Become a mother in a night

Chapter 10

Michelle sent her draft to the other party around 3:30 in the afternoon.
By the time she picked up Lizzy, it was not even 5 o'clock. Within the span of an hour, she had received over twenty messages from the other end.
awerfadf: "Did you finish the draft so quickly? I'll check it now, hang on."
awerfadf: "Finished reading. Good job, you're the one."
awerfadf: "I'll send you the outline in a bit. Can you write 10,000 words for me daily?"
awerfadf: "Sent you the outline. Check it."
awerfadf: "Check the outline, dear."
awerfadf: "????"
awerfadf: "An hour has passed. Are you there, sis?"
awerfadf: "If you're there, just reply!!"
awerfadf: "If the price is too low, I can increase it!"
awerfadf: "Please don't run away on me!! I'm begging you!!"
...
Michelle scrolled through the flurry of messages, her eyes finally landing on the amount transferred to her account.
Wow.
Are all people in this world so lavish? Throwing money around so carelessly?
Michelle's past rates weren't low. At her peak, she even charged three times more than her peers. Yet, this "rich lady's" deposit was still considerably more than what she'd charged at her highest rate. Given this deposit, she felt obligated to write at least 200 to 300 thousand words for this client.
Michelle felt suspicious. This "rich lady" might have some hidden intentions. There could be pitfalls waiting for her down the road. Having been duped before, Michelle, instead of confirming the payment, decided to return the deposit.
Michelle: "I apologize, I'm fully booked at the moment and can't take on more work."
awerfadf: "Cancel someone else, I'll pay the penalty for you!"
Michelle: "..."
Michelle: "I'm really sorry, I can't help."
After sending the message, Michelle immediately logged out of the chat application, fearing a further bombardment of messages.
Having turned down such a large order due to her concerns, Michelle found herself back to looking for writing jobs. She scrolled endlessly on the writing forums before finding a few sporadic jobs that paid slightly better. After adding the contacts and confirming details, she agreed to start writing for them, promising at least 10,000 words a day.
Michelle was once infamously known among her peers as someone who "wanted money, not life." Her most intense writing spree involved working for 18 straight hours, fueled only by coffee and bread, catching micro-naps of mere seconds when exhaustion overwhelmed her. But now, with Lizzy around, she couldn't afford to take on so much work, fearing she might not meet the deadlines.
By her previous standards, writing 10,000 words a day would have been enough. But now, her rates had dropped significantly, and she had to think of other ways to make ends meet. The thought weighed heavily on her. Being short on money made her feel terribly insecure.
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Over the next few days, Lizzy gradually adapted to kindergarten life. Michelle and Alex discussed their schedules, deciding that in the mornings, Alex would drop Lizzy off at kindergarten, while Michelle would pick her up in the afternoons.
Such an arrangement suited Alex perfectly since his afternoons were his busiest times. How could he possibly manage the afternoon pickup? The only one who seemed displeased with the arrangement was Lizzy, but Michelle was quick to soothe her.
Now that Michelle didn't have to manage the morning drop-off, she had a bit more free time. Her writing productivity increased, and she soon completed the two projects she had at hand. When Michelle received the payment for these two jobs, she sighed heavily at the figure. The compensation was still too modest, hardly enough to sustain herself.
Having worked as a ghostwriter for several years, Michelle's quality and efficiency in writing were beyond reproach. Both clients had indicated they would seek her services in the future. Michelle, in turn, subtly hinted that her rates might increase.
With her current assignments completed, it meant she had to hunt for new projects and potential clients. Michelle returned to the writing forums, browsing through posts, searching for new opportunities.
Meanwhile, she pondered: Apart from writing, what else could she do to earn money? Before she had been transported into the novel's world, Michelle had made a decent income as a ghostwriter. Returning to her old profession was indeed an option. However, starting over in this fashion felt like donning a new persona, and earnings would be slow initially. She remembered it took her two years to raise her ghostwriting rates previously. She wasn't keen on investing another two years doing the same.
Feeling a profound sense of financial insecurity, Michelle was dissatisfied with the current pace of her earnings. She had to think of alternative solutions. Perhaps find a job? Yet, given her current situation, could she find a job with a monthly salary of over ten thousand? Michelle heaved a sigh, her heart heavy with concerns.
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Lizzy had been attending kindergarten for a few days, and in the blink of an eye, the weekend was upon them.
Michelle had been so engrossed in her writing that she lost track of the days. She didn't even realize that the next day was a weekend. As she pondered whether she should draft some more articles tomorrow and finish her pending assignments, Alex noticed Michelle's distracted state. Although unaware of her recent endeavors, he sensed her lack of focus and gently reminded her.
With a casual tone, Alex inquired, "Tomorrow is Saturday, are you planning to take Lizzy out?"
Hearing this, Michelle paused, momentarily confused. Why would taking Lizzy out be related to it being a Saturday? Then it dawned on her: the kindergarten didn't operate over the weekend. This meant Lizzy would be home both days. With Lizzy around, it would be hard for Michelle to concentrate on her writing. The realization gave her a slight headache. How could she have overlooked this? What about her workload for tomorrow?
While Michelle could write with Lizzy around, she couldn't bear the thought of Lizzy looking up at her with those pleading eyes, silently requesting her attention.
Michelle hesitantly asked Alex, "So, Mr. Ye, are you free tomorrow?"
He glanced at her and, after a brief pause, replied, "If you wish for it, then yes, I'm available."
Known as the foremost workaholic in Rivenhold, Alex typically worked without breaks, even on weekends. However, if Michelle wanted his company to take Lizzy out, he was willing to make an exception.
Michelle fell silent for a moment, not out of any discomfort or misconstrued flirtation from Alex. She simply understood what he implied: Alex usually didn't have free weekends. Not wanting to impose, she gently said, "Then, I'll take care of Lizzy this weekend."
Alex felt a tinge of regret, "Alright. Thank you for looking after Lizzy."
Having never taken a child out on her own, Michelle was uncertain about where to take Lizzy. At one point, she even considered, somewhat resignedly, spending the weekend at home watching animated movies with Lizzy. However, she quickly dismissed that thought.
On Friday evening, the four of them were dining at a restaurant. As the meal was drawing to a close, Eleanor suddenly remembered something, mentioning, "Alex, your father should be returning tomorrow."
Alex's father had been in Europe, exploring potential new projects, and had recently told Eleanor of his plans to return. After Eleanor briefly filled Michelle in on the context, Michelle acknowledged with understanding.
Upon recalling Alex's father's return, Eleanor's gaze upon Alex took on a different hue, a gleam of schadenfreude. It was all because Alex had a daughter now, a matter his father would undoubtedly address upon his return. This new development wasn't a matter of pride for Alex; in fact, it might tarnish the family's reputation. Furthermore, with the proposed marriage alliance with the Zhao family now off the table, Alex's father would certainly have many questions for him. The days ahead seemed turbulent for Alex.
Alex looked at his mother, slightly annoyed by her evident anticipation of upcoming drama. After all, he was her son, wasn't he? Their very own flesh and blood.
Michelle, being mostly unfamiliar with the intricacies of Alex's family affairs, was still mulling over how she would juggle spending time with Lizzy tomorrow and completing her assignments. After dinner, she took Lizzy for a bath. Post-bath, the child smelled wonderfully of milk, which eased Michelle's mind considerably.
Lizzy expressed a desire to watch some cartoons. Michelle obliged, playing a cartoon for her before settling down to draft her articles. While she worked, the previous rich lady constantly messaged her, asking about her current assignments and if she had time to take on more from her. This lady even offered to pay a penalty if Michelle chose to drop her existing assignments.
Michelle silently pondered if her writing skills were so indispensable. She gently suggested the woman seek other writers who would likely be eager at the proposed rates.
awerfadf: I have tried other writers. They're currently drafting alternative endings for me.
Michelle, puzzled, replied with a simple "??".
awerfadf: Oh, didn't I mention? It's a novel I found online. I loved it and even considered purchasing the rights, but then the author stopped updating.
Michelle mused, this individual must truly be wealthy.
awerfadf: I found the author's social media account. No response to my messages. They probably died or something!!
The wealthy reader's continuous messages of frustration filled Michelle's screen, which made Michelle pause.
Michelle: Isn't that a harsh thing to say about someone?
awerfadf: If she comes back to update, I'd call her my lord. Do you want to write an ending for me? I have many endings in mind; you can choose one you like.
Michelle, taken aback, stayed silent.
awerfadf: Please! I'll even pay extra!!
Unmoved, Michelle closed the chat window, choosing to disengage from the conversation.
Due to Lizzy's presence, Michelle only wrote briefly, wary of losing track of time. After completing about 2,000 words, she shut down her computer and sat with Lizzy, watching the cartoon. Although she found the cartoon uninteresting, Michelle asked Lizzy if she wanted to go out the next day. As the question left her lips, a realization hit her: hadn't she been planning to gradually distance herself from Lizzy? Shouldn't she be encouraging Alex to spend more time with Lizzy?
Michelle chided herself internally for her oversight.