Chapter 353 Different

Chapter 353 Different

Arthur is about to officially start at a well-known international elementary school - a new chapter in his life.

Both Rachel and Brandon believe that some moments deserved to be witnessed by both parents, side by side. So they rearranged their travel plans and hurried home, still carrying the dust of the journey yet filled with warmth, ready to embrace Arthur’s milestone as a whole family.




Back in City A, after a brief rest, the day before his official enrollment finally arrived. The three of them gathered in the living room, double-checking the stationery tucked inside his small backpack and pressing his crisp new uniform.

Arthur was so excited his little face turned red, spinning around and around in front of the mirror when trying on his uniform.

Brandon picked up the beautifully made admission notice, his eyes landing on the school name - "Bright Star International Preschool."

His expression shifted slightly, as if remembering something, and a meaningful smile unconsciously curved at the corner of his mouth.

He walked over to Rachel, who was helping Arthur organize his name tags, and gently held the letter before her eyes.

Rachel's fingers paused. She looked up, her eyes meeting Brandon's smiling gaze, and instantly, the floodgates of memory opened.

She had once dreamed of enrolling Arthur in the kindergarten affiliated with Bright Star International Preschool—renowned for its forward-thinking approach and generous resources.

But that school had extremely limited spots and very high barriers to entry - not only did children need to pass assessments, but there were also unspoken requirements about family background. At that time, Rachel had already divorced Sebastian and was on her own. Getting a spot for Arthur seemed nearly impossible.

Brandon had casually offered to help.

At the time, alarm bells went off in Rachel's mind.

She couldn't see through Brandon's intentions and didn't want to owe him such an obvious favor.

She refused without hesitation.

Now, more than a year later, Arthur had reached enrollment age, and the man she had once kept at a wary distance had become her husband.

Fate had come full circle in such a wonderful way.

"I remember," Rachel said softly, taking the letter. Her fingertips brushed the school emblem as a tender smile touched her eyes, laced with quiet emotion. "Back then, I was like a hedgehog, thinking that accepting your help meant giving in."

Brandon held her hand, their fingers intertwining, his voice deep and magnetic: “I know. You needed to prove you could stand on your own, and I admired that fighting spirit so much.”

He paused, looking at Arthur bouncing around, his gaze softening. "But now it's different. We're a family now. Providing Arthur with the best educational environment is our shared responsibility and wish. This time, it's not me helping out - it's what we're doing together as parents, as we should."

Warmth bloomed in Rachel's heart.

Yes, things were different now.

She had gone from a single mother fighting alone to having a solid shoulder to lean on; from warily keeping her distance from him to naturally moving forward hand in hand.

This transformation was so profound and beautiful.

She leaned into Brandon's embrace, watching their son’s excitement, and whispered, “Thank you, Brandon. Thank you for being here with us now.”

"I'm the one who should thank you," he murmured, tightening his arms and pressing a kiss to her hair. "Thank you and Arthur for giving me a real home."


The next morning dawned bright and clear. Hand in hand, Brandon and Rachel walked Arthur—neatly dressed, backpack bouncing on his shoulders - through the grand, scholarly gates of Bright Star International Preschool. This was where he would truly begin to find his place among his peers.

Three years later.

Original Aspiration Group had successfully gone public, its market value steadily climbing, becoming a benchmark company in the country with both commercial value and social reputation.

Rachel, still at the helm, had earned growing recognition, but she gradually delegated more daily operations to her mature team. She focused instead on shaping the company’s future direction, design inspiration, and deepening the operations of the charitable foundation.

Brandon was steadily advancing in politics. With his practical and efficient style and forward-thinking proposals, his influence was growing daily, with his family always being his solid backing and source of inspiration.

Arthur was thriving at Bright Star International Preschool, showing amazing logical thinking and hands-on abilities, especially gifted in mechanics and programming.

Life was peaceful and fulfilling, until one ordinary morning.

At the breakfast table, Rachel had just picked up a glass of milk when suddenly a strong wave of nausea hit her. She immediately covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.

Brandon reading the morning paper, caught the movement. His face changed in an instant; the newspaper fluttered to the floor as he rushed after her.

Rachel was bent over the sink dry heaving, her stomach churning, her face somewhat pale.

Brandon carefully supported her, gently patting her back, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with undisguised worry and tension: "Rachel? What's wrong? Did you eat something bad last night? Or have you been too tired lately?"

He asked question after question, his voice tight.

No wonder Brandon was so nervous.

They had been married for three years with a deep relationship and harmonious married life, yet they still hadn't had children.

Brandon had never put any pressure on Rachel, and had even privately consulted top medical experts.

After learning about Rachel's past experiences in detail, the expert gently indicated that her chances of naturally conceiving again were relatively low and would require especially careful care.

After giving birth to Arthur years ago, Rachel's body hadn't been properly cared for, and the physical and mental trauma from her time in prison made it difficult for her to get pregnant.

Brandon buried his worries deep inside, only taking even more meticulous care of her diet and daily life, arranging regular comprehensive checkups, never mentioning children, afraid of adding psychological pressure.

Rachel herself was vaguely aware of this. Though she felt some regret, having Arthur and Brandon made her feel her life was complete, so she went with the flow.

Therefore, this sudden severe morning sickness was completely beyond both Rachel and Brandon's expectations.

Rachel rinsed her mouth and leaned against Brandon to recover, when suddenly an idea she hardly dared believe but that made her heart race flashed through her mind.

She looked up at Brandon's face full of anxiety and hesitantly said, "Brandon, I... my last period, I think it's been almost two weeks late."

She had been so busy with a new design series and an overseas project for the charitable foundation that she had actually overlooked her body's signals.

Brandon's body stiffened suddenly, then those usually calm and deep eyes burst with incredible joy, which was immediately covered by deeper concern.

With almost trembling hands, he gently touched Rachel's still-flat belly, his voice hoarse: "You mean...?"

"I... I don't know, it's just a guess," Rachel became nervous too. "Maybe it's just an upset stomach."

"To the hospital!" Brandon made the decision immediately, contacting a top private hospital and a team of gynecology specialists right away.