Chapter 74
When I woke up, Levi was already gone.
Even on weekends when he was supposed to be off, he was never home. I'd asked him before whether he was really that busy or just didn't want to stay home with me.
He never answered.
Over time, I got used to being alone. Having him around actually made me feel uncomfortable.
I sat up and saw an elegant gift box on his side of the bed, and on the nightstand next to it, there was another delicate jewelry box.
I slowly opened them. One contained a beautiful set of clothes, and inside the jewelry box was my graduation design project.
When did he have it made?
I'd always kept my original design pure and untouched. I never turned the blueprint into a real piece because I wanted to use it to remind myself to stay true to my original intentions.
Now, seeing it appear before me this way, I felt both surprised and unsettled.
The feeling was hard to describe. Having Levi complete this felt like we'd created another child together.
Then I wondered—why did he prepare all this?
I picked up my phone and saw messages from both Levi and Cleo.
Levi said his mother had returned to the country. Cleo had arranged a small welcome gathering and asked me to bring some gifts to show our appreciation.
Cleo said her mother was back, and I absolutely had to come meet her. She told me to keep a low profile and preferably not make anyone unhappy.
Looking at everything in front of me, was Levi asking me to give these things to his mother?
I picked up the clothes and looked at them. They were clearly my size, and the style didn't match Levi's mother's taste at all.
Could it be the jewelry then?
It was getting late. I went to freshen up first and changed into the clothes.
Once ready, I put the jewelry box in my bag and went downstairs.
Seeing me come down, Indigo walked over carrying something.
"Mrs. Morgan, the driver is waiting at the door."
Seeing my confused look, she continued, "Mr. Morgan said you're attending a gathering. This is what he prepared for you—he said it was chosen according to his mother, Mrs. Uma Morgan's preferences."
So Levi had made separate preparations. I'd thought it was just that jewelry set.
Come to think of it, my graduation design was a bit niche—his mother might not like it.
"Got it."
Indigo smiled. "Mrs. Morgan, cheer up. Have a nice weekend."
I forced a small smile. "Have a nice weekend."
I couldn't feel cheerful at all. Levi's mother used to have a good relationship with Arabella, and she'd been against our marriage from the start.
They'd always lived abroad, running their overseas business, so we rarely crossed paths. But I was still nervous about meeting her face-to-face.
I felt a bit scared inside. Though I hadn't had much contact with her, she was still an elder, and I needed to mind my manners.
Cleo and I had several unpleasant encounters recently. Could this be her bringing her mother back to put pressure on me?
There was no way to know.
......
Even though it hadn't been lived in for a long time, Levi's parents' home looked as good as new. Cleo had clearly put effort into it, decorating the place beautifully.
Even in winter, it felt bright and cheerful.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Levi's mother chatting with friends, their faces full of smiles—so bright it was hard to tell if they were genuine.
When Cleo saw me, she pulled her mother into the sunroom.
Since my identity had been kept hidden, people didn't know I was Mrs. Morgan. Some might have seen me before, but only as Levi's secretary.
I quickly followed them into the sunroom. The fragrance of flowers was so strong that it made me sneeze twice in a row.
"Uma, you're back."
I greeted Levi's mother. She smiled at me, different from before—she didn't give me a cold look.
Maybe after all these years, she no longer minded that Aiden had suddenly arranged for me to marry Levi and become his wife.
"You're here. The flowers at home are blooming nicely—take a look and pick some to take home if you like any," Levi's mother said warmly. This surprised me a bit.
On the way here, I'd kept guessing. I thought Cleo would badmouth me to get her mother to back her up, but now, her attitude was gentle and kind, without any airs.
I handed over the gift. "This is a small token from us. He's busy with work and didn't get a break today either."
"What good thing could you possibly give? Stop being so fake. Mom, you don't know how arrogant she's been lately, taking advantage of the fact that you're not here to manage her—she's been really out of line."
Sure enough, I couldn't escape Cleo's complaints. Even though she was twisting the facts, I had no way to defend myself.
"Cleo, mind your manners. You have a bad temper, too. She's always helping you with the kids—you should be grateful."
Cleo rolled her eyes. "Mom, are you kidding me? Should I be grateful to her? A few days ago, I asked her to watch Hayden for a bit, and she wouldn't even do it—she just sent the kid straight to Grandpa's."
"You have times when you're busy, and she has times when she's not available. You can't forget all the times she helped you before just because she couldn't help once, can you?"
"Mom, you don't love me anymore. You're not taking my side at all."
I watched them bicker, pleasantly surprised by Levi's mother's attitude toward me. I hadn't expected her to be so reasonable when we met again.
"Cleo, your father and I are hardly ever home. You and Levi need to stick together—when it matters, they're the ones who can help you. Don't be too willful."
Levi's mother had become quite understanding. Maybe these years abroad had been lonely for them—after all, they were in a foreign country.
"Mom, you don't know how tough she's gotten now. She..."
"Cleo!"
Cleo was cut off. Everything she said was criticizing me—Levi's mother must be sick of hearing it.
I quickly tried to ease the atmosphere. "Uma, you'll be staying for a while this time, right? Levi and I will make arrangements, and you can come over to our place for a get-together."
"Okay."
Levi's mother agreed readily.
She set the gifts aside. "I brought presents for you all, too, especially for Celestia. Everyone was so happy when she stayed with us, and we all missed her so much after she left."
"Kids can be rowdy—as long as she didn't cause you trouble, that's good enough."
"We're all family. Don't be so formal."
Clearly, Levi's mother's attitude had changed significantly this time. She was treating me as family.
Cleo pointed outside. "Mom, Jessa's here too. When she heard you were coming back, she was so excited she chatted with me late into the night."
They were still in touch? Didn't she know Jessa was using her?
What was Jessa doing here? She already had a boyfriend—was she still hung up on Levi?
Levi's mother's expression darkened. Jessa's arrival seemed to displease her.
"Mom, let's go out."
Levi's mother didn't move. Cleo pouted helplessly. "Then I'll call her over."
I pretended to admire the flowers, turning my head away from them. I'd been in a decent mood, but with Jessa here, it instantly became boring.