Become a mother in a night

Chapter 12

The union between the Zhao and Ye families faced an abrupt end when an unexpected revelation surfaced – Alex had an illegitimate daughter. The Zhao's, particularly Isabella with her romantic notions, were much keener on the alliance than the Ye's. In fact, Isabella had been at the forefront, ardently pushing for the two families to become in-laws.
The Ye family, while not treating the potential union as a must-have, were quite irked when the marriage discussions fell through, primarily due to the presence of Lizzy. There were two key reasons for their anger: first, the perceived benefits of the union between the two families, and second, Alex's actions that seemingly tarnished the reputation of the Ye family.
Thankfully, the talks had only been exploratory, so the dissolution wasn't too embarrassing. Still, subsequent meetings between the two families were marked with slight awkwardness.
When the elder Mr. Ye discovered the existence of his great-granddaughter, he reprimanded Alex for an entire day. As a result, Alex had to pull an all-nighter at his office to complete his work. And now with Sebastian's return, Alex braced himself for another round of scolding.
Michelle, unaware of all the internal turmoil, greeted Sebastian politely with, "Hello, Mr. Ye," and proceeded to teach the child how to address people. Looking up, little Lizzy said in a soft voice, "Hello, Grandpa. I'm Lizzy."
Sebastian eyed his unexpected granddaughter, noting how different she looked from him, his wife, and his son. While Eleanor had shown him the DNA test results confirming the relationship, he still struggled to digest the reality. Nevertheless, he nodded at Lizzy with a friendly expression, and then promptly headed to his study to chastise his son. After all, in his eyes, children were innocent, as was their mother. The blame fell squarely on Alex.
Eleanor noticed Lizzy's slightly frightened demeanor and reassured her with a smile, "Don't be afraid, Lizzy. Grandpa isn't scary at all." Lizzy obediently nodded, though her thoughts painted a different picture, "This grandpa seems even scarier than my already scary dad."
Michelle was indifferent to the Ye family's internal affairs. She observed the affectionate interaction between Eleanor and Lizzy and felt comfortable leaving her daughter in Eleanor's care. Meanwhile, Michelle busied herself with her writing assignments. Eventually, unable to resist the persistent pleas of a wealthy client, she accepted her assignment. Thankfully, three-quarters of the project was already completed. Eager to get the demanding client off her back, Michelle wrapped up the writing within a week.
The wealthy woman was thoroughly pleased with Michelle's work. But just as Michelle thought she was done, the woman pulled out another novel she'd been invested in, only to have been abandoned by its original author. "Michelle," she began, "I'd like you to continue this one."
Michelle blinked in surprise.
"What's the matter? Need more time to decide?" the wealthy woman asked, smirking a little. "You won't find many clients as generous as me on the internet."
Grudgingly, thinking of the financial benefits, Michelle agreed, but she firmly mentioned this would be the last assignment she'd accept from her.
"Fine, fine," the wealthy woman replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh, by the way, do you accept setting drafts? I have a friend..."
Michelle promptly interrupted, "I don't."
"Well, that's alright," the wealthy woman chuckled, "I've already recommended you to her."
Michelle went through her chat records with the wealthy woman, thinking her initial instincts about her being troublesome were spot on.
Michelle's writing quality and efficiency were commendable. Over time, she had taken on various projects, and many clients not only returned but also referred friends to her.
For the sake of easier communication, Michelle didn't set any restrictions on friend requests, allowing anyone to add and message her. As expected, the friend of the wealthy woman had already added her. After a brief "Hello" from her side, there was radio silence.
Seeing no further response, Michelle actually felt a wave of relief wash over her. She detested complications and feared being taken advantage of. So, no news was good news in her book.
Not wanting to craft another ending for the wealthy woman, Michelle recommended a few completed novels with gripping narratives. As the wealthy woman got engrossed in those tales, her frequency of contacting Michelle dwindled. With time, Michelle gradually forgot about her demanding client.
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Meanwhile, in Rivenhold, news started circulating about a potential alliance between the Yu family and the Zhao family.
The proposed union between the Ye and Zhao families fell through, causing the Ye family significant losses. Sebastian tasked Alex with finding a solution to mend the damage.
Michelle, however, was oblivious to the fact that Sebastian had reprimanded Alex after coming home that day. All she noticed was that Alex seemed increasingly busy lately.
With Alex swamped, he no longer had time to accompany little Lizzy. Three consecutive weekends had gone by with Michelle taking care of the child, leading to a simmering resentment within her.
"Why am I always the one left babysitting?" she pondered, "Wasn't it agreed that the Ye family would care for Lizzy?"
She had hoped to get a break from this responsibility soon, but it seemed to be a distant dream now. As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Michelle's frustration grew, and she silently vowed that this weekend, no matter what, Alex would be the one watching Lizzy.
However, with the evident dark circles under Alex's eyes revealing his exhaustion, Michelle wondered what she would do if he genuinely couldn't make time. "If he can't," she resolved, "then Eleanor can take care of Lizzy. I definitely don't want to be left holding the baby again."
Michelle then realized that she had been in this world for over a month. This realization startled her even more: a whole month had gone by, and she had made almost no progress in her plan to distance herself from Lizzy. This revelation saddened Michelle to the point where she lost her motivation to write.
To outsiders, Michelle appeared to be the mother of a 3-year-old, but inside, she felt like a 20-year-old, still trying to find her way. Though she had come to terms with the fact that she had been transported into a book, it still felt dreamlike to her. She brought her old habits into this new world, treating her writing as a paramount duty. In her tendency to escape, she had overlooked many things—like her relationship with Lizzy and Alex, and where the plot of the book was headed. Would she return to her world once the story ended?
Michelle believed that overthinking led to unnecessary complications. She often refrained from diving too deep into the "whys" of situations. When bewildering thoughts arose, she stopped herself from delving further. Instead, she decided to focus on things that irritated her, such as devising a plan for the upcoming weekend where Lizzy would cling to Alex, leaving her be.
On a Friday morning, after breakfast, Alex prepared to take Lizzy to kindergarten as usual. Seeing the father-daughter duo ready to head out, Michelle quickly finished her fried egg.
Facing Alex, Michelle said, "Mr. Ye, why don't I join you in dropping Lizzy off at kindergarten today?"
Despite his recent busy work schedule which had him rushing back to the office every morning, Alex patiently waited for Michelle upon hearing her offer. Eleanor overheard their conversation and, catching the formal tone Michelle used to address Alex, chuckled. Glancing at Alex, she teased Michelle, "Why do you two still sound like strangers?"
At her words, Michelle paused for a moment, simply replying with a smile towards Eleanor, choosing to stay silent. In fact, after the first day, Michelle hadn't taken Lizzy to kindergarten again.
The thought of her mother accompanying her to kindergarten that morning and picking her up later in the day filled Lizzy with such joy she could barely contain it. The elation was evident on Lizzy's face, catching the attention of the man in the driver's seat. In as gentle a tone as he could muster, Alex remarked, "Lizzy seems particularly happy today."
Michelle wasn't certain about the conversations they usually had en route to kindergarten, but Alex's tender tone suggested a warm father-daughter relationship. She adjusted Lizzy, who nestled into her embrace, giving her head a soft rub and echoing Alex's observation, "Indeed, what's got you so cheerful today, Lizzy?"
Lizzy burrowed deeper into Michelle's embrace, a little shy in front of Alex. She began, "Because today Mommy..." Realizing her slip, she quickly corrected herself, "I mean, because Sissy and daddy are taking Lizzy to kindergarten together!"
This wasn't the first time Alex had heard Lizzy refer to Michelle as "big sister." Although he didn't fully agree with the title, he didn't feel it was his place to comment.
Upon arriving at the kindergarten, while Michelle accompanied Lizzy to her classroom, Alex waited outside. He recognized that Michelle, not being the overly maternal type to willingly drop Lizzy at kindergarten, probably had something on her mind she wanted to discuss with him.
In his thoughts, Alex swiftly scanned for nearby venues. Even though they had just had coffee that morning, a café seemed like the most suitable place for a conversation. Taking Michelle to a conference room in his office was definitely out of the question, right?
Upon reflection, the idea wasn't too far-fetched. In fact, it would allow Alex to simultaneously work and converse with Michelle.
Michelle returned swiftly, settling into the passenger seat with an apologetic smile directed towards Alex. "I apologize for the wait, Mr. Ye," she began, her voice filled with sincerity. "I hope you don't mind the slight delay. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Alex, having mentally prepared himself, responded with a simple nod, his tone nonchalant. "It's alright, go on."
He directed the car towards a nearby café. In the early morning, the café was relatively quiet, allowing them to choose a secluded corner. Michelle's usual restrained demeanor, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, was in full display. The advantage of being naturally beautiful was that it easily evoked sympathy in others.
Truthfully, Michelle did feel somewhat uneasy. She had resolved to discuss her intention of leaving the Ye family that day and to urge Alex to spend more time with Lizzy. She hoped he would be receptive to her words.
As Alex ordered a latte and some pastries for Michelle, he noticed her growing apprehension. Anticipating a difficult conversation, he felt that as a man, he should take the initiative. "I've been occupied with some matters I couldn't share with you," he started. "But they're settled now."
Due to the failed marital alliance between the Ye and Zhao families, Alex had been working tirelessly to rectify the resulting complications, aiming to find a resolution for both his grandfather and father. Of course, he had no intention of revealing to Michelle that he almost entered into a marriage with another woman. He felt it might complicate matters, hence his vague explanation.
Staring earnestly at Michelle, he continued, "Now that everything's resolved, we can change Lizzy's surname to 'Ye'. Also, we should start preparing for our wedding."
Michelle was taken aback. Staring at the man before her, she was momentarily lost for words. Hadn't she already declined his proposal before?