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
Carol slid the balcony door shut and asked in a low voice, "What's going on here?""What... what do you mean?" Calla rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.What could she say? Anything she said would be a lie, and saying too much might expose the truth."What's his name again?" Carol asked."Pierre Garland." "Pierre. Why does he have the Garland surname?" Carol frowned at the mention of that surname. "Never mind that. He did say he's Clover's father, didn't he?""Yes." Calla nodded."When did you meet someone like him? And he's a lawyer with such a good family background, too. Tell me the truth—does he have a wife? We don't want to be the ones ruining someone's family," Carol said seriously."Mom, he's not married," Calla quickly assured her."That's good. I'm glad to hear that." Carol added after a bit, "By the way, how much is his car worth?" Carol glanced downward at Pierre's vehicle.Calla looked at the luxurious Range Rover Carol was referring to. "Probably over a mil
When Calla showed no sign of giving in, Carol pleaded with her. "Do it for me. I can't stand watching you two sisters turn against each other."Hearing her mother's words, Calla's heart softened, and she couldn't bear to refuse.She could only give a half-hearted response. "Mom, I understand. Don't worry."She could only promise verbally for the time being; she'd have to deal with the rest as it came."Good." Carol was overjoyed to hear Calla agree.Then, under everyone's gaze, Calla got into the passenger seat, and the Range Rover started its engine.Calla waved to Carol, then the car turned and drove off.As Carol turned to leave, Becky quickly ran over, eager to ingratiate herself. "Carol, is that your son-in-law?"Carol glanced at Becky and nodded. "Yes." "He's such a handsome and talented man, plus his manners are impeccable. He seems like someone from the upper class. That car must cost over a million dollars, right? Calla is so lucky to have found such a good man!" Be
Soon, Pierre drove into his neighborhood.A smirk twisted Pierre's lips as he watched Calla's surprised expression. She sensed something amiss but couldn't bring herself to ask.After they got out of the car, Pierre carried Calla's luggage while Fiona held Clover. Calla carried her personal items as they made their way to Pierre's floor. Exiting the elevator, Calla frowned as she took in the familiar sight of Pierre's front door. "Isn't this still just your place? You're trying to fool me."Despite her reluctance, Calla and Clover were now without a home. If Pierre demanded she move in, she had no grounds to refuse. She was broke and had nowhere else to go. It was the lowest point she'd ever been in her life.Hearing her question, Pierre smiled before turning to face the door of the apartment across from his. Calla watched in confusion as he reached into his pocket, retrieved a key, and unlocked the door to the opposite apartment."What is this?" Calla hadn't expected him to o
"How did you know I wouldn't stay long at my mom's place?" Calla was stunned. How did he seem to know everything?Pierre smiled faintly and said, "With your mom's traditional values, she'd never accept you having a child out of wedlock. You and Clover wouldn't be happy living there."Hearing this, Calla turned and sat on a nearby chair.She couldn't deny that Pierre was right. Now that she had a child, it was indeed inconvenient to continue living with Carol. And then there was Zoey. Even though she didn't come back often, she would still return occasionally. It felt like Calla had to distance herself from that home."Alright, stop worrying your head off. Make yourself at home here. Since we're living right across from each other, I can help you out if you need anything." Pierre reasoned with her.Calla looked around the house and then, frowning, politely declined. "Pierre, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't stay here.""Why? Are you not satisfied with the house?" Pierre's
From that day on, Calla settled comfortably into the apartment across from Pierre's. Pierre had asked Fiona to come clean for Calla every day, but Calla had turned down the offer. She believed she was already too indebted to Pierre to accept any more favors.Every day, Calla cleaned the house, cooked, and did the laundry with Clover by her side. Occasionally, she would prepare something delicious and invite Pierre over to eat. Life suddenly became easy and joyful—at least in spirit. She no longer had to worry about Carol and Zoey or fret over Carol feeling upset by all the gossip. Though her days were physically demanding, she and Clover were incredibly happy. Clover grew in the blink of an eye, transforming into a chubby, lovable little bundle of joy.Pierre also doted on Clover, often buying her clothes, baby food, and toys. Calla knew these were all expensive imported goods. But Calla felt obliged to accept them since they were gifts from Clover's godfather. When Clover tu
Though Clover was only six months old, she seemed to understand their conversation. Knowing that she was being denied her milk, she cried even louder than before.Pierre frowned and growled, "Clover is only six months old. Why would you deprive her of milk? You're out of your mind! Are you even her mother? How can you be so cruel and deprive a baby of milk?Calla, at that moment, looked down at Clover nestled in her arms, squirming toward her chest. Her heart softened, and with Pierre's reproach, she couldn't help but tear up. In the end, Calla couldn't bear to deny Clover milk, so she began to unbutton her shirt.When Pierre noticed Calla preparing to nurse, he discreetly turned away and moved to the living room's expansive window. There, he stood, gazing at the twinkling city lights.Tears welled up in Calla's eyes as she looked at Clover nestled in her arms, happily nursing.Watching Clover blissfully feed in her arms, Calla's tears started to fall.It had been a day since Cal