During pregnancy, it’s common for every woman to experience mood swings, where they can feel extremely joyful and enthusiastic one moment, but also very emotional and sad, even crying over trivial matters. Sometimes, they may not even know the reason for their mood changes.
Mood swings during pregnancy are caused by various factors, including hormonal changes, physical discomfort due to bodily changes, and natural worries about facing future life changes.
From Edward’s encounters with married men, almost all of them mentioned that their wives’ moods would improve during the second trimester. However, it seemed not to be the case for his wife. Even as she entered the third trimester, Chloe’s mood swings didn’t seem to get better; in fact, they were worse than ever. She was more easily offended, cried more often, and even had fits of anger.
“Mister, you look like someone who’s exhausted. If you’re not feeling well, you should rest,” Samuel said as he entered Edward’s office. He had been observing his new boss for the past 15 minutes, noticing how tired he seemed while massaging his temples.
“I just didn’t get enough sleep, Sam. My body feels sore all morning,” Edward explained.
“Did you work too much last night?” But as far as Samuel knew, he had already handled all the important tasks. Since joining AlphaBeta, he had taken charge of most of the important projects. Edward should have been able to relax more.
“It’s not because of that.” Edward shook his head, still massaging his forehead. “It’s because your beloved Madame didn’t allow me to sleep in the same room last night.”
Samuel was taken aback. “Oh my God… why did she do that?”
“It all happened because I arrived home five minutes late yesterday. She refused to be hugged, kissed, and, in the end, she even forbade me from sleeping in the same room.”
“Oh no…” Samuel winced, feeling sorry for what his boss had just experienced. “Is it because of pregnancy hormones?”
Edward nodded. Before answering, he took a sip of the coffee provided for him, hoping it would help him relax a bit after drinking it.
“To be honest, it’s quite challenging, Sam,” he sighed. “But what can I do? Chloe is carrying my child. That means I also have a part in making her like this.”
“Have you tried talking to her about it? Mood swings can be anticipated and dealt with in various ways.”
Edward’s forehead wrinkled. He leaned back on his chair, trying to find the most comfortable sitting position.
“Like what?” he asked.
“According to a journal I once read, there are several ways to deal with a pregnant woman’s explosive and uncontrollable mood swings,” Samuel explained enthusiastically. Although he didn’t have a wife or children, he had some theoretical understanding of how to handle the ups and downs of a pregnant woman’s mood. So, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to share his knowledge with his boss. “You can start by talking to her or listening to all her complaints patiently and attentively. Women, in general, want to be heard when they have grievances. You don’t need to ask too many questions, just listen. Secondly, make sure Mrs. Chloe gets enough sleep every night. Emotional fluctuations often occur when pregnant women don’t get enough rest.”
Edward nodded in understanding. “Actually, every night before sleeping, I always ask her about her day, what she did, and how she feels,” he said, taking a deep breath before continuing, “But still, sometimes Chloe’s mood is difficult to predict.”
Samuel smiled in response to Edward’s story. “If neither of those works, you should try the last method, and it seems to be the most effective one.”
“What’s that?”
Samuel leaned closer and whispered, “Engage in intimacy with your wife. Studies show that a pregnant woman’s sexual desire or libido increases significantly during the final trimester.”
Edward’s face reflexively became doubtful. “How do you know all this? You’re not an obstetrician, Sam.”
Samuel chuckled. “In the past, my dream was to become a doctor, Mister. But unfortunately, my parents preferred me to be an engineer or an architect. In order to make them happy, I had to comply with their request.”
Now Edward understood; there was a reason Samuel seemed to understand pregnancy so well. He wasn’t just talking without any basis.
“I’ll try your advice when I get home later,” Edward said.
Just as he said that, Samuel checked the watch on his wrist. He had almost forgotten that there was a meeting that was about to start soon.
“We should head to the conference room, Mister. The advertising team is probably already there.”
Edward got up immediately. Together, he and Samuel walked towards the conference room. As his assistant had predicted, several people were already waiting there for his arrival.
****
Chloe strolled casually into the AlphaBeta Corporation building. Almost everyone she passed greeted her with respect. After all, who didn’t know the wife of the company’s sole heir?
Walking through the corridors and taking the VIP elevator, Chloe finally arrived on the 10th floor. Without hesitation, she headed straight to Edward’s office. Before entering, she approached her husband’s secretary.
“Arianna, is my husband inside?” Chloe asked as she stood in front of the CEO’s office.
Arianna stopped typing on her keyboard, looked up, and quickly stood up. Seeing the boss’s wife standing right in front of her desk, she nodded politely before answering, “Mr. Edward is not in the office, Ma’am. He’s currently in a meeting with Samuel.”
Chloe nodded. “The conference room is on the 8th floor, right?” she asked to confirm. Arianna responded with repeated nods. “In that case, I’ll go straight to the meeting to see my husband.”
Again, Arianna nodded. After all, who would dare to stop the owner’s wife from meeting her husband?
Walking slowly, Chloe finally arrived at the conference room. Full of confidence, she opened the door without knocking. Instantly, everyone in the room, including Edward, turned their attention towards her.
Realizing his wife’s arrival, Edward gestured for Chloe to sit down and wait for the meeting to finish.
However, instead of being happy to meet her husband, Chloe looked displeased. She was annoyed to see a woman she didn’t know being so familiar with Edward.
“Miss Arletta is the model who will be featured in the promotional ads for the apartment and mall projects we’re working on, Mister,” Samuel continued explaining. “She’s highly competent in this field and many major companies have acknowledged her ability to attract a wide customer base.”
The woman named Arletta smiled widely. “I’m actually very honored to be part of this project. Besides, who doesn’t know AlphaBeta?” she said. “I never imagined that the CEO himself would be as handsome as everyone says.”
From a distance, Chloe could clearly see how the woman was batting her eyelashes at her husband. It seemed like she was deliberately trying to flirt or perhaps just seeking attention.
Nonetheless, Chloe tried to remain patient. She took deep breaths repeatedly, suppressing her emotions from exploding in front of everyone.
“Thank you,” Edward responded politely. “But it seems like what you heard is a bit exaggerated.”
Arletta flashed her best smile. “No… no… what people say is true. You are truly handsome, Mr. Edward. Until now, I’ve only seen you in magazines or news articles about business. And now, having the chance to meet you in person, I feel very lucky. From here, I finally understand why women compete to be your date or partner.”
Edward furrowed his brow. “Why is that?”
Without averting her gaze from Edward’s hazel eyes, Arletta leaned slightly forward. Unfazed, she approached the CEO and whispered, “Because Mister has everything that women desire. Honestly, I’ve been enchanted since the first time I saw you.”
“Ahem!” Chloe coughed loudly. In the next moment, she stood up and approached Edward without any hesitation or permission. She wrapped both her hands around her husband’s neck in front of everyone present.
“Darling, I think your work is done,” she said while glancing at her wristwatch. “Didn’t you promise to accompany me to the obstetrician?”
“B-but, Darling. The meeting—”
Chloe didn’t let Edward finish his sentence. She deliberately pulled her husband’s wrist, urging him to stand up. Shortly after, Chloe’s gaze shifted to the beautiful woman sitting across from Samuel.
“And you, Miss. Don’t you dare flirt with my husband. Haven’t you watched the news that Sebastian Edwardo Martin is already married to a beautiful woman named Chloe Hazel Arley?” she asked coldly. An aura of hostility filled the room. “Or is it your hobby to disturb wealthy married men?”
“Darling…” Edward tried to mediate. He felt uncomfortable as everyone in the room was observing his wife’s reaction. “It’s better if we leave now.”
Chloe smiled and immediately pulled Edward’s wrist, leading him to follow her steps. But before leaving completely, she spoke again.
“Sam, please continue the meeting,” she commanded as she and Edward stood at the doorway. They were ready to exit the room. “I’m sure you know what needs to be done next.”
Samuel promptly nodded in understanding. “Don’t worry, Ma’am. I can handle this.”
Meanwhile, Arletta could only gape; she felt embarrassed now.
****
Edward was confused when his chauffeur-driven car took a turn towards their home. As far as he knew, Chloe had deliberately come to the office to accompany him for a specific purpose – her prenatal check-up, scheduled for that day. So why were they now driving in the opposite direction?
“Darling… where are we going?” Edward asked, puzzled.
“To Hell!” Chloe replied dismissively. You can’t imagine how annoyed she was now.
Knowing that his wife was in a bad mood, Edward chose to remain silent. Before long, they arrived home. And when they were in their bedroom, Edward finally sought an explanation.
“Don’t keep pouting.” Edward spoke gently. He pulled Chloe to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. “Are you angry and upset with me?”
Chloe didn’t answer. She deliberately ignored Edward’s question, which only made him more frustrated. Slowly but surely, Edward reached for Chloe’s wrist, kissing the back of her hand repeatedly, and whispered, “If I’ve done something that made you angry or upset, I truly apologize.”
Edward Martin’s wife turned to look at him with intense eyes. A sense of regret and guilt crept into her heart. Edward had become the target of Chloe’s unpredictable mood swings countless times, yet he never let his emotions take over. Perhaps it was his immense love for Chloe that made him so understanding in the end.
“I’ve told you before, I don’t like it when you get close to any woman, no exceptions!” Chloe exclaimed.
Edward sighed softly. He finally understood why his wife had been upset all along. “So, you were jealous of the woman who was in the meeting earlier?”
Chloe looked away again.
“I’m normal, Ed! Of course, I’ll feel jealous and angry when I see my husband being approached by other women.” But fundamentally, Chloe was the type of woman who got jealous easily.
“In that case, once again, I apologize.” Edward lifted her chin with his left hand, urging her to keep looking at his face. “Truly, if I make a mistake again, it’s better for you to punch me as much as you want rather than giving me the silent treatment for days. I can’t bear going through days like that.”
Chloe, who had been pouting until now, finally smiled again. She thought, why linger on harboring annoyance in her heart? After all, Edward hadn’t committed any grave mistakes.
“Alright, this time I forgive you,” Chloe asserted. “But if you repeat it again in the future, I won’t hesitate to leave you.”