Chapter 225 The Same Cruel Joke

In the Fu Family's house.

The mirror reflected a figure clad in a red robe. Selma held her phone and spoke.

"What? So there's nothing wrong with Anne?" she asked, her voice rising in unmistakable surprise.

She, however, quickly recovered from the initial shock. In only a short moment, she had sorted out her
thoughts and continued, "That doesn't matter. Since things have come to this point, there is no way
Anne can marry into our family again. We can just compensate her. It wouldn't be too hard. Things
have just fallen into their rightful place."

"Make sure to keep it a secret. No one can know." With those final words, she ended the call. Things
had been taken care of for now, but the silence that followed was unnerving.

The person on the other end of the call was Sam. He was her nephew, but she couldn't be sure where
his loyalty was placed.

Selma gave out a heavy sigh and sat on the bed. She reached for the lamp and turned off the light.
Tonight, she would sleep with these small anxieties echoing in the dark.

It was five o'clock in the morning when she woke.

Her mind still foggy with sleep, Selma strained to make out the sound of a low voice. The sun had
barely risen, and it was a mystery why someone would be up in this hour.

She got up and crossed the room to her door. The moment she opened it, Rose was walking, taking
hurried but quiet steps to the direction of the bathroom.

Selma's brows were furrowed as she followed her. The door of the bathroom was closed, but Selma
was able to make out the sound of someone vomiting as she pressed her ear to the door and held the



handle. She had already been concerned for Rose, and this only added to her growing worry.

The hand that was holding the door tightened loosened. She backed away quietly, her footsteps light
as she left.

Two hours later, it was time for breakfast. Selma sat at the table and slowly chewed on a piece of
bread, still lost in thought.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor pulled her out of her musing. It was Rose, also sitting
down for breakfast. "Good morning, mom," she greeted her.

Selma's eyes widened slightly as she took in Rose's form. "Why are your eyes so dark? You look like
you didn't sleep," she said.

"I'm fine. I'm a little tired, but it’s nothing a bit of rest won't cure," Rose smiled sweetly as she answered.

"Don't wait to feel worse. If you're not feeling well, you should just go to the hospital. You should..."

Selma cut herself off abruptly. She was about to say how pregnant women should be taking good care
of their health, but she caught herself in time. She had her suspicions, but it was not certain that Rose
was pregnant.

"Okay," Rose relented, her eyes fixed on the table.

There was egg custard in front of her. It was Rose's favorite, but her face was scrunched up as if in
disgust. Her face went pale and she turned away.

Selma was carefully watching her, not missing her discomfort and the pallor of her skin.

"Mom, I don't feel like eating. Sorry, I think I'll skip breakfast for now," Rose said, about to excuse
herself from the table.



But Selma held her back. "Wait, Rose. Let's go to the hospital for a check up."

"No, I don't need it. Really, Mom, I'm fine. I'll just go to my room and rest. I'll be fine after, I'm sure,"
Rose refused continuously.

At this, Selma let out a resigned breath. "You silly girl. You're pregnant. You don't even have any idea,
do you?"

Rose's already pale face blanched even more at her words.

"Mom, what do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"You heard me right the first time. You are pregnant, Rose, and I'm going to be a grandmother." She
beamed and continued, "Listen. We have to go to the hospital. We can call Sam."

However, Rose's expression shifted into awkwardness and unease.

Selma looked at her curiously. "What's the matter?"

"Mom, can we… Can we not go to Sam's hospital? I heard that Anne and Sam have a good
relationship. I'm a little worried..."

Rose didn't finish her words, but Selma understood.

"Alright, we can do that. There are plenty of good doctors elsewhere. We can go where you'll be
perfectly comfortable," she reassured.

In the AN Group.

Kevin stood at a corner window, his eyes turned toward the view outside. Densely packed buildings
stood towering over the city, and the people below looked like small, moving specks. His face was
impassive and unreadable as his gaze remained fixed on a painfully ordinary scenery.



"Mr. Kevin, Mrs. Selma is here," his assistant walked to him and asked cautiously.

He looked at his superior's profile. A chiseled face, with deep eyes and distinct eyebrows the color of
coal, high defined cheekbones, and a strong jaw.

Kevin was wearing a tailored suit of pure black, the fabric outlining his strong figure—wide shoulders
tapering down to a narrow waist and further to long, graceful legs. One could liken him to an elegant
panther as he stood and turned to his employee.

"Alright," he said, acknowledging the man's words.

A few minutes later, Kevin was standing in front of Selma. His eyes were aloof and cold, something that
the older woman did not particularly like.

She could almost not recognize him, and all the difference was just because one woman.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home?" Kevin didn't even bother with
pleasantries.

He knew Selma didn't come here to be all nice and cordial.

"Well, it seems as if you're forgetting that you have a family other than that woman, so I came to remind
you," Selma answered just as coldly.

Displeasure twisted inside Kevin's gut. "What is it? Just say it. I have an important meeting today," he
said.

"You have to go home tonight. Rose is pregnant. You should at least be able to check on your wife,"
she said.



Kevin's displeasure was quickly doused with shock. He had not touched Rose, except for that one time
when Selma drugged him. He had just found out that Anne could have another child, and now Rose
was pregnant.

Questions swam in his head, but he maintained a cool face.

"Got it," he answered. For now, he had to go back first.

In the Fu Family's house.

The sounds of a car grew closer and died down as the engine turned off. Inside the house, a woman in
a white dress stood at the window of the living room and looked out.

When Rose saw Kevin, her eyes widened in surprise and joy filled her chest.

"Kevin, you're finally back. I didn't think you'd come and see me."

She threw herself into Kevin's arms. Kevin made no move to remove himself from her with her
condition in mind. Selma watched the two, thinking that Kevin was finally growing soft from the child.

"It's good that Kevin came. Rose, you stay with Kevin. I'll make some chicken soup for you," she said,
then left the two on their own.

"It's so rare for you to come back. Do you want anything? I can cook for you. Mom told me not to tire
myself out, but I feel happy when I do something for you," Rose gushed excitedly.

Kevin looked at her and said, "Rose, you are truly a good wife."

She was taken aback at his words. Kevin had never spoken to her like that before. A smile curved on
her lips. But Kevin continued, "But I can't promise you anything. After you give birth to the baby, you



can decide. You can take the baby with you when Eddy recovers, or you can leave the child with me. I
will take care of it."

At his words, the smile on Rose's face froze. "What?" she asked. Tears gathered in her eyes as she
looked at Kevin. "Did you really just say that? This is a child, Kevin.

"It's not a thing you can pass around as you please. It's a human, a living person."

Kevin remained silent as Rose's eyelids quivered.

He knew that his words had hurt her, but he said them with complete honesty. There was no way for
them to leave unscathed. Anne or Rose. One of them would inevitable suffer from his choice, and he
knew that the person he wanted to protect the most was Anne, even if it meant that he would be
deliberately causing Rose pain.

Others thought of him like some god, as if he knew everything and could do anything. But no one saw
through the success. All the things he had achieved came with sacrifice.

It was this time that Selma came back. "Dinner is ready," she said warmly.

But her voice faltered when she saw the tears in Rose's eyes. "Rose? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine..." Rose started to answer, but was unable to keep up the calm front.

Tears escaped her eyes and she bowed her head.

"Kevin! What have you done? Rose is pregnant. What if the child gets hurt?" Selma reproached Kevin.
It was rare for her to show her stern streak towards him.

"Sam and I have something urgent to talk about. I have to go now," Kevin said.



"It's Anne again, isn't it?" Selma's face darkened.

But Kevin quickly answered, "It's Eddy."

Selma's features relaxed at his words, her objections dying down. "Alright. Then go. Take care of my
grandson."

Rose could almost hear her own heart shatter at this exchange, as if her pain had multiplied a
thousand times. Selma was still the child's grandmother. Even if she favored Rose as a daughter-in-
law, it was impossible for her to compete with a child who was Selma's own blood.

A small voice in her whispered that she had to do something.

In a coffee shop.

There was a light drizzle when Anne arrived.

She put away the umbrella and walked inside. Rose was already inside, staring at her coldly.

"There you are." she said, making no effort to hide her distaste.

"Yes."

Anne was used to seeing another side of Rose, the gentle woman who was all smiles, so her
antagonism was something new. But instead of making Anne feel uncomfortable, it was a welcome
change. She felt herself relax. Perhaps now they could both be honest.

"Anne, please leave Kevin," Rose said directly as soon as Anne had sat down. For a moment, Anne
was reminded of Cherry.

Her voice turned cold. "I won't leave Kevin. Since I'm healthy, I will give my child a complete family, and
I will protect my marriage."



Anne had thought that she had already let go of her past before she said these words, but she knew
that this moment had proven her wrong.

She hadn't forgotten. The fierce desire in her chest to keep her family together was proof enough.

No matter what, she would not let her child suffer the pains of being in a broken family. She would do
everything to remedy the situation.

She hadn't been able to point when the change happened. Perhaps it was something that happened to
all women. They would endure all kinds of suffering for the sake of their children. At this moment, she
felt that she had truly understood how her own mother was able to always stand against everything life
threw at her. Anne silently thanked her, and steeled her heart to do the same for her own child.

"I'm pregnant. I know exactly what you're thinking, because I'm the same. I want a complete family for
my child. Can you live with yourself, knowing that you are the reason for an innocent child's suffering? I
won't allow it. I am a mother now too, and you can be sure I will do everything I can to protect my
child's future."

Something in Rose had also changed. The two women faced each other, like two sides of the same
coin.

With those as her final words, Rose took her bag and stood up. Her high heels made a crisp sound as
she walked away. Anne stayed, rooted to her seat as the other woman's voice echoed incessantly in
her mind. For a moment, she could neither see nor hear anything else except her and her words.

Rose was pregnant. Everything else outside from that was a faint noise.

Anne wanted to cry, but her own tears stayed frozen as if her heart had stopped. There was a
nameless weight in her chest that resembled sadness, but from what, she didn't know.



Rose was pregnant.

Anne felt as if she had turned into a child again. The little girl who didn't understand why she and her
mother had to live the way they did, helpless and at the mercy of fate's caprice.

Now, it was as if the world was playing the same cruel joke. What she didn't have, she still couldn't get,
and perhaps never would, and no matter how hard she tried. At this moment, she felt like she had been
truly defeated.

Outside the glass window, the rain poured down heavier.


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