Become a mother in a night

Chapter 32

The next day, as per usual, Alex came to Michelle's house for breakfast. Michelle glanced up at him, noticing the weary look on his face, seemingly from a restless night. Her gaze then shifted to the child beside him, who wore the same gloomy expression.
Michelle thought to herself, "Like father, like daughter."
Though she mentally joked about their similarities, Michelle still expressed concern towards the child's father. Looking at Alex with eyes filled with a mix of care and worry, she asked, "Mr. Ye, did you not sleep well last night?"
Alex took a seat across from her. He met her gaze for a brief moment, his expression neutral, before his attention seemed to wander elsewhere. In a soft voice, he merely replied with a noncommittal hum, not offering any further explanation.
Seeing that he wasn't keen on continuing the conversation, Michelle didn't press any further. After all, she wasn't genuinely concerned about him. She turned her attention to the gloomy-looking child and asked with a smile, "How about big sister takes Lizzy to kindergarten today?"
The little girl, upon hearing the offer, finally perked up. She looked at Michelle and nodded vigorously. "Yes!"
Michelle gently ruffled Lizzy's soft hair, cooing, "Then Lizzy should finish her breakfast quickly." Though Lizzy had grown closer to Alex, her fondest affection was reserved for Michelle. The mention of Michelle accompanying her to kindergarten seemed to push aside Lizzy's distress from the previous night.
Last night, Lizzy had asked Michelle if she was divorcing her father. Michelle explained that they weren't divorcing because they had never been married. Lizzy was confused, so Michelle further clarified, "Lizzy's mom and dad are different from other kids' parents. Mommy doesn't love daddy, and daddy doesn't love mommy, so they aren't together."
Michelle added, "But both mommy and daddy love Lizzy very much, so there's no need for her to be upset."
Lizzy felt like she understood, yet also felt like she didn't. Her mother told her not to be sad, but she couldn't help feeling downhearted.
After breakfast, Michelle tied Lizzy's hair into two simple, cute low ponytails and fetched her bunny-eared hat for her to wear.
Upon waking, the first thing Brandon did was check WhatsApp, eager to see if Michelle had responded.
...But there was no reply from her.
To his surprise, there was a message from his cousin, sent at 1 AM.
Alex had texted: "I suggest you focus all your efforts on the 'Star Path' project."
Brandon stared at Alex's message for a moment, contemplating before replying.
Brandon: "Don't worry, cousin. I'll make sure to keep up with the progress."
Brandon: "Coincidentally, she and I both handle the story and content aspects. You know, they say that when men and women collaborate, the work becomes easier."
Alex simply replied with a period: "."
Brandon stared at that singular punctuation mark for what felt like an eternity, unsure of its meaning. Perhaps it meant "read and noted"? After all, his cousin was always swamped with work, so maybe Alex thought it more efficient to send just a period instead of typing a whole message.
Shaking off the uncertainty regarding Alex's message, Brandon shifted his thoughts to how he might get Michelle to meet him. After pondering, he sent her a simple "Good morning."
One minute passed, and there was no reply from Michelle.
Two minutes... still nothing.
Ten minutes later, Michelle's silence persisted.
Suddenly, Leonard's words echoed in Brandon's mind, "Come on, do you really think she's interested in you?"
Brandon: "..."
Could it be? Was it possible that someone might not be attracted to a young, good-looking, talented, and wealthy man like him?
Panic began to creep into Brandon's thoughts. This was the first time he'd been so smitten with a girl, arguably love at first sight. He couldn't bear the thought of things ending before they even began.
However, Brandon quickly regained his composure.
Such was the girl he had fallen for.
If she had been so easy to pursue, where would the fun be?
Thus, with a sense of contentment, Brandon snuggled back into bed for some more sleep.
Michelle, on the other hand, wasn't in the habit of constantly checking WhatsApp. It wasn't until the following morning that she saw the message Brandon had sent her. She hadn't yet organized the game's storyline and wasn't keen on going out. Moreover, she was preoccupied with cheering up a rather moody little child and had inadvertently forgotten to reply to Brandon.
It wasn't until she got back home, intending to work on the game's storyline, that she remembered Brandon's message and decided to respond.
Michelle: "Sorry, I just saw your message."
Michelle: "I plan to stay home today to work on the game's storyline and content. Let's meet up another day."
Receiving no immediate reply, she didn't think much of it, placing her phone aside and getting down to work.
"Star Path," the original work Brandon was involved in, was published on Eleanor's novel website. Hence, Eleanor had a fair idea about NexRealm Studios' "Star Path" project.
For instance, she knew of Brandon's recent re-joining of the "Star Path" project team. She was aware that Michelle had recently joined as the new content strategist. She even had wind of Brandon's potential intentions of pursuing Michelle.
Eating her metaphorical popcorn and relishing the drama that unfolded, Eleanor found this new development quite thrilling. She had missed out on the previous gossip about Michelle's date with another man, but this time she was right in the thick of it.
And the best part? The central figure in this drama was her own nephew, who happened to be the cousin of Alex. The plot thickens!
Though Eleanor was slightly concerned that Alex might not win Michelle's heart, it didn't deter her from relishing the unfolding drama. She surmised that Michelle probably wasn't aware of the ties between them. Even more so, Michelle might not know that Alex was the largest shareholder of NexRealm Studios. Eleanor eagerly anticipated Michelle's reaction upon learning these facts; it was bound to be quite entertaining!
Eleanor kept a close watch on the trio: Alex, Michelle, and Brandon.
Alex was a workaholic, always ensconced in his office— quite mundane in Eleanor's eyes. Michelle, too, was buried in her work, spending her days at home, drafting the game's storyline. And then there was Brandon, slightly more attuned to matters of the heart, who, because of the workaholic tendencies of both Alex and Michelle, had no choice but to dive back into writing "Star Path".
Eleanor suddenly felt that she wasn't just enjoying the drama; she was indulging in her own loneliness.
A few days later, Michelle finally completed her envisioned game storyline. She wanted to return to NexRealm Studios to discuss her ideas with Leonard and Brandon. While Brandon had shared a rough outline of the unfinished "Star Path" with both Leonard and Michelle, Michelle worried that the game's main and side quests might deviate too much from Brandon's original narrative. Any criticism would target the game, not the original work.
Being roped back into writing "Star Path" had been quite strenuous for Brandon. So, Leonard's summon back to the office was a breath of fresh air. Not to mention, it meant he would get to see Michelle.
With this thought, Brandon promptly made a trip to the beauty salon to rejuvenate his sleep-deprived skin. Emerging from the salon, he noticed his hair had grown a bit unkempt. Without hesitation, he opted for a new hairstyle. And, with a fresh hairstyle in place, it only made sense to adorn new clothes. If he was going to change his attire, then new shoes were a must. And why not switch up the earrings as well? Debating further, he pondered if it was also time for a new fragrance.
Brandon was incredibly flustered, so much so that when the afternoon meeting time arrived, he was conspicuously absent.
Leonard and Michelle waited for what felt like an eternity.
Leonard, having had his own reservations about Brandon's tardiness, was concerned about what Michelle might think. He felt compelled to make excuses on Brandon's behalf.
Suppressing his urge to vent about Brandon, Leonard managed a smile and said to Michelle, "Brandon might be stuck in traffic."
Michelle, standing by the window, glanced down at the road below. The streets were clear, with very little traffic.
Michelle replied, "...Right."
Fortunately, Brandon was only half an hour late.
With a sheepish look on his face, he sincerely apologized to Michelle, "I'm so sorry, there was traffic." Today, he wore a new casual outfit from a top brand that made him look both stylish and appealing— a stark contrast to the last time when his hoodie made him appear like a high schooler. At least now, he looked more like a college student.
However, Michelle barely noticed.
All she could think about was her game storyline and the fact that Lizzy would be getting out of school soon.
She smiled at Brandon and said, "It's okay, I only got here a short while ago myself."
Seeing Brandon trying to make more small talk, Michelle quickly interjected, "Why don't you take a look at the game storyline I've put together, Brandon?"
Eager to move things along, Leonard chimed in, "Yes, let's focus on the game's narrative."
Brandon cast a melancholic glance at Leonard.
In his heart, he was convinced that Leonard was jealous of him— for being younger, more handsome, more talented, and wealthier.
Otherwise, why would Leonard be such a hindrance in his quest for love?
Although a bit disgruntled, Brandon still earnestly read through the game storyline that Michelle had compiled.
Michelle's rendition of the game's narrative wasn't overly detailed. However, she had added many subplots not present in the original "Star Path" outline, rendering the storyline more complete and logical.
Brandon was an incredibly imaginative writer, brimming with ideas and engaging story arcs. A casual piece from him could keep readers hooked. He was passionate, often penning stories as inspiration struck him. If the fervor was there, he could churn out thousands of words daily until a story's completion. But if that burning desire waned, he'd rather leave a tale unfinished than force himself to complete it.
Because of his confidence in his abilities, Brandon would frequently publish his new works immediately when he was in the throes of inspiration, rather than waiting until everything was perfectly planned out. To him, the fervor of creation was even more crucial than meticulous preparation. He had the knack of evolving the storyline while writing, ensuring there were no plot holes.
In essence, Brandon used to be a writer who, fueled by sheer enthusiasm, would spontaneously produce and conclude high-quality works.
However, when it came to "Star Path," his usual enthusiasm met a cold shower. The passion that had always propelled him evaporated. His writing became dry, the characters lifeless, and he soon found himself lost in how to develop the plot further.
After going through Michelle's document, Brandon fell silent, his emotions swirling.
The storyline Michelle had crafted seemed to fill all the gaps in "Star Path."
After what felt like an eternity, Brandon looked up at Michelle. Tugging at the corner of his mouth, he gave her a faint smile.
He said to Leonard, "The storyline Michelle has put together is excellent. As the original author, I have no objections. We'll follow her plot."
Michelle was a woman younger, more beautiful, and even more talented than him.
His fondness for her deepened.
He... liked her even more!!
He. Was. Going. To. Woo. Her! 🚀