"…"The newcomers were Flora Zigler and her niece, Odelia!Nydia was the first to greet them, a look of delight on her face. "Flora, why did you come so late? I was afraid you wouldn't make it today! Come, have a seat. We saved a spot just for you."Flora's well-maintained face was clouded with anger. She pushed Nydia aside. "Nydia, I'm not here to celebrate your grandson's birthday. I'm here to settle a score with you!"Nydia was taken aback. Seeing Flora's fury and realizing something serious was up, she managed a strained smile. "Mrs. Zigler, today is Wythe's birthday. Can we discuss this privately later?"Standing with Lambert, Lydia felt a sudden unease. The glamorous woman who had entered with Flora hadn't taken her eyes off Lambert. Lydia felt a pang of anxiety, and when Odelia noticed her gaze, she smirked provocatively.Lydia instinctively stepped back. Lambert, noticing her discomfort, asked, "What's wrong?"Lydia shook her head, hoping she was overthinking things.Flora had
Lydia's heart sank to the bottom.The pendant was something Lambert had personally purchased as part of a set that included her bracelet and the necklace Wythe wore.Lambert cherished these pieces and wore them close to him at all times.If Odelia had it, there could be no doubt about the intimacy between them.Wythe's face turned grim. He clenched the pendant hanging around his neck, his lips pressed tightly together.That morning, before they left, Wythe had asked Lambert about wearing the matching diamond set since they were dressed in coordinated outfits for the family celebration.Lydia wore her bracelet, and Wythe wore his necklace, but Lambert's pendant was mysteriously missing.Lambert had explained it might have been left somewhere in their villa, and they didn't have time to look for it. Now, here it was, surfacing in such a distressing manner.It was ridiculous.Lydia instinctively glanced at her bracelet, feeling a wave of dizziness. Lambert had betrayed their marriage, in
"Not watching the traffic light, do you have a death wish? Damn it! If you want to die, don’t drag me into it!"Andrew turned his head, his usually gentle face now dark and cold. He snapped at the driver, "Get lost!"The driver, stunned, spat out a curse before speeding off. Lydia sat on the ground, dazed and unaware of what she was doing.Wythe was the first to regain his senses. He whispered, "Thank you for saving us."Andrew quickly helped them up, asking, "Are you both okay?"Lydia instinctively shook her head, but Andrew noticed her arm and knee were scraped. Wythe, in his long sleeves and pants, was better off.Andrew frowned, wanting to reprimand Lydia, but seeing her distraught state, his heart softened. He sighed and gently helped her up."Lydia, come with me for now. We’ll talk about everything later."Lydia finally nodded and followed Andrew to the car.Meanwhile, back at the hotel, things weren’t going smoothly for Lambert. After the initial shock and surprise, he regained
Andrew brought Lydia and Wythe home, harboring his own private intentions but genuinely hoping Lydia could find happiness again."Lydia, what do you want for dinner? How about we go to the supermarket together?"Andrew tried to distract Lydia, but his attempts were futile. She locked herself in the guest room as soon as they entered the house, even kicking Wythe out.Wythe, deeply worried about Lydia, was upset about Lambert's sudden revelation of a child. Despite his anger and sadness, he quickly came to terms with it.Before returning to the country, he and his mother had lived just fine.Even if Lambert was no longer his father, as long as his mother was by his side, he could be happy.Fathers are indeed too fickle!Andrew was disappointed that he couldn't get Lydia to come out, but Wythe tugged at his clothes, "Uncle Fraine, can you get me another cake?"Andrew suddenly remembered that today was Wythe’s birthday, which had been ruined by the unexpected woman's intrusion.His heart
"What does Odelia want to talk about?"As soon as they sat down, Lambert went straight to the point, but this Odelia wasn't about to let Lambert off that easily. She stirred her coffee with a smile."The coffee here is good. You should try it!"Lambert's expression darkened. "Do you want to talk or not? If not, I don't see the point in wasting time."Odelia gracefully pushed the stirred coffee towards Lambert. "Don't be so impatient. You nearly scared me! Remember, I'm pregnant now. If you give me a fright, you'll have to take care of me."Lambert remained silent, his gaze sharp on Odelia. His intuition told him she was not an easy woman to deal with. She seemed thick-skinned yet elusive. His concern now was whether she would really be willing to take the money and leave.Regardless, Lambert wanted to give it a try.Taking a deep breath, Lambert controlled his emotions perfectly. "Odelia, I don't know what you're thinking, but I can tell you straight up, I will not marry you. And as f
Lydia had already stood up from the rock, her long hair flying in the wind.The sunset's glow illuminated her, making her look like an angel ready to leave this world.She stood there, gazing at the turbulent sea, a thought surfacing in her mind:Jump! Since life was so painful, why should she continue to endure?Step by step, she walked forward. Just as she was about to reach the edge of the rock, a voice, heart-wrenching, shattered the air. "Mommy!"Lydia froze, slowly turning her head. Then she saw a small figure running towards her against the sunset.He ran so urgently, tears streaking down his face, his small face red from the exertion, yet unable to stop his steps.Suddenly, he seemed to step on something, tumbling forward, but he quickly got up again.Lydia stood there motionless, her gaze still empty, feeling nothing as she watched the scene unfold.Yes, she didn't care about living anymore, so why should she care about anything else?Lydia turned away and continued walking f
Upon hearing this, Lydia couldn't help but burst into tears!Andrew didn't stop her, only holding her tighter.Lydia nestled in his arms, crying uncontrollably, as if she wanted to wash away all the sadness.Lydia didn't know how long she had cried. In a daze, Andrew helped her into the car.Both Lydia and Wythe were exhausted.As soon as they got into the car, they fell into a deep sleep, not even having dinner!And thus, Wythe's sixth birthday slipped away into the stream of time!When Lydia woke up the next day, it was already noon. She smelled the aroma of food as she got up. Wythe was already happily sitting there, gnawing on a chicken leg.Lydia felt guilty when she noticed his slightly swollen eyes and numerous bruises on his tender arms from yesterday's fall.Lydia's heart clenched. She noticed Wythe looking at her and forced a smile. "Mommy, are you awake? Uncle Fraine made my favorite chicken legs! Do you want some?"Lydia walked over and lifted him onto her lap. "Sorry, bab
Lambert was momentarily stunned, then quickly answered the call. Upon seeing Lydia's name on the screen, his expression softened rapidly.He seemed to forget about the meeting entirely, waving his hand to dismiss everyone and then answering the call."Lydia..."The sudden change in the boss's demeanor left the department employees bewildered.Wasn't this their cold and imposing boss, who could make grown men tremble in fear just moments ago?How could he transform into such a tender husband with just one phone call?However, the department heads were secretly relieved, silently applauding the timely call from the boss's wife.Whoever spread rumors about the boss having a mistress should be dragged out and punished.Judging by the boss's behavior, it was evident that he deeply cared for his wife!Lambert had no intention of continuing the meeting. Since the day Lydia left with their child out of anger, he hadn't been able to contact her.His calls went unanswered, and he couldn't find
"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