Become a mother in a night

Chapter 9

Michelle was truly someone lacking in common sense, especially when it came to understanding the cognitive capabilities of children.
"How much can a three-year-old, or at most three and a half, truly comprehend?" she pondered. Michelle tried hard to recall her own childhood. What was she doing at that age? Did she know what people around her were thinking? Unfortunately, her tumultuous childhood made it impossible for her to remember any specific events.
Staring at the young face that was a spitting image of her own, Michelle saw the eyes welling up with tears, ready to spill over at any moment. "Oh my, such an adorable child, about to cry at the slightest provocation," she mused. "Can I really bear to see such a sweet child looking so forlorn?"
There was a curious mix of amusement and sympathy in Michelle's heart, although she wasn't quite sure why the former was there. Holding little Lizzy close, she gave her a tender kiss on the cheek for the first time. "Why have you forgotten, Lizzy? What do you call me?"
Lizzy, with a hint of sadness, managed a small "Sissy," her tiny arms wrapped around Michelle's neck, refusing to let go. While Lizzy might not be exceptionally bright, she was incredibly sensitive. Whenever Michelle went to work and left her alone, Lizzy would always worry if her mom would ever come back.
Always mindful of her mother's feelings, Lizzy would think of Michelle whenever there was something tasty, like cherries, or when Eleanor gave her a generous red envelope – always bringing it back to Michelle. But since the day she fell ill and Michelle brought her here, she felt that perhaps Michelle didn't want her anymore. This realization deeply hurt Lizzy.
In a soft, childish voice, Lizzy told Michelle, "Don't leave Lizzy behind. Lizzy is very obedient." Internally sighing, Michelle thought of Lizzy as a naive little soul. Surely the quality of life here and the bright future with the Ye family was much better, right? Lizzy was young and would understand in time.
Trying to shift the conversation from the melancholic tone, Michelle turned the topic to the cartoon they had watched the previous night. Lizzy's moods were like passing storms – quickly shifting from tears to laughter. However, Michelle didn't introduce her to Alex and Eleanor, fearing they might think she had upset Lizzy.
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The next morning, Lizzy woke up early. Last night, after receiving Michelle's promise, Lizzy was no longer worried that Michelle would leave her behind. She was now looking forward to her first day at kindergarten. In an attempt to show her independence and maturity, Lizzy dressed herself this morning.
After putting on her uniform, she eagerly awaited Michelle's praise, only to hear her sigh. Michelle commented, "Lizzy, your clothes are on backward." Lizzy's face fell immediately. Seeing the disappointment in Lizzy's eyes, Michelle, suppressing her own laughter, comforted her, "Lizzy, dressing yourself is a big step. Well done."
Cheered by Michelle's compliment, the gloom on Lizzy's face quickly transformed into sunshine. She was clearly delighted with the praise.
Once breakfast was over, Alex was all set to drive Lizzy to kindergarten. However, Lizzy tilted her head, her round eyes blinking a few times, clearly communicating a plea. "I want both you and Daddy to drop me off," she voiced her desire.
Unable to resist Lizzy's face, a mirror image of her own, Michelle gave in. Alex was slightly taken aback, but understanding dawned on him when he noticed the slight redness in Lizzy's eyes, suggesting perhaps the conversation between mother and daughter the previous night hadn't gone smoothly.
Both Michelle and Alex had been anxious about how Lizzy would adapt to kindergarten – whether she'd cry or create a fuss. However, to their surprise, as soon as they reached, Lizzy quickly mingled with the other children, showing no signs of distress and looking genuinely happy.
Seeing that Lizzy was settling in well, Alex didn't plan to linger for long, as he had work awaiting him at the office. Meanwhile, Michelle was contemplating where to buy a new computer and keyboard. Their residence was quite a distance from the kindergarten, and knowing Alex to be a workaholic, Michelle hesitated to inconvenience him with her errands.
She told Alex, "Mr. Ye, you don't need to bother dropping me off. I have some shopping to do."
He glanced at her and offered, "Where do you need to go? I can drop you off."
Caught off-guard by the question, Michelle hesitated. Not entirely familiar with the area, she was unsure where to procure a computer and a keyboard. Pausing for a moment, she replied, "Mr. Ye, I'm thinking of buying a computer."
Thus, dropping her to any place selling computers would suffice. Weighing between "accompanying her shopping" and "returning to work," Alex eventually decided, "I'll come with you."
Michelle was about to politely decline when Alex pointed out, "It would be inconvenient for you to carry a PC and monitor alone."
Considering his words, she had to admit he was right. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Ye. I really appreciate it."
Despite Michelle's polite distance, Alex always felt slightly awkward around her. He shot her a quick glance, his lips pressing into a thin line, and remarked, "You don't have to be so formal. It's really no trouble."
Michelle chose not to argue. She simply acknowledged his comment and responded with a smile, "Alright."
Yet again, Alex could detect the undertones of perfunctory courtesy in her voice. He was aware that there was a computer in the Ye residence's study and even a laptop in his own room that Michelle could use. However, he believed there was a difference between giving someone what you think they need and helping them obtain what they truly want.
Sometimes, just giving someone something isn't truly meeting their needs. Both Alex and Michelle understood this principle.
At times, Alex marveled at his own insight. He wasn't typically one for nuances, yet he grasped these subtle understandings. Maybe it was the result of the many positive ideologies instilled in him by Eleanor during his childhood.
Michelle occasionally enjoyed gaming, but most of her time was consumed by writing. Thus, she didn't demand much from a computer. However, Alex, being more tech-savvy and picky, had different standards. While he consulted Michelle on her preferences, he also ensured she got the best possible configuration.
All Michelle could muster was a sincere, "Thank you."
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Michelle had spent her morning with Alex assisting in selecting a computer. She then accompanied him back to the Ye residence, which took a chunk out of his working hours. By noon, they decided to have lunch at the Ye's.
Upon seeing Alex at home in broad daylight, Eleanor quipped in surprise, "Has your company finally gone under?"
It was unlike Alex, the notorious workaholic, to be at home during working hours. Without displaying any emotion, he shot a glance at Eleanor, replying, "Don't worry, the company is doing just fine."
Michelle listened to the banter between mother and son while silently focusing on her meal. She felt a pang of guilt for being the reason Alex had to take time off from work. Eleanor caught Michelle's gaze, well-aware that Alex had dropped her off. Sensing Michelle's reluctance to delve into the topic, Eleanor chose to move on.
Since preschool ended early, Alex couldn't find the time to pick up little Lizzy. He had asked Michelle to do it, but had also arranged for a driver to take her to the preschool. Once Michelle collected Lizzy, the driver would bring them back home. It seemed like a convenient arrangement.
After lunch, the ever-restless Alex, who wasn't fond of napping, quickly returned to his company. Michelle set up her new computer and began browsing the internet. She looked for writing forums and, after going through a few posts, realized the writing market wasn't much different from what she knew. Michelle had once authored novels, but the experience hadn't been pleasant. Several incidents later, she decided to become a ghostwriter for other authors. Currently, she still lacked the motivation to create her own stories and was keen on returning to ghostwriting.
After filtering out the posts with low remuneration, she finally found one offering a slightly better pay. She quickly added the contact. In no time, her friend request was accepted, and the requirements for ghostwriting were sent to her. Since Michelle didn't have any sample work to share, the client requested a 2,000-word trial. Checking the time and realizing that she would have just enough of it before picking up Lizzy, Michelle agreed.
Thanks to her agile mind and rich writing experience, Michelle finished the trial draft in less than an hour and sent it over, before leaving to pick up Lizzy.
Lizzy had had a great day at preschool. Her teachers adored her, as did her classmates. One of the kids had even gifted her two lollipops. As the children lined up to leave, Lizzy spotted Michelle approaching. Her eyes lit up, and after bidding her teacher goodbye, she ran towards Michelle, holding out the two lollipops and offering one to her. "I want to give my big sister a lollipop!" Lizzy exclaimed.
Michelle looked at the two animal-shaped lollipops, thinking about how sweet kids are these days, unlike the ones from her childhood who often bullied her. Pretending to be in a dilemma, she told Lizzy, "But I like both! What should I do?"
Lizzy looked at her with wide innocent eyes, clearly not expecting her mother to be so greedy! Feeling sympathetic, she offered, "Then, Lizzy will give both lollipops to big sister!"
Michelle couldn't hold back her laughter. As they were chatting, Lizzy's teacher approached them. The teacher, Ms. Zhang, had a youthful round face and exuded warmth. She updated Michelle on Lizzy's day, reassuring her that the child was doing well.
Ms. Zhang, under the impression that Michelle and Lizzy were siblings because of their similar surnames and the way Lizzy addressed Michelle as "sister", commented, "You two really do look alike. If you showed us your childhood pictures, everyone would think it's Lizzy."
Michelle chuckled, playing along, "Indeed, Lizzy and I look identical." She thought to herself how she never had any photos taken during her childhood. If she were to show Lizzy's photos as her own now, who would doubt it?
After a brief conversation, Michelle took Lizzy home. It was still early, not quite dinner time. She played some cartoons for Lizzy and then opened her computer to check on the trial draft's feedback. As soon as she logged in, a barrage of messages popped up. The client seemed impatient. Before she could reply, two more messages arrived. One was a notification of a 20,000 dollar transfer. The other read, "This is the advance. Don't you dare disappear!"
Michelle stared at the screen in astonishment. "...What??"