That morning, Calla was playing with Clover in the living room when she suddenly heard the door lock turn.Carol had just left for the supermarket to buy groceries not too long ago. How could she be back so soon?The next moment, the door opened, but the person who entered wasn't Carol.An elaborately dressed woman walked in, wearing a pink lace dress. She styled her hair in a bun and adorned herself with gold jewelry on her ears, neck, and wrists. She looked completely different from the sweet, innocent girl she once was. Now, she appeared every bit like a young married woman.Seeing Zoey, Calla was taken aback—she hadn't expected her sister to suddenly return.According to Carol, Zoey rarely came home these days, choosing to occasionally call instead. She was now staying at home every day to take care of her child. Harlan treated her well, and although she didn't work, they had hired a nanny to help with the baby.It had been almost a year since that unpleasant incident. Yet,
"Stop being unreasonable. I didn't mean it that way." Calla averted her gaze, shocked at how Zoey had become such a shrew. Seeing her like this today really broke her heart."That is indeed what you meant. You think you're some kind of savior, don't you? Without you, I'd be in the same boat as you, struggling with a kid and getting judged by everyone. If it weren't for you insisting that Harlan marry me, he wouldn't have taken responsibility. "So should I be grateful to you? Or are you jealous because you see that I'm living well now? Does it irk you so much to see me thriving while you're struggling?" Zoey's words were a direct assault on Calla's heart.Zoey's sudden outburst startled Clover, causing her to jump frightfully in Calla's arms. Clover began crying uncontrollably.Angry, Calla stood up from the couch with Clover in her arms and snapped, "I don't want to argue with you!" With that, she turned to go back to her room.But Zoey stepped forward, blocking the bedroom door.
Seeing Zoey poised to strike, Calla retreated a few steps in fear. She ended up pressed against a wooden flower stand.Calla looked up and saw the hateful glint in Zoey's eyes. She instinctively held Clover closer to her chest.At that moment, the front door opened, and a soft female voice came through."The vegetables are so fresh today, and the salmon looks especially good. Calla, I bought one for you to help with your milk supply. Speaking of which, why hasn't your milk supply increased?"The sound of her mother's voice was all it took to ease Calla's tension.She wasn't afraid of fighting, but she feared hurting Clover. Now that Carol was here, Calla knew her mother wouldn't let a fight between the sisters happen."Mom, you're home!" The next moment, Zoey turned to greet Carol."Oh, Zoey's here too?" Carol saw Zoey and smiled."Mom, I just got here. Cal said you were out grocery shopping," Zoey answered with a smile."Perfect timing, let's eat together. I bought plenty of
Seeing Calla, Carol said, "You fell asleep earlier, so we didn't wake you up for lunch. We left some food in the pot for you. Hurry and eat before Clover wakes up.""Okay." Calla nodded and then went to the kitchen to get her food.As Calla sat at the dining table to eat, she thought about what had just happened. It weighed down on her, but she couldn't talk to her mother about it, so she felt even more stifled.Calla was going through the motions, feeling like she was chewing on tasteless wax. It was at this moment when Carol sat down in front of her and earnestly said, "Calla, Zoey is your sister. Even if she said something you didn't like, she meant well. Don't be mad at her—and try not to hold a grudge."When she heard this, Calla looked up and asked, "Mom, what did Zoey say to you?"Carol hesitated for a moment, then admitted the truth. "Last time I called Zoey, I complained a bit about you. I think it got to her. "She admitted that she said some things to you today that
In the blink of an eye, it was Larissa's first birthday. Harlan had reserved a few tables at a five-star hotel, and Calla attended the celebration with Carol.Calla entrusted Clover to a neighbor lady. She planned to deliver the gift at the event and then quickly return. She was worried about Clover and wanted to avoid Harlan. She hoped to prevent any misunderstandings with Zoey. At this point, it seemed best to keep her distance.The small banquet hall had about ten tables, where most guests had already arrived.From afar, Calla saw Harlan and Zoey mingling among the guests. Zoey wore a beautiful pink gown, looking elegant and graceful. Conversely, Harlan wore a white shirt as per usual, maintaining his refined professor demeanor.Zoey was moving gracefully through the crowd, carrying a tray filled with gifts from friends and relatives."Zoey's over there," Carol said, pointing in Zoey's direction.Calla nodded and followed Carol's lead.At that moment, Harlan spotted Carol and
"Alright." Calla gave a perfunctory nod with a polite smile.At that moment, Zoey, clinging to Harlan's arm, warmly said, "Cal, you haven't visited our house since you returned. You must come over before you leave!"Hearing this, Calla knit her brows together. She thought to herself, "When did I say I was leaving? Clover is still so young, and staying at Mom's house gives us some support. I have no plans to leave."In the next instant, however, Calla realized that Zoey's words were meant for Harlan.Sure enough, Harlan frowned and asked Calla, "Are you going back to work in Greendale?"Calla didn't know how to respond for a moment.Carol heard it too and asked, "Calla, why are you going back to Greendale? You're alone with—"She stopped herself mid-sentence, glancing at Harlan, realizing she almost let something slip.After all, Calla's unmarried status as a mother wasn't exactly something to be proud of. Given the stigma attached to unmarried mothers, it would be quite embarra
Even though Calla was prepared for Zoey's behavior tonight, her eyes still reddened when she turned away."I hope you can keep your word!" Zoey shouted at Calla's receding figure.Hearing the voice behind her, Calla didn't look back. She held her head high and continued walking, but still shed tears despite her best efforts.Calla hurried home to take care of Clover, skipping lunch as she no longer had an appetite. Now, even the sight or mention of Zoey filled her with disgust.It was past 2:00 pm when Carol returned from the banquet."Calla, have you eaten? Zoey asked me to bring back a lot of food for you." Carol changed into her slippers at the door, holding a large bag full of food.Calla knew Zoey had put on an act in front of their mother again, pretending to care about her when she didn't. Zoey was capable of such hypocrisy."Mom, I've already eaten," Calla replied flatly."Then, I'll put this in the fridge. We can warm it up for dinner later. I brought back untouched fi
Although Calla hadn't been back home for long, Carol had already asked countless times about the father of her child. Whenever she heard this question, she got a headache and didn't know how to respond. She would never mention Mercer because it would be trouble if Carol went looking for him. That said, she couldn't just fabricate a father for the child, so Calla chose to keep her mouth shut."Alright, alright, I won't ask for now, but that doesn't mean I won't ask in the future. When you're ready to talk about it, you can tell me," Carol said helplessly.Right at that moment, there was a sudden knock at the door.Calla stood up and said, "I'll get the door.""I'll go. Who would come here at this hour?" Carol muttered as she turned and went to open the door.When Carol opened it, she saw Zoey standing there, dressed to the nines. Carol couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. "The banquet's over, right? Why did you come here? Where's Larissa?"Zoey's face was etched with frustra
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