In the Brown family, Mrs. Brown held great authority, and James rarely defied his mother.
Emily, looking reluctant, went into the inner room to change her clothes. She picked up her bag to leave but was stopped by Mrs. Brown.
“Aunt, do you have any more orders?” Emily asked.
However, Mrs. Brown threw a pillbox at her. “Don’t forget to take your pills. After all, you and James are not married yet. We, the Brown family, are respectable people. We don’t want any scandal with an illegitimate child.”
Holding the box of birth control pills, Emily, with red eyes, ran out.
“Emily!” James instinctively put on his clothes to chase after her but was stopped by Mrs. Brown.
“You stay right there!”
“Mom! You’re going too far!” James’s handsome face was full of helplessness. He found himself caught between his mother and his fiancee, who weren’t getting along.
“I don’t think I’ve gone too far. James, I told you before, this woman has character issues. Anyway, I won’t agree to you marrying her,” Mrs. Brown said.
While James and Emily were still deeply in love, they couldn’t stand others speaking ill of their partner. “Mom, I know you like Isabella, so you’re biased against Emily.”
“I don’t like Emily, and it has nothing to do with Isabella. That woman is full of vanity. If you weren’t the heir to the Brown family, she wouldn’t even give you a second glance. James, why don’t you trust your mom? Do you think I’d harm you?”
Mrs. Brown was not pleased; her son was captivated by a woman like Emily.
“Mom, you misunderstand Emily too much. I don’t want to explain. In any case, I won’t marry anyone else but her,” James dropped a harsh remark and slumped on the bed.
He couldn’t understand why his mother couldn’t trust his judgment and accept Emily. She was such a simple girl.
The night they spent together was a mistake. She gave him her first time, cried out of fear the whole time, and, helpless like a little rabbit, with red eyes, told him it wasn’t his fault and not to burden himself.
His heart softened for her.
The dispute between Mrs. Brown and James ended inconclusively.
Meanwhile, Isabella sat in the car.
When she saw Emily, red-eyed, running out of the Brown family villa alone, she felt inexplicably delighted.
“I told you before, showing off will get you in trouble.”
“You had me wait here for so long just to watch this drama,” Olivia said, disappointed.
Isabella had called her to come to the Brown family villa, and Olivia eagerly rushed over, thinking she could witness a good show.
“Mrs. Brown is a shrewd person. After spending time with her, she naturally can see Emily’s true nature. Although Emily is engaged to James, it might not be so easy for her to marry into the Brown family,” Isabella said.
Olivia wasn’t very interested in the Brown family gossip. She started the car engine and asked, “Where to? I’ll drive you.”
“Maple Leaf Road. I want to see Asher,” Isabella replied.
Entering the apartment, Amelia opened the door. Andrew wasn’t home.
“Where’s Andrew?” Isabella asked casually as she stood in the hallway changing her shoes.
“Mr. Andrew said he has a social engagement tonight and probably won’t be back,” Amelia replied.
“What kind of social engagement does an unemployed drifter have? He could be socializing with any woman,” Isabella muttered discontentedly under her breath.
Amelia didn’t catch what she was mumbling and didn’t care. She warmly invited Isabella into the house.
After changing her shoes, Isabella eagerly walked into the baby’s room.
Asher, dressed in a cute cartoon onesie, lay in his crib, earnestly looking at the mobile hanging over his bed. His chubby little hands waved from time to time.
“Asher, Mommy’s back.” Isabella reached in and lifted the baby out of the crib.
Amelia followed into the room, standing nearby without leaving an inch. As a young mother, Isabella’s way of holding the baby was about as delicate as handling a radish. Amelia was always worried that she might drop Asher.
“Asher, did you miss me?” Isabella held Asher, calling him tenderly.
Asher seemed to enjoy his mother’s embrace. He lay on her chest, wearing a satisfied expression, and his chubby little face rubbed against his mother’s chest from time to time.
While Isabella was cuddling Asher, suddenly, there was a warm sensation on her body. After a moment of confusion, she realized that the baby had peed and soaked her.
“Asher peed,” Amelia promptly took the baby from her, efficiently changing his diaper.
Isabella’s clothes and dress were soaked with urine, and she looked helpless. “Why don’t you put a diaper on Asher?”
“Diapers cause diaper rash if used too much. Cloth diapers are better. It’s just a bit troublesome to change,” Amelia explained.
“Your clothes are wet. Why not take a bath? I’ll wash the pee-soaked clothes for you,” Amelia suggested.
“I didn’t bring spare clothes,” Isabella hesitated.
“You take a bath first. I’ll find something for you to wear,” after tossing Asher’s diaper into the laundry basket, Amelia went to the master bedroom to find clothes for Isabella.
After the shower, Isabella discovered that Amelia had given her Andrew’s shirt.
“The shirt is brand new. You can wear it without worry,” Amelia said.
Feeling somewhat helpless, Isabella couldn’t walk out of the bathroom naked, so she had to put on Andrew’s shirt.
The blue-striped shirt was very soft, and the hem reached just above her knees, the perfect length.
After showering and changing into the shirt, Isabella walked out of the bathroom. Amelia had already put Asher to sleep.
“I tidied up the guest room. You can stay here for the night,” Amelia said.
She nodded. She couldn’t walk around in a men’s shirt, and besides, the house belonged to her, so she had the right to stay overnight.
“Why the guest room? Andrew isn’t coming back tonight, so I’ll sleep in the master bedroom,” Isabella insisted.
“Mr. Andrew doesn’t like others entering his room, let alone sleeping in his bed,” Amelia explained helplessly.
“So many quirks,” Isabella grumbled discontentedly, then slipped on her slippers and returned to the room.
The night was quiet, and she felt somewhat insomniac for no apparent reason.
She walked out of the room and stood on the balcony in the living room, enjoying the night breeze.
It was close to midnight, and the courtyard, covered in the night’s embrace, was unusually peaceful. Only the occasional night wind passed through the leaves, creating a faint rustling sound. It wasn’t noisy, but rather carried a soothing tranquility.
In the corner of the living room leading to the balcony was a black grand piano.
This piano had some sentimental value for Isabella. It was her first piano, accompanying her since she was three years old, lasting for over a decade.
Feeling a bit bored, she impulsively sat down at the piano and slowly lifted the lid.
The cool moonlight shone in from the French windows, spreading on her delicate figure, creating a floor of pure light.
Isabella’s mother guided her into piano playing, and later, she also learned from professional piano teachers for several years, making her skillful.
Her slender fingertips wandered across the black and white keys, and in the quiet space, a melodious piano tune flowed out.
She played the song “Distant Distance.”
Honestly, Isabella liked this piece very much. It was melancholic and sad but not overly sentimental.
In the silent night, within the spacious room, a faintly mournful melody permeated the air.
She might have been playing too engrossedly, as she didn’t notice when the door behind her opened.
Only when the piece concluded, in the serene space, did a deep, magnetic male voice sound, “Continue playing.”
She couldn’t help but be startled, then turned around.
Andrew, with his straight back leaning against the door, his facial features shrouded in the half-light, left hand elegantly holding a cigarette between his slender fingers. The cigarette alternately brightened and dimmed, emitting a mysterious allure.
“You came back so quietly. Do you know you could scare people?” Isabella glared at him dissatisfied.
Andrew just glanced at her indifferently, striding into the room.
He naturally sat on the other side of the piano bench, his deep and three-dimensional eyes gazing lightly at the black and white keys.
A brief silence enveloped them. In the stillness, she could clearly hear his even breaths. She didn’t like this kind of silence, which made her feel suffocated and breathless.