Chapter 67 He Seems to Care Too Much
Ruth and Cordelia were chatting about prenatal care.
Every now and then, Ruth's eyes showed a hint of reluctance and worry about Cordelia going to Astoria.
Donald noticed this and knew Ruth genuinely cared for Cordelia, so he spoke gently.
"Mrs. Hughes, don't worry. I'll be with Cordelia in Astoria. We have close family friends there, so we'll be well taken care of."
Ruth relaxed a bit upon hearing this.
"It's all Alaric's fault, that bastard. He's so blind; he'll regret it someday."
Cordelia gave a faint smile. "Grandma, everyone makes their own choices. Maybe we just weren't right for each other. In three years, he never grew to love me or cared for me, so it's better that we divorced. There's no point in talking about regret."
Cordelia pursed her lips. "I don't regret it, and he probably doesn't either."
Her voice was light and calm, though she felt a bit hurt inside, she knew she would eventually move on.
After leaving the hospital, Alaric went to his office and then headed straight to the Hughes Manor, only to be informed by security that Ruth had gone to the Stone Manor.
At the entrance of the Stone Manor, Alaric parked his car by the roadside and saw Clifford stepping out of his vehicle.
"Mr. Hughes," Clifford greeted him, surprised.
Alaric nodded and glanced at the shawl in Clifford's hand.
Seeing Alaric's gaze, Clifford explained, "It's getting chilly, so I came out to bring Mrs. Hughes a shawl."
Alaric nodded slightly and extended his hand. "Give it to me."
Just as Clifford was about to speak, Alaric continued, "You can head back to the Hughes Manor."
Clifford hesitated for a moment but quickly understood and nodded respectfully. "Alright."
Alaric maintained his usual demeanor as he stepped into the Stone Manor.
The security at the entrance recognized him and didn't stop him.
"Our family hasn't had a baby in years; I'm really looking forward to it," Ruth said, but then she saw Alaric walking in.
He paused briefly and looked at Cordelia, feeling a rush of emotions, his grip on the shawl tightening.
"Are you pregnant?" he asked, causing everyone to react strangely.
Cordelia's heart skipped a beat but she immediately denied it.
"No. It's Marigold's granddaughter who's pregnant. She came to our hospital for a check-up half a month ago. What, Mr. Hughes, are you hoping I'm pregnant?"
Her calm response made Alaric feel inexplicably agitated and disappointed.
He composed himself, his eyes darkening slightly.
Seeing that he wasn't suspicious anymore, Cordelia secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Donald looked at him and said calmly, "Alaric, have a seat."
Although Cordelia and Alaric were divorced, he was still the father of Ruth's grandchild, and the families would continue to interact.
Alaric nodded lightly.
Ruth looked at him, sighed, and asked sternly, "Why are you here?"
Alaric remained composed and answered calmly, "Clifford had to leave, so he asked me to come and pick you up."
As he spoke, he unfolded the shawl and draped it over Ruth's shoulders.
Ruth snorted, glanced at Alaric, but didn't expose his lie.
Clifford was a responsible guy; he'd only leave her at the Stone Manor if it were an emergency, and he would never leave without telling her first.
Alaric must have come up with a weak excuse just to get into the Stone Manor, hence the clumsy lie.
"I'll have dinner before heading back. If you have other things to do, you can take care of them first and come back to pick me up later."
"I've already handled everything at the office," he replied coolly, taking a seat on the sofa across from Cordelia.
"After being away on a business trip, I missed Dad's fried fish."
He didn't linger his gaze on Cordelia but looked at Donald instead.
Donald paused and then said, "I'll go make it for you."
Ruth frowned, clearly annoyed, and shot a look at Alaric. She told Donald, "Don't be so kind to this ungrateful brat."
Donald gave an awkward smile and replied, "Although Alaric is no longer my son-in-law, he was once part of the family."
"And you've always treated Cordelia with such kindness. From now on, I'll think of Alaric as just a friend to her."
Alaric's jaw tightened, and he stayed silent.
Her friend? Who wants to be her friend!
He glanced at Cordelia.
Cordelia smiled gently, adjusting Ruth's shawl with tenderness.
Clearly, she had no objections to Donald's statement.
That uneasy feeling struck again.
Cordelia smiled, sipped from her water glass, and noticed Alaric's gaze on her, his deep eyes filled with some resentment.
Cordelia smiled lightly, "Alaric, my friend, would you like some water? I can get it for you."
Alaric's face immediately darkened, looking extremely gloomy.
"No!"
He replied coldly, almost spitting the words out.
Ruth gave him a cold glance and snorted, "Cordelia, don't bother with him."
Cordelia nodded.
Alaric's face remained stern as he leaned back into the sofa, irritably tugging at his tie, sinking into the cushions.
His icy eyes stayed fixed on Cordelia.
Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up and smiled.
"Grandma, Alaric, you two sit for a while. I'll go help Dad."
Alaric's face remained cold.
Ruth watched Cordelia walk towards the kitchen, then glared at Alaric with displeasure.
"You're such a nuisance!"
Dinner was ready, and the fried fish didn't take long.
Donald removed his apron and hung it up, seeing Cordelia approach, he spoke softly.
"Cordelia, if Alaric shows remorse and promises to stay away from that woman, maybe we can let this go. You're expecting now, raising a child alone will be tough, and..."
Cordelia saw the worry on Donald's face and pursed her lips. "Dad, I'm not afraid of hardship. If I forgive him for just that, my tough days will be far from over."
Donald sighed deeply, his eyes filled with pity.
Cordelia forced a smile, her tone light. "Dad, I'm fine. Like you said, having an extra friend is good too."
Cordelia finished speaking and walked out of the kitchen, looking at Alaric and Ruth on the sofa, her smile bright and eyes sparkling.
"Mrs. Hughes, Alaric, dinner's ready."
Alaric stared at her smile for a long time, finding it too dazzling, his narrow eyes darkening.
It was just a change of role.
He seemed to care too much.