Chapter 44 Dagwood
Darwin's temper hit the roof in a flash.
He snatched a bottle of booze off the table and smashed the TV to bits.
Meanwhile, Fiona had no clue about Darwin's meltdown.
In a small border town, nobody gave a damn about corporate marriages like they did in the big city.
Fiona hit up the farmers' market with Burl and Dwayne before the sun even thought about rising.
Since being with Darwin, she hadn't lived this down-to-earth in ages.
She spent the whole day shopping and munching, feeling on top of the world.
That evening, Thalassa was on the phone, ripping into her new boss.
Fiona, still riding her good mood, even helped her brainstorm for the proposal her boss dumped on her.
Thalassa was grateful and begged Fiona to come back soon.
She grumbled and got back to writing the proposal.
For the next few days, Fiona's routine was pretty chill.
Her skin even started glowing.
After about a week, Fiona said her goodbyes to Burl and Dwayne and headed back to Serene City.
Sally had already found her a place in Serene City a couple of days earlier, just like Fiona asked.
It was close to the old neighborhood where she grew up.
A quick five-minute drive would get her to the Serene City Women and Children's Health Center.
After ditching Darwin, Fiona's life slowed way down.
She was super relaxed.
After chilling for two days, Harold called, reminding Fiona to hit up the hospital for a check-up.
"A threatened miscarriage is no joke," he nagged, sounding kinda annoyed. "You didn't even tell me where you are. Someone should be with you for this."
"I'll let you know when I'm less mobile," Fiona replied, dodging the question.
"That's a promise!" Harold pressed.
Fiona chuckled.
Harold added, "I ran into Miss Ross yesterday."
Fiona's smile faded a bit. "Did she go to your place to buy jewelry?"
"Yeah, she came with Darwin's mom to pick out wedding bling," Harold sneered, "It was quite the show."
"That's awesome! Your family can make a killing!" Fiona said nonchalantly.
Harold went quiet for a moment. "Aren't you pissed?"
"Why should I be?"
Harold seemed to perk up again. "Right, nothing to be mad about!"
Not being mad meant she was over Darwin.
That was a win.
After hanging up, Harold was still grinning.
His mom, Vivian, knocked and walked in.
"Mom!" Harold called out, all excited.
Vivian clicked her tongue. "Why are you so happy?"
Harold looked down and smiled without saying a word.
Vivian walked over and picked up a sketch from his desk.
It was an early design for an emerald necklace.
Vivian said, "Harold, what's with the sudden change? Lately, you've been tagging along with your dad to the stores and getting involved in the design department. Are you getting serious?"
Harold had been a sickly kid.
The family had spoiled him a lot.
He grew up wanting to travel the world and be an adventurer, with zero interest in the family biz.
But lately, he'd changed.
Vivian had been doing charity work overseas for the past few weeks.
She didn't believe it at first.
But when she got back, she saw Harold actually working on design sketches.
Harold had some serious skills. Even his rough sketches were pretty impressive.
"Mom, I wanna get super strong!" Harold suddenly said, all serious, his eyes full of determination. "Strong enough to be even better than Dad!"
Vivian was caught off guard. "Why?"
Harold paused for a moment, then said, "So that in the future, I can marry who I want without having to sacrifice my marriage to boost the company."
Vivian crossed her arms and laughed. "That's the spirit!"
Harold was a bit surprised by her reaction.
He thought for a moment and then asked cautiously, "Mom, if the person I like isn't from a rich family, is that cool?"
"Of course," Vivian replied without missing a beat.
Then she ruffled Harold's hair.
"You're my son, not some rich family's bargaining chip," Vivian said warmly.
Harold's anxious heart calmed down a bit.
He looked out the window, as if trying to see someone far away.
He thought, 'Fiona! I'm gonna grow up fast and stand on my own.'
The next day, Fiona went to the Serene City Women and Children's Health Center for a check-up.
Probably because she'd been in a good mood lately, and Dwayne had been taking good care of her, the results were pretty decent.
The doc mostly mentioned that her overall health wasn't great.
Fiona jotted down all the doctor's advice.
Just as she was about to leave, a clear voice called from behind. "Fiona?"
Fiona was startled.
She instinctively turned around and saw a tall guy in a white coat running towards her.
He had a scholarly vibe and looked kinda familiar.
"Fiona, is that really you?" The guy smiled as he got closer, and the dimples at the corners of his mouth instantly jogged Fiona's memory.
"Dagwood?" She called out the name from her past.
Dagwood Lee had been Fiona's neighbor.
He lived right across the street.
Dagwood's family had a long history in medicine, Fiona's grandma said it had been passed down for like two or three hundred years.
The year Fiona's mom passed away, Dagwood's family moved abroad.
They kept in touch briefly.
After Fiona's grandpa passed away, her grandma moved with her to Bay City for school.
They lost touch after that.
"Fiona, you've grown so much!" Dagwood gestured to her height.
Then, his eyes fell on the prenatal check-up papers in her hand.
Dagwood's smile froze for a moment, and his face turned pale. He awkwardly looked back at her and asked with a forced smile, "Are you married?"
Fiona didn't know how to answer.
When she was a kid, she was kinda slow and seemed a bit dumb.
The older kids in the neighborhood mostly didn't hang out with her, except for Dagwood.
He was good-looking and super gentle.
Every day after school, he'd help her with her homework.
If she didn't do well, he never scolded her but patiently taught her.
Fiona never expected to bump into an old friend in such a situation.
She felt a bit emotional.
"Dagwood, what about you?" Fiona asked.
"Studying medicine leaves no time for dating or marriage," Dagwood said with a bitter smile, "How's your grandma doing?"
Fiona lowered her eyes, her eyes inexplicably reddening. "She passed away six months ago. She'd been sick for years, so it was kinda a relief."
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