Chapter 1
I’m 37 this year, and it took two years of marriage with Jasper Thompson before I got pregnant. As soon as we confirmed the pregnancy, Jasper shared the good news widely. When my mother-in-law heard about it, she moved in with my younger brother-in-law Declan Thompson’s wife and child, under the pretense of taking care of me. Declan was a son-in-law my father found for me, but he had a strong sense of pride, and I never refused any of his harmless requests. The marital home, a spacious 300 square meters, was bought by my father, so there was no sense of overcrowding with them living there. Seeing Jasper trying to please everyone, I eventually softened and allowed them to stay. I never expected my mother-in-law, who appeared so kind before the wedding, to change so drastically, forgetting her son was a live-in son-in-law, and started acting domineering in my home. On their first night, I symbolically had the housekeeper prepare a table full of dishes. But I didn’t expect my mother-in-law to say something utterly absurd at the dinner table. “Jasper, Declan died young, so I arranged a posthumous marriage for him. This is your sister-in-law, Adeline Carter.” “Adeline is divorced and has a child, making it difficult for her to remarry. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to a posthumous marriage with Declan.” “You married into the Thompson family, and your children won’t carry the Thompson name. Why don’t you and Adeline have a child, as if it were Declan’s, to continue the Thompson lineage?” “This won’t affect your marriage; it’s a win-win.” Hearing this, the cup in my hand fell to the ground with a “crack.” I knew my mother-in-law was uneducated, but I didn’t expect her to be so absurd. Not only did she arrange a posthumous marriage for my deceased brother-in-law, but she also wanted my husband to father children for both families. I, Nora Thompson, the only daughter of the Thompson Corporation, cannot accept sharing my husband with another woman. With displeasure, I tapped the dining table with my hand. “Jasper, what do you think?” He hesitated for a long time, “Mom, I can’t do that.” I breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing the flirtatious glances between him and that woman. “Why not? You’re the eldest son of the Thompson family, and you have a responsibility to continue the family line.” “Besides, you’re a high achiever. Your children will be smart and bring honor to the Thompson family.” “If you hadn’t married into the Thompson family, why would I have to beg her?” She tried to persuade Jasper with bitter words and lectured me. “Nora, you should be more generous. You’re an only child, aren’t you lonely? When you and Adeline’s child are born, they’ll be siblings, and it’ll be lively.” “Also, I think this house is nice, big, and well-located. Adeline can stay here and keep you company.” “What?” I felt a surge of anger, raising my voice. Seeing me upset, Jasper quickly tried to smooth things over. “Mom, what are you talking about? Nora just got pregnant, and the baby isn’t stable. She can’t get upset.” Jasper signaled Declan to pull the excited mother-in-law aside and held my hand to comfort me. “I’ve always said, I only love Nora in this lifetime. I can’t agree to this.” Some of my anger dissipated, thankful that even Jasper couldn’t accept such a ridiculous idea. Otherwise, the Thompson Corporation wouldn’t stand for it. I left a note saying, “It better be that way.” Slamming the door shut. Jasper still followed me, explaining nonstop. “Mom is just like that, uneducated, doesn’t understand anything. Don’t take it to heart.” “You’re pregnant, getting angry affects our baby, it’s not worth it.” “I absolutely won’t agree to mom’s idea of fathering children for both families.”