Zachary looked in the direction of the voice and saw a strange young woman. He had no impression of her at all. She was followed by two men who looked like bodyguards and was a little overdressed. She was even wearing a hat while her bodyguard held an umbrella for her.Before Zachary could even speak, she introduced herself. “Mr. York, I’m Mrs. Longbottom. I often bump into your wife here at the preschool entrance. How come she isn’t dropping your nephew off today?”It was Carrie. She was too bored staying home to recuperate and had insisted on coming out for some air. Mrs. Douglas had not been able to dissuade her. The two bodyguards did not care either. It was her body, after all. If she was not going to take care of it, who would do it for her?In their eyes, Carrie was just their boss’s mistress and not the real madam of the house. The boss had made all the proper arrangements for her care but Carrie insisted on coming out on such a cold wintry day, so they just let her be. In M
“Thank you for your concern. She’s fine.”“Why isn’t she dropping her nephew off, then?”Zachary said coldly, “It’s raining and the weather’s getting colder. Is there something wrong with letting my wife sleep in? Is there a rule stipulating she has to send Sonny to preschool?”Carrie was struck speechless.“I heard from my wife that you have to send your sister-in-law to preschool every day despite such weather. They don’t care about you at all.” Once Zachary was done, he turned and left, paying Carrie no more attention. He would not have said anything if Carrie did not bring up Serenity.Carrie simply was at a loss for words. Although she was not the real Mrs. Longbottom and did not actually have siblings-in-law who were still studying, she could not help but compare herself to Serenity at Zachary’s words. She was envious of Serenity for having such a good life. Who was Zachary? He would never have done such a thing in the past. He was so busy and time was so precious to him t
Carrie was a bit angry, but she still held it in and said, “I’ve already gotten much better. At least I dared to call out to him. The last time I saw him, I trembled and did not even dare to look at him, let alone talk to him.”This time, she even spoke to Zachary. Although she was not a hundred percent calm, she was calm enough. Was that not an improvement? Was it not enough that she improved so much in just a little over a month? She used to tremble even at the mention of his name, she would have them know.That bodyguard stayed silent.“Stop demanding so much of me. I need time to learn and your boss even said I’m supposed to be resting for these two weeks. I just aborted a baby for him, you know,” Carrie said sullenly. This was her first pregnancy and she had aborted the baby right after she realized she was pregnant, so she had not felt much for the baby, but it was a fact that her body had been badly affected. The pain of the abortion was the worst she had ever felt in her l
After eating a simple meal, Serenity left for her office. Once she got there, she saw a huge pile of gifts.Helen said, “Mr. Dylan said they’re all apology gifts for Ms. Doyle and asked for your help to pass them on to her.”Helen had not heard the gossip about Dylan and was very curious, but if her boss did not talk about it, she would not ask.“Why isn’t he doing it himself?” Serenity looked at the pile of gifts and saw most were WIltspoon’s local specialties. They were exactly what she intended to get for Imogen, so Dylan had saved her some time and effort.“He didn’t say.”“Alright. You can go back to work now.” Serenity walked toward her desk and dug her phone out from her bag to call Dylan.He quickly picked up and began to beg her for help. He truly had decided to give up on Imogen and would not marry her, but would also not be friends with her, lest his future wife get jealous.However, it was a fact that he had led Imogen on and was removing himself from the situation a
“You didn’t tell me you were going back early. If I hadn’t come over, I wouldn’t have known you left,” Serenity grumbled lightly.Imogen laughed. “It’s my bad. I know you're busy and it’s raining, making it colder today. I didn’t want to put you out.”She glanced at Serenity’s stomach. Serenity was wearing a thick coat, making it hard to tell her baby bump was showing.“Plus, you’re pregnant.”“I’ll visit you in Huntington once I’ve given birth.”“Sure! I’ll treat you to all of our local specialties then. They’re on par with Wiltspoon’s.”Serenity laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Are you in a hurry? I’ve brought some things for you. Strictly speaking, they’re not from me. Dylan asked me to send them over. He bought a lot of our local specialties as an apology.”Imogen was silent for a moment before she asked, “Are there a lot?”“Quite a lot. I don’t think you’ll be able to carry them alone. If you’re willing to accept them, I’ll ship them over to you. Just give me an address.”
Sure enough, talent and passion were very important. Austin’s business was sure to do well since he ventured into the food and beverage industry. Fortunately, his business was thousands of miles away in Wiltspoon and could not affect the O'Connors's business. Otherwise, the food and beverage businesses they operated would suffer a complete defeat at the hands of such a formidable competitor.“It’s harder to lose weight than it is to gain it, you know.” Isabella glanced at the time and seeing that it was lunchtime, she turned off her computer. “You’re becoming more of a foodie now,” she remarked.“So what if I can eat the best food in the world every day? Everyone has to eat. Is there anyone who doesn’t like eating? Only a person who doesn’t eat and drink is weird,” Tati retorted before glancing at the time too. “Dominic and Austin must be arriving soon.”Isabella never went home for lunch as it was too much of a rush. Sometimes, she would have lunch at a five-star hotel they owned
Seeing Isabella’s smile, Tati knew her cousin misunderstood her again. She could not be bothered to explain. Her feelings for Austin were pure admiration. His cooking and desserts were truly to her liking. She was not the only one who enjoyed them, and that included Isabella.Isabella had not criticized Austin’s cooking since he started working two days ago. “Austin’s cooking style never changes, but the taste of his food is flawless. He’s my age, yet he has such mastery in cooking. I have to admit that he’s talented. Not only that, he’s still refining his recipes.”That was a rare compliment from Isabella, which was a sign of recognition for his cooking skills. “Dominic said that Austin’s luggage only had a few sets of clothes. The rest were cookbooks of various cuisines.”The flavors created by different cooks would vary even if the recipes were the same. Some dishes had great visuals and taste while some only looked great with flavors lacking.“Austin said he loved c
“Ms. Tati.”Austin and Dominic stood outside the office. They greeted Tati respectfully when the door opened. It was lunchtime in the company. The secretary was also heading downstairs to have lunch. Austin had used the kitchen in the cafeteria to prepare Isabella’s lunch. He had timed it perfectly so the food was delivered to the office a few minutes before lunchtime. That way, he could avoid the employees. He could also avoid disturbing Isabella from work. He and Dominic did require a few minutes to walk from the cafeteria and take the elevator to the top floor. “Hello, Dominic, Austin.”Tati moved aside and allowed them to enter. “We just finished working.”Dominic and Austin walked into the office. “Ms. Isabella.”They greeted Isabella before putting the thermal boxes down in the sofa area. They opened the boxes and placed the food on the table. Isabella walked over. “Please enjoy your meals, Ms. Isabella, Ms. Tati. Dominic and I will take our leave if you
“A baby’s face changes almost every day. We’ll only know who he takes after when he’s a little older.”Serenity agreed. “I should call Elisa and share this news with her.”Jasmine probably did not have time to tell her friends about her newborn. Serenity also forgot to inform Elisa because she was too worried about Jasmine. Zachary told her to call Elisa only after they were inside the car. There were too many people in the hospital. Serenity held back her excitement and immediately called Elisa when she got in the car. Elisa was extremely busy at the company. She was the only one who could manage their joint company at that moment because Serenity and Jasmine were pregnant. Even if they wanted to return to the company to work, Elisa would not allow them. Rest was of utmost importance for pregnant women. Elisa was unmarried and not pregnant. She did not mind being busier. She only picked up Serenity’s call after some time.“Seren.”Elisa held the phone in her left h
“All that matters is that you’re okay, honey. Let’s not have more children. We’ll just have this one son.”Josh spoke while holding Jasmine’s hand.Women had to experience immense pain when giving birth. It came with many risks as well. Josh had heard other people saying that a woman usually had one foot in the grave during childbirth.He was genuinely shocked after accompanying Jasmine through her labor. He had been terrified and worried that something would happen to Jasmine.Luckily, everything ended well. Jasmine and their son were safe. However, Josh did not want to experience something like that again. Having one child was enough. There was no need for a second or third child. The Buchams were a big family anyway. He did not have to bear the responsibility of expanding the family alone.“Okay. We shall not have another baby.”Although Jasmine was brimming with motherly love and recovery from a vaginal delivery was quicker, she still thought childbirth was too
It was not just Camila. The rest of the people there also had the same thought. Josh and Jasmine had a great relationship. If something happened to Jasmine, Josh would be devastated and lose all hope of living.“Congratulations. The mother has given birth to a boy safely. The baby boy is six pounds and three ounces.”The people who brought Josh out were the anesthetist and nurse.The nurse instinctively reported the good news when she saw the crowd.Then, she explained, “The father probably fainted from shock after the baby was born. Come over and help bring him to the side to rest. The mother won’t be out that quickly.”Upon hearing her words, everyone’s mood brightened up.Camila, whose legs felt weak just now, was immediately filled with strength and stood up. Without Drake's help, she went to the nurse and asked, “Does the baby need to be in the incubator since he was born prematurely?”The nurse replied, “We’ll put the baby in the incubator and observe him for a while. If
Zachary was also worried that Serenity would go into premature labor out of shock. He also persuaded her to go for her checkup in a gentle voice. They could not do anything but wait anyway.Serenity finally decided to conduct her prenatal checkup first. Zachary accompanied her. Just moments after they left, the door to the delivery suite opened. A nurse stood there and shouted, “Is Jasmine Sox’s husband here?”“Yes. I’m her husband,” replied Josh quickly. He dashed to the nurse. “You must save Jas, doctor. Save the mother no matter what.”His family members behind him also echoed, “That’s right. No matter what happens, you have to save Jasmine.”The nurse said, “The mother is fine. It’s just that she wants her husband to accompany her as she’s in a lot of pain.”Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Josh was about to rush inside but was stopped by the nurse.She asked him to change his clothes before taking him inside the delivery suite.Jasmine was wailing in pain. When
With advanced medical technology, a premature baby could still be healthy if taken good care of in the incubator. Serenity said, “Jasmine should be at thirty-five weeks. I just don’t understand why she would suddenly go into labor. Did she fall at home?“Or did she eat something that made her go into labor?”Zachary said, “That’s most likely not the case. Josh’s cousin is Jasmine’s dietician and keeps an eye on her food every day. There’s no way Jasmine would’ve eaten something bad unless she ate it secretly.”Serenity and Zachary suddenly went silent. Pregnant women had weird appetites. Once they had a craving, they could not go unsatisfied. Sometimes, they would even crave fruits that were not in season. Serenity herself was one of them. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night craving mac and cheese. Of course, Zachary, the ever-doting husband, had to satisfy her request. However, where could he find mac and cheese at that hour?Ultimately, he had to drive to the
People would reap what they had sown. They would have to bear the consequences of their actions. Sometimes, interfering in another person’s fate would backfire. After chatting for some time, Serenity said, “I have to go for my checkup now, Liberty. Let’s talk again when you’re free another day.“By the way, I’ll get someone to bring Sonny to you this weekend. He misses you.”“Okay,” said Liberty. After the call ended, Serenity put her phone into her bag and stood up. She told the man behind the office desk, “It’s almost time, babe. Let’s go.”“Okay. I’m almost done.”Zachary quickly signed and stamped a document before closing it. He walked over with the document in hand. Serenity and Zachary left the office together. He handed the document to his secretary. The secretary did not expect him to pass the document to him personally. He had thought of entering Zachary’s office to request it later. The secretary watched Zachary and Serenity leave. He could not believe
Lilian often messed with the medicinal herbs her master cultivated, which led to her being chased and scolded by him.It seemed her son had inherited her restless nature.“How’s Sonny been lately?”Liberty had been on edge these past few days because Caroline had been preparing to lure her three brothers into a trap and had not had time to call her son.“Same as usual, but it seems like things have soured again with the Browns.”Serenity added, “Sonny still answers when Hank calls him, but he doesn’t seem happy when his grandparents visit. He doesn’t like going to the Browns’ place, and he doesn’t want to take their calls either.“Hank’s mother and sister are truly incorrigible. They must have been badmouthing you and Duncan in front of Sonny again, which is why he’s upset with them.”During the holidays, Sonny had stayed with the Browns for a few days and started to warm up to them.However, who would have thought that the mother and daughter would start spouting nonsense in f
Once the baby was born, he would apply the knowledge he had learned over the past few months to care for the baby. He was determined to be a competent and responsible father.Serenity released her arms from around him and shifted to her side.Zachary let go, too, allowing her to turn.Then, she planted countless gentle kisses on his face.“Babe, with you here, the baby and I will be just fine. Don’t worry too much,” Serenity comforted softly after kissing him.“You are my rock. If even you are nervous, I’ll start feeling anxious too, and that won’t be good.”Hearing this, Zachary immediately said, “Seren, don’t worry. I’ll protect both of you. Alright, I won’t be so nervous anymore.”He gently touched her rounded belly again. “Lil’ Bun should be a calm kid. He’s not that mischievous.”He felt that the baby’s movements were not too intense.Serenity wanted to tell him that there were times when the baby kicked more vigorously, but she decided against it, knowing it would only m
“Just hit the gym a few more times. Lately, you’ve been spending less time there.”Every day after work, he would come home and orbit around her. As a result, he had less time to work out.It was normal to gain a few pounds eating well and exercising less. Did he really think he could eat anything without gaining weight?The reason he could maintain a model-like physique before was that he exercised daily.“Ow.” Serenity suddenly cried out in pain.This startled Zachary so much that he nearly jumped up, asking anxiously, “Is it stomach pain? Are you going into labor? Let’s go to the hospital right away.”He was about to pick her up, but Serenity stopped him by pressing his hand.“Don’t be so nervous, Zachary. It's not time yet. It’s not happening so soon. It’s just the baby kicking again. His kicks are getting stronger.”As she entered the later stages of pregnancy, the little one inside her was growing stronger. Sometimes, a couple of kicks from the baby could actually hurt.