Chapter 119

Day by day, week by week passed without any hurdles. Darwin had every reason to be grateful; Veronica hadn't complained about anything strange up to this moment. Even when her pregnancy had entered the latter half of the final trimester, Veronica approached it with ease and enjoyment. There was no longer a sense of boredom, weariness, or monotony, even though she spent most of her time at home.

Darwin felt the same way. He no longer complained of feeling tired, dizzy, or nauseous due to strong smells. His only desire was to taste some specific dishes, and with each passing day, that desire grew, like it did this morning.

"Darling, what are you cooking? I find it quite intriguing. Renata is here, you know. Why don't you ask her to cook instead?" Veronica wondered, currently seated in the dining room. Darwin had just finished his cooking ritual and was now serving the freshly prepared meal.

Yes, Darwin had cooked it himself. Lately, he had been acting strangely, often preparing meals either heavy or snacks for him to enjoy with Veronica. It had its advantages; Veronica got to savor new dishes Darwin served, like this morning.

"I just made chicken porridge with chicken broth, Ve. A pretty ordinary dish, really. It's just that I wanted to make it and season it myself. I couldn't sleep all night because I kept thinking about preparing this meal."

Veronica shook her head in disbelief. Her husband's recent behavior was quite peculiar. He couldn't stop thinking about cooking. Was it really that important?

"Well, couldn't you have cooked it a little later? You might end up running late for work."

"Don't worry. I don't have a packed schedule today. So, I can go to the office a bit late," Darwin replied, offering a spoon for Veronica to taste the meal he had prepared.

"But as a manager, you should set a good example too. You tell your employees to arrive on time, but if the boss himself is often late, your employees might protest."

"It's not like this every day, dear. Besides, I won't be too late today," he defended himself. "Anyway, give the dish a try first. I'm sure it's just as delicious as my other dishes."

Veronica nodded, accepting the spoon Darwin offered and immediately scooped up the porridge in front of her into her mouth. She began to chew, savoring the flavors that emerged, and nodded with delight. It seemed that what her husband had cooked was indeed up to her expectations.

"It's delicious," she praised honestly. "You should consider a career change and become a chef. Let your hidden talent shine."

Darwin laughed. But what Veronica said was true. Cooking was actually something he enjoyed. Moreover, in the Walters family, all the grandchildren were taught to have cooking skills. Additionally, when he used to live in Korea, Darwin had become accustomed to living independently, which further honed his culinary skills. When he returned to Indonesia, his busy schedule left no time for him to indulge in his hobby.

"Don't get me wrong, Kennedy and I actually had plans to open a restaurant together."

"Oh, really?" Veronica was surprised. She hadn't expected her husband to have seriously considered realizing his hidden passion. "Can Kennedy cook too?" she asked, curious.

"Not just Kennedy. Almost all of the Walters descendants are required to have cooking skills. It's considered a basic skill alongside running the family business. And among all of us, do you want to know who's the best?"

"Who?" Veronica inquired.

"Randy is the best," Darwin revealed, making Veronica incredulous.

"Seriously?"

Darwin nodded.

"Yes, dear. Among us, Randy excels in several areas. I admit he can be annoying, but he has many talents," he explained, leaving Veronica impressed.

"Yeah, I remember when we were in college, a lot of people looked up to Randy because besides being academically gifted, he was also talented in various activities."

"Not just that," Darwin interjected with a serious expression. "Believe me, among us, he's the one with a unique talent that can't be imitated."

"What talent?" Veronica asked, curious.

"The talent for being a ladies' man. That's why he has so many girlfriends and changes them frequently. He's really good at charming other people's daughters."

Veronica burst into laughter. She had been listening attentively, but her husband's statement had taken an unexpected turn.

"I was listening seriously too! But, by the way, if you have above-average cooking skills, why not open a real restaurant?"

"Aunt Liliana doesn't agree. She says that if Kennedy changes her career and becomes a chef, then who will manage Palma Palace? Kennedy has been groomed to be a leader from birth."

"That's such a shame, isn't it? But if you want to open a restaurant, I support you. I can help you find a location for your business and start this new venture."

Darwin smiled. He was pleased to see his wife being supportive and enthusiastic about what he had just shared.

"We'll think about it carefully. Starting a business isn't something to be taken lightly. We need to plan it out thoroughly to avoid any missteps."

Veronica agreed. As a businesswoman, everything needed careful consideration. Decisions couldn't be made hastily, as they could lead to failure down the road.

"Are you going out with Luna today?" Darwin asked during their meal. He knew that Kennedy's wife wanted to take Veronica out for a day.

"Yes," Veronica nodded. "I want to buy some baby items and supplies that I didn't get last time."

"Do you want me to drop you off?"

Veronica shook her head. Besides not wanting to inconvenience her husband and disrupt his work schedule, she also wanted to spend some quality time without the presence of men.

"No need, dear. Luna will pick me up here. Don't worry. I won't be out too late. I promise I'll be home before you finish work."

Darwin nodded in agreement. After finishing breakfast, he prepared to head to work, while Veronica got ready as well.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Luna arrived to pick her up. They then headed to one of the shopping centers to look for the remaining baby items that Veronica hadn't purchased yet.

"It seems like all pregnant women go through the same thing when shopping for baby necessities," Veronica remarked while browsing through items.

Luna turned and smiled, nodding in agreement.

"It's common. When you're expecting your first child, you tend to be like this, Ve. You have a shopping spree. Even buying things you don't really need," explained the wife of Artakennedy Walters.

"That's true. Darwin sometimes scolds me for buying strange things. According to him, these aren't baby essentials. But I buy what I want."

Luna laughed, nodding again.

"Wait until your second pregnancy; you'll be more selective. Trust me. For now, just enjoy it. Because shopping like this can bring joy and satisfaction to a pregnant mother."

Nearly three hours had passed by. Veronica, full of enthusiasm, went around searching for each baby item she believed she didn't have yet. Once she finished, she decided to take a break with Luna at a restaurant while enjoying lunch.

"Did you have a normal birth or a C-section?" Veronica asked while they were waiting for their freshly ordered food.

"With Kalvin, it was normal. But during the second pregnancy with twins, it was a C-section."

"Which one do you prefer?" Veronica asked enthusiastically. As a woman about to give birth herself, she was curious to hear recommendations from those who had already given birth.

"It's about the same, really. Both have their pros and cons. What matters most is that the baby and the mother are healthy," Luna diplomatically replied. "If it's possible to have a normal birth, you can try that. But if the circumstances require a C-section, it's fine too. Nowadays, C-sections are not as painful as they used to be. So, it's okay to choose whichever birthing method."

Veronica nodded in understanding, gaining some insight from what Luna had just shared.

"Did you have any cravings during your pregnancy?" Luna nodded.

"Yes, quite often, and it seemed normal. She even got a bit weird because she wanted to eat this and that. She often complained aimlessly."

"Really?" Veronica asked while laughing. She was reminded of Darwin's behavior, which was exactly like what Luna had just described. "Did you have any cravings yourself? Personally, I've been pretty normal. I don't have any specific cravings. Although, I'm curious to experience what it's like, like what other people go through."

"According to Kennedy, my first pregnancy was pretty intense in terms of cravings. She even got overwhelmed herself."

"What did you ask for?" Veronica looked curious, trying to guess what Luna had requested from Kennedy that made him describe it as intense.

Luna laughed, finding it amusing to recall that past event.

"I remember one night I cried and refused to sleep, begging Kennedy to take me to Seaworld."

"Huh? Seaworld in the middle of the night? What for? To feed the fish?"

Luna shook her head. Suddenly, she laughed to herself before continuing her story.

"Not to feed them! I cried to Kennedy because I wanted to see how the sleeping fish looked like. It's crazy, right?"

"Oh my goodness, Luna," Veronica exclaimed before bursting into laughter. "Kennedy must have been so frustrated back then. You were asking for something completely unreasonable?"

"Absolutely," Luna admitted. "I remember she got so fed up that she tried to persuade me not to sulk because I couldn't fulfill my weird request. Plus, I once asked her for plastic surgery, so I could look like the Korean actress I idolized while pregnant with Kalvin."

Veronica was astonished. She couldn't believe the absurd requests Luna made during her pregnancy.

"That's insane. Seriously, craving to look like someone else?"

"It's not just insane. It's really crazy. Luckily, Kennedy loves me. If not, we might have been divorced long ago. I also find it strange how my thoughts during that pregnancy were so odd. And after the second child, those weird things didn't happen again. It was only during Kalvin's pregnancy."

They both laughed, enjoying their conversation. Once their ordered food arrived and was served, they eagerly ate. After finishing, they continued to stroll before deciding to head home.

"All the things you wanted have been bought, right?" Luna asked as they walked along the mall corridor. They were planning to go down to the lobby and get ready to leave.

"Yes, everything's done. I'm so satisfied with our day today. My feet are even sore from visiting almost every store. If Darwin had come with me, he would've been grumbling about going in and out of stores like we did today."

"I enjoy going out for a walk. But now that we're done, how about we head home?"

Veronica nodded. She was tired too.

"Yeah, let's go home. I also promised Darwin I'd be back before he finishes work. And once again, thank you so much for your time, Luna. I'm really happy to have your company like this. I like going out with fellow women. It's easier to connect when it comes to discussing what baby items to buy or what's currently trending."

"You're welcome, Ve. If you need help tomorrow, just let me know. I'll accompany you again. Or maybe we can plan more outings and bring Ghea along sometime. She doesn't have any friends, poor thing."

"Yeah, that sounds fun. Let's make a regular schedule for outings."

They continued to walk until they reached the lobby. However, an unexpected incident occurred when they were about to leave the mall. Veronica accidentally slipped and fell to the floor while passing a wet floor area just cleaned by mall cleaning staff.

"Veronica!" Luna exclaimed in shock. She quickly knelt down and helped Veronica get up from her sitting position.

With the assistance of another mall visitor, Veronica was gently helped to stand. While grimacing in pain, she tried to get up from her sitting position.

But panic continued to rise. Once she was able to stand, Luna noticed a stream of blood flowing heavily, soaking Veronica's feet. Screaming for help, Luna asked for assistance and then rushed Veronica into a car, taking her to the hospital before it was too late.