Become a mother in a night

Chapter 22

Michelle sent her draft to someone named "Bald but not stronger". Perhaps the recipient was busy, as there was no response.
After waiting for ten minutes, exhaustion overwhelmed Michelle, and she decided not to wait any longer. In a drowsy haze, she shut down her computer and went to bed. The instant she closed her eyes, sleep swept over her. As she drifted into unconsciousness, there was a vague feeling that she'd forgotten something crucial. However, she was too tired to think straight. Her brain felt like it had gone on strike.
...Whatever it was, she'd deal with it after waking up.
Today, Lizzy was in low spirits and somewhat upset because no one came to pick her up after school. She sat on a small bench and waited for what seemed like forever. Most of her classmates had left, and she was the only child remaining. Neither her mother nor her father was in sight.
Recently, Lizzy had quickly forged a bond with Sophie. To keep Lizzy company, Sophie had even stayed a little longer after school today, playing around for over ten minutes before heading home.
Usually, Michelle would arrive quite early, ensuring Lizzy never had to wait for long. But today was different. It was already past five, and there was no sign of any family member coming to get Lizzy.
Miss Zhang, the teacher, had been very patient, engaging Lizzy in riddle games to keep her occupied. But as the clock approached evening, Miss Zhang began to wonder if perhaps the parents had forgotten to pick up their child. She decided to give them a "reminder" call.
The contact number provided during Lizzy's school registration was Alex's, so Miss Zhang's call went directly to him. Alex, in the middle of a meeting, saw the incoming call with no caller ID and promptly dismissed it.
Unable to reach Alex, Miss Zhang decided to try the alternate contact number. Initially, Michelle hadn't wanted to provide her own number, so Alex had written down Eleanor's instead.
At that moment, Eleanor was getting her nails done by a manicurist she'd invited home. With her hands occupied, she had her butler answer the call on speakerphone. Hearing from Miss Zhang that no one had come for Lizzy, Eleanor was taken aback.
She replied with an embarrassed chuckle, "It's possible that the child's father got caught in traffic. Could you please look after Lizzy a little longer, Miss Zhang? He'll be there soon."
After ending the call with Miss Zhang, Eleanor couldn't help but be exasperated with both Alex and Michelle. The way they handled their child was even more negligent than she had been in the past. They were completely unreliable!
Michelle was unreachable, and while Eleanor didn't have her contact information, she could still get in touch with Alex.
Eleanor instructed her butler to dial Alex's number, pondering with a touch of irritation: Should she give him a piece of her mind first? She surmised that workaholic Alex was probably too engrossed in his job to pick up their daughter, and that the responsibility would ultimately fall on her to fetch Lizzy.
Glancing at her half-done manicure, Eleanor felt a twinge of annoyance. Fortunately, Alex promptly answered her call, slightly diffusing her frustration. Eleanor got straight to the point, mentioning that Lizzy was still at the kindergarten waiting for a pickup.
Alex paused momentarily, acknowledging with a brief "Okay" before ending the call.
He felt a rush of headache as he hurriedly wrapped up his meeting. Prioritizing his daughter over the less urgent matters at hand, he quickly left his office to collect Lizzy. After all, children can be the most troublesome. Having had Lizzy wait for so long at the kindergarten without anyone to pick her up, Alex worried she might be crying or causing a fuss by now. The mere thought intensified his headache.
By the time he reached the kindergarten, Michelle was already there. She was crouched down in front of the little girl sitting on the bench, earnestly apologizing. However, Lizzy was particularly upset this time. She turned her back on Michelle, refusing to look at her.
Trying to pacify her, Michelle coaxed with a smile, "Shall we go home first? We can have ice cream tonight."
Ordinarily, Michelle wouldn't allow Lizzy to have ice cream, fearing it might upset her stomach. At the mention of ice cream, Lizzy seemed somewhat tempted. Still, she displayed a surprising streak of stubbornness, continuing to ignore Michelle's presence.
Michelle sighed internally. Not even the allure of ice cream could win Lizzy over.
It was clear; this time, Lizzy was genuinely upset.
Michelle was fully aware of her mistake. She should've set her alarm before going to bed and vowed not to let it happen again.
In a gentle voice, she coaxed Lizzy, "Lizzy, please don't be mad. Next time, I promise I'll come earlier, okay?" After saying that, she affectionately ruffled the child's hair and even gave her a loving kiss.
The young girl finally looked directly at Michelle, but her pouting lips and red eyes, almost brimming with tears, were hard to ignore. Such an adorable child – even in tears, she looked endearing.
Witnessing such an innocent face clouded with sorrow, Michelle couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. It was rare for Michelle to demonstrate such patience, and she continued to gently comfort Lizzy.
Upon seeing that Michelle had arrived, Alex wondered if his presence was now redundant. As he approached them and caught sight of Lizzy's tear-filled eyes, his heart ached. It was impossible not to feel sympathy.
He too squatted down in front of his daughter, offering her two animal-shaped cotton candies, "Lizzy, would you like some candy?"
Children naturally have a sweet tooth, and noticing the treats Alex had brought her, Lizzy hesitated for a moment before bashfully accepting the cotton candy. Truthfully, she was a very sensible and well-behaved child and had already been mollified. The reason for her distress was the overwhelming fear that both her mother and father had forgotten her. She had previously been scared of Michelle leaving her behind, but now she feared both her parents would abandon her. The tears were merely a call for attention, a desperate plea for reassurance of their love.
Observing Lizzy take the candy, Alex then turned his attention to Michelle. His tone was casual as he inquired, "What happened?" He was naturally referring to the reason Michelle was late picking up Lizzy. There hadn't been any prior agreement that he was to fetch Lizzy after school; it had always been Michelle's responsibility.
Confronted with Alex's question, Michelle felt slightly embarrassed. She confessed, "I overslept."
Alex was taken aback. Of all the reasons he had anticipated, this certainly wasn't one of them. He stared at Michelle, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment, Alex remarked, "You truly are something else."
Michelle humbly replied, "Not at all. I'll ensure it doesn't happen again."
Although Alex felt somewhat superfluous in the situation, he reasoned that since he was already there, he might as well make the most of it. He took Michelle and Lizzy out for dinner. Michelle had promised Lizzy ice cream for the evening, so they settled on a Western restaurant.
He ordered Oreo ice cream for Lizzy and, after a brief consideration, got the same flavor for Michelle. The child was not only content with her treat but even ate half of Michelle's share. Feeling gratified, Lizzy seemed to forgive her mother for the day's oversight.
Ever the opportunist, on the way home, Lizzy playfully remarked to Michelle, "Lizzy wants to stay with mommy tonight~~"
Still feeling guilty, Michelle didn't resist and agreed.
Once home, Michelle first gave Lizzy a bath and then put on a cartoon for her. Once Lizzy was settled, Michelle turned on her computer and dove into her work.
Having finished her assignment, Michelle felt a weight lifted. However, she wondered whether the client would be satisfied with her submitted work or if revisions would be necessary. Pondering her current finances, Michelle figured she didn't need to rush into taking on new assignments and could focus on other tasks.
Upon booting her computer, she noticed a message from a user named "Bald but not Strong". The reply had come in half an hour earlier.
Michelle mused, "Do these game developers always work so late?"
She chuckled, "No wonder he's bald but not stronger."
Glancing at the message, as expected, there were some areas that needed revisions. The changes were minimal, and Michelle quickly made the edits and sent them back. However, there was no immediate response.
After waiting for a while and receiving no reply, Michelle decided not to linger. She shut down her computer and joined Lizzy in watching cartoons.
The following day, Alex came to pick up Lizzy for kindergarten.
This time, Michelle didn't fuss about breakfast at home. Instead, she let Alex take them out for a morning meal before they both escorted Lizzy to her school.
Alex's spirits were notably low that morning, a far cry from his usual self. The previous evening, Eleanor had chastised him over something concerning Lizzy. And Eleanor's reproach wasn't the end of it. Following her, Sebastian stepped in with his own set of reprimands, and after Sebastian, even their grandfather chimed in.
Alex had spent an entire evening on the receiving end of their collective disapproval. He was an adult, and as such, was expected not to make mistakes. The words from his elders the previous night had clearly taken a toll on his mood.
Yet, in Michelle's presence, Alex displayed none of this emotional turmoil. Oblivious Michelle, with her carefree nature, remained unaware that her oversight, of having "overslept," had led to Alex's entire evening of scolding.
After dropping Michelle home, Alex headed straight to his main office. He managed multiple companies, varying in sizes and spanning different industries. Some were profitable, others ran at a loss. While the profitable ones continued to flourish, the loss-making ones either got phased out or continued burning cash.
Back in his office, Alex's assistant, Derek, had prepared a coffee for him. As Alex took a sip, he noticed Derek lingering, clearly with something on his mind. From the hesitant look on Derek's face, Alex could tell it wasn't going to be pleasant news.
Alex took another sip, glancing at Derek, and remarked coolly, "If you're unsure about speaking, you can get back to work first."
Detecting his boss's displeasure, Derek visibly flinched. After a moment of internal debate, he decided to take the plunge for the sake of his good friend.
"NexRealm Studios has informed us that they've found the appropriate plot designer. They're hoping the project can proceed and are seeking additional funding from the head office," Derek reported.
Alex's mood, already dampened, took a further hit. Among the companies under him that were in the red, NexRealm Studios was one of the few. They had already burned through significant capital, and the trend looked set to continue. Alex had mentally prepared himself to phase out their support. Yet, having invested so much already, the idea of pulling the plug now felt particularly hard to digest.