Lambert reached out and embraced Lydia, gently wiping away the tears from her eyes before solemnly kowtowing to the tombstone three times."Auntie, no! Please allow me to call you Mom too! Mom, my name is Lambert, and I am Lydia's fiancé, soon to be her husband. Although I've never met you, my heart is filled with gratitude towards you. Thank you for bringing Lydia into this world and for raising her so wonderfully. Now, I solemnly request you to entrust Lydia to me. I will take care of her, cherish her, and protect her for the rest of my life, ensuring that no one will ever harm her!"Lydia, upon hearing this, felt her tears, which had just ceased, welling up again.She reached out and held Lambert's hand, her voice slightly hoarse as she spoke, "Mom, I'll be happy. Will you bless us from heaven?"On the tombstone, Natalie's smiling photo seemed to glow with approval, as if she had heard their vows.After paying respects to her mother, Lydia's heart remained unsettled for a long time
“Lambert, we called you both here today to discuss Wythe's education!" Odgen spoke first, taking a sip of his coffee and pulling Wythe onto his lap. Nydia, sitting beside him, handed Wythe some fruit.Wythe's mouth was filled to the brim, resembling a little hamster sneaking a snack, melting hearts all around.Lambert furrowed his brows in response. "Dad, I don't understand what you mean! I don't see any issues with Wythe's education right now!""Are you sure there are no problems? Haven't you noticed how mature Wythe's thoughts are? I believe it's due to his environment. The only reason a child is forced to grow up quickly is perhaps because he lacks a sense of security, and an unhealthy family makes his childhood destined to be incomplete," Odgen explained."That's my fault!" Lambert interjected. "Actually, I think Lydia is doing just fine!""That's just your opinion. Besides, according to our Halsey family rules, the eldest son and grandson must live in the residence. Wythe is our
Wythe immediately shook off Odgen's hand and rushed to Lydia's side, throwing himself into her arms. "Mom, I missed you so much!"Lambert found it amusing. This mother and son were really alike. It had only been a few hours since they last saw each other. Lambert stretched out his long arms and pulled them both into his embrace. "Wythe, you only miss Mom and not Dad?"Wythe quickly kissed Lambert's cheek. "Of course, I miss you too!"Lambert finally felt satisfied, holding his son and wife as they sat down at the table. He didn't notice the disapproval in his parents' eyes as they witnessed the scene.As they settled down, Nydia put on a friendly smile and served a bowl of soup to Lydia. "Lydia, although work is important for a woman, your health is equally important. I specially had the kitchen make this soup. See if it suits your taste."Lydia was pleasantly surprised. "Thank you!"Nydia chuckled. "Why be so polite among family?"Watching this scene, Lambert's previous worries dissi
Emir obviously hadn't expected Wythe to use this opportunity to meet his mother, so she happily agreed.In her eyes, this child finally showed an appreciation and pursuit of beautiful things, so he would surely fall in love with oil painting!Although the small white building wasn't too far in sight, it took Emir and them nearly three minutes to drive there.When they stood outside the splendid garden, Emir felt that her student was simply a genius. The scenery here was too beautiful.The golden sunlight spread over the white building, giving it an even more pure appearance. Surrounding it were vibrant flowers, resembling a sea of flowers from a distance.However, what surprised Emir was that Wythe seemed exceptionally excited when they arrived.He immediately slipped off the car and rushed into the building without even hearing Emir call after him.Feeling awkward, Emir stood at the door. She knew that although this was part of the Halsey estate, some guests also stayed here.She won
Wythe nodded, signifying forgiveness, then turned his gaze towards Odgen and Nydia."Listen to me! Grandpa, Grandma, I didn't want to come here at all. But because you're Dad's parents, both Mom and I didn't want to make Dad uncomfortable or sad. So, we compromised. I know you've never liked Mom, but as I've said before, without Mom, there's no me. Whether you admit it or not, I'm always going to be with Mom!"Wythe paused sternly before continuing, "As for you two, if you keep causing trouble, I won't recognize you anymore! I'll leave with Mom, and I believe Dad will come with us! So now, think for yourselves if you want to sit down and talk to Mom properly!"Nydia and Odgen were stunned.It had to be admitted; the child was absolutely right.Even if he no longer acknowledged them, it wouldn't be much loss to him. But it was different for them.Lambert was determined to be with Lydia, to the extent that he had almost severed ties with the family before because of it. It was likely to
Lydia nodded slightly, but Nydia, upon hearing her words, retorted angrily, "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to starve to death? And look at the time now, who wakes up this late? As a wife, shouldn't you be up before your husband? At least you should have helped Lambert get ready for work and served him breakfast!"Lydia restrained her frustration and said, "I'm sorry.""Sorry won't cut it. You know you're wrong, so hurry up and make breakfast!" Nydia demanded.After a moment of silence, Lydia finally entered the kitchen.When the fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen, Lydia knew that breakfast was ready. She brought out the food bowls carefully, serving Nydia a bowl, who tasted it with disdain."Eating something so greasy in the morning. Do you even know how to balance your diet? It's pitiful how Wythe grew up following you," Nydia remarked.Lydia was speechless for a moment before she replied, "Mom, this shouldn't be considered greasy.""But it's filled with eggs and meat,
Nydia, looking aggrieved, exclaimed loudly, "Lydia, you're being too much! I treated you wholeheartedly, like my own daughter. Is this how you treat me? At least I'm your elder, right?"Lydia didn't respond immediately, but instinctively retorted, "If you had even a hint of an elder's demeanor, I wouldn't have laid a hand on you!"Then, she saw Nydia look even more aggrieved as she glanced towards the door. "Lambert..."Lydia's heart sank. Before she could turn around, a tall figure walked up to Nydia, carefully examining her wound. "Mom, are you okay?"Nydia shook her head. "Lambert, I know we haven't treated Lydia well before, but we've truly changed now. We genuinely accept her, but..."Lydia felt extremely aggrieved upon hearing this. She looked at Lambert and saw his gaze, complex with incomprehension, disappointment, and a hint of indescribable discomfort."No, Lambert, it's not what you think at all!" Lydia interjected.Standing beside, Nydia took over, "Forget it, Lambert. I k
Lambert, although still upset with Lydia, couldn't refuse his son's request.He paused for a moment, intending to sit back beside Lydia, but saw her releasing Wythe."Wythe, why don't you eat by yourself? Mommy's full and needs to rest!" With that, Lydia left everyone behind and walked away.Lambert's gaze grew colder. He wasn't even angry yet she seemed to be.How ironic, she was the one at fault, wasn't she?This only confirmed Wythe's suspicions further. Mom and Dad were really having issues, but what was going on exactly?Nydia sighed, "Lambert, looks like Lydia's still mad at me!"Lambert responded coldly, "Ignore her! Let's eat, Mom."Nydia smiled, seemingly in good spirits. However, Wythe felt uneasy. He slid off his chair without waiting for anyone's response. "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, you guys enjoy your meal. I'm full. I'll go check on Mom."Without waiting for a reply, Wythe dashed upstairs.In the second-floor room, Lydia sat despondently on the edge of the bed, enveloped in
"Lambert, at this rate, you could almost switch careers to become a nanny!" Horace teased, noticing how expertly Lambert cradled the baby.Unfazed by his friend's jest, Lambert beamed with happiness. "You wouldn't understand if you don't have kids. Once you get married, you'll know. This is my legacy, and I didn't get to care for Wythe when he was a baby, so I'm determined to be hands-on with Candice."No one could truly grasp this sense of compensation!Horace rolled his eyes, clearly at a loss for words. It was pointless to engage with someone so enamored with fatherhood.While the men gathered to chat, Thera leaned closer to Lydia and whispered, "So, Lydia, are you really back together with Lambert?"Lydia nodded. "Yeah. After everything that happened, I realized I need to cherish every single day. And Lambert is sincere—I can feel it.""That's great!" Thera sighed in relief, finally putting her worries to rest."What about you, Thera? I see you and Andrew getting along quite well!
At this moment, Lambert felt completely at ease. It seemed that Lydia's earlier words were not just talk; she was genuinely ready to give them a chance!A smile crept onto Lambert's lips, but there was no time to think of anything else; he needed to take care of their baby, Wythe. Thanks to the maternal training classes he had attended with Lydia, he had learned a lot about caring for newborns. Gently, he picked up his daughter and quickly checked her diaper, only to find that she had wet it.With nimble hands, he changed her diaper, and the little one fell back asleep. Looking at her innocent face, Lambert's heart melted. This was his child, the result of his and Lydia's love.The baby slept soundly, and Wythe had been temporarily taken away by Bob, who had come to deliver some items. Now, only Lambert and Lydia remained in the room, but Lydia, having slept quite a bit earlier, was no longer drowsy."Are you still feeling unwell?" Seeing Lydia frown slightly, Lambert asked with conce
Lambert glanced at his son's disapproving expression and was momentarily at a loss. "Wythe, you might've looked even more wrinkled than her when you were born, yet look at you now—a handsome young man," he teased, smiling at his daughter. Though wrinkly, he found her to be the most beautiful and precious little girl.Wythe huffed proudly, his lips in a slight pout. "I wasn't this ugly! Besides, you didn't see me when I was a baby." A hint of sadness crossed his face; he hadn't been as lucky as his sister—he hadn't had his dad by his side when he was born.Hearing the touch of bitterness in his son's voice, Lambert immediately understood. Wythe was jealous, understandably so. For all his maturity, Wythe was still just a child. For his first five or six years, he had only his mother and no father. He often envied kids with both parents, and when Lydia finally returned home, her on-again, off-again relationship with Lambert had left Wythe hurt and forced him to grow up faster than other
Lambert paced restlessly in the hallway, nearly losing his mind. Every moment was agonizing, with Lydia's screams from the delivery room piercing his heart. He prided himself on being strong, yet in that instant, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee, especially as her cries of pain echoed through. Angry at himself, he slapped his own face—Lydia was suffering because of him, and he'd never realized how terrifying childbirth could be."Calm down. This is what childbirth is like," a woman nearby said kindly. She was the mother of a little girl, and both she and her husband couldn't help but notice how visibly nervous Lambert was. "You've been through this once before, so you should be able to handle it," she added."Why isn't it over yet? Is she in danger?" Lambert's mind was in turmoil, fighting the urge to rush inside and see Lydia himself.The little girl's father stepped in, attempting to reassure him. "You and your family will be just fine," he said. The man recalled his own frantic
At that moment, Lydia was on the verge of total collapse, as if her entire world had crumbled in an instant, and sorrow overwhelmed her.What had she done? What had she been doing these past days?She had been recklessly indulging in Lambert's affection, without any sense of gratitude or restraint. Now, she regretted her actions deeply. If only she had known this day would come, she would never have argued with Lambert or dismissed his love and efforts out of a misguided sense of pride.All she wanted was for him to be safe, to live happily with her and their children, never to be apart.Lydia's vision blurred as she stood in shock, unable to step closer to the crowd to confirm what had happened. But through a gap, she caught sight of a blood-red stain spreading across the ground. The sight was so jarring that it felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest."Mom, are you okay?"Wythe ran over, panting, to see Lydia sitting dazed on the ground, staring at the red stain in
Lambert's words made Wythe roll his eyes, secretly exasperated. What was going on with his dad? Wasn't everything decided? Why was he suddenly backing out at the last moment?Men! Their thoughts are just impossible to figure out!Lambert had indeed changed his mind unexpectedly. He didn't want to deceive Lydia, even if it was just a harmless joke. Something about it felt wrong. Even if it was to bring them closer, lying to her didn't seem right.Wythe's plan had been simple he wanted Lambert to stage an accident, making it seem like he'd been hit by a car. He was certain his mom would show her true feelings; if she still cared for him, there was no way she'd just stand by. It was a good plan, but now that the moment had come, Lambert didn't want to test Lydia this way.People's feelings shouldn't be tested.Wythe grew increasingly anxious. They'd prepared everything, but now his dad was retreating? That wasn't like him at all! Taking advantage of n
Half a month had passed since Lydia's last check-up. Lambert continued caring for Lydia with the same attentiveness, unbothered by her cold attitude towards him. Although her indifference saddened him, he was undeterred; his determination grew in the face of difficulty, a testament to his personality.But little Wythe had had enough. He felt it was time to give his parents a nudge towards reconciliation. Yes, it was his turn to step up!So, one morning, when Lambert went out early to buy groceries as usual, Wythe found an excuse to tag along. Lydia didn't think much of it; over time, she had noticed Lambert's earnest efforts and couldn't deny feeling somewhat touched, even if her heart remained conflicted. Deep down, she feared reopening herself to love, only to be hurt again.After all, "Once bitten, twice shy," as they say. Lydia never saw herself as particularly brave—in fact, in love, she was timid and afraid. She longed for a peaceful, uncomplicated l
Once, Lydia believed she and Lambert would grow old together, inseparable and loyal. But her genuine love had only brought repeated hurt and disappointment. That's why she had fled Nova City, leaving behind everyone she knew, so this time, she refused to open her heart again.Lambert sighed, his tone gentle. He knew Lydia wouldn't easily open up to him again, but he didn't mind; he was willing to wait. Determined, he led her to the prenatal clinic, aware of the many tests ahead—ultrasounds, blood tests, monitoring the baby's heartbeat—a series of over ten examinations. Each department was exceptionally busy, requiring an immense amount of patience.Throughout, Lambert remained unwaveringly attentive, showing no sign of impatience. He stayed by Lydia's side with the eager anticipation of any expectant father, his heart fully in it.Before the ultrasound, Lydia needed to drink water, but Lambert, inexperienced in these matters, hadn't prepared any. She didn't feel inclined to remind him
Happiness, it seems, makes people wish the same for those around them. Like the husband in the next hospital bed—he had the sense to keep quiet the moment he sensed the tension between Lydia and Lambert.Lambert didn't seem to mind Lydia's sudden outburst. He simply took off his suit jacket, now stained with soup, and said regretfully, "The soup spilled, Lydia. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. I'll have someone bring a new one right away! Why not have a piece of cake to tide you over?"Lambert's calm demeanor only made Lydia feel as if her anger was landing on nothing but soft cotton, frustrating her even more. What was Lambert up to? Was he mocking her on purpose?It was infuriating!Lydia knew her emotions were out of sorts lately. Ever since Lambert left, she hadn't had much of an appetite. When she found out his trip was delayed, everything around her began to irritate her. It was as though a cloud of anger clogged her heart, but she couldn't find a way to let it ou