"Lucy! Long time no see." Clara beamed, stepping forward with open arms. "I’ve missed you."
Lucy stood frozen in confusion. As far as she remembered, she and Clara had not been on good terms even before Clara left for abroad. Why was she acting like they were still best friends?
Before Lucy could respond, Clara leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “I’m back now and I am staying for good.”
Clara pulled away with the brightest smile and returned to stand beside Marcus. Lucy stared at the scene before her, her heart skipping a painful beat. They looked like the perfect family of four.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Jaycee hissed. “Serve us dinner. I’m famished.”
Lucy snapped out of her daze and noticed the disdainful look on Jaycee’s face. Though she had grown used to his cruelty, the words still stung.
“Dinner is served,” she replied quietly.
They walked past her toward the dining room. Clara took the seat next to Marcus while Jaycee sat beside her. Marcus gently handed the baby to Clara. The three of them picked up their cutlery and began eating without her.
“Why are you just standing there?” Marcus finally glanced up.
“Lucy, please can you make some baby formula for her?” Clara asked sweetly. “I’m too tired to breastfeed right now.”
“Why didn’t you make enough porridge? You know I like it,” Jaycee whined. “You never do anything right.”
Lucy stood there, stunned. Before she could find her voice, the sound of suitcase wheels rolling across the floor echoed from the doorway. Stella, her mother-in-law, marched in majestically. The moment her eyes landed on Clara, she gasped with delight and rushed over.
Stella scooped up the baby and cooed happily. Lucy couldn’t take it anymore. She took a deep breath and raised her voice.
“What the hell is going on? Why is she here?”
Everyone stopped and stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Marcus quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact.
“Clara is staying here from today onward,” Stella declared.
“What?”
“What don’t you understand?” her mother-in-law sneered.
“Why is she here with a baby? What exactly is she doing in my house?”
“First of all, this is my son’s house, not yours,” Stella shot back. “Secondly, she has every right to be here with my granddaughter.”
“What are you talking about?” Lucy asked, dread twisting in her stomach.
“Since you couldn’t give my son a child, Clara has done what you couldn’t — she has given Jaycee a sibling,” Stella replied proudly.
The words slammed into Lucy like a blow. She turned to Marcus. “The baby… the baby is yours?” she asked in disbelief.
“I’ll explain everything later. Let’s just eat,” Marcus replied coldly.
“Lucy, get me more porridge,” Jaycee groaned.
Fighting back tears, Lucy hurried into the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she dished out the remaining porridge. After quickly wiping her eyes, she returned to the dining room.
Everyone looked happy except her. Marcus was diligently piling food onto Clara’s plate. Jaycee was peeling crabs and feeding them to Clara. Stella was cradling the baby and feeding her formula. The atmosphere was warm and lively — a picture-perfect family.
“What are you standing there for?” Jaycee asked irritably. “Serve the food already.”
“JC, don’t talk to your mom like that,” Clara scolded softly.
“She’s not my mom,” he countered.
Lucy’s hands shook as she placed the porridge in front of Jaycee. Looking around the table, there was no food left for her. She had prepared this special dinner for the three of them, but now she had nothing.
“It’s your fault you didn’t prepare enough,” Marcus said. “Go to the kitchen and make something for yourself.”
“Don’t say that, Marcus,” Clara interjected sweetly. “I’m sure Lucy is already tired. Let the maids prepare something for her.”
Jaycee scoffed. “There are no maids. She fired all of them so she could be a full-time housewife.”
Clara burst into laughter. “Oh my God, are you serious?” she asked, wiping tears of amusement. “Who even wants to be a housewife these days?”
“Only her,” Jaycee replied. “My classmates’ moms are beautiful and successful. But her face is all wrinkled, and all she does is housework.”
Clara shook her head with fake pity. “Lucy, you were once the most intelligent student on campus. I never expected you to end up like this. Many women today fight to stand alongside men in high places, but you… you’re happily doing chores.”
The remark hit Lucy like lightning. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
“That’s enough. JC, don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Marcus reprimanded.
Lucy stared in disbelief. Was that really all he had to say? Not wanting to humiliate herself further, she turned and picked up the pregnancy report from the table.
“Lucy?” Marcus called as she headed for the stairs. “The guards will come up shortly to move your belongings out of the master bedroom.”
“What?”
“Clara is moving into it.”
