Chapter 43
In the executive dining room, the two children were gathered around Heidi, saying something that made her double over with laughter.
Arthur sat nearby, his gaze resting on the children with rare warmth in his eyes. He reached over and personally served Heidi a piece of fish, the gesture natural and intimate.
Meanwhile, on the phone, Logan was dismissing Caroline, "Mommy, I need to eat with my friends now. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
Caroline stared at the impatient profile on her screen, listening to the abrupt dial tone as he hung up. Something twisted painfully inside her.
She watched clearly as the moment the call ended, Logan's impatience vanished completely. He turned to Heidi with a bright smile, and together with Layla, they flanked her on either side, chattering away animatedly.
That picture of domestic bliss cut into Caroline's heart like a sharp knife.
"See what I mean?" Jessie whispered excitedly beside her. "Aren't they perfect together? Even the children adore Ms. White. They really look like a family."
Caroline's lips parted, wanting to say something, but her throat felt constricted. She could only grip her phone tightly, the screen still displaying the recent call log—a silent mockery.
She had thought that the children's affection last night meant they still cared about her as their mother—that their jealousy in the car stemmed from possessiveness over maternal love.
But now she realized she'd been fooling herself. Their behavior had likely been triggered only by Rena's presence, sparking their possessiveness, not because they loved her.
She let out a bitter laugh as disappointment washed over her. So while she'd been unaware, they had already formed this "harmonious" family.
And she—Arthur's legitimate wife—was like an outsider, both laughable and pitiful.
"Caroline, are you okay?" Jessie finally noticed her distress. "Why do you look so pale?"
Caroline shook her head, forcing a smile. "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired." She lowered her head and continued stirring her soup.
---
That evening, Caroline went straight to her own apartment instead of picking up the children.
As she placed her briefcase on the entryway table, her phone vibrated inside. It was a call from her doctor at the hospital.
"Ms. Hamilton, hello." The doctor's voice was gentle but carried a hint of urgency. "We sent you three follow-up reminder texts last week but received no response, so I had to call to confirm. Your condition requires further examination—it's best not to delay."
"I'm sorry," Caroline's voice tightened. "I've had... a lot going on. I completely forgot."
In truth, Caroline knew she hadn't forgotten—she'd deliberately ignored it. Every time she thought about seeing Heidi and Arthur together at the hospital, her heart twisted with pain.
"Would tomorrow morning work? I've reserved a spot for you," the doctor's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.
"Yes." Caroline took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her churning emotions. "Thank you. I'll definitely be there."
After hanging up, she sat down at her desk and began reviewing the latest medical journals.
---
It was already ten o'clock when Arthur returned home with the children.
Layla had expected her mother to be waiting with dinner prepared, but the house was empty except for the household staff.
"Daddy, why isn't Mommy home yet?" Logan sat at the dining table, swinging his legs. None of the dishes prepared by the staff were his favorites.
Arthur checked his watch. Normally by this time, even if Caroline was out, she would have called. He scrolled through his phone—the last call record was from earlier today when she'd asked him to pick up the children.
"Your mother has work to finish at the office," he said, trying to sound natural as he pulled out a chair. "Let's eat first."
Layla frowned, putting down her spoon and placing her hands on her hips, her little face unusually serious for her age.
"Daddy, you're lying." Her voice was crisp. "Mommy promised this morning she'd make BBQ glazed ribs for us tonight. Did she break her promise?"
Arthur furrowed his brow. He genuinely didn't know where Caroline was but didn't want to call her this late.
"Maybe your mom had an emergency," he said, using the serving chopsticks to place a piece of fish on each child's plate. "If you really want to know, you can call her yourself."
Layla immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Caroline's number with practiced ease. The phone rang for a long time before going to the busy signal.
Layla's eyes instantly welled with tears, her voice trembling. "Mommy's not answering! Does she not want us anymore?"
Arthur felt his heart sink. This wasn't like Caroline. Even when sleeping, she never put her phone on silent, let alone turned it off—she was always afraid of missing a call from the children.
He started to reach for his phone to call her but ultimately decided against it.
"Don't jump to conclusions," he said, stroking Layla's head, feeling the warmth of her hair beneath his fingertips. "Your mom just started at the company. She's unfamiliar with many things and needs time to adjust. She'll contact us tomorrow."
Despite his words, a vague uneasiness stirred within him. Could something have happened with the Hamilton family?
---
Early the next morning, as Caroline was getting dressed to leave, her phone rang. Layla's name flashed on the screen, adding complexity to her already heavy mood.
She had gone to bed early the night before, deliberately turning off her phone before sleeping. When she woke up, she saw Layla's missed call.
Caroline considered not returning it, but now that Layla was calling again, she knew she had to answer.
"Mommy!" The moment the call connected, Layla's tearful voice came through. "Why didn't you answer your phone yesterday? You promised to make us BBQ glazed ribs! You broke your promise!"
Caroline's fingers tightened around the phone as she sighed softly. So Layla was calling only because she remembered the BBQ glazed ribs, not because she missed her mother.
Thinking about Layla and Logan's laughter with Heidi in the cafeteria yesterday, a wave of inexplicable hurt and anger suddenly surged within her.
"I've been very busy," she tried to keep her voice steady, but couldn't hide the distance in her tone. "I probably won't be able to spend much time with you from now on."