“Daniel Scott has Cameron taking the blame for him,” Holly chuckled softly. “If something happens to me, I’ll drag Carter down with me too! Laura, by then, you’ll truly be the disaster of The Lynch Family! Anne was killed by your father, The Lynch Family’s two sons were ruined because of you. Do you think Ethan and Mellisa will spare you? Even that Stella, she might just escape from the psychiatric sanatorium to come and strangle you!”
A shiver ran down my spine, and I involuntarily took two steps back.
Holly’s gaze was cold yet sinister. She stared at me for a while before approaching me, her expression softening slightly. She gently patted my shoulder. “Laura, everything I said is for your own good. Think carefully about it.”
I wanted to cry, but the tears choked me up, refusing to fall.
She still had the nerve to act like she was doing me a favor? She shattered my last bit of hope, making me feel like there was no one left in this world to trust.
The feeling of loneliness pierced deep into my heart.
After that day, I avoided Holly.
At home, I tried to steer clear of Carter as well.
Carter didn’t show any signs of change. He continued his routine, asking me how I was feeling, whether I slept well or not, and reminding Yasmin not to miss my prenatal check-up appointments.
“I heard you had a scare last time you came out of the magazine office, almost having a miscarriage?” he sat across from me. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again. You’re close to giving birth, so take care of yourself.”
I silently watched him.
Carter puzzled me. Saying he’s a mystery wouldn’t be accurate because I could guess his motives. But the process of guessing felt like navigating through chaos.
He looked at my belly, smiling softly, his gaze much gentler. Suddenly, he asked, “Can I touch it?”
I recoiled instinctively, wary.
After a moment, he stood up and sneered, “If you don’t want me to, forget it, no need to be so guarded.”
“Carter,” I asked him, “Do you really want me to have this child?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” he looked at me strangely, “If I didn’t want you to have it, would I let it stay in your belly for over eight months?”
“Why?”
“I’ve told you,” he said, “Having a child means more assets for us!”
“Is there anything else?” I couldn’t shake the feeling that his motives weren’t so straightforward.
He didn’t answer, hiding something in his eyes. After a while, he leaned down, holding onto the armrests of my recliner, “Laura, no matter what, I’ve preserved Cameron’s bloodline.”
I remained silent.
He continued, “It was me who preserved the child of you and Cameron.”
I lowered my head, feeling a mix of emotions.
“I’ve done you both a favor,” he smirked.
But favors often cheapen when spoken aloud. When he mentioned “doing a favor,” I felt a wave of disgust wash over me.
“So you need to be more grateful,” He looked at me, “Don’t blurt out everything, especially things you shouldn’t say! Right now, the most important thing for you is the child . Keep your spirits up, take care of your mental well-being, that’s the key. As for those news reports, whether they’re true or not, or the personal attacks, it’s none of your concern, so don’t worry about them!”
I didn’t say anything. Then he left the room,
Shortly after, the phone rang, and Yasmin answered it for me, then handed it to me, saying, “It’s Miss Holly.”
I took the phone and listened. Holly’s voice on the other end sounded very enthusiastic, “Laura, do you have time tomorrow afternoon? Let’s go out for coffee?”
Since that incident, Holly had been inviting me out for coffee every few days.
Or we’d go shopping, and she’d buy a lot of baby supplies for me. She said there were too many things needed for the baby , so it’s better to buy them in advance, just in case.
But I couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort. The more she tried to act like nothing had happen, the harder it was for me to open up to her.
Once trust is broken, it’s hard to rebuild.
However, because of Carter, I didn’t show any disgust. Holly was right about one thing, though. In the current setup of The Lynch Group, with Carter in charge, I wouldn’t fare well if I angered him.
Carter and Mellisa, this mother and son, endured for over a decade, strategically making their moves, and successfully taking control of The Lynch Group.
Their retaliation wasn’t entirely unjustified. Stella was a home-wrecker after all. Without her, Ethan, Mellisa, and Carter would still be a happy family. But Stella raised me for fifteen years, and I couldn’t bring myself to criticize her or judge her morally.
She’s my mom, no matter how many mistakes she made, she’s still my mom.
However, my perception of Mellisa was different. During this time, she would accompany me whenever she had the chance. Though she didn’t say much, she took care of me meticulously. I felt relaxed around her, unlike when I lived with Stella, where I spent most of my time trying to please her because of my guilt towards Anne.
Subconsciously, I felt like Mellisa was more like my mom. This thought startled me.
Perhaps due to the impending motherhood, my longing for maternal love reached an unprecedented intensity. I had never met my birth mother, but during those days, every night I dreamt of a gentle and caring woman who would stroke my head and tell me in a low, tender voice not to be afraid, that being a mother is a happy thing.
But whenever I tried to grasp her hand in the dream, I would wake up.
I would even experience this during my afternoon naps.
The next time I startled awake from a dream, Yasmin draped a sweater over me and looked at me with concern, “Miss Campbell, why have you been so restless lately?”
“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully, “I keep having the same dream, but I don’t know what it means.”
“Don’t overthink it,” she smoothed my hair, “Just wait for another month or so, and you’ll feel better after giving birth.”
I chuckled, “Yasmin, when did you become so knowledgeable?”
“Having doctors and nurses around every day, I’ve learned from them too! I’m even thinking about learning some other things after you give birth, so I can earn more money when I leave here!”
“Don’t you want to stay here?” I widened my eyes.
Yasmin looked hesitant, paused for a moment, then she explained softly, “I should tell you earlier… but I won’t be able to stay here after you give birth.”
“Why?”
She smiled, “I found my daughter.”
“Really?” I was genuinely happy for her.
It was the most uplifting news I had heard during this period.
“I told you, I have a daughter who’s about your age, but I left her when she was just born… But now I’ve found her, she’s doing well and has gotten married. I know where she lives, so I’m thinking of renting a small house nearby to take care of her.”
“Yasmin,” I held her hand, “If you need any help, feel free to let me know.”
“Thank you, Miss Campbell…” She looked at me, “You’re so kind.”
“Oh, by the way, we have a prenatal checkup scheduled for this afternoon, and Miss Holly just called to say she’ll accompany you.”
“Her?” I furrowed.
“She said… It’s Master Carter’s idea,” Yasmin asked cautiously, “Should I quietly follow you from behind?”
“Forget it,” I pondered for a moment, since it was Carter’s arrangement, it’s better not to go against him for now.
He always hoped that my relationship with Holly would return to how it used to be, so that he could have his loyal minions united together, which would further aid his dominance and achieve his goals.
“Since it’s Carter’s idea, just wait for me at home!”
She seemed somewhat uneasy, “Please be careful, I’ll go pick you up later!”
“Okay,” I smiled at her.
There weren’t many people in this household who genuinely cared about me, but I could always feel warmth from Yasmin.
When I arrived at the hospital, Holly was already waiting at the entrance of the obstetrics and gynecology department. She assisted me into the VIP waiting room, where a nurse brought freshly squeezed fruit juice and some snacks.
She asked us to wait for a moment.
Having money is really great… In ordinary hospitals, expectant mothers have to wait in line for half a day, wait for the doctor to call their number, and if they’re unlucky, they have to handle everything by themselves because their husband is being reprimanded by the boss in the office, or because their mother-in-law refuses to come and help.
But for me, giving birth became an indulgence.