Chapter 162 Fame and Fortune
Aria's tears started flowing again, her face full of guilt. "Mrs. Diana Howard, you've always been so good to me, and I really value our friendship. I feel terrible for causing you so much pain. I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you. If you don't forgive me, I really don't know what I'll do." A subtle, almost imperceptible glint flashed in her eyes.
"And I heard from Mrs. Clara Howard that you're pregnant; that's wonderful news. You must be extra careful in the early stages of pregnancy; whether it's with food or daily activities, you have to be extremely cautious." Aria shifted the conversation to the baby.
Hearing this, I went from relaxed to alert in an instant. I fixed my eyes on her, trying to anticipate her next move.
Her hand was tightly placed on her stomach, her eyes full of caution, and there was a hint of timidity and pleading in her gaze toward me. "Back then, Edward and Mr. Hayden Howard did my family a great favor, and I've always wanted to repay them. When Mr. Hayden Howard approached me, hoping I could bear a child for Edward, I agreed purely out of gratitude, with no ulterior motives. But I didn't expect that as soon as I got pregnant, you would also be expecting." She sighed deeply, a flash of pain in her eyes, and her gaze dimmed a bit.
"My child came at such a bad time; maybe the child shouldn't have come into this world at all." With that, Aria began to sob quietly again, and I noticed her glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, seemingly observing my reaction.
Her pretentious act completely infuriated me, and I glared at her impatiently. "Enough! Stop pretending. You know better than anyone how this child came to be. If you didn't want it, how could it have happened? Stop acting pitiful."
Aria seemed provoked by my words, suddenly losing control, her eyes filled with despair and madness as she screamed. "You really won't forgive me! If that's the case, then I don't want this child either!" As she spoke, she actually reached out and started hitting her stomach.
I was shocked and quickly grabbed her wrist, trying to stop her reckless actions. My voice was sharp with urgency. "Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous this is?"
Aria collapsed as if she had lost all support, her lips trembling as she said, "I can't care about anything anymore. If you don't forgive me, Edward won't be happy. If he's not happy, how can this child be happy when the child is born? If that's the case, it would be better if my child and I just died." She cried as if the world was ending.
"How could he not be happy?" I said. Although I was extremely annoyed with her, seeing her like this, I couldn't help but try to console her, though my tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Aria shook her head desperately, her hair flying messily around her face. "Edward originally didn't agree, but he never expected that I would get pregnant. If it weren't for Mr. Hayden Howard insisting that I stay and have the baby, I would have been sent back to Veridian by Edward long ago. How could I possibly be here?"
"Isn't this child a test-tube baby?" I asked and suddenly remembered Anne's suspicion. My eyes narrowed as I followed up on Aria's words, trying to find a flaw in her expression.
Aria seemed to be electrocuted, her body stiffening slightly. Then, as if realizing she had exposed a flaw in her emotional outburst, she quickly defended herself. "It was supposed to be a test-tube baby, but during the check-up, we found out I was already pregnant. But at that time, we didn't dare tell anyone, fearing you wouldn't forgive me, so we kept it a secret."
"When did you get pregnant?" I asked, stepping forward and fixing my gaze on her, sharp as a knife, not missing any subtle change in her expression.
"When Edward first brought me back to the country," Aria mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. "I swear, I only had sex with him that one time. We were both drunk, otherwise, it would never have happened. Edward feels so guilty towards you; he really loves you."
She seemed full of self-reproach, but her reasons were so perfect they seemed like carefully crafted lies. If she truly felt guilty, she could have kept it a secret from everyone, quietly returning to Veridian to have the baby in secret. Why put on this act in front of me? She was clearly trying to gain my sympathy or had some other scheme. I snorted coldly in my heart, my suspicion of her deepening.
As I was pondering how to deal with this complicated situation, Clara suddenly pushed the door open. Clearly, she hadn't expected Aria to be in my hospital room, a flash of surprise crossing her face.
"Aria, why aren't you resting at home? What are you doing here? There are so many germs in the hospital; what if you get infected?" Clara asked with concern.
"Mrs. Clara Howard, I'm fine." Aria sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She slowly stood up, but her steps seemed weak, as if each one took all her strength.
"I just wanted to explain things to Mrs. Diana Howard in person, but she won't forgive me," she said, her lips trembling, her eyes full of grievance as she turned her head away, avoiding my gaze. New tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and leaving small dark spots on her clothes.
"Mrs. Clara Howard, I really didn't mean to ruin Edward and Diana's relationship; I just wanted to repay a favor. I didn't know things would turn out like this," Aria said, looking helplessly at Clara, her eyes full of pleading, hoping for a bit of support. She was agitated, her breathing becoming rapid and her chest heaving with each breath.
"Diana, what good does it do to hold a grudge against Aria now?" Clara said, placing the lunchbox firmly in front of me, her eyes reflecting a hint of undeniable authority. "She's carrying the Howard family's child. We have a responsibility to both Aria and the baby. Please be considerate and forgive her."
"Moreover, if you can get along with Aria and Anne, others will surely commend you for being magnanimous and broad-minded. This would be very beneficial for the Howard family's future development, do you understand? The reputation and interests of the Howard family are paramount." With that, Clara's sharp gaze was fixed on me, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum.
I looked at them coldly and said nothing, focusing on my meal. Noticing that I didn't respond, Clara took the opportunity to say to Aria, "Diana must have forgiven you. Stop overthinking. Right now, your health is the most important thing. I made mushroom soup at home. Go back and drink it while it's hot." As soon as Clara finished speaking, Aria got up to leave.
"Mrs. Diana Howard, take care. I'll visit you again when I get the chance," Aria said, quickly leaving as if fleeing. Her panicked demeanor made it seem like I might kill her at any moment. Watching her leave, I sneered inwardly. Did Clara and Aria really think I was a fool with their coordinated words?
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