Chapter 8 Must Be Pregnant Within Three Months
Danielle sneered at the pristine façade Diana played. In her eyes, Diana was nothing but a court jester.
"Jessica is Gabriel's wife, a daughter-in-law of the Walton family. What standing do you have to compare yourself to her?
"So, what if she's spending the substantial financial resources of the Waltons, it is perfectly reasonable. Even if she had the whole Walton fortune at her disposal, she couldn't possibly spend it all. She can use as much as she wants.
"As for gifts, she could have just offered a leaf and Xavier would treasure it. But you, you could offer a golden leaf and Xavier wouldn't give it a second glance. It would be nothing more than an embarrassment," Danielle said mockingly.
Diana was about to speak when Gabriel grabbed her wrist and shot Jessica a look.
Bitterness filled Jessica's heart. Nonetheless, she promptly linked arms with Danielle. "Mom, Gabriel and I are picking out a gift for Xavier. Since you're here, why don't you help us decide?"
Jessica beamed, her voice tender and kind.
Danielle's tone softened as well. "Honestly, I'm not sure what advice I can give. Xavier lacks nothing. Don't you both know what he wants already?"
Jessica was quite aware, but she also knew what Gabriel didn't want. So, in front of her mother-in-law, she had to feign ignorance.
Danielle turned to Gabriel directly. "Don't tell me you don't know. The gift Xavier wants most is a great-grandchild."
The topic hadn't bothered her before, but once mentioned, Danielle's irritation flared up. "Tell me, two whole years and not a peep from Jessica's belly. If this continues, I might start doubting you."
Jessica remained silent, a wave of awkwardness washing over her.
Imagine that—here's a mom who suspects her own flesh and blood the moment she opens her mouth. If it had been any other mother-in-law, she'd likely attack Jessica for not being pregnant yet, blaming her supposedly frail health.
Feeling the unexpected warmth of concern, Jessica's heart flooded with a cozy gratitude.
"Mom, we're in public here. Could you please save me some face?" Gabriel implored, rubbing his temples in exasperation.
"Oh, you want face? What about me? At every high-society gathering, when those ladies ask if I have a grandchild yet, I just want to crawl into a hole," she retorted.
Jessica's face blazed with embarrassment.
"In the past, I considered you both young and decided to give you time, never interfering," she continued.
"But listen, Gabriel, this time you better hear me well. I am giving you three months. If there’s no sign of a baby from Jessica, you’ll have to answer to me."
"Mom, this is totally unreasonable. Can we talk some sense here?" Gabriel pleaded. His face was a mask of misery.
"I'll be as unreasonable as I have to be. If Jessica isn’t pregnant in three months, both of you are off to the hospital for checks."
Turning to Jessica, Danielle instructed firmly, "And you, keep an eye on him. If he's not taking the initiative or cooperating, report directly to me."
Jessica nodded vigorously; her face now was so red that it seemed it might drip with heat.
Off to the side, Diana was cringing in discomfort.
Her lips trembled as she clutched her fists, anger and sorrow swirling within her. She was on the verge of revealing the secret that Jessica and Gabriel were planning to divorce, ready to blurt it out if she could not hold back her emotions.
When Danielle finally left, both Gabriel and Diana heaved a sigh of relief.
"Gabriel, you're not seriously planning to have a child with her, are you?" Diana looked at Gabriel, her eyes brimming with a pitiful softness calculated to awaken his protective instincts.
Jessica silently pressed her lips together, contemplating.
It seems men always fall for this kind of act. A fragility and pitifulness that ignites their instinct to protect, even someone as usually apart from the norm as Gabriel couldn't escape this cliché.
"No," Gabriel replied with a decisive and clear-cut answer.
"Since we've decided on divorce, I wouldn't leave that kind of issue lingering between her and me."
Relieved at his response, Diana's demeanor softened as she flirtatiously tossed her hair. "Gabriel, would you come shopping with me? I'd like to buy some new clothes."
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Jessica's gaze fixated on the jade earrings dangling from Diana's ears, and she stood there, thunderstruck, unable to articulate the turmoil roiling inside her—it was simply unbearable.
She glanced over at Diana, her voice faint as if lacking the strength to carry, "I love your earrings. Where did you get them?”
Diana flipped her hair back nonchalantly, displaying the earrings, and said with a smile, "These? You mean these, right?"
"Mhmm," Jessica said, clenching her hands.
"They're not bought. I saw them at Gabriel's place the other day, really liked them, and so he gave them to me."
Jessica's heart twisted painfully as she bit her lip.
So, that's what Gabriel meant by "a little incident."
She had thought there had been some sort of hiccup with the gift purchase, never expecting it to be simply a case of Diana liking it and Gabriel giving it to her instead.
Yet, he had certainly promised them to her first, but at Diana's simple "like," he'd given them away so freely.
To love or not to love can make all the difference.
"Jessica..." Gabriel began to speak, but she cut him off, "No need to explain. I get it."
Actions speak louder than explanations.
She composed herself and asked, "Are we still going to choose a gift for Xavier?"
"Let's do that next time. Diana is a bit occupied today, and I'll stay with her. I'll have the driver take you home."
"Okay," she responded cooly.
On the ride back, as Jessica watched the passing scenery, her heart plummeted to rock bottom.
"Baby?" She whispered softly, gently placing her hands on her abdomen, protectively.
Their instances of intimacy had been few, with Gabriel always taking preventive measures. He even insisted she take long-term birth control. They had always been doubly careful.
The odds of pregnancy under these circumstances were practically nonexistent. Had the doctor not confirmed her pregnancy, she would’ve thought it a dream.
But Gabriel had called it a "complication." The word pierced her heart like a needle, drawing blood in an instant. Their child, in his eyes, was nothing but a complication. Tears streamed down Jessica's face, beyond her control.
As soon as she arrived home, her mother-in-law's call came through. "Are you home?" Danielle's approach was straightforward.
"Yes, just got here," she answered.
"Good, I'll be over in ten minutes," Danielle informed.
Before Jessica could say another word, Danielle had hung up. If her memory served her right, this was the first time since the wedding that her mother-in-law had decided to visit their new home.
Nervous, Jessica quickly instructed the housekeeper to get ready for the visit.
As someone who had limited interaction with her mother-in-law, Jessica felt that she didn’t know her mother-in-law well enough. To get a grasp of her preferences, she decided to reach out to her husband, Gabriel.
"Hello, Gabriel!" she greeted him as the phone rang.
"It's me, Jessica," came the familiar voice. Hearing Diana instead of Gabriel sent a shiver through Jessica's voice.
Trying to suppress the lump in her throat, she continued, "Is Gabriel there? I need to speak with him about something."
"Sorry, he's a bit tied up at the moment. I'll have him call you back later, okay?" replied Diana, and without further ado, she hung up.
Jessica stood there, phone in hand, stunned and frozen. If her memory served her correctly, he had promised to act appropriately until their divorce was finalized – to remember that he was still married. Yet now, what did it mean for him to be so entwined with Diana?
It seemed like he could hardly wait.
If it weren't for Xavier, they would have already picked up their divorce certificate that morning, becoming complete strangers.
Due to her lack of insight into her mother-in-law's preferences, Jessica had instructed everyone to prepare an extensive array of items; coffee, tea, fruits, pastries, nuts – anything they had at home, she had them assemble.
She even arranged lunch. Jessica prepared both Chinese and Western options were made ready.
Having set everything up, Jessica waited at home for Danielle's arrival. When the doorbell chimed, she opened it herself.
"Mom, welcome..." she began with a smile but abruptly clutched her mouth and dashed for the bathroom, succumbing to a bout of violent nausea.
