Chapter 1293 Wasted Effort
"It's a shame we can't have such cute kids in our family," Azalea said wistfully.
"Mom, I'm gonna check what's for dinner tonight," Cecilia said, not sure how to respond. She quickly headed to the kitchen.
Watching Cecilia leave, Azalea smirked.
That evening, Cecilia sat on the edge of the bed, distractedly watching TV. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and she barely registered what was on the screen.
The sound of running water from the bathroom suddenly stopped. Cecilia knew Daryl had finished his shower, so she composed herself, not wanting him to notice her unease.
Soon, Daryl emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe.
"All done?" Cecilia asked with a forced smile.
Only she knew how strained that smile was, but she tried her best to appear cheerful.
"Yeah," Daryl replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What did you do today?" Daryl asked, holding Cecilia's hand.
This was their time to share secrets, and it was Cecilia's favorite part of the day. But tonight, she felt too drained to engage.
"I went with Mom to a baby shower for my cousin's son," Cecilia replied.
Daryl frowned. "Your cousin? The one we're distantly related to? Mom usually skips those and just sends a gift. Why was she so interested today?"
Cecilia was taken aback. Azalea usually didn't attend these events? Reflecting on Azalea's pointed comments to the relatives, Cecilia wondered if Azalea had taken her there on purpose.
Her heart tightened at the thought. But then she reassured herself that it might just be a coincidence. Maybe Azalea was just eager for a grandchild and decided to go on a whim.
Cecilia kept telling herself she was overthinking it. Azalea hadn't shown any displeasure on the way there or back, so maybe she was just being too sensitive.
People often wanted what they couldn't have, and that was a common human flaw.
"What's wrong? You seem distracted," Daryl asked, looking at her intently.
"Nothing, I'm just a bit tired. You know how many relatives you have; it's hard to keep track of them all. My head hurts," Cecilia said, pretending to rub her temples.
"Headache? Let me massage it for you," Daryl offered.
"No need, you've had a long day too. Get some rest; you have work tomorrow," Cecilia said, pushing his hand away and turning to lie down.
Daryl smiled and leaned in close to her ear. "Are we going to sleep already?"
"What else would we do?" Cecilia felt too dejected to be interested in anything.
"How about tonight we..." Daryl's hand slid around her waist, his palm touching her skin.
Cecilia sighed and said softly, "It's pointless for us. It's a meaningless effort."
Daryl didn't catch her words and frowned. "What do you mean, pointless? What effort?"
Realizing her slip, Cecilia quickly said, "I'm just tired and talking nonsense. Let's get some rest, okay?"
She placed her hand on Daryl's chest.
Seeing this, Daryl stopped teasing and said, "Alright, let's rest."
He kissed her forehead, then turned off the bedside lamp and lay down.
Cecilia closed her eyes but couldn't sleep. She didn't dare move, afraid Daryl would notice. His arm remained around her waist.
Two days later, Cecilia's mood had improved slightly, and she felt more at ease.
But that morning, Azalea said, "Cecilia, there's another baby shower today. Come with me."
Cecilia frowned and asked, "Mom, whose baby shower is it this time?"
The mention of another baby shower made her uneasy. She really didn't want to go.
"It's for Mr. Erik Kelly's grandson. His wife came over to play cards with us last time," Azalea said nonchalantly.
Cecilia couldn't refuse and reluctantly accompanied Azalea.
Her suspicions and worries grew when they arrived at Erik's house. The scene was similar to the last one, if not worse.
Erik's grandson was adorable, and his daughter-in-law, from a prestigious family, had two sons. She was the center of attention, especially when she held her younger son and led her older one by the hand.
During the baby shower, relatives made comments about how important it was for a woman to have sons, and even more so to have children.
Azalea kept lamenting at the table about her bad luck, nearing sixty without a grandchild, but she was kind to Cecilia, leaving her with no room to complain.
Cecilia eventually escaped to the bathroom to avoid the situation.
On the way back, Cecilia felt miserable while Azalea chatted happily with the driver.
Cecilia realized it wasn't her imagination. Azalea was deliberately taking her to these baby showers to torment her without causing a direct conflict with Daryl.
Azalea's intentions were clear. She was using this method to pressure Cecilia without confronting her son, showing her deep cunning.
Cecilia had no way to express her suffering. She didn't want to burden Daryl with the truth.
Over the next two weeks, Azalea took Cecilia to several more baby showers for relatives and friends.
Gradually, Cecilia became numb to these events.
Azalea likely hoped to break her spirit or force her to complain to Daryl, which would give Azalea an excuse to cause a scene and deny everything, making Cecilia look unreasonable. But Cecilia wasn't going to fall for it.
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