Chapter 64 Excuses
Seeing Margaret's sudden appearance at the hospital, Marie stood up with a smile. "How did such a busy person like you find the time to come over today?"
"I have something I need to discuss with you!" Margaret's expression was clearly written with displeasure.
Marie immediately asked the patient to be excused. After the patient left the room, she closed the door. Margaret flounced herself onto the chair. "I'm here to ask you one thing. Is Irene really not able to have children?"
Fortunately, Deborah had already informed Marie about the situation beforehand. Otherwise, she would have been caught off guard by Margaret's sudden visit. She grabbed Margaret's wrist and asked, "What happened?"
"Irene has a child now. But didn't you tell me previously that she couldn't get pregnant?" Margaret questioned.
"Irene has a child? Are you sure?" Since Marie had heard all this from Deborah, she had already thought of a way to deal with it. With a surprised look on her face, she squealed, "That's impossible. How could she get pregnant when her ovaries can't ovulate?"
"How would I know? You were the one who told me that it was impossible for her to be pregnant." Margaret stared at Marie. "I forced her and Edric to divorce because I believed in your diagnosis."
"What shocking news! This is so unexpected! I've seen so many infertile patients, and I've treated many as well. But this is the first time I've seen someone with a condition like hers. I'm just speaking facts, you know as well as I that a woman who can't ovulate can't possibly get pregnant. I tried so many treatments on her but nothing worked, and you wanted a child so badly, so-"
Margaret interjected, "But why is it that she is able to give birth now?"
"I'm not too sure about that either. There are many reasons as to why a woman may not be able to get pregnant. It's not just her problem; sometimes external factors will play a part as well. For example, stress can make one harder to get pregnant. I had treated a patient before who was under a lot of work stress. She had trouble getting pregnant for ten years. But after she resigned, she got pregnant a year later. There was also another patient who couldn't get pregnant because she was under too much pressure from her mother-in-law. After she moved out with her husband, she got pregnant almost instantly," Marie remarked.
"So you're saying that it's my fault that Irene couldn't get pregnant?" Margaret was shaking with fury after hearing this.
"I didn't mean that. Wasn't Irene on a lot of medication back then? Maybe the medicine worked. She didn't come back for check-ups, so I didn't know how her condition was after that," Marie answered. Ever since Irene and Edric had moved out, Irene had never come back to the hospital for a check-up. It was true that Marie had no idea about her condition. Perhaps luck was on Irene's side. If she had returned to the hospital, Marie would have made sure that she remained unable to ovulate. Of course, these were all her silent thoughts.
"That wasn't what you told me in the beginning. You said that her condition could never be cured. We have been friends for so many years, and I have so much faith in your medical skills. It was because you said that she couldn't be cured that I decided to think of another way." Margaret glared at Marie. If Marie had not been so decisive with her diagnosis, she would not have been desperate, and she definitely would not have treated Irene the way she did.
"Oh my, Mrs. Myers, why are you so angry? Irene isn't good enough for Edric anyway. Plus, she often angered you. Isn't it a good thing that they divorced? Look at your future daughter-in-law now. She's beautiful and elegant; she has a good background. Most importantly, she treats you well. Such a daughter-in-law is certainly a gem. Why bother getting angry over some other woman who isn't worth it?" Marie asked with a smile.
"That's true, but you have no idea how fiercely I have argued with Edric over that woman. I only have one son. How can I bear to make him heartbroken?"
"We've been friends for so many years. I came up with those ideas because I was trying to do what was best for you. If it weren't for our friendship, would I be saying all this to you?" Marie purposely pouted he lips to make herself look more blameless.
Margaret pondered about it and felt like Marie did have a point. Marie had known her for so many years and had a good relationship with her. It was herself who brought up all this to Marie back then. If she had not shared her worries with Marie, Marie would not have tried to lend her a helping hand in the first place. Thinking of this, Margaret sighed faintly and said, "I'm mostly worried if Edric finds out Irene is fertile. He'll definitely be furious with me."
"Just make sure that he doesn't," said Marie.
"They are in the same city. There's no way he won't find out." Margaret exhaled.
"Then you should let him get engaged to Lily as soon as possible. Edric's a responsible man. As long as he's engaged, he won't think about Irene anymore," suggested Marie.
"This is the only way for now I guess."
The moment Margaret left, Marie immediately made a phone call to Deborah. "Margaret knows about it. You better think of a solution quickly."
"Already?" Deborah was shocked. "Gossip really does spread like wildfire! What did she say?"
"She questioned me about what happened in the beginning, and I've taken care of that. She's just worried about the consequences of Edric finding out. You have to find a way to get Lily and Edric engaged before he knows about this."
"I know, I'm thinking of it." Deborah hung up the phone and told Lily, "Go and buy Margaret's favorite fruits, and pay her a visit. Test the waters while you're at it."
When Margaret got home, she was surprised to find Lily chatting with Loraine. When Lily saw Margaret, she rose from her seat immediately. "I've been so busy the past few days that I haven't had the time to come visit. I happened to have the leisure today, so I didn't call you and came here directly. Aunt Margaret, you won't think I'm being rude, will you?"
"Lily bought a lot of your favorite fruits," Loraine chimed in as she showed Margaret the fruits that Lily had bought.
Margaret's mood lifted with Lily's visit. She took a seat and replied, "Of course, I won't. It's lovely to see you here. Nex time, don't trouble yourself with buying fruits." Then she told Loraine, "Go out and buy Lily's favorite food."
Loraine nodded and left. Lily stood up and said thoughtfully, "I'll go wash up and prepare the fruits for you."
"No, it's fine." Margaret stopped her and had a small sigh. Lily took the opportunity to ask, "You don't look too good. Did something happen?"
Margaret nodded. "Yes, I met Irene in the restaurant today."
"Did she say something rude to you?" Lily asked with concern.
"No. Lily, Irene has a child," Margaret confessed.
"Ah!" Lily let out a squeal of surprise. "Irene has given birth to a child? Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"
"I asked her. It's her own child. The child looks like her too." Margaret was a little embarrassed when she thought of Irene's mockery towards her. Irene had been infertile, but now she had a gorgeous son. Meanwhile, Edric was now a childless divorcee. She, on the other hand, did not have a grandson too. The more she thought about it, the more unresigned she felt.
"Does Edric know about this?" Lily prompted.
"Probably not. You know his temper, he treats Irene like his life. If he knows that she's fertile, he'll raise hell!" As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the fact Lily was going to marry Edric soon. "Don't worry. Even if Edric learns about it, it won't change anything. Since Irene already has a child, she must have married someone else. It won't affect you and Edric."
Even Margaret herself felt like she had no confidence in saying the last sentence.
Lily was silent. She was not worried about the fact that Irene was now fertile. Rather, she was more worried about whether the child was Edric's. Seeing Margaret's reaction, it seemed like she had not considered this possibility. However, it did not mean that she would not think that way later on. Sooner or later, she might have her suspicions on the matter.
Margaret loved children so much, and Irene had a son. If the child really was Edric's son, Margaret would be ecstatic. If that happened, she would only think of that child, and certainly would not help Lily anymore.
Without Margaret's support, her dream to be with Edric would just be a mere fantasy.
Margaret noticed Lily's silence and knew that she must be worried. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Edric. Nothing will change between the two of you."
Margaret's comforting words had no effect on Lily. But for now, she could only try her best to get on Margaret's good side by appealing to her guilt towards herself. She had no time to think about who the father of Irene's child was. She sighed deeply. "If I knew that she was fertile, I would not have been a surrogate. If I hadn't done so, she would not have divorced with Edric. This is all my fault."
Margaret was touched by Lily's kindness. Her obedience and sensibility were exactly what she was looking for in a daughter-in-law. "This has nothing to do with you. I'm telling you this because we're about to be family soon, and you should know this. Even if Edric knows about Irene's child, so what? I'll never let such an arrogant woman join our family again!"
Lily looked grateful. "Aunt Margaret, you are so good to me. I promise to treat you well in the future!"
As they chatted, Loraine came back from outside. Margaret ended the topic and took her phone. "I'll call Edric to come back for dinner tonight."
The call went through and Edric's faint voice rang out from the other side of the phone. "Mom, what's wrong?"
"Am I only allowed to call you if something is wrong?" Margaret asked in a reproachful tone.
"I'm busy!" he answered.
"No matter how busy you are, you have to eat. I asked Loraine to buy your favorite food. Come back for dinner. By the way, Lily is also here." Edric would definitely return home if Margaret had not mentioned Lily. Hearing her name, Edric frowned. "Mom, I really don't have time today. I still have a lot of things to deal with!"
Margaret's face fell at once. "You haven't been home for so long. Make an exception today. You can finish the remainder of your work tomorrow."
"No, I have to finish what I have today. Besides, it is a very important matter. I can't delay it!" He did not give Margaret any leeway at all. "Alright, I'm hanging up!"
He ended the call. Margaret's expression darkened from embarrassment. Lily comforted her, "Edric must be very busy with work. No worries, I'll accompany you for dinner!"
Lily's gentleness made Margaret even angrier at Edric. "I don't believe that he's so busy until he doesn't even have time to eat. Lily, you wait at home. I'll go to the company personally and bring him back!" Margaret headed out furiously. When she arrived at the company, she found out that Edric was not even there. She phoned him instantly, only to have him hang up on her. She tried calling a second time, and as a result, he turned off his phone.
Margaret was so incensed that she went breathless with anger. Unable to locate Edric, she could only ask the driver to send her home, albeit rather reluctantly.
When they got home, Loraine had finished preparing dinner. Lily heard the sound of the car pulling up and opened the door with a smile. When she saw Margaret come in alone with a gloomy face, she was consumed with disappointment instantly.
Margaret and Lily did not have a pleasant meal. Margaret was fuming at the fact that Edric was so disobedient, while Lily was worried about her own situation.
Edric had used to follow everything Margaret wanted. But now, despite Maragaret going all the way to the company, she was unable to bring him back. It was obvious something that they did not know about had happened.
What would it be? Did he already know about the fact that Irene was fertile?
He had always been very concerned about Irene. He would probably pay attention to her every move. There was no way the child could be hidden from his knowledge. However, if that was the case, why did nothing happen?
There was only one explanation, and that was that the child was not his. Her thoughts were in a convoluted mess, and she had no mood to stay in the Myers family any longer.
After dinner, Lily sat and talked with Margaret for a while, and eventually took her leave. Margaret did not feel like asking her to stay either, so she let Loraine send her off.
Loraine sent Lily to the door and told her, "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye out and let you know if anything happens."
Lily nodded. "Thank you!"