After an arranged marriage for business reasons, I suddenly had a 4-and-a-half-year-old son. Before meeting him, I was bitter and resentful. I imagined a “miserable” future where my husband would ignore me and my stepson would pretend I didn’t exist. But the moment I saw that adorable little boy clutching my shirt and timidly calling me “Mommy,” I surrendered instantly. I even asked my husband, “If we divorce, can I keep our son?” My husband: “???” When the company ran into trouble, my father didn’t hesitate to arrange my marriage to a business tycoon who already had a son. Surprisingly, I was perfectly fine with it. After all, I was a firm believer in staying single. If he already had a son, I wouldn’t have to worry about having children in the future. Plus, the guy was a workaholic who never had time for his kid. The boy was mostly taken care of by a nanny. I figured I could just coast through life from now on. My husband was a big-shot CEO, and I wouldn’t even have to raise the kid. The wedding was a small, quiet affair with few guests. Of course, I didn’t see the child there either. True to his workaholic nature, my new husband headed straight to the office as soon as the ceremony was over. As he left, he tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll be busy at work for the next few days. Sam’s already at home. Get to know him when you get back.” Sam Quinn. That was my stepson’s name. After my parents’ divorce, my relationship with my father had grown distant. I didn’t take much from home when I left, just a necklace pendant, and that was it. “Mrs. Quinn, young Master Sam is waiting for you in the living room,” the housekeeper informed me cheerfully as soon as I stepped through the door. Hmm… already trying to assert dominance, huh? Well, bring it on! I can handle whatever a kid throws at me. But… Who was this adorable little dumpling sitting on the sofa?! So tiny! So cute! So soft! While I was still gawking, the little munchkin toddled over to me. In his sweet, baby voice, he said: “Miss… West, this is… a gift… for you… from Sam.” It was a pink teddy bear. Even though the stuffed animal was bigger than him, he was still trying his best to offer it to me. Despite this being our first meeting, he was incredibly friendly towards me. I was so touched that I quickly took the teddy bear and crouched down to hold his chubby little hands. “Wow! Thank you, sweetie! I love it! Your name is Sam, right? I’m your new mom. No need to be so formal, we’re family now. You can call me Mom if you’d like.” Gosh! He’s so adorable! I just want to hug him! This precious boy – my good-for-nothing husband doesn’t deserve him! Neglecting my son like this, how cruel! That’s right, from now on, he’s my own son! The little dumpling seemed surprised by my words. His tiny body trembled slightly, and his fair face turned bright red. He clutched at the hem of his shirt and timidly called out: “M-mom?” After saying it, he shyly lowered his head, stealing glances at me from time to time. Oh my goodness! Forget about the dad, the son is all mine now!! I cleared my throat and gave a serious “Mm-hmm.” Then I turned to the housekeeper who had been standing nearby and said, “I’ll take care of the child from here. You can go about your business.” “Very well, Mrs. Quinn.” This feeling was absolutely amazing! Suppressing my inner excitement, I tried to act nonchalant as I gently picked up the little dumpling. Then, with one arm holding Sam and the other clutching the teddy bear, I headed upstairs. I’d been here a few times before the wedding, so I was familiar with the general layout of this six-story mansion, complete with three elevators and two small gardens. The decor was impressively grand, befitting a tycoon’s home. I brought Sam to the room Nicholas had prepared for me and placed the teddy bear next to the pillow. “Sam, I’m sorry I didn’t prepare a gift for you, but this necklace pendant is very important to me. Would you like to keep it safe for Mom?” “I’ll look at it every day,” he promised solemnly. I put it around his neck, and he looked delighted. “How about you sleep with Mom tonight, and then tomorrow I’ll take you to preschool? Is that okay?” I asked, keeping my voice soft and gentle. If my best friend could see me being this sweet, she’d probably think I was possessed. “Okay,” came another soft reply. He’s just too cute. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the momentary stiffness that crossed the little dumpling’s adorable face. That night… “…and so the little fox and his mother lived happily ever after.” After finishing the story, I glanced down at the sleeping Sam and quietly set the book aside. Just then… my phone started ringing. I nearly dropped it in surprise and quickly hung up. Hearing Sam’s steady breathing, I breathed a sigh of relief. I tiptoed out of the room and only called back once I was sure Sam couldn’t hear me. “Olivia West, did you just hang up on me?!” the woman on the other end of the line shouted indignantly. “I was putting my son to bed. Besides, it’s my wedding night, for crying out loud. Why are you calling so late?” I replied, exasperated. “Oh, please. Everyone knows your husband isn’t even home. He went straight to the office after the wedding.” “Wait, what did you just say? Son? Since when do you have a son?” The person on the phone sounded shocked. I frowned slightly, “My husband’s son, but he’s my son now too.” It’s normal that she didn’t know; I only found out myself when I was told about the marriage to Nicholas. Nicholas had kept the child’s existence very private. But now the news about the child was public. “And keep your voice down, will you?” I added. “I thought you didn’t like kids. I know you’re alone on your wedding night, so I called to comfort you,” Sophia said bluntly. How was I supposed to know Sam would be so adorable? Though I thought this, I didn’t say it out loud. “What’s up?” I asked instead. “You have to come to the class reunion this Saturday. That little miss perfect is going to be there too. Remember! Dress to impress and show her up!” I could tell from her tone how angry Sophia was; her expression was probably just as ugly. I couldn’t help but chuckle, trying to comfort her, “Come on, it’s been years. I’ve long forgotten about all that stuff.” She just snorted, not saying anything more. We chatted briefly before hanging up. I stood by the fifth-floor window, staring at the sky and daydreaming. Suddenly, I remembered the summer after high school graduation. In high school, Sophia, Chloe, and I were really close friends. At a dinner party after the college entrance exams, the most popular guy in school suddenly confessed to me. Everyone was egging us on, making a big scene. I was annoyed and rejected him outright. What I didn’t know was that Chloe had liked him for a long time and had been pursuing him privately. Because of my rejection, the guy, feeling spiteful, immediately got together with Chloe. People said she only got to be with him because of me. That’s how our relationship started to sour. I thought we’d never see each other again after starting college. But to my surprise, even though we weren’t at the same university, she still spread rumors about me, seemingly determined to make my life miserable. However, she and the popular guy didn’t last long; he ended up cheating on her. I heard Chloe would be at the class reunion on Saturday too. “Argh! So annoying!” I ruffled my hair in frustration. But then again… It’s been such a long time; maybe she’s forgotten all about it. Thinking this, I relaxed a bit. For the next few days, I stayed home with Sam. Apart from dropping him off and picking him up from preschool, I worked on my design sketches. I’m a fashion designer for a well-known brand, and I wasn’t about to give up my career just because I got married. That would be too boring! Lately, because of Sam, I’ve been bursting with inspiration. It would be a waste of my talent not to design! On Saturday morning, I watched Sam quietly playing with his building blocks, a smile blooming on my face. But then I thought about the people I’d have to deal with in the afternoon and couldn’t help but sigh. Why was I going to a class reunion instead of a parent-teacher conference? Noticing my mood change, Sam looked at me worriedly. “Mom, are you sad?” I gently pinched his chubby little cheeks and said, “Mom has to go to a party this afternoon. Can Sam play at home by himself?” After spending these few days together, Sam had grown much closer to me. “Can Sam go too? Sam will be very good,” he promised. Thinking about Chloe being there, I refused. The light in his bright eyes dimmed immediately, “Okay, Sam will wait for Mom at home.” Oh no, here comes the guilt. It wouldn’t hurt to bring Sam along, right? I’d keep an eye on him. If I left him home alone, wouldn’t I be just like his dad? “You can come, Sam. Do you want to go with Mom?” I asked. “Yes~” Seeing his eyes light up again, I breathed a sigh of relief. But why did I feel like I’d just been played? The reunion was held in a private room. When we arrived, it had already started. “Isn’t that Olivia? Why so late? Come on in, we’ve been waiting for you!” As soon as we entered, we were noticed. So much for quietly staying in a corner. I smiled and greeted everyone, then saw Sophia waving at me. I took Sam’s hand and walked over. At this point, everyone else stopped what they were doing. “Olivia’s here. And this child is…?” someone asked. I sat down and lifted Sam onto my lap. Noticing the bottles of alcohol on the table, I frowned slightly. “My son,” I replied. Then I turned to a nearby waiter and asked softly, “Do you have any drinks suitable for children?” “Yes, of course.” After getting Sam settled, I looked at Sophia, “Wipe that look off your face. You’re scaring my son.” Sophia grinned, “Your son is so cute. Does he need a godmother?” She looked suspiciously mischievous. “Get lost,” I said, giving her a disgusted look. Then we started eating and chatting. Soon, a strong whiff of perfume wafted over. The next moment, Sam sneezed. At the same time, a familiar voice rang out, “Olivia, I heard you recently married a man with a child. Are you that desperate? Don’t tell me you’re…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant. “Chloe Zimmerman, who are you trying to provoke with that passive-aggressive tone!” Sophia’s temper flared up instantly, and she glared at Chloe angrily. Chloe covered her mouth in mock surprise: “Oh, I’m so sorry. Did I hit a sore spot?” I moved aside a bit, covering Sam’s nose, and said coldly: “Chloe, you’d better stay away from us. Can’t you see my son is choking on your smell?” “You!” Her face turned ugly. Then, as if remembering something, she pointed at Sam. “Is this your twice-divorced husband’s child? Little boy, do you really think she likes you? Wait until she has her own child, then you’ll see her true colors!” Her vicious expression was extremely unpleasant. Sam turned and burrowed into my arms. I thought he was scared, which made me furious. I sneered, “Chloe! What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you were coming with your new boyfriend? Oh my! Don’t tell me he cheated on you too?” “Seriously, you’re so pretty. How could anyone not like you?” “He… he just had something to come up today!” Seeing her face turn black as thunder, I knew I’d hit the nail on the head, and I felt instantly better. I waved goodbye to Sophia and picked up Sam to leave. “Well, I’ve made my appearance at the reunion. I have other things to do, so I’m leaving now.” Finally got a chance to attend a reunion, and it gets ruined. I should probably avoid these in the future. As I carried Sam out, I didn’t notice him coldly glancing at the motionless Chloe, then staring intently at my belly. On the way home, Sam didn’t say a word. I thought Chloe’s words had scared him and was about to comfort him when I saw him point his little finger at my belly and say, “Mom.” “What is it, Sam?” After a pause, he asked curiously: “Why will a baby appear in your tummy later?” I was charmed by his innocent question, “Babies grow in their mommies’ tummies, then they’re born, and slowly they grow as big as you.” But it’s not easy to explain this to a small child. “Oh,” he said, wearing a serious expression. I couldn’t help but laugh. Kids are just too adorable. When we got home, I saw an unexpected face. “Why are you back?” I asked. Nicholas looked at me strangely: “This is my home.” Me: “…” I miscalculated. Sam happily ran over to him: “Dad!” I was a bit surprised to see how skillfully Nicholas picked up the child. I had thought a man like him wouldn’t be good at these things.
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