Larissa had slept the entire afternoon. So, she didn't feel the slightest bit tired now. Moreover, she had something on her mind. She preferred to go to the hospital and be by Wendy's side. She did not want to toss and turn in bed."She might wake up during the night. I want her to open her eyes and see a familiar face beside her."She had been hospitalized on numerous occasions; she understood all too well the loneliness of lying in a hospital bed with no family or friends around. She thought of all the recent stress Wendy had been through. She was worried Wendy might gradually crumble in the overwhelming solitude.Kevan realized he couldn't sway her, so he didn't push the issue. "Okay. Finish up your meal first."She hadn't eaten dinner and had only nibbled on some chicken in the afternoon. Since she might spend the night at the hospital, he was concerned about her well-being."Alright." Larissa exerted considerable effort to force down the food he had brought back.

Kevan couldn't read Wendy's mind; he wasn't in her shoes. Given all the stress and pain Wendy had endured that day, he couldn't be certain if she would redirect her anger toward Larissa. So, he opted for silence."You should head back. It's been a tough day for you too." Larissa sniffled.Kevan stared at her side profile for a moment. He sighed softly in his heart. "Alright, you get some rest too."...Larissa moved the fold-out bed closer to Wendy's and sat cross-legged on it. Her gaze was fixed on Wendy's face. She remained lost in thought throughout the night.She mulled over countless scenarios of how Wendy might react when she woke up. Would Wendy lash out physically or verbally? Would she sever their friendship completely, or would she entertain even more drastic ideas?As these thoughts circulated in Larissa's mind, the sky outside gradually lightened....Wendy's dream went on for quite a while.In her dream, she saw a little girl about Aster's age. The girl

Edmund was standing right in front of her. His head, arms, and legs were encased in thick plaster casts. His face was also covered in bruises, just like what she had witnessed at the hospital."Wendy, are you looking for her?" he asked with a seductive smile. As he spoke, a little girl appeared by his side. She was the same one who had called Wendy "Mommy" earlier. The girl stood close to Edmund, her tiny hands tightly gripping his. She peeked at Wendy with a shy gaze."Mommy," she called out again.Wendy couldn't muster a response.Edmund led the little girl closer and said, "Wendy, look at her. She's our daughter."Wendy greedily gazed at the girl, her eyes fixed on her without wavering."Isn't she adorable?" Edmund asked.Wendy nodded unconsciously.He smiled. "I think so too, but unfortunately—"The little girl vanished again as he smiled.This sudden disappearance alarmed Wendy. She hastily asked, "Where's my daughter? Where did she go?""She's dead!" Edmund

The caregiver entered the room with breakfast. She saw two women crying with their heads buried in their hands.She stood at the doorway for a while. She realized that this emotional display might not end anytime soon. So, she cleared her throat and let out a couple of awkward coughs.Both Larissa and Wendy valued their images very much. They didn't mind crying when they were alone. But things changed when there was an outsider.Instantly, they ceased crying and turned away. They used the backs of their hands to wipe away the tears.The caregiver was good at gauging situations and respecting boundaries. She understood their concern for appearances. She chose to act as if she hadn't witnessed the scene. She did not glance in their direction after entering."I've brought breakfast for you."She placed the paper bags on the mobile table located at the foot of the bed. She asked Wendy, "Do you need me helping with your morning routine?"Wendy waved her hand. "No ne

Wendy seemed to have missed Larissa's signal. She continued talking to Kevan, "Lari had a tough time from pregnancy to childbirth, and even during her postpartum period."When she first arrived, she was unfamiliar with the place. She had to attend school. Every day, she was running between school and home. It was really tough. "It was only later, when her belly got bigger, that she couldn't move around as much. So, she stayed home until childbirth."Both of us had never given birth before, so we had no experience. I collected a lot of recipes, but my cooking skills were quite limited. The truth is, Lari would rather eat fries and burgers than touch the nutritious meals I made."Wendy shot a resentful glance at Larissa."You call those 'nutritious meals'? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to torture me or make my life miserable!" Larissa also expressed her dissatisfaction."Hey, why are you so ungrateful? Even if my cooking wasn't the best, at least my hear

"Actually, it wasn't a big deal." As Larissa recalled her pregnancy, she didn't think that she had experienced anything too difficult. If she needed to pinpoint one thing, it would probably be Wendy's subpar cooking skills, at most. When Larissa was pregnant, she didn't take in sufficient nutrients that an expectant mother should have. That was why Aster was relatively lighter at birth, but his weight was still within the healthy range.Unlike Caldor, there weren't any postpartum confinements or confinement nannies here. During that period of time, Larissa could only rely on herself as well as Wendy's care for her getting off work. Fortunately, Larissa's health had always been good. Hence, she did not develop any underlying illnesses or have any aftereffects. "Compared to what I went through when I was a child, this is nothing." She smiled. Although Larissa sounded casual about it, Kevan was perturbed. After all, the suffering that she experienced back then was all be

Aster counted on his fingers. "Cake, chocolate, ice cream, fried chicken ..." They were all his favorites, but Larissa didn't allow him to eat too much of them. When Aster saw Larissa's face darkening, he immediately hid himself in Gary's embrace and acted like a spoiled child. "Grandpa, Mommy is so scary!" Gary took over the phone and explained in a hurry, "Don't worry, I've kept track of his diet. I only bought him a little of everything." "A little of everything ... No wonder Aster had gotten so much chubbier," Larissa thought. Larissa suddenly felt glad that she hadn't reunited with Gary too early. Otherwise, judging from how indulgent he was toward children, Aster would probably end up as some sort of spoiled kid from a wealthy family, just like Bethany. "I'll go and pick him up tomorrow," she said. Gary wasn't pleased with that. "Let him stay with me for a few days more. I've just gotten close with Aster, and we're getting along well too. I'll be lonely if he's go

"I'll return to work tomorrow and get Aster back." Larissa tried her best not to look any further down his neck so that she could focus on what she needed to say. "I might need you to check on the hired help."She had contacted an agency earlier on the Internet. A hired help would be sent over tomorrow to take care of Wendy until Larissa finished work. Despite the agency's assurance, Larissa couldn't help feeling uneasy as the hired help was still a complete stranger. Hence, she got Kevan to keep an eye on that person."Okay," Kevan said, taking off the bath towel wrapped around the lower part of his body before Larissa could react. "Hey!" Flustered, Larissa immediately covered her eyes with her hands. "Can you not be like this?"Kevan didn't care about it too much. He calmly walked over to the edge of the bed and put on his pajamas. "Well, this isn't your first time seeing it."Larissa was rendered speechless."How is Aster doing at your dad's place?" he asked. Lariss

With a long face, Marilyn spared it a glance and handed over her phone that she had unlocked. Seeing that, Larissa immediately keyed in her number and saved it in Marilyn's contacts. Just as she was about to return the phone to Marilyn, a message popped up and caught her instant attention. "If you refuse to help me, I'll leak all the things that you did."Larissa was stunned for a moment. In the next second, Marilyn swiftly grabbed her phone back and placed it face down on the table. Although her expression was slightly unpleasant, she still tried her best to conceal it. Larissa didn't like prying into other people's privacy, so she pretended she didn't notice anything. "Who went on the business trip with Mr. Logan Junior?" "Hayden," Marilyn replied. Aside from putting names to faces, Larissa didn't know anything else about her new colleagues in the department. Hence, it was impossible for her to carry on with that topic of conversation. Larissa nodded and continued

"Marilyn?" Gary stroked his chin, seemingly considering it seriously. "She's not bad, but it still needs to depend on Lewis whether he likes her or not. He doesn't always listen to me." "Is that why you only meddle in my marriage?" Larissa felt somewhat sour. "What are you talking about?" Gary stared at her with displeasure. "All that I have done is introduce you to some men. When have I ever interfered with your relationships with them?" That was true. "Come to think of it, how are things going between you and Mike? Do you still keep in touch with him?" Gary suddenly asked. "No. We're not a good match," Larissa replied honestly. She couldn't help blaming herself for bringing this topic up. "You barely met him a few times, and you're saying he doesn't suit you?" Gary paused for several seconds. "Don't tell me that you're still thinking about Kevan!"Feeling guilty, Larissa fell into silence. She couldn't bring herself to lie to him, but she couldn't tell him the trut