A Little Stepmother in Trouble のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

The doctor had discharged her husband the next day.They'd recommended he keep his exertion to a minimum and stick to the wheelchair as much as possible.Diana felt terribly guilty for having hit him with the car, but honestly, who in their right mind stood in the middle of a road at night with no lights on?She would have loved to hear the serenade, and her heart was starting to hope again as she watched how hard her husband was fighting to get better."Daddy, you're alive!" the kids shouted the second they saw him walk in."Unfortunately for your mother, yes, I am. I think she was hoping to become a widow.""Alexander, don't say that in front of the kids, they don't get that you're joking," Diana snapped. "Your father's fine. Just grumpier than usual. We'll have to be patient.""It was my fault," Nathan whispered. "I threw the stuffed animal at Mom."It was the first time she'd seen Nathan look like that—so full of regret."Come here, sweetheart." She took the little boy's hand and

Diana and Alexander stepped into the elevator while Roger bolted from them and took off up the stairs.What a strange man, she thought, but she didn't dwell on it."Why so happy?" her husband asked the moment they were inside.She wanted to tell him what it meant to her that he gave her her place as his wife, that he got annoyed when she didn't invite him along on outings with the kids, that he wanted to spend time with her and actually valued her. She'd never once imagined a man wanting to be included in her plans, because her ex-husband never had. All she'd ever gotten from Izan was the exact opposite. For Diana, this was new — but instead of saying all of that, she boiled it down."Because you make me happy. Thank you for being like this with me."Alexander looked at her the way she loved, pulled her close, and was about to kiss her when the doors slid open."Even the elevator's against me," he muttered, and dropped a quick kiss on her lips.They walked out happy, hand in hand, and

Diana had no idea when exactly she'd ended up in Alexander's lap, clinging to his neck, unable to speak because her throat had closed up with tears.Her husband didn't try to console her with words. He just stayed there, arms around her body, his face pressed to hers. He didn't need to say anything — the simple fact that he hadn't walked away, that he'd stayed right there beside her, was enough to let her be exactly what she felt like in that moment: a helpless little girl.In her head she could hear her parents arguing, over and over. "You're not even good for breeding! A son was the one thing I asked for, and look what you gave me!"She'd tried, a thousand times, to be what he wanted. Always pushing harder, always giving more, and it was never enough. It didn't matter how many compliments she got from her teachers, how many honor roll certificates, how many awards she won — her father looked at them like they were garbage."I'm sorry... I didn't mean to embarrass you," she managed t

After her father left, Diana tried to hide how awful she felt, without much success."I'm proud of you," her husband said once they'd stepped into his office, away from the employees' stares, "but you didn't have to come back and face him."Alexander brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He wasn't looking at her like he was disappointed.Just the opposite—he was looking at her like he was in awe. Like she was the strongest woman he knew, even though right now she felt like the walking definition of weak."I was scared you'd get yourself in trouble, or that my father would hurt us, and I couldn't just sit around waiting for you to come find me and drag me out of the company and out of your life, too," she admitted."Why? What is it you're so scared for me to know?" her husband asked, guiding her to sit down. "What was the real reason behind your divorce?"He settled in across from her and took her hands.She was grateful he kept finding ways to stay connected to

She was on her way out of the house when her father stopped her."I knew you couldn't resist my invitation," he said with a smug smile, "but where are you rushing off to? I was told you got here less than half an hour ago.""I didn't come to see you. I came to see my mother, and now that I have, I'd like to leave."Diana tried to slip past him, but her father grabbed her arm and hauled her back inside the house.She couldn't help the flash of fear that shot through her at such roughness."You're not so brave when your little husband isn't around to hold your hand. What a disgrace, having a daughter like you—though what could I expect, with the mother you have?""Let go of me!" she demanded, but that didn't stop him from dragging her farther into the house. "You've told me a thousand times how disappointed you are in me. Just let me go on with my life in peace, Dad... please," she begged.Her father set a hand on her back and, with nothing more than his posture, ordered her to go insid