Chapter 11 Kimberly Pays a Visit
Quentin didn't feel like explaining; Noah was aware of his marriage to Lauren, and he didn't want to complicate matters.
"Alright, enough chatter. Get to the point."
Noah obediently clammed up; he didn't dare cross the boss.
"There's something off about the proposal from BuildSource Building Materials, so I wanted to discuss it with you and see if we can come up with a better proposal," Noah shifted his tone from laid-back to serious, suddenly looking both professional and handsome.
Hearing this, Quentin casually grabbed a document from the pile on his desk and tossed it to Noah.
Noah opened the document, surprised, and exclaimed, "You've already revised it? That was quick!"
Noah truly admired Quentin, who had been his role model since childhood, his aspiration, and also his most prideful brotherhood connection.
Quentin just hummed in acknowledgment, "Yeah. What, you thought everyone was as slow as you?"
"Yeah, yeah, who made you the boss anyway? Since you've taken care of this headache for me, how about I treat you to lunch?" Noah chuckled as he said this.
Quentin's expression grew serious. Wasn't he going back for lunch? If he didn't, he might not see her for the whole day...
Snap out of it, Quentin chastised himself. His thoughts were wandering again. He stood up abruptly, forcing himself to block out those ‘trivial’ people and things, put on his jacket that was hanging on the chair, and followed Noah out of the office.
Lauren sat alone at the dining table, with seemingly no appetite today. Could it be because he wasn't there? But she'd been on her own for two years—she shouldn't be this unsettled just because of a few days spent with him. No, she was not one to make a fuss.
Rubbing her stomach, Lauren knew from browsing online that the early symptoms of pregnancy could be quite strange and intense. Maybe it was because of the baby.
She patted her belly gently, hoping to calm the little troublemaker inside.
The butler could clearly see that without Quentin around, Lauren seemed to have lost her appetite. He couldn't bear to see her disappointed, so he took the initiative to approach her.
"Madam, Quentin called a while ago. He said he had to entertain a client at noon and won't be able to return. So, you..."
"Yeah, I know, it's okay," Lauren said with a smile.
Lauren could see the butler was trying to comfort her. But the comfort meant nothing to her because she didn't care about that man right now; she just wanted to get away from this place.
But on the outside, she had to keep up the role of the dutiful wife, so while she appeared tender on the surface, inside she felt sour.
Indeed, pregnant women tend to be emotional, especially someone like her who lacked a husband's love and had to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone. She felt pitiful.
As these thoughts filled her mind, Lauren felt the urge to cry. She took big bites of her bread, trying to mask the taste of tears and the sourness in her throat. She couldn't afford to let anyone see that something was amiss.
The butler tactfully made his exit, but within a few minutes, he returned, clearly excited.
"Madam, guess who's here?" the butler said gleefully.
Upon hearing his words, Lauren looked up to see a slender, middle-aged woman walking toward her with a beaming smile.
"Mom... Mommy, what brings you here?" Lauren exclaimed in surprise, accidentally dropping the bread on the table.
Kimberly looked at Lauren with eyes full of concern and said, "I haven't seen you in such a long time. I've missed you. You haven't come home for a visit in ages. Don't you feel heartless, leaving your father and me behind?"
Lauren approached Kimberly and said, "I've been swamped lately, and with Quentin's job keeping him so busy, we just haven't had the chance to get away..."
Kimberly knew all too well the kind of life Lauren had been enduring these past years. "Enough, you don't need to cover for him anymore. I've already heard about his philandering. It's heartbreaking that you have to make excuses for him, Lauren. How much suffering have you gone through these last two years!"
Kimberly couldn't hold back her tears. Lauren took her hand and reassured her, "I'm fine, Mom, please don't be like this, especially with outsiders around! Look at me, haven't I put on quite a bit of weight? That should be proof enough that I'm doing okay. Anyway, have you eaten? I was just about to have my meal. Why don't you join me?"
Lauren cheerfully led Kimberly by the hand to the living room to show her what she was eating. Kimberly wiped away her tears, aware she had been a bit overemotional. If someone from the Robinson family had overheard her earlier comments, it might have brought trouble for Lauren.
"Lauren, is that what you're eating?" Kimberly was surprised to see the plain sauteed soup greens on the table, remembering how Lauren used to relish meaty and spicy dishes.
Smiling, Lauren nodded, "Yeah, I realized I've gained quite a bit of weight, so I'm trying to slim down. Eating more soup is good for getting dietary fiber."
"You can't just eat this nutrient-poor stuff even if you're on a diet. Let it be, I'll cook something for you today," Kimberly said, heading toward the kitchen.
She felt disappointed in how the Robinson family was treating Lauren. Were they really being that harsh, even about food? Kimberly didn't want to speak of the Robinsons; after all, it was only with the help of the Robinson Conglomerate that the Walker Corporation was revived.
Moreover, Lauren had insisted on marrying Quentin, and the Walker family had also played a part in that, driven by their own interests. So, no matter what, both Kimberly and the Walker family were to blame.
Lauren quickly tried to stop Kimberly. She wasn't averse to a good meal, but her severe morning sickness made her nauseous at the sight of meat and grease. She'd been struggling to conceal this condition, and it was taking a toll on her.
"Hey, don't bother yourself anymore, I'm nearly done eating. Next time you can cook for me. You don't come over often; let's just sit down and have a good chat, okay?" Lauren cooed, tugging at Kimberly's arm playfully.
With a sense of resignation, Kimberly nodded to Lauren's request and they retreated to Lauren's room, where they engaged in cheerful conversation.
Lauren had never intended to disclose her pregnancy to the Walker family, including Kimberly. She knew that sharing her thoughts wouldn't help Kimberly but could potentially trouble her instead. She couldn't bear to make Mom feel conflicted; the secret was hers alone.
"Lauren, you have to tell me the truth. Is Quentin really that cold to you all the time? Isn't there any chance for things between you two to get better?" Kimberly couldn't help but bring up the subject.
Though Quentin, as the son-in-law, did save the White Corporation for the Walker family, his animosity toward Lauren was unsettling for Kimberly.
