Chapter 42 She Won't Be Your Wife in a Year
Kevin hurried over to open the car door and ushered Lucas inside. Then he opened the passenger door, but Samantha quickly shut it.
Glancing at Alexander, who was on the phone nearby, she pulled Lillian aside with a frown—she really didn't like Lillian!
"Mom, is something wrong?" Lillian asked, curious.
Samantha admonished her, "Freya has been pregnant for a while now, you need to hurry up, you hear me? I’ve reluctantly accepted the two of you, but don’t disappoint me on having children, understand?"
"Mom, that’s...” Lillian started, embarrassed and not sure what to say.
"No more talking," Samantha interrupted with a glare. She swiftly removed a bracelet from her wrist and placed it on Lillian with a serious expression, "This was passed down from Alexander’s great-grandmother, and now I'm giving it to you as a token of acceptance into the family. You two better start working on having kids!"
"Mom, I can't accept this, it’s too precious, and it’s not right for me to wear it," Lillian protested, trying to remove the bracelet.
Strangely enough, it had slipped on easily, but now it wouldn’t come off.
"Samantha, I can’t get it off, what should I do?" Lillian asked timidly.
"If you can’t get it off, then keep it on!" Samantha replied, holding back her irritation as she saw Lillian's wrist turning red. "The focus isn't the bracelet, it's having children, got it?"
Seeing Samantha upset, Lillian didn’t dare refuse and whispered, "I understand."
Samantha nodded, looked her up and down, and added, "And another thing, marrying Alexander means your status is different. Your current demeanor won’t cut it. You'll have to learn to carry yourself appropriately."
"Ah? mom, what do you mean by that?" Lillian inquired, bewildered.
"What do I mean? I'm talking about a makeover! Don't embarrass me when we go out!" Samantha really couldn't stand Lillian's naive appearance.
"Mom, but Alexander mentioned that we're keeping the marriage under wraps, not making it public."
"So, are you supposed to keep it secret forever?" Samantha said irritably. "You seem a bit slow to catch on. Later, add me on WhatsApp, I'll send you some books to read, to help you boost your emotional intelligence."
"Oh, I get it," Lillian responded nonchalantly. In fact, what she really wanted to tell her was that it wouldn't be necessary to go through all that trouble; in a year's time, she wouldn't be her daughter-in-law anymore!
After ending his call, Alexander walked over and asked, "What are you two talking about?"
"You ask her," Samantha said tenderly, looking at Alexander with concern. "When you get home, have Kelly cook you something delicious. Also, don't postpone having kids, you really should get on that."
Alexander nodded, "Mom, go inside, it's cold out here. Let's go."
Samantha watched as the couple got into the car and drove away from the yard, then she turned and went inside the house.
Back at home, Kelly and Quentin had just finished dinner. They came to greet them, taking their coats, and said, "You're back early today."
"Yeah, we came straight home after eating," Lillian said as she saw Alexander head upstairs. In a low voice, she added, "That dinner was quite an eye-opener."
Kelly blinked in understanding and gave her a knowing smile.
Lucas followed Alexander upstairs, and Lillian retreated to her room. She took a warm shower and got into bed. It was still early to go to sleep, so she lay there, eyes closed, unwinding. She had faked smiles all day to the point where her cheeks felt stiff.
Her mind replayed the events at the Sinclair old mansion like a movie—each person's appearance, their expressions while speaking, the implications of their glances—all vividly replaying in her mind.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and her eyes snapped open. It was a bold idea: What if she turned her story of being married to Alexander into a comic series and serialized it on her social media? That would be interesting, wouldn't it? Such valuable material!
Lillian loved drawing, especially comics. She was self-taught, yet everything she drew was remarkably lifelike—she was truly gifted.
Excited by the idea, she grabbed her iPad, opened a drawing app, and began to work. Characters flashed through her mind, and her inspiration bubbled up, igniting her creative mood.
"Lillian, what are you drawing?" asked Lucas, who had entered the room without her noticing.
"That square-faced old man who doesn't smile looks like Grandapa Quinn," he pointed out.
Lillian quickly locked her iPad and set it aside, saying, "No, it's not. I'm just doodling for fun."
"Did you need something?"
Lucas said, “No worries, just came to remind you not to forget to come up to bed later. I’m going to video chat with a classmate now.”
“Okay, I got it. Go ahead,” Lillian replied.
After sending Lucas on his way, she continued her drawing.
Her focus was unbroken, and the drawing came out exceedingly well, with each character showcasing their distinctive traits. She added captions, ensuring the language was humorous and witty.
She was updating an old forum, one she had been using for a long time, since her high school days, in fact. Though many new social media platforms had emerged, she felt this forum was the perfect choice for a digital diary, with no concerns about being discovered.
“What name should I give it?” Lillian mused, tilting her head in contemplation.
After considering numerous names but failing to settle on one she liked, she decided to leave it for the moment and wrote “Title TBD” in the title space.
Feeling content with her work, the aggravation she had felt from Daisy's bullying seemed to vanish. Noticing the time, she realized it was almost time to head upstairs. She grabbed her pillow and was about to leave the room when her phone rang. It was Lisa calling.
“Lillian, it’s me, Lisa,” began Lisa on the phone with an affectionate tone. “Come back home with Alexander tomorrow, I'll make you guys some delicious food.”
Now whenever Lillian received a call from Lisa, she felt a headache coming on. She knew she couldn't escape holiday gatherings.
“I’ll return by myself tomorrow. Alexander has other commitments and can’t come with me.”
“But how can you come alone?” Lisa protested. “You didn’t even come home to visit after you got married, and Harry is a bit upset about that. Isn’t Alexander coming back this holiday? Harry has been looking forward to meeting him. You have to let the family see your husband at some point.”
“Alexander isn’t just anyone, and with only a three-day holiday, he has to go on a business trip tomorrow. He really can’t make it back,” Lillian parried. “Please don’t make this difficult for me.”
“Oh, I see…” Lisa murmured and then suggested, “How about this? Alexander can go on his business trip after tomorrow. If you guys can’t make it, then Harry and I will come to visit you tomorrow and we'll have dinner at your place before heading back.”
“What?” Lillian asked, taken aback. “That doesn’t seem right. Alexander’s plane ticket is already booked.”
“Well, just cancel it then. That settles it, we'll come over first thing in the morning. Send me your address,” Lisa decided without considering whether it was appropriate or not.
