Chapter 87 Home

Chapter 87 Home
Chapter 87: Home

Dianna.

A week had already passed since Grandma and I were discharged from the hospital. My body still grew tired faster than usual because of the pregnancy, but the doctors confirmed that rest and reduced stress were enough to keep me stable.

That instruction alone had been enough for Theodore to take complete control of my daily life.

He had refused every attempt I made to return to work. According to him, nothing in my company required my immediate attention, while everything about my health required his constant supervision. No amount of reasoning or negotiation had changed his mind.

As a result, the mansion had gradually turned into a carefully managed sanctuary.

Additional staff had been hired within days. A private nurse checked my condition regularly, and even my meals had become scheduled.

Theodore had reorganized everything around me so seamlessly that I sometimes wondered if he had been planning it long before I even agreed.

I told myself I should be annoyed.

I told myself I should be embarrassed.

Yet the truth was that I could not bring myself to fully reject it either.

That afternoon, I sat inside the sunroom with sunlight spilling across the polished floor. A light breeze drifted through the partially opened windows, carrying the faint scent of fresh flowers from the garden outside. Grandma rested comfortably on the couch nearby while watching me with amusement as I folded tiny baby clothes spread neatly across the table.

The sight still felt surreal.

Tiny socks.

Soft blankets.

Clothes small enough to fit in both of my hands at once.

A child was actually going to be ours.

My fingers slowed slightly over one of the blankets as that thought settled more deeply in my chest. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine what life would look like after everything finally calmed down for good.

Theodore entering a room with love in his eyes.

A child growing up without the same weight of pain that both of us carried for so long.

The thought made my chest warm which I was still not entirely used to.

Then suddenly, the silence inside the mansion shattered.

“I’M HOOOOOME.”

My entire body jerked in shock so violently that I nearly dropped the blanket in my hands.

Grandma immediately burst into laughter from the couch.

Meanwhile, Theodore’s voice continued echoing through the mansion with unnecessary enthusiasm.

“WHERE IS MY BEAUTIFUL PREGNANT WIFE?”

My face heated instantly.

I pressed a hand to my chest while trying to steady my breathing. “He cannot possibly be serious every time he does this.”

Grandma only laughed harder. “He sounds excited to see you.”

“He sounds like he is announcing a royal arrival.”

Before I could recover from the shock, heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway outside the sunroom.

Fast.

Confident.

Completely unbothered by dignity.

I already knew exactly what was coming.

A moment later, Theodore appeared at the entrance.

He looked slightly disheveled from work, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened as if he had abandoned formalities the moment he left his work. His expression, however, changed instantly when he saw me.

The exhaustion vanished from his face in an instant.

His entire posture brightened as if he had just found something he had been searching for all day.

“There she is,” he said warmly.

I exhaled slowly. “You were gone for six hours.”

“And it felt like six years,” he replied without hesitation.

Grandma let out a small scoff. “Drama suits him too well.”

Theodore ignored her completely.

Instead, he walked directly toward me with open arms, his movements far too enthusiastic for a man who had just been exhausted from work. He looked more like an overly affectionate golden retriever who had just returned home after being left alone for five minutes.

I tried not to smile too much.

“You are impossible,” I said as he reached me.

“And yet you still tolerate me,” he replied proudly.

Before I could respond, he bent down and wrapped his arms around me carefully, pulling me into a warm embrace. The moment he touched me, his entire body visibly relaxed as if all tension from his day finally left him.

“There,” he murmured against my hair. “My wife is safe.”

I paused instantly.

“You know I am not your wife,” I said slowly.

Theodore did not even hesitate. "You are. You just don't know it yet.”

“That is not how marriage works.”

“It is how ours works.”

I stared at him in disbelief while he continued holding me like he had no intention of letting go anytime soon. His hands remained gentle, but his grip was firm enough to make it clear he considered this position permanent.

Grandma watched the scene with obvious amusement. “He has already remarried you in his head.”

“I can hear you,” I muttered.

“I intended for you to,” Grandma replied calmly.

Theodore finally pulled back slightly, but only enough to look at me properly. His eyes immediately softened again as his hand moved toward my stomach without hesitation.

That habit had become immediate for him.

Every time he was near me, his attention always drifted there first.

“How are my two favorite people?” he asked.

I raised a brow. “Two?”

“The baby and you,” he clarified.

I narrowed my eyes. “What if the baby prefers me more?”

Theodore froze.

The reaction was instant and serious.

“That is not possible,” he said firmly.

Grandma laughed loudly.

I leaned back slightly, watching him carefully. “You did not even think about it.”

“I do not need to think about it,” he replied. “I am the father.”

“That does not guarantee favoritism.”

He frowned deeply, as if this was a genuine betrayal of logic.

“Our child will recognize me.”

He leaned closer to my stomach again, resting his palm there with quiet satisfaction. His voice softened slightly afterward.

“I missed you,” he added, speaking to the baby now instead of me.

I sighed quietly. “You saw us this morning.”

“That is irrelevant.”

Grandma shook her head. “This child will grow up thinking theatrics are normal.”

I gently pushed Theodore’s shoulder. “Stop talking to my stomach like it can respond.”

“It will,” he said confidently.

I stared at him for a long moment.

“…You are exhausting.”

“But you love me, right?”

I immediately shook my head. “No.”

Theodore smiled.

Grandma laughed again while I tried very hard to maintain composure. Theodore, on the other hand, looked entirely satisfied with himself as he settled beside me on the couch.

Theodore leaned his head slightly toward mine, before he spoke. “I brought you something.”

I glanced at him suspiciously. “What is it?”

He smiled.

“Baby shoes.”

My eyes widened slightly before I immediately pinched the bridge of my nose.

“We already have too many baby shoes." I protested.

Theodore immediately looked offended.

“There is no such thing as too many baby shoes.”

“Yes, there is,” I argued while staring at him in disbelief. “The baby is not even born yet and somehow already owns more shoes than I do.”

“That sounds like excellent parenting to me.”

“That sounds like financial irresponsibility.”

“I am trying to provide for my child,” he defended dramatically.

“You bought matching shoes,” I deadpanned.

Theodore paused.

Then shamelessly replied, “Well... it is called bonding.”

I stared at him for a long moment before turning toward Grandma. “Do you see what I deal with every day?”