"Elena Lambert, thank you so much for all your help. Stay for dinner—I'll have the housekeeper make a few extra dishes."
But Elena's eyes darted away, and she smiled as she declined. "Oh, no, I couldn't. I have plans tonight."
Seeing the bashful look on her face, I couldn't resist teasing her.
"It's a man, isn't it? Come on, spill—have you finally found yourself a boyfriend?"
"Oh, stop! It's way too early to say anything. But the moment it's official, you'll be the first to know."
Her voice was coy, and she unconsciously shifted the bag in her hands behind her back.
It was a new designer handbag from a luxury brand—far beyond her usual budget.
A flicker of something unsettled passed through me, but the joy of successfully changing my daughter's surname pushed it aside.
"Alright, go on then." I turned to my husband, who had been standing silently nearby. "Irvin, drive Elena home. She's been such a big help."
Irvin grunted in acknowledgment, his expression still sullen. "Let's go."
The next morning, I woke early, my breasts aching with milk. That's when I heard a faint sound at the front door.
I pulled on a robe and got up just in time to see Irvin stepping inside.
Suspicion stirred in my chest, but I kept my face neutral. "You're up early. Did you go out, or are you just getting back?"
He froze for a split second, then forced a tired smile.
"Boss called an emergency meeting last night. Kept us there all night—I just crashed on the office couch for a bit. Figured I'd grab you those soup dumplings you love on my way home."
I nodded and didn't press further.
His family's orchard back in his hometown had been bleeding money for years. It was only after I'd suggested it countless times that he'd reluctantly taken a regular job. But with his mediocre skills and inflated ego, work hadn't exactly been going well for him.
"Honey, there's something I wanted to run by you."
Irvin's sudden words put me on alert. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be good.
"Go ahead."
"So, Baby's one-month celebration is coming up. I was thinking—we should really do it up right, you know? Make it a big event!"
I frowned immediately. "He's just a baby. Something simple is fine. Besides, we didn't even throw a party when Marcia turned one month old."
Irvin's response was almost reflexive. "That's completely different!"
The moment the words left his mouth and he saw my expression darken, he scrambled to explain.
"I mean—because we didn't do it for Marcia, we should definitely do it for Baby! Plus, think about all the gift money my parents have given out over the years at other people's celebrations. This is our chance to get some of that back!"
I stared at his calculating face, cold amusement rising in my chest. "Fine. If you want to throw a party, throw one."
A flash of triumph crossed Irvin's face before it was quickly replaced by a look of difficulty.
"The thing is, honey... you know my parents don't have any savings. So I was wondering—could your parents maybe help us out with fifty thousand dollars?"
"Fifty thousand?" My head snapped up. "Irvin, have you lost your mind? Fifty thousand for a one-month celebration?"
Irvin's brow furrowed with irritation. "This is the first grandson of the Cobb family! Are we supposed to make it look cheap?"
"My parents' money is money they worked hard for! It's not there to fund your ego or fill the bottomless pit that is your family!"
I fought to keep my anger in check, my voice turning to ice.
"I agreed to the party. But the money? Figure it out yourself. I'm not asking them."
Irvin's face twisted with barely contained rage. He glared at me for a long moment before finally grinding out through clenched teeth:
"Fine! Greta, you're heartless!"
Irvin went ahead and booked the best hotel in the city for Baby's celebration without consulting me.
The day I walked past, he and Brooklyn were at the table, counting through the invitation list together.
I glanced over—and realized my parents' names were nowhere on it.
"Irvin! You didn't invite my parents to our son's one-month celebration?!"
