Jasmine and Ally looked extremely worried.Rose's eyes flickered, and she immediately instructed, "Ally, go back to the company right away and find a way to contact Mercer. Ask him to hurry back!""Yes, ma'am." Ally swiftly left.After Ally left, Rose and Sophie exchanged a glance. Sophie immediately took out her phone and went to a corner to make a call.Two minutes later, Sophie returned, nodded to Rose, and then turned to Jasmine."Jasmine, do you remember everything I told you before?""I..." As though confronted by a formidable enemy, Jasmine couldn't find the words to say."Just do as I said. If anything goes wrong, it'll be