flstandardbreds Chapter 1512: Whose Child Is This?
Chapter 1512: Whose Child Is This?
Celeste Linden reached out to touch her belly and said, "Of course it’s important. This is my child. You’ll never understand."
These years, she had been living desperately, living vigorously. She often felt that she would slowly grow old alone. It hadn’t bothered her before; in fact, she had felt free. Now with a child, she suddenly felt she had something of her own. This was her child, and she would no longer be lonely. She was no longer alone.
Ethan Barnes looked at her rare, gentle demeanor and couldn’t help but curl his lips in a faint smile. "Then eat well. I heard from the servants that you haven’t had much of an appetite for days. If you dare skip meals again, I’ll make this child disappear immediately."
"I’ll eat, I promise I’ll eat. Don’t worry," Celeste Linden assured him.
"Then I’ll trust you for now." After saying this, Ethan Barnes walked out.
...
After leaving, Ethan ordered the maid, "Quickly prepare a meal for Miss Linden and make sure she eats it. Report to me every day, understood?"
"Yes, Master."
At this moment, a trustworthy subordinate approached and whispered, "Master, are you planning to keep the child Miss Linden is carrying?"
This...
"Let’s keep it for now," Ethan said indifferently.
The loyal subordinate was shocked, not expecting his master’s decision to change so quickly. They knew that the master had never liked children.
"Master, you don’t have any children. This child in Miss Linden’s belly is a young master, your first child. The matter of heirs is significant. Do you want to reconsider?" the subordinate suggested.
Ethan kicked the subordinate, "I already said to keep the child. Do you think I can’t afford to support a woman and a child? Besides, apart from the child in Celeste Linden’s belly, I won’t have any other children."
The subordinate asked, "Then what about Miss Carlotta? What will you do about her? The matter of Miss Linden and the child can’t be hidden forever."
At this, Ethan paused, for Carlotta was the white moonlight in his heart. Carlotta had endured so many years of suffering to save him, and he could never abandon her. But between Carlotta and Celeste Linden, he had to choose one.
He didn’t want to choose.
Ethan pressed his thin lips together and went straight into the study.
...
Carlotta began investigating who the woman was that Ethan had outside. That day, Ethan’s lip was bitten, so there must be someone outside.
Ethan’s coat was draped on the sofa, and Carlotta picked it up and smelled it. She didn’t detect any artificial perfume scent, but there was a woman’s scent on Ethan’s clothes.
The scent was similar to body fragrance, a sweet smell.
The scent seemed very familiar; she felt like she had smelled it somewhere before.
Soon, Carlotta remembered, it was the fragrance of her cousin!
Ethan’s clothes were covered in the scent of her cousin.
Carlotta already suspected these two. Once the seed of doubt was planted in her heart, even without water, it would grow every day. She had seen cousins with good relationships, but it was the first time she’d seen a relationship this close.
Ethan seemed to have no activity outside; the problem seemed to lie at home, with this cousin.
Carlotta thought for a moment, then went straight to Celeste Linden’s room.
As she reached the door, her steps suddenly halted because she heard the sound of vomiting from inside the room. Celeste Linden had just discovered her pregnancy, and her morning sickness was severe.
Celeste Linden bent over, leaning against the trash can, retching non-stop.
A maid was by her side, patting her back, "Miss Linden, are you feeling better? If it’s too uncomfortable, should I call a doctor?"
Celeste Linden shook her head in discomfort, "No need, isn’t this normal for pregnant women?"
"Yes, Miss Linden, this is morning sickness, something all expectant mothers go through."
Standing by the door, Carlotta’s eyes widened in shock, staring at Celeste Linden inside. What had she just heard???
Her cousin is pregnant?
Carlotta’s gaze fell on Celeste Linden’s still flat abdomen. Was there a child in there? Whose child was it?
Carlotta remembered fainting a few days ago, with Ethan and the doctor in the room at that time. Thinking of this, it seemed like everyone already knew.
Everyone here knew, except her. Everyone was hiding it from her.
Whose child was it?
Carlotta thought of a terrifying possibility, and she took several steps back, no, it couldn’t be, she didn’t believe it.
Suddenly, she remembered, did Ethan have a cousin? She had grown up with Ethan and had never heard of him having any cousin. Where had this cousin come from?
Carlotta felt cold in her hands and feet; all the causes and effects were connected. She vaguely guessed the truth: Celeste Linden was not just any cousin; she was Ethan’s woman.
So, during all the years she and Ethan were apart, Ethan had someone else.
Carlotta’s eyes filled with redness. She clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails into her palms. How could Ethan treat her like this?
Wasn’t Ethan supposed to love her the most?
Didn’t Ethan promise that there would be no one else but her?
What did this mean?
All these years, she had suffered outside while he entangled with Celeste Linden here, even having a child?
Carlotta felt like a complete joke. She had endured for so many years believing in Ethan’s love for her, and now that belief had suddenly collapsed.
What should she do?
Cause a scene?
No, she couldn’t make a scene.
Once it became a scene, she would have no way back.
A smart woman always leaves herself a way out. Her kindness to Ethan was enough to sustain her for a lifetime.
Carlotta quickly composed herself. She returned to her room, as if nothing had happened.
...
Ethan, busy outside all day, returned late. He changed his shoes downstairs, and the maid asked, "Master, do you need hot food?"
Ethan shook his head, "No need, I’ve eaten outside."
With that, Ethan looked upstairs, "Did Miss Linden sleep? Did she eat today?"
"Master, Miss Linden tried hard to eat today, but she quickly vomited it out. Her morning sickness is severe. She went to bed early; she should be asleep by now," the maid reported softly.
"I see." Ethan strode upstairs, heading straight for Celeste Linden’s room.
All day, he had been thinking about Celeste Linden, wondering if she was eating well and sleeping well while pregnant, so now he had to see her.
The maid found it strange that the master didn’t even ask about Miss Carlotta and went directly to see Miss Linden.
The maid thought that maybe someday Miss Linden would be the mistress of the house. After all, with the child’s presence, she should serve Miss Linden with greater care in the future.