Chapter 256 The Child Has No Father
After a few days of not seeing him, Edward showed up looking like a mess, with stubble all over his face and completely worn out.
He looked at me, his voice rough. "Diana, I'm sorry. I messed things up at home, and that's why Anne's in this situation."
Seeing him like that, I felt a mix of emotions. I sighed and said, "Mr. Howard, I don't blame you. She wanted to make a quick impact and prove herself. I get it. But now, she's competing with me without thinking about the consequences. If we let her keep going like this, it won't be good for the Howard Group either."
Edward's face showed a flicker of discomfort when I called him Mr. Howard, and his eyes were filled with deep sadness.
After a long silence, Edward finally spoke slowly, "Diana, am I just Mr. Howard to you?"
As he said this, Edward took a step forward, reaching out to hold my hand.
Sensing the longing in his eyes, I instinctively took a step back.
"Mr. Howard," I said, emphasizing the title, "I understand how you're feeling right now." I frowned slightly and continued, "But I hope you can see my side of things. There's no need for us to get tangled up in any unnecessary emotional complications. I have things I need to attend to, so I really must be on my way."
With Anne's relentless pressure, I knew I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. The Howard Group was a tough competitor, and I intended to give Anne a good fight.
But right now, I had to go for my prenatal checkup.
With a heart full of anxiety, I slowly walked into the doctor's office.
The doctor took my report, glanced at it briefly, and furrowed his brows deeply. He stared at me through his thick glasses for a long time before asking, "Did you come alone? Where's the baby's father?"
I didn't know how to explain the circumstances of this pregnancy to the doctor, so I pretended to be nonchalant and said, "The baby doesn't have a father."
The doctor gave me a thoughtful, lingering look and said, "That's really tough. However, considering your current condition, I can't let you leave the hospital alone. You need to be admitted right away to ensure the safety of your pregnancy."
"Recently, I've been feeling the baby move a lot. Isn't that a good sign?" I asked, confused.
The doctor seemed to understand my thoughts and patiently explained, "What you think is the baby moving is actually the baby being very uncomfortable in your womb. He's sending you a distress signal."
"How could this be?" I asked anxiously, my voice trembling.
The doctor went over my previous reports and asked, somewhat helplessly, "Your body wasn't really suited for pregnancy in the first place. Was this baby unplanned?"
I nodded silently.
Seeing this, the doctor continued, "Have you been experiencing a lot of emotional ups and downs lately? This greatly affects the baby. From the report, your baby is very stressed, and the situation is not looking good."
Every word the doctor said hit hard.
For the safety of the baby, I had no choice but to follow the doctor's orders and get admitted.
I knew my physical condition well and understood that both the baby and I were facing significant challenges, with an uncertain and dangerous future ahead.During my hospital stay, with no one to take care of me, I had to ask Theo to arrange for a caregiver. When the caregiver walked into the room, I was stunned, a wave of surprise washing over me.
The caregiver was Melissa!
"Melissa," I called out softly, a mix of surprise and caution in my voice.
Melissa looked at me, equally surprised, her eyes showing complex emotions. "Diana, I didn't expect to see you here," she said, wiping away her tears with her hand.
"You went back to your hometown, didn't you? How did you end up working as a caregiver in a hospital?" I asked urgently.
Through Melissa's fragmented story, I gradually understood her situation.
It turned out that Melissa didn't leave because of a family emergency. Instead, Anne, seeing how close Melissa and I were, made things difficult for her. Eventually, Anne falsely accused Melissa of stealing valuable items from the house, forcing Edward to kick Melissa out of the Howard Villa.
"Diana, you know me best. Although my family isn't well-off, my earnings as a maid were enough to support them. How could I possibly steal those things?" Melissa complained to me, full of grievance.
I believed her completely. But the reality was harsh. Without my support, it was only a matter of time before Melissa was kicked out of the Howard Villa. However, Anne's actions were indeed disgraceful.
With no source of income, Melissa had no choice but to work as a caregiver to make a living.
The time required to protect the pregnancy wasn't lengthy. After just two or three days, I was able to leave the hospital.
"Even though you can be discharged, your body still requires proper care. Don't overexert yourself or let your emotions get the better of you," the doctor reminded me as I was about to leave.
I decided to bring Melissa home to work for me for the sake of convenience in daily life and to make her work easier.
Since Hayden's death, I no longer lived in Edward's new apartment and had moved back to my small apartment. Although it wasn't as spacious or well-equipped as Edward's place, it was my own little sanctuary.
Living with me in my small apartment, Melissa had to stay in a tiny room, which was a far cry from her previous accommodations at the Howard Villa.
"It's already more than enough. As long as I can help you safely deliver the baby, it doesn't matter if the living conditions aren't ideal," Melissa said, caring for me as a mother would her daughter.
After recovering, I hurried back to the Cooper Group. As soon as I stepped into the office, Theo followed me, respectfully presenting an invitation.
He patiently explained, "This is an invitation to the city's annual business gala. All the major companies participate. You might not have paid much attention to these social events before, but this gala is quite important."
Hearing this, I thought to myself that behind the facade of an elegant gala, it was really a gathering of capitalists, each seeking to exchange resources and expand their networks. They might appear to be laughing and toasting, but they were all calculating how to gain more for their businesses.
Theo looked worried and asked with concern, "Such a gala requires mingling with many guests, which can be exhausting. Are you sure your body can handle it, given your pregnancy?"
It was clear he was genuinely concerned for me.
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