"Good morning, granny." She would have
happily responded to her if not for her unplea-
sant mood at that moment. She smiled a bit and
wished a good morning to the child. She did not want
her grandchild to see her as a bad person. The
child was so adorable and cute.
Stephanie went back to the couch and sat down. She ignored
Stephanie and asked about Claudia. "Where is
Claudia?" Andrew sighed at his mother's question.
Were they going to talk about this now? "Mom,
it's a long story. Let's talk about it some other time."
Mrs. Gray was about to insist when a boy
hurried in with a first aid box. "Mommy,
I've got it!" Obed ran to his mother and handed
her the box. Andrew went over to Stephanie's
side, and they both sat down as Stephanie began to
take care of his wound.
Arya was also busy introducing her brother to
their new grandma. "You see, she is our granny.
She is so beautiful and fashionable," Arya
exclaimed. "Granny, do we have a grandpa
too?" Obed asked innocently. Mrs. Gray smiled
and said, "Yes. You also have a very handsome
and capable grandpa." "Wow Obed, we have six grandparents.
Just as Stephanie finished dressing his wound, the doorbell rang again. Arya went and opened the door. This time, it was the delivery man. Andrew went to the door, signed for the package, and took the clothes. He had ordered them for Stephanie and the children.
"Thank you," Stephanie said when Andrew handed her the items. "Guys, let's go and put them on," she told the kids, who eagerly followed her into the master bedroom.
When they were out of sight, Mrs. Gray sat down and looked up at her son. Andrew sighed, sinking onto the cushion beside his mother.
"How did this happen? And where is Claudia? Did you leave her in the apartment we bought for you?" His mother bombarded him with questions.
"Mom, you just arrived. Why don't you rest first? You will be staying here for quite some time, so we can talk then," Andrew reasoned.
"No, I want to hear everything right now," Mrs. Gray insisted.
"Mom, I need to make breakfast first," Andy said, standing up to escape the interrogation.
"Drew, is this the kind of woman you want to know?" she called after him. "Your father and I have given you everything you ever wanted and needed. We gave you the best of everything so that you could be a better person in the future. You can't lower your standards now
all this and marry some dirty girl like her! I might accept your kids as my grandkids because they have our blue blood flowing in them, but that girl will always be a dirty beggar." Of course, Andrew was angered by his mother's words. "In your eyes, she might be a dirty beggar, but to me, she is too good for someone like me. I am the one who doesn't deserve her! Do you know the trauma and hard times she went through for the past six years because of what you and Dad did? She had to leave and lie to her family. But after everything, she still gave me another chance. Mom, the Stephanie Lionel in the past is have changed. She is now a great businesswoman, a better leader, a loving mother, and a perfect wife," Andrew lamented. "We are your parents, and we always want the best for you. You must not marry that woman!" Mrs. Gray refused to listen to her son. "I am sorry, Mom, but it's too late. Lily and I are already married," Andrew revealed. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean what I said. Here is the marriage contract." He took out his phone and showed his mother a picture of their marriage certificate. Out of nowhere, Stephanie came from behind. "Let me see," she said, making Andrew's heart skip a beat. He gulped while giving his phone over to her, his fingers trembling slightly as her cold eyes scanned the illuminated screen. Mrs. Gray gasped, clutching her chest as if the very sight of the digital document was a physical blow. Andrew stood his ground, bracing himself for the inevitable storm, knowing that the secret he had guarded for a while has out in the open.
Stephanie stared blankly at the screen, her expression unreadable.
"Lily, let me explain... I didn't mean for things to turn out like this," he stammered, trying to find the right words.
Before he could continue, she firmly handed the device back to him. "Solve your issues with your mother first. Only then will we talk about this," she said.
"Lily, please, I really am sorry..."
"Obed, Arya... it's time to go," she interrupted, completely ignoring his pleas.
"So soon? Aren't we going to eat breakfast and spend some time with Granny?" Arya grumbled, her face falling.
"Lily, please. At least let's have breakfast," Andrew pleaded, his voice desperate.
"No, I want to leave right now," Lily replied, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"But Mommy, I don't want to leave yet!" Arya cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
Stephanie sighed deeply, rubbing her temples before looking down at her daughter. "Okay, Arya. You can stay here with your brother. Your daddy can bring you guys back home this evening."
"No, Mommy, I want to go with you," Obed chimed in, suddenly feeling torn.
"Your sister is staying here, and you need to spend time learning more about your granny," Lily insisted gently but firmly. "I am leaving now."
She quickly gathered the basic essentials she had brought with her and walked out of the house without looking back. Andrew immediately followed her into the crisp morning air.
"Lily, wait! At least let me drive you home," Andrew cooed, reaching out for her.
"I will take a taxi," she snapped, keeping her gaze fixed ahead as she marched down the driveway.
Andrew hurried his pace, catching up to hold her hand, and began walking right beside her. "Why are you so angry? Don't you want to marry me anymore?" Andrew asked softly.
His sudden question made Stephanie stop in her tracks and slowly turned toward Andrew. Seeing the fear and worry etched deeply across his face, she let out a soft sigh.
"It's not that I don't want to marry you," she answered gently, "but I just didn't expect this today. Let's... let's talk about it some other time. Just give me a few days to think."
Her words only seemed to heighten Andrew's panic. "Lily, please," he pleaded, his voice trembling. "Please don't let us drift apart. I won't be able to rest if we leave things like this."
She looked at him, her expression softening. "Okay. Just for today. Give me today to comprehend everything and clear my head."
"Only today?" Andrew asked, desperate for reassurance.
"Only today," she promised, trying to soothe his anxiety.
Though her assurance brought him a small sliver of relief, a heavy weight still pressed on his chest. He had no idea how he was going to make it through the rest of the day. "At least let me walk you out," Andrew offered softly.
"No, I want to go alone," she replied. She stepped closer, tiptoed, and left a quick, tender kiss on his cheek before turning away. Andrew stood frozen, watching her figure retreat toward the front gate until she finally stepped through and disappeared from view.
With a heavy heart, he walked back inside to finish preparing breakfast and set it on the table for the family.
"Are you going to eat?" Mrs. Gray asked, noticing that Andrew hadn't served himself.
He didn't answer. Instead, he just sat there quietly, staring blankly at his children as they ate, his mind completely consumed by the morning's events.
"No... I really don't feel like eating," he finally admitted, his voice hollow.
Mrs. Gray furrowed her brow in deep concern. "You haven't eaten a single bite since you woke up," she pointed out gently. "You need to keep your strength up. Please, eat something."
Andrew simply nodded absentmindedly, barely hearing her words. His mind was already miles away, counting down the hours until he could see and talk to Stephanie again.
He stood up from the dinner table and retreated to his home office, desperate for a change of scenery. He tried to focus on his work, but his mind refused to cooperate. A restless energy consumed him. Whenever the stress became too overwhelming to handle, he would habitually run his hands through his hair, ruffling it and pulling at the strands in frustration. Growing increasingly annoyed with his inability to concentrate, he finally gave up and went upstairs to his bedroom.
Seeking comfort, he took a warm shower and changed into simple, casual loungewear. He returned to the bedroom and lay down, staring blankly up at the white ceiling while wishing the evening would come quickly. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.
He had no idea how much time had passed before a sudden knock at the door pulled him back to reality. Assuming it was his mother, he chose not to respond, hoping she would believe he was deeply asleep. However, after three consecutive knocks went unanswered, he heard the door handle turn. As the door began to swing open, he quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be fast asleep.
Moments later, the sound of tiny, soft footsteps padded softly across the floor toward the bed. His children climbed up beside him; Arya curled up right on top of him, while Obed settled tightly against his side, using his father's outstretched arm as a pillow. The heavy tension in his chest immediately softened, replaced by a deep sense of relief the moment he felt his children close to him. Abandoning the act of sleeping, he opened his eyes, looked at them, and smiled gently. "Hey, guys. Do you want anything?" he asked.
His daughter looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes and whispered, "You don't want to spend time with us."