On Monday, as Altezza had mentioned, they went to visit their friend who works as an obstetrician. A luxurious and feminine-looking maternity clinic stood among rows of residences in the Manhattan area.
Oh, don't ask what happened to them last Sunday. Their clothes still haven't returned. Of course, they couldn't leave the room. Even when they asked for room service to deliver clothes from the hotel boutique, they refused on the grounds that Sir Benjamin didn't allow them to deliver anything except food.
Certainly, it wasn't really their father's instruction; it was clearly an order from Altezza's mother. Who else could have such ridiculous thoughts if not the woman who had given birth to her?
As a result, they spent the whole day watching TV, eating, and sleeping. Altezza even chose to swim without wearing anything because there were no spare clothes. Luckily, during lunch, the room service brought new towels and bathrobes.
Back to the bustling clinic area. Adaline and Altezza were already in Dr. Stefanie Alfonzo's room, and when Altezza mentioned her name, the nurse politely asked them to wait until the current patient came out.
After about five minutes of waiting, they finally saw a married couple come out of the room. The pregnant woman seemed to smile as she rubbed her belly, while her husband embraced her. The happiness felt by the couple seemed to be contagious. Adaline smiled along with them.
Adaline and Altezza were ushered into the room by the friendly nurse.
A beautiful woman who initially smiled warmly suddenly looked at Altezza with narrowed eyes.
"I wonder who." She said curtly. But upon seeing Adaline, her beautiful face lit up again with a genuine smile. "Mrs. Quirino, I apologize for not attending your wedding event yesterday. There was a patient who had complications, so I had to stay at the hospital." She said regretfully as she shook Adaline's hand. "Congratulations on starting a new life. I hope you don't regret marrying this man." She said with a sincere tone that left Adaline speechless.
"Are you cursing me?" Altezza asked cynically. Without asking for permission, the man sat in the chair across the table and appeared relaxed, crossing his right leg over his left.
"So, what are the newlyweds doing here? Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon right now?" The doctor looked at Adaline and Altezza in turn.
"That's what we should be doing. But because your former sweetheart is currently focused in Kansas, the honeymoon had to be postponed. Isn't it typical of him? He's having fun on his own and letting others suffer from the mess he's made." Altezza grumbled again.
Stefanie, who had returned to her seat, looked back at Altezza with narrowed eyes. "Don't mention his name. You know what my husband is like." The doctor replied. Adaline guessed that the two of them were discussing Antony.
"Yeah-yeah-yeah, the Great Heartbreaker." Altezza taunted again.
"So, Mr. and Mrs. Quirino, do you have any complaints?" Stefanie asked again in a professional manner.
"Well, Doctor, we want to consult about a pregnancy program." Altezza replied in her patient mode. Adaline even shook her head at seeing how quickly they could change expressions.
Is there CCTV in this place? Are they currently filming a trap? "What do you mean?" Adaline saw Dr. Alfonzo looking at Altezza seriously. Her hands were clasped on the table.
"I want to ask about the process of in vitro fertilization," Altezza replied casually, which surprised the beautiful woman in front of her. "I heard there's an insemination process that doesn't affect virginity."
Altezza's POV
I tried to hold back my laughter when I saw the surprised expression on Stefanie's oriental face. The Chinese-blooded woman stared at me wide-eyed for a moment. But she quickly regained control of her expression.
"So, how long have you been married?" She asked clearly, with a mocking tone.
"Less than 48 hours," I replied flatly, and the woman nodded her head in understanding.
"Are there any issues, either from the husband or the wife?" Her gaze now shifted to Adaline, who remained silent. "Did you marry Mr. Quirino out of necessity?" She asked, to which Adaline shook her head. "You don't need to be afraid to speak the truth. If so, I can help you report this to the National Commission on Women's Protection."
"No, Doctor, I married willingly," Adaline replied firmly, and I saw Stefanie nodding again.
"In that case, maybe Mr. Quirino does have fertility issues," she murmured afterward. I felt humiliated. I stared at her sharply. But she knew me well enough to ignore me.
"Don't speak without basis!" I exclaimed.
"In that case, what's the point of this? Your marriage isn't even two days old, and you're already talking nonsense. If 'Mr. and Mrs.' had been married for so many years and still hadn't been blessed with children, then I would be happy to help you solve your problems." She mocked, emphasizing the words 'Mr. and Mrs.' Then she switched back to a friendly mode. "I know you're feeling pressured to have children, but not like this, Al. Insemination before you've really tried, indirectly demeans your wife and suggests that she's incapable." She continued sharply.
"Not like that. You don't understand our situation," I tried to defend myself, but I couldn't possibly mention the reason that I wanted to undergo the IVF program because our marriage was a contractual one.
"Altezza. Are you sure you're normal?" She asked, to which I replied with a firm nod. "And are you also sure that you're normal?" She turned to Adaline, who also nodded. "In that case, stick to conventional methods. You're still young, so why resort to shortcuts and extremes? The option you're asking for is typically chosen by people who have tried conventional methods and are desperate or have health issues."
"I've already said, I have a condition I can't explain," I tried to defend myself again. But her basic principle was 'women are always right', so whatever I said wouldn't get a positive response from Stefanie.
"It's not that I can't help you, but I 'don't want' to help you. As a doctor, I feel this isn't necessary because honestly, the insemination process isn't easy and it can be quite painful. So as a friend, I wouldn't recommend it.