When Calla heard that Zoey wanted her to apologize to her in-laws, she stared at Zoey in shock.Zoey was out to ruin Calla. She wanted to humiliate Calla in front of everyone. She planned to force Calla to confess that she'd given Larissa a fake bracelet. This would paint Calla as a terrible person and make Harlan, his parents, and everyone else think less of her.The extent of Zoey's deceit and malice was now evident. Her relentless pursuit of her sister's downfall through such vile means left Calla disillusioned."That's one way to handle it, Calla. Tomorrow, I'll prepare some gifts for you. You can take it to Zoey's in-laws as a token of apology," Carol quickly said to Calla.At this moment, Calla firmly said to Carol, "Mom, the bracelet I bought for Larissa is genuine. I didn't do anything wrong, and I'm not going to apologize!""Mom, look at her! She messed up and is still talking like that." Zoey added fuel to the fire.Carol was now angry and scolded, "You have to go, n
At that moment, Clover, who was sleeping in bed, suddenly woke up and started crying.The sound of her daughter crying snapped Calla back to reality. Calla knew that now was not the time to be overwhelmed by sorrow. She still had her daughter, who was still so small and dependent on her. She had to be strong and pull herself together.The next moment, Calla quickly walked over to the bed and picked Clover up. When a baby cried, it was usually because they were either hungry or needed a diaper change.Calla checked Clover's diaper, and sure enough, Clover had wet herself. She changed Clover's diaper, then held her close and nursed her daughter.Once Clover latched onto Calla's breast, she stopped crying and a sweet, innocent smile appeared.The sight of Clover's smile infused Calla with renewed determination. For Clover's sake, she couldn't allow this unfounded accusation to stand. Her reputation was important because it would affect her child in the future.Calla didn't know when
Calla had just finished hanging up Clover's clothes and diapers when she heard the hushed chatter of a few women from her balcony.Although their voices were low, they were on the floor right below her. With Calla standing out in the open, she could hear everything clearly."Did you hear? Carol's eldest daughter has been back at her place with a baby for quite a while now." Calla knew that voice all too well—it was Joyce, who lived just next door."I don't need to hear about it, I've seen it firsthand! Haven't you noticed Carol going out with her basket to buy groceries every day? She's cooking for her daughter." That was Ruth, who lived across the hall."Didn't Calla get divorced? How did she end up with a baby? When did she get married again? I never heard Carol mention anything about it." This was Becky, who lived at the far end of the building.Calla knew these three women very well. They had nothing better to do than gather to gossip about other people's affairs. Carol and he
Calla extended an arm, intending to close the sliding door. She didn't want to hear any more of their baseless gossiping. She hoped Carol wouldn't overhear anything when she returned from grocery shopping.But before her hand even touched the door, she heard Carol's voice from downstairs.With a shopping basket on her arm, Carol pointed at the gossiping women. She unleashed a torrent of scolding."What are you all gossiping about again? You guys truly have nothing better to do. Why are you so nosy about our family affairs? You better watch your mouths. You'll get what's coming for talking like that." Calla quietly peeked downstairs. Carol had indeed returned from grocery shopping.She had never seen her mother so fierce before. In the past, when faced with gossip about her family, Carol would either suppress her anger or offer a mild rebuke. Never before had she displayed such ferocity.Calla knew that Carol cared most about her own and her daughters' reputations. Before, their
Calla leaned against the balcony railing and shouted, "Ruth, you're quite the detective, aren't you? Did you catch me red-handed, sleeping with a millionaire or something?"The small crowd standing downstairs suddenly looked up at Calla on the balcony. Carol stepped forward to reprimand her. "This is a grown-up conversation. Why are you butting in? Go look after the baby!"Carol knew her daughter's vulnerabilities. She was concerned that Calla would be humiliated by those gossiping women. She also didn't want to escalate the situation any further.But Ruth wasn't about to back down now. With one hand on her hip, she shouted back at Calla. "Calla, you say you weren't a homewrecker, but who's the father of that kid? Is the baby you're always holding some fatherless little bastard?"Ruth's words elicited laughter from a building crowd.Whenever the common folk congregated, any commotion was sure to attract a curious crowd. The slightest hint of excitement would draw in neighbors from
"Things will work out when the time comes. Mom, please stop worrying about me." At this moment, Calla felt an intense guilt. Not only had she failed to make Carol's life better but she had also caused Carol embarrassment and sorrow. The next moment, Carol suddenly asked, "Calla, tell me the truth. Are you someone's mistress? Is he a married man? Is that why you won't tell me who he is?"Calla was amused. "Mom, I wish that were true. If I were a rich man's mistress, I wouldn't be in such a dire situation. A rich man would have already gotten me a house, a car, and even a nanny!""Then, who is Clover's dad?" Carol couldn't help but ask again."Mom, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we? Just wait a little longer." Calla had to brush it off lightly."You stubborn child; the more I ask, the less you tell me." Finally, Carol sighed and left Calla's room.After Carol left, a frown formed on Calla's forehead as she stared up at the ceiling. She wondered to herself, "How am I going to get t
The next afternoon, Ruth from across the hall was already sitting on a small stool by her door, lying in wait.When Calla went out to take out the trash, Ruth started making snide remarks. "Hey Calla, didn't you say the father of your child would come to pick you two up today? I've been sitting here since the morning, and I haven't seen him yet. Your child is a bastard without a father, isn't she?"Ruth had been widowed at a young age and had a hard time raising her only son. Because she was so mean, her daughter-in-law refused to live with her. Now she lived alone, with her son visiting occasionally. Her daughter-in-law was at odds with her and never brought the grandson along to visit her.As a result, Ruth's temperament became even more peculiar with age. She liked to nitpick about everything, and she was known for being notoriously foul-mouthed. She was quite infamous in this area. Having lived in the neighborhood for many years, Calla suffered a lot because of her.Calla ign
With that, Ruth turned and headed home. Joyce, on the other hand, went straight into Becky's house, eager to report everything she had seen.Elsewhere, Calla walked Pierre into her house. When Carol saw Pierre and those colorful gift boxes, she was utterly dumbfounded."Carol, how are you?" Pierre bowed and called out sweetly.Carol was even more bewildered by the respectful treatment. She turned to Calla and asked, "Calla, who is he?"Calla had told Pierre everything over the phone yesterday. She only wanted him to visit her mother to show the neighbors and take some attention away from her and Clover. But Pierre had taken it too far, playing it up so much that now she couldn't keep up the act. "Mom, he's…" Calla hesitated, unable to explain."Carol, I'm Clover's father." Seeing Calla at a loss for words, Pierre quickly answered with a smile.Calla could only correct him inwardly: "Godfather. He's the godfather!""You're Clover's father?" Carol didn't quite process the reve