That night, seeing Alexander’s reaction to Grace, she felt a sharp pain.
Grace was very sick. Why didn’t she want surgery? Why did she have to see Alexander? They had been apart for years. They hadn’t spoken.
And Alexander asked her to donate blood. Every detail made her uneasy.
Asking her to donate blood wasn’t wrong. It was about saving a life. An urgent matter like that couldn’t be ignored. Donating a little blood was fine.
If it were any other friend, Alexander would do the same.
But when she refused, he didn’t ask why.
If he had asked, she would have told him she was pregnant. She had signs of a miscarriage. Would he still insist she donate blood?
Evelyn thought about it. She didn’t dare to think further.
Because it hurt too much.
Since their marriage, Alexander had been nothing but kind.
As a husband, he was nearly perfect.
He spoiled her. He gave in to her. He took care of her. As long as he was around, she never had to worry.
But because he was so good to her, it hurt even more now.
She had fallen in love with him. She wanted all of him. She didn’t want to share him with anyone.
Especially not with his ex-girlfriend.
If you’ve never seen the sun, you can endure the darkness.
So that evening, seeing Alexander’s reaction, she suffered deeply.
Alexander hadn’t completely let go of Grace. He didn’t contact her. He didn’t do anything wrong to Evelyn. It was just that his sense of duty and his view of marriage wouldn’t allow it.
When he got married, he had to be responsible for his wife. But that didn’t mean he would fall in love with her. It didn’t mean he could control his feelings and forget the person in his heart.
Until now, Alexander had done well. When Evelyn learned about Grace, she just felt uncomfortable. She didn’t mind too much.
After all, she had nothing to argue about.
But what happened that night brought her to a low point.
Not showing something doesn’t mean you don’t care. In a life-or-death moment, a person’s reaction is pure instinct. It can’t be hidden. It can’t be controlled.
Evelyn suddenly felt lost.
She tossed and turned. She didn’t know what time it was when she finally fell asleep, curled up in her blanket.
But her sleep wasn’t deep or peaceful.
Alexander came back at dawn. He was exhausted.
To avoid waking Evelyn, he took a shower in the guest bathroom and lay down to sleep.
So when Evelyn woke up in the morning, she didn’t know he was back.
She called him, feeling uneasy.
Alexander answered, still groggy.
“Alexander, how is everything over there?” Evelyn asked.
“The surgery was a success. She’s under observation now. There shouldn’t be any problems,” Alexander said.
“That’s good. When will you come back?”
“I’m already back. I came home at six. I saw you were sleeping deeply, so I didn’t disturb you. I’m resting in the guest room,” Alexander explained.
“Oh,” Evelyn replied. A sense of loss slowly crept in. “Go back to sleep. I won’t bother you.”
“Evelyn—” Alexander called out.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t let what happened yesterday affect our marriage.”
“Hmm,” Evelyn whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
After that, Evelyn hung up and walked out of the bedroom.
She glanced at the guest room door. She didn’t go in to argue with him. Instead, she went downstairs.
Lily was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
“Lily, I want to eat plain porridge this morning,” Evelyn said as she walked into the kitchen.
Usually, she ate whatever Lily cooked.
But today, she had no appetite. She just wanted plain porridge with some pickled vegetables.
“Of course, Mrs. Sterling,” Lily replied.
She had planned to cook meat porridge and steam some buns. Now that she heard Mrs. Sterling wanted plain porridge, she changed the plan.
After giving her instructions, Evelyn walked out of Sterling Manor. She stood in the open space in front of the house, breathing in the fresh morning air.
She placed her hand on her stomach. She thought about how she needed to stay happy. It was good for the baby.
So she took a deep breath and tried to stop thinking.
Evelyn stood there for a while. Then she went back inside. She heard her phone ringing.
She walked over and picked it up.
“Another long time. Why didn’t you answer the phone?” her mother, Amelia, asked.
“Mom, I just came downstairs. My phone was in the bedroom,” Evelyn said with a smile.
“Really? You had me worried. I heard from your sister that you’re pregnant?” Amelia asked, her voice suddenly excited.
“Yes. I went for a check-up yesterday. The doctor confirmed it,” Evelyn replied, a little embarrassed.
“Did the doctor tell you what to be careful about?” Amelia asked.
“The doctor just said no strenuous exercise. Watch my diet. Stay happy. Remember to take my vitamins. That’s all,” Evelyn answered truthfully.
“Did he say you should stay home and focus on the pregnancy? You shouldn’t go to work?” Amelia continued.
“How could he? People don’t take maternity leave until they’re about to give birth,” Evelyn replied, laughing.
“You’re different from other people.”
“How am I different?” Evelyn said with a smile.
What was so special about her?
“Your husband’s family doesn’t need your little salary to support the household. Now you focus on the pregnancy. Have a big, healthy baby boy. That’s better than anything,” Amelia said.
“Mom, I’ll be careful. Don’t worry too much.”
“If you’re bored at home, you can come live here. Your mother raised you for nothing, you know.”
An image of a fat, lazy cat popped into Evelyn’s brain. She was speechless.
“Mom, I’m already getting fat. If I get any fatter, I’ll turn into a dumpling.”
“And I’m not even two months along. I’ll be careful.”
“If I really feel tired or uncomfortable at work, I’ll quit. But if I quit just because I’m pregnant, people will think I’m too delicate,” Evelyn murmured.
“I really don’t know what you’re fighting for. Fine, fine. As long as you’re happy.”
“I’ll come back from work this evening. I’ll stew something to help you recover.”
“Okay, I’ll come back in the evening. Mom, nothing else. I’ll hang up now.”
Evelyn said that and hung up before her mother could respond.
If she didn’t, her mother would keep lecturing her.
She didn’t know what else to say.