September 28, 2024. Chapter 1-2. The second update will be after midnight.
"Shut up! Shut up! I can't sleep! Ahh!" Claire shrieked at her baby girl, who had been crying for the past two hours. The baby was in the crib in the apartment's living room. The door to their apartment suddenly burst open, and William Barlowe entered. He frowned and scolded, "Why are you screaming at our daughter? She is just a baby! What's wrong with you?""What's wrong with me?" Claire asked back, weeping. "This isn't the life I wanted! Why can't you hire a nanny for the baby? Where did all your money go?"William rushed to the baby and consoled her. Then, he turned to Claire, saying, "Have you forgotten I lost everything after the divorce? I still need to give child support to my other kids!" "Regardless of how little money I have, this is no way to treat a baby! Don't you love our child?" William asked. "I - I can't live like this? William, I - I should leave the baby to you," Claire said in desperation. Claire barely has any money left with her, either. Most of it was spent o
“Well, what is it, Raelyn?” Charles asked loudly from outside the ladies’ room. “Is it done?”Then, he muttered, “This isn’t actually the first time she threw up, but it just never occurred to me that she could be carrying a child.”“Are you done, Mom?” Riley also inquired. She was situated behind the cubicle, waiting for the results. Renee was inside the ladies’ room with Riley. She was standing on her own, but she still had a walking stick to help her balance. She fanned her face and said, “I’m nervous. Hurry, Raelyn! Hurry!”“Is she pregnant?” Outside, Abner asked aloud. “Mom, try it twice, okay? So that’s a double confirmation,” Riley suggested. “Can you imagine Freya having a younger uncle or aunt?” Renee asked Riley, and they both made varied expressions.“Well, that does happen,” Riley said. “Oh, my god! My daughter will be so confused.”Clearly, there is a commotion in there,” Adrian said. “You are all pressuring Raelyn,” Anthony commented. “Haha! Give her some space!”Only
Renee made a face. She pouted and complimented, “Wow, even with your hand slightly shaking, you can do a good massage.”“I have to push myself, so I use all parts of my body and get off this wheelchair,” Anthony said. While Anthony could walk, he could not balance himself for longer than twenty seconds. After his accident, he suffered muscle weakness on one side of his body, which was why he and Renee were having treatments together.They go to the hospital together and have their treatments. Sometimes, they have lunch together after the hospital visit. So, pretty much, Renee and Anthony have gotten used to each other’s presence, but rarely do they delve into their personal lives. If they end up in a chat, they often talk about Riley and Adrian, their treatments, the people who help them, and Anthony’s work. “But where did you learn to massage like this?” Renee asked. “I used to give Freya massages when she was pregnant. I had to learn,” Anthony revealed. “You must miss her,” Renee
“Here, this is for you. I had my omelet made, and I got yours too. You like your eggs soft, right? Lightly cooked?” Renee said while putting the egg dish in front of Anthony. “Yes.” Anthony smiled at Renee. “You remember, thank you.”Renee’s face burned as she took her seat beside Anthony. For the first few seconds, she studied how he ate the omelet. After seeing a satisfied smile on his face, she ate her breakfast silently. No, they did not get to finish their sunrise walk, for they were already hungry at eight in the morning. So, they made their way to the resort restaurant instead. They met Raelyn and Charles there, who were already settled at a long table reserved for their group. As Renee ate, she felt someone staring at her. She looked up to find Raelyn, giving her a questioning look. Thankfully, Riley, Adrian, and Abner arrived at the restaurant. Clint, Zia, and their families also came to have breakfast, distracting Raelyn from whatever speculations were cooking in her head
Everyone’s eyes were on Anthony at that point. Renee was particularly confused with his actions. But eventually, Anthony responded to Michael with a laugh, saying, “Ask me? I’m not Renee. Why don’t you ask her?”“I was— I was helping her out. It’s the first time you have met, and Renee tends to be reserved around new people,” Anthony suggested.The commissioner leaned back. He crossed his arms against his chest and said, “Okay, well. Let’s try that again, shall we?”“Renee?” Michael asked. “Go ahead, ask me anything,” Renee politely responded.“Yes, Michael, you can ask Renee anything,” Abner encouraged. While all this was happening, Renee noticed Adrian giving Anthony a strange look. Once Anthony became aware, he turned his attention to his food and simply listened. “Are you married, Renee?” Michael asked. “No, I am single. I have never been married,” Renee answered with a smile. “Well, I am a divorced man. So, I have been single for five years,” the commissioner said in a joking
At first, Anthony simply felt sorry for Renee and what she had been through. She was often left out because of her condition, unable to join Riley and Adrian in their quest for the truth about Raelyn.While living under Adrian’s roof, he got to know Renee’s personality. Her motherly qualities shone, reminding Anthony of Freya. This remained true even after learning that Raelyn was alive. Despite her struggle to walk properly, Renee tried to get involved in preparing Riley and Adrian’s breakfast. Together with Linda, she was often the first one at the dining table with a big smile on her face. “Good morning! A healthy breakfast to start everyone’s day!”“I made smoothies! With Linda’s help, of course. This will be great for the baby, Riley.”“Adrian, are you sure you are going to work? How about taking a break? You look like you could use some.”“Anthony? Are you leaving without breakfast? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, plus you get to spend it with family. Why don’t
Anthony was in his bed, back at the old mansion. He was sleeping, yet smiling. He was in a dream, and in that dream, he saw Freya chasing after butterflies. Freya loved butterflies. Then, Anthony’s dream shifted to a scene when Freya was still pregnant with Adrian. In the garden, Freya found a caterpillar pupa. She had watched the pupa for days, and when it became fully transparent, and the shape of the butterfly became obvious, Freya stayed by the plant for two hours. Anthony participated in the observation, bringing his laptop to the chrysalis’ location. Then, the most magical thing happened: the pupa’s front opened, and the butterfly came out. It flew away; its wings were a bright yellow and orange!“Metamorphosis, isn’t it great?” Freya said. “It symbolizes many things, like freedom, personal growth, renewal, or simply a beautiful change.”Anthony awoke from the dream with tears brimming in his eyes. He never expected to have that dream of Freya. In fact, he had not dreamed of
“Renee,” Anthony said after taking a deep breath. “This is for you.”Renee gasped, abandoning her walking stick since there was only a meter of distance between them. She graciously accepted the flowers with a warm smile.“Thank you, they are beautiful,” Renee answered. All of a sudden, Anthony forced himself up from his wheelchair. It alarmed Renee that she unwillingly opened her arms, ready to catch him. Before Renee knew it, Anthony embraced her tightly. He leaned into her head as if taking in her scent. He said, “God, I missed you.”“You have a strange way of showing it,” Renee answered. While holding the flowers, she hugged him back with the same passion. Together, they created a balance that allowed Anthony to keep his stance. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure about which direction to take.”“And what is it?” Renee softly asked while tears brimmed in her eyes. “I decided I did not like the idea of you being with another man; I mean, I should be your man, not M