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墨書 Inktalez
She had never shown any emotion other than rejection in front of me, but seeing her expression now made my heart soften. "I'm sorry, I misspoke."
She sighed deeply, lowered her head, and the corners of her eyes turned red. "You got drunk two months ago and came home. Do you remember?"
Two months ago—actually just a week ago—I probably couldn't recall it clearly. Recently, everything had been chaotic and disorganized, and since she mentioned that I had been drinking that day, it was even less likely that I would remember anything.
She seemed to sense my thoughts and continued, "That day, as soon as you got home, you started yelling. My mom has a weak heart and already has trouble sleeping. I was afraid you would disturb her, so I helped you back to the bedroom. Who knew that you... If you don't believe me, you can always do a DNA test; after all, whether this child is good or bad doesn't concern you."
Her words labeled me as a heartless man, as if I were the one who deliberately harmed the child and secretly aborted it without my partner's knowledge. I felt a bit unhappy about this, but seeing her distressed expression made it hard for me to confront her directly. I could only nod slightly. "I believe you. So what do you plan to do next?"
She slowly raised her head and stared into my eyes.
Time had passed; my father-in-law was in prison. Aside from a marriage certificate, it seemed I had no ties left with the Liu Family. I no longer tried to please her in every way possible, so what she saw in my eyes was likely rationality and coldness.
She furrowed her brow and lowered her eyelashes again, quietly contemplating something.
I hoped she could see the situation clearly; right now, I was capable of standing on my own without relying on my father-in-law in prison. Her decision to abort the child would have no negative impact on me; instead, it would mean losing the careful arrangements made by my father-in-law before his imprisonment.
The reason my father-in-law initially supported me was to have another chance at success after his release from prison. Without this child, that would be better for me; however, now that there was one, if she chose to abort it, she would be actively severing the last thin connection between me, my father-in-law, and the Liu Family. The one who would suffer losses would definitely be her father.
"This is your child!" She said to me with great emotion.
"I said I believe you," I was somewhat puzzled by her thoughts—or rather, I couldn't understand what women were really thinking. They always seemed to go around in circles without clearly stating their intentions, making men guess instead. Why not just marry a psychologist? "I'm asking about your plans moving forward. Regardless of whether you choose to keep it or terminate it, I will respect your wishes."
After hearing my words, she let out a cold laugh and then put on that familiar indifferent expression. "For my dad's sake, I can give birth to the child, but can you take on the responsibility of being a father?"
I was momentarily stunned; the term 'father's responsibility' sounded familiar yet felt very strange upon deeper reflection. What responsibilities does a father need to bear? Raising the child healthily and providing for their education and needs—wasn't that enough?
It shouldn't require more than that, so I nodded and said, "Of course."
"Then it's settled; I'll give birth to him."
"Okay!"
Thus, we reached an oral agreement regarding this small life.
Afterward, I bought a bunch of baby supplies and sent them to Liu Ya and Mother-in-law's residence to show my commitment as a father. Then there was no further discussion as I continued focusing on my business.
Eight months passed—neither long nor short—and on the day of the due date, I set aside my work and went to wait outside the operating room at the hospital.
Mother-in-law was waiting alone in the empty corridor; upon seeing me, she still wore that dismissive expression. Not wanting to engage with her much, I sat down on a chair to the left and took out my phone to work while waiting for the child's arrival.
However, Mother-in-law seemed extremely anxious as she paced back and forth in front of me, rubbing her palms together while occasionally glancing at the operating room door.
"Don't worry; medical technology is advanced now; a cesarean section isn't a major surgery; both mother and child will be safe," I couldn't help but reassure her.
Who would have thought she shot me a glance, showing no appreciation at all. I raised my eyebrows and decided not to press further.
About half an hour later, a Blue Nurse came out of the operating room and told us, "Mother and daughter are safe; you can rest assured."
"Is it a girl?" my Mother-in-law grasped the nurse's hand, asking eagerly.
"Yes, it's a girl," the nurse nodded.
My Mother-in-law immediately showed a look of disappointment, releasing the nurse's hand and asking again, "How is my daughter?"
"The mother is in good condition and will be out shortly. You can ask the doctor for more details," the nurse said before going back into the operating room.
"A girl..." my Mother-in-law stood there, murmuring to herself.
I didn't care much about whether it was a boy or a girl. Although I came from a rural background where most people favored sons due to poverty—hoping that the next generation would have a boy to support the family and carry on the lineage—I had been exposed to more progressive ideas due to my parents' early passing. Furthermore, as a college-educated individual living in a new era, I couldn't afford to hold onto such outdated traditions; it would be disrespectful to my teachers who had educated me.
Before long, the nurse wheeled Liu Ya out, followed by the doctor, with the baby cradled in another nurse's arms.
My Mother-in-law immediately rushed towards Liu Ya, "Xiao Ya, how are you?"
Liu Ya was groggy and barely conscious but managed to smile weakly at my Mother-in-law, "Mom, I'm fine."
"That's good," my Mother-in-law said with relief. "You should get some rest."
"Okay," Liu Ya closed her eyes. The two of them had not glanced at the baby in the nurse's arms even once.
"Are you the husband of the pregnant woman?" the doctor approached me and asked.
"Yes, how is the baby?"
"There is something I need to discuss with you," the doctor paused for a moment. "It seems there might be an issue with the baby's heart; we can't confirm anything yet until a thorough examination is conducted."
"Heart?" I couldn't help but feel shocked.
"Do you or the child's mother have any family history of heart disease?"
"Heart disease runs in families?"
"Currently, there isn't an accurate conclusion in medicine regarding heart disease and genetics, but it is undeniable that there is a connection."
"Yes, my Mother-in-law—oh, I mean the child's grandmother—has heart disease."
"Is it congenital or acquired?"
"I'm not quite sure about that."
"I see. We will arrange a comprehensive examination for the baby as soon as possible. We will know the detailed condition once the test results are out."
"Thank you, Doctor."
When I turned around, my mother-in-law had already helped Liu Ya with her moving hospital bed and disappeared at the end of the corridor. I glanced at the baby but ultimately did not go over to hold her; instead, I entrusted the nurse to take extra care of her.
This child was born unfortunate; on her first day in the world, no one celebrated her arrival.
Then, I returned to the company. The first batch of Community Development and Construction led by my company had been successfully completed. It was a critical time for suburban expansion and Land auctions. The company couldn't afford to be short-staffed, so I had been rushing around for days. After much effort, I finally secured that piece of valuable Land, but just as I was feeling excited, I received a call from the hospital.
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