As they were talking, Alice furrowed her brows while cradling her stomach. She said to Elisa, “Elisa, I might actually be going into labor early. The pain is becoming more noticeable.”“I’ll take you to the hospital immediately.”Elisa started to get nervous.She helped Alice get up, but Alice stopped her and said, “First, go to my closet and get the pre-packed maternity bag I prepared a while ago. We need to take it with us to the hospital. Also, my prenatal checkup records are in the drawer of my dressing table, we should bring those too.”“Alright, you stay seated for now. I’ll go get them. Don't worry, don't be nervous, I won’t be long.”Elisa rushed out to get the maternity bag. She grabbed that along with the prenatal records, and in no time, she dashed down the stairs.Alice was still waiting for her, but to her surprise, once Elisa grabbed the maternity bag and her prenatal records, she dashed off without waiting for Alice or even asking her along.Alice was bewildered.
“Mom.”Elisa rolled down her car window and said to them, “Alice might be going into labor. She mentioned having some abdominal pain. We need to get her to the hospital quickly.”Audrey asked, “Who are you taking to the hospital?”“Alice, of course. She’s about to give birth.”Darrell asked, “Where is she?”Elisa turned her head and did not see Alice in the back seat, only the maternity bag.She was stunned for a moment.Realizing the situation, she slapped her thigh and said to Remy, “Remy, turn around now. Alice is still at home.”Remy was speechless.Audrey burst into laughter. She would have expected such a blunder from her son, not her daughter.Elisa blushed and said apologetically, “Alice asked me to take some things to the hospital, so I grabbed them and rushed out, thinking she had already left…”Remy laughed as he turned the car around, “Elisa, are you kidding me? You got me all worked up, and I followed you hastily without even thinking about the situation.”Af
Elisa laughed and said, “Alice, please don’t laugh at me. I’m just so nervous. I bet Clive is panicking right now.”“Okay, I’ll stop laughing at you. Though laughing lessens the pain.”Elisa said, “Then go ahead and laugh! If your stomach doesn’t hurt from laughing, you should laugh more. I really don’t mind since I’m quite thick-skinned.”Alice hugged her belly and laughed, but then she soon frowned and said, “Now it hurts. The pain is getting more intense.”Hearing this, Audrey immediately instructed her daughter, “Bring Alice to the hospital now!”Most women would experience contractions for at least a day or two before giving birth for the first time. Some women would even have to endure the pain for three days. However, some women only had contractions for a few hours before delivery.Maybe Alice would not have to struggle for long.Thus, the Stones rushed Alice to the hospital.On the way to the hospital, Alice called Clive. When he answered the phone, she said, “Clive, m
“I’ll call your mother!” Audrey offered.Alice did not get to call her mother. Audrey felt that Alice’s family should be present when Alice was giving birth, so she took the initiative to call Alice’s family, telling them to meet up at the hospital.Soon after, the Stones and Lafayettes gathered outside the delivery room, waiting anxiously for Alice to give birth.Just as Audrey had guessed, Alice did an examination and was sent to the delivery room immediately upon arrival.Elisa posted a message on Facebook, notifying the Hunt sisters of Alice’s labor.Zachary immediately accompanied Serenity and Grandma May to the hospital while Liberty arrived before Serenity.Seeing the large group of people waiting outside, Liberty walked to Audrey and called out softly.“Liberty, why are you here?”“I saw Elisa’s post that Alice was about to give birth, so I came to see how everything was going. How long has she been in there?”Audrey said, “It felt like she went in a long time ago. But
The door to the delivery room opened and everyone waiting gathered around.A nurse held the baby and asked Clive with a smile, “Are you Alice Lafayette’s family member?”“I am her husband. Has she given birth? How is my wife? Can I go in and see her? When can she come out?”Clive asked multiple questions regarding his wife.Liberty was standing behind the crowd. Seeing how much Clive cared about Alice, she sighed in relief, knowing that Alice had married the right person.The nurse answered Clive. “Your wife is in good condition. She gave birth to a boy. Both mother and child are safe. The baby is 7.3 pounds. Your wife will be out shortly. Here’s the baby.”Clive was relieved to hear that Alice and the baby were safe.Everyone had smiles on their faces when they heard what the nurse said. They were also excited to see the little one.Clive took his son from the nurse’s arms. He looked at his newborn son and handed the baby to his mother-in-law, Felicity. He said, “Mom, you can
Fortunately, Alice did not keep her husband waiting for too long as the nurse soon pushed her out of the delivery room.“Babe!”Clive ran to Alice.Alice’s hair was messy, and her lips were cracked.Even so, Alice was in good spirits when she saw that everyone was waiting for her. She said to her husband, “Clive, we have a son! They said the baby looks like me.”Felicity said, “Yeah, your son resembles you. The baby is very healthy.”Clive leaned down and kissed his beloved wife on the forehead. He said in distress, “Thanks for your hard work, babe. Let’s not have any more children. One is enough.”Alice’s family hoped that she would give birth to a boy.The Stones had a big business empire, and Clive said that they would only have one child. Alice’s family felt that their daughter’s position in the Stone family was secure because she had given birth to an heir.After giving birth, Alice was also glad that she had a son. That way, her son would not have to endure the pain of c
Alice held her son and kissed him several times, smiling. “Of course, he looks like me. I gave birth to him! His mouth looks like Clive’s.”Alice glanced at her husband and said, “He has both our features, but he looks more like me.”Clive said dotingly, “It’s better that way since I’m not as good-looking as you.”Everyone laughed.Alice and Clive were a good-looking couple. The baby was still so small, so it was hard to tell whose looks he would take after. Yet, everyone was sure he would be a handsome little boy in the future.Alice needed more rest after giving birth, so everyone left after a while.Clive and Audrey stayed in the hospital to take care of Alice and the baby.After coming out of the hospital, Serenity and Zachary went to the Stones’ residence.The Stones were beaming with joy because they just welcomed a new baby.The Hunt sisters bought a lot of nutritional supplements for Alice.Audrey said to her nieces, “We don’t lack anything at home. Why did you buy so
Zachary had been reading up on pregnancy and knew that pregnant women should get enough exercise. It was not healthy to stay in bed or sit still all day.“Don’t worry, Aunt Audrey.”Audrey was happy with her niece’s husband and sighed when she looked at Liberty. Serenity was lucky to have met Zachary, who pampered her after they were married.On the other hand, Audrey felt sorry for Liberty.Liberty had a failed marriage with a vile man. After the divorce, Liberty led a better life and even had a sincere admirer—Duncan. However, Duncan got into a car accident and was undergoing rehab for his broken legs. No one knew when Duncan would fully recover.If Duncan could not recover fully, Audrey would not approve of Liberty and Duncan being together because Liberty had suffered enough in her previous marriage. She was hoping Liberty could be as happy as Serenity for the remainder of her life with her soulmate, rather than get dragged down by a disabled person.Audrey was just a pragmat
All he could do was hold it in. However, he soon sneezed again.Imogen commented, “My dad told you to stand in the cold without your coat, and you really did it, like an idiot. It’s not like you feel anything for me or you’re trying to win my affection, so there’s really no need for you to listen to my dad.”Luckily, she came out quickly enough. Otherwise, he would have turned into an icicle.“It was my fault before. I hurt you, so it's only natural that Mr. and Mrs. Doyle are angry with me. They didn’t hit me or scold me, and they just made me stand out in the cold for a while; they’re already being very lenient,” said Dylan, sneezing again.He was usually in good health, but this time, he was afraid he might really catch a cold.Imogen glanced at him without saying anything. She led Dylan into the house and asked their housekeeper if the soup was ready.Wendy replied, “Almost.”Imogen nodded and asked Dylan to sit down. Then, she poured him a cup of tea and asked, “Have you ea
Dylan finally put his coat on after Imogen said that. He had only been standing there for half an hour but even in that short time, he had become so cold.Once he put his jacket on, Imogen turned around and began walking inside. “Come with me.”“Okay,” Dylan quickly bent down to grab the gifts before quickening his steps to catch up with Imogen. “Thank you, Ms. Doyle.”Imogen glanced at him for a moment before turning away. “I was just afraid you might freeze to death at my doorstep, and then your family would come after mine. Plus, since your sisters-in-law are my good friends, I couldn't just let you die at my gate.”After leaving Wiltspoon, Imogen had not gone back there under her real name, but she had stayed in touch with Serenity and the others and was still on very good terms with them.Dylan smiled and said, “Serenity will give birth in a few months, and Josh’s wife is also pregnant, but she's a month ahead of Serenity. Liberty and Duncan have already registered their marr
Her daughter’s excellence was all thanks to Silver’s influence.“What I wanted to tell you was that Dylan is standing at our doorstep. He said he wanted to see you. Your dad and I refused and told him to leave, but he’s not budging.”Imogen was not surprised by this, but she still pretended to be surprised, so as not to raise her mother’s suspicion.“Why’s he here?” Imogen asked, feigning ignorance.“Who knows? He didn’t say. He only said he wanted to see you. The way he treated you, playing with your feelings—your dad and I have been holding in a lot of anger for a long time. “But you didn’t want us to confront him, so we couldn’t vent it. Now he’s come knocking, wanting to see you? It won’t be that easy.”Imogen was not planning to meet Dylan either.“Your dad told him to stand outside for two hours with his coat off and that if he doesn’t freeze to death, he’ll let him see you.”Imogen was speechless for a moment. “Mom, it’s freezing outside. Even wearing a thick coat, it’s
“Still not up yet?” Leticia smiled and said as she entered her daughter’s room after the door opened. Imogen’s room was decorated in a warm style, but the furniture was minimal. Aside from the bed, a computer desk, and a set of sofas, she preferred things to be simple. Her room was also the smallest. She said that if the room was too big, it felt empty and she could not sleep well. Leticia thought it was because when her daughter learned self-defense from her master, she lived in a small room with her fellow disciples, so she had gotten used to smaller spaces.Compared to the average person, Imogen's room was actually quite large, but against the rooms of the other family members, hers looked smaller.Leticia sat down on the sofa.“Mom, let me change first.” With her mother here, Imogen could no longer lie in bed. She went to change and wash up, then came out of the bathroom. She poured her mother a cup of water and placed it in front of her before sitting next to her. “Mom, a
Dylan was speechless.Leaving the warm indoors, he felt Huntington's winter was really cold. It was below freezing, and the temperature was as low as 14°F to 32°F. He had never experienced such low temperatures in Wiltspoon.In Wiltspoon, the moment the temperature dropped to 50°F, everyone would start saying it was freezing.Winston and Leticia headed back. Leticia whispered to her husband, “What if he really stands there for two hours without his coat and freezes to death?”They wanted to stand up for their daughter, but they did not want to kill Dylan. That would make them enemies of the Yorks. Even if they could not become in-laws, they definitely did not want to become enemies.Winston replied, “If he really does it, in half an hour, I’ll let Jen come out and call him inside. If he doesn't follow my request, he won’t freeze to death.”At most, he would just catch a cold. If he did not do it, nothing would happen.“I don’t think he’s here for love this time either. I’m not s
Leticia harrumphed as well. “Mr. York, why are you here?” Leticia asked coldly. “We don't welcome you here. Go back to wherever you came from.”Dylan smiled awkwardly, “Mrs. Doyle, I just want to see Ms. Imogen.”“Imogen doesn't want to see you. Hurry up and leave, or we'll let the guard dogs out.” Leticia rejected him outright. “And you’d better stay as far away as possible. Do you think our Imogen is someone you can just toy and flirt with just because you want to, then say you haven't fallen for her and play with her feelings?“What's the matter? Has the Mr. York, whose heart belongs to someone else, still not managed to win his lady love over?” Leticia mocked, though she was actually probing into the reason for Dylan's visit.Dylan just took the insults without getting angry. He knew he had hurt Imogen. Even though she was someone who could take things in stride, the fact remained he had flirted with her and turned to claim he did not like her, which had hurt her feelings.
Otherwise, the Old Mrs. York would not have taken a liking to her in the first place.“I'll go out and have a look.” Leticia could not sit still and stood up to leave. She wanted to mock that York boy. Winston replied, “I'll go with you.”He was worried that his wife might soften her heart because she was quite pleased with Dylan at first. Well, to be honest, he was too.It was mainly because everyone in Huntington knew of the Wiltspoon Yorks’ reputation. The men of the York family were devoted and loyal to their marriages, and once they married, it was for life.For women, the York family was an excellent family for marriage. Who would not want to marry into it? Families with daughters also hoped their daughters would marry York men, or those who were as devoted as them. Leticia hummed in assent and the couple hurried out.Dylan's car was parked in front of the Doyles’ residence. He had switched to a different car, afraid the security guards might recognize his vehicle, eve
“Goodnight, Mom,” Imogen said.As Leticia turned the doorknob to enter her room, Imogen suddenly asked, “Mom, if Dylan comes looking for me again, would you let him in?”“I'd set the guard dog on him.”Imogen chuckled softly, “Mom, you’re all talk. If he really does, you might just smile from ear to ear and think he’s realized he actually loves me.”Leticia was silent for a moment before she said, “Regardless, I have to make him sweat a little.” After saying that, Leticia quickly closed the door, feeling too embarrassed to face her daughter. She internally sighed. Dylan was the son-in-law she had hoped for. If Dylan really did realize that he actually loved Jen and came back for her, Leticia wondered if she should forgive him for the things he had done months ago. Dylan had hurt her daughter, but… never mind. It was between the two young ones. She should let them handle it themselves. There was no way Dylan would come back anyway.Leticia did not expect her daughter’s hypothet
Leticia then heard faint footsteps. When she went out to check, she saw it was her daughter. That was why she asked.“My friend invited me out for a late-night snack.” Imogen lied, not telling her mother that she had gone to meet that thief. She knew that Dylan wanted to break in by climbing the wall, but she kept to herself because she did not want her mother to have a bad impression of him.Leticia had met Dylan back when he was deliberately approaching her and knowing he was one of the Wiltspoon Yorks, she was very pleased with him. Since Leticia thought so highly of Dylan and said a lot of good things about the York family before her, Imogen took this into consideration and saw him as a potential partner. However, when she started to have feelings for him, he told her that after trying for two or three months, he still could not fall for her.“I thought you didn’t like eating late-night snacks? Anyway, you should just eat what you want at home. Why go out? It’s so cold,” Let