Chapter 2
Remember, before this, Chloe had often mentioned wanting to visit Isabelle, but Isabelle kept making excuses.
Her words were laced with impatience, hinting at disdain for her less fortunate relatives, as if she wanted to cut ties.
Now, she had suddenly changed her tune, showering us with attention. What was it all for?
But then, what could we, an ordinary family, possibly have that they would want?
After much thought, I decided I should warn Chloe, give her a heads-up.
“Honey, your cousin is back, inviting us to dinner, giving us gifts… is she looking for a favor?”
Chloe was happily admiring herself in the mirror. She instinctively denied it. “You’re overthinking it. Isabelle and her husband are so rich; what could we possibly do for them?”
Was I really overthinking it?
Then, Chloe hesitantly walked over and hugged me, burying her head in my neck. She spoke softly.
“Honey, Isabelle does have something she wants to discuss with us.”
I chuckled lightly. That made more sense!
I made myself comfortable, indicating I was all ears, and Chloe began to explain.
“Middle Eastern tycoons are everywhere. Your cousin-in-law, Omar, is rich, but sometimes money can’t solve everything – like having children! He and Isabelle have been so worried about not having a baby.”
Hearing that, I sighed. That was indeed a painful problem.
Chloe continued, “Isabelle is almost forty. They’ve been married for over ten years, and she hasn’t had a single child. She went to the doctor, who said a past abortion when she was young damaged her uterus, and with her age, it’s basically impossible for her to have children now. So, Isabelle wants me to help her with a small favor!”
At this, I was confused.
“If doctors can’t solve it, what can we do? No one in our family, direct or distant, has been a doctor for three generations!”
“Oh, just let me finish!” Chloe pouted, her face flushed. She gave me a captivating glance before hesitantly continuing.
“Isabelle wants me to help her have a baby. You know my parents passed away early, and Auntie (Isabelle’s mom) took such good care of me when I was little. I don’t want Isabelle to be alone and miserable in her later years.”
I suddenly understood. After thinking for a moment, I reluctantly put my arm around Chloe’s shoulders and sighed.
“So that’s what it is. It’s not impossible. If push comes to shove, we can have an extra child and they can adopt them. Their family is well-off, so it wouldn’t be a disservice to the child! But they absolutely must treat my child well, no bullying.”
Chloe looked troubled, biting her lip, silent for a long time.
Seeing her reaction, I asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong? You don’t agree? Well, it’s your own flesh and blood, after all! If you don’t want to, we can just refuse… Honestly, I’d be sad to give up a child too!”
“No.”
Chloe cut me off. “Isabelle’s idea is that the child must be Omar’s. That way, it’s a true heir for them. So, she’s asking me to stay with Omar for a few days!”
My mind reeled, trying to process what she meant. Then it hit me. Bang!
I slammed my hand on the table.
“No way!”
“What kind of insane idea is that?”
No wonder Omar had been looking at Chloe strangely, and Isabelle had been avoiding me.
They were planning something sick, setting their sights on my wife.
“I absolutely forbid this!”
Chloe hugged me from behind, her voice trembling with tears. “Honey, if Omar doesn’t have a child, he could always find another young, beautiful woman and kick Isabelle out! What would Isabelle do then?”
Seeing that she seemed genuinely considering helping, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I stood up abruptly, my face grim, and told her sternly:
“This ends here. If you even think about agreeing to this, we’re getting a divorce.”
Chloe’s expression froze, then she rolled her eyes at me. “I was just discussing it with you! If you don’t agree, I’ll just tell Isabelle no tomorrow. Why bring up divorce so easily?”
With that, Chloe even leaned in and kissed me.
Seeing Chloe’s clear attitude, I breathed a sigh of relief and softly apologized to her.
I thought that was the end of it, but what happened next made me realize how naive I was.
I spent days working myself silly, finally making it to the weekend. I’d planned a romantic getaway with Chloe.
But she refused, claiming she wanted to spend more time with Isabelle.
“Honey, Isabelle wants me to go shopping. I won’t be back for dinner tonight, so you’ll have to find something to eat yourself.”
“Honey, Isabelle wants me to go out for a nice meal. Eat without me, okay?”
“Honey, Isabelle’s only back for a short time. I’ll be spending more time with her lately!”
Recently, Isabelle and Omar were staying in their villa in the country, and Chloe went there almost every day, not coming back until eight or nine at night.
I ended up meeting a few friends to play some hoops.
That afternoon, after a few drinks, one of my friends joked:
“Your wife isn’t messing around with that Middle Eastern foreigner, is she?”
“I heard those Middle Eastern guys are quite impressive!”
“Rich and powerful… what woman could resist that?”
Their words made my stomach churn with unease. The gathering broke up, and I headed straight home.