Chapter 214 Pregnant
For dinner, Martha bought fresh crab. Zachary had just finished half when his phone rang. He wiped his hands and headed to the study.
Quinley picked up the other half, about to eat it, when suddenly a fishy smell hit her nose. She immediately put it back down.
"Mrs. Jennings, I made special chicken soup just for you. You're working so hard—you need to keep your strength up."
Zachary had told Martha to pay extra attention to Quinley's nutrition. Martha brought the soup over with a smile.
Quinley felt tired and had no appetite. The table was mostly filled with seafood, which made her even less interested in eating.
"Thank you, Martha."
Quinley took the bowl from Martha, but the moment she had a sip, she covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.
"What's wrong with Mrs. Jennings? Did I make it wrong?"
Martha asked, confused.
Elise smiled. "Of course not. She's probably pregnant."
"Really? That's wonderful! Mr. Jennings is going to be over the moon."
While Martha and Elise were celebrating excitedly, Quinley was throwing up in the bathroom. That familiar feeling churned up from her stomach bit by bit. She retched for a while before finally feeling better.
When she came out, Martha had already switched her meal to plain congee.
"Mrs. Jennings, are you pregnant?"
Martha asked with a hopeful smile.
But Quinley pursed her lips. "How is that possible? The AC in the office was too cold today—I just caught a chill. Please don't spread rumors."
She denied it flatly.
Martha wasn't one to gossip. If Quinley denied it, she naturally wouldn't say more. Elise had been through it all before. Though she was Quinley's birth mother, she knew to respect her and didn't push, only reminding Quinley to take care of herself.
After drinking the plain congee, Quinley felt much better.
"I still have work to do. I'm heading to the bedroom."
Quinley made an excuse and went upstairs. But lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep no matter what. She counted on her fingers how late her period was, her heart uneasy.
After losing that child, she wasn't opposed to having another chance at motherhood. But losing that baby had also filled her with fear—fear that loss would become permanent.
She curled up into a ball, one hand covering her lower abdomen.
"What's wrong? Martha said you barely ate anything at dinner. Didn't you like the food?"
After finishing his work, Zachary came upstairs too. Seeing Quinley curled up on the bed, he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.
She covered her mouth and yawned widely. "I'm just tired. I'll feel better after some sleep."
Zachary let out a heavy sigh. "If you're this exhausted, maybe you shouldn't go anymore."
He was trying to convince her to quit again.
Quinley pulled the covers over her head. "Zachary, if you keep pushing me to be useless, I'm divorcing you."
She threatened him from under the blanket, her voice muffled.
Zachary immediately surrendered. "What? I can't hear you. Are you telling me to hurry and shower? Okay, I'll go right now."
He chose to play deaf to her threat and quickly ducked into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the room.
About ten minutes later, Zachary emerged from his shower, bare-chested with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Are you asleep?"
He leaned down and kissed Quinley's cheek. She pretended to sleep, not moving an inch.
Knowing Quinley was exhausted, Zachary carefully climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her into his embrace.
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
He whispered softly in her ear.
She wasn't actually asleep. Zachary's warm breath lingered near her ear, and behind her, she could hear his strong, steady heartbeat. Quinley's own heart wouldn't stop pounding.
The next morning came early. Zachary left for the office, while Quinley deliberately stayed in bed a bit longer. She texted Oliver asking for two hours off.
After getting ready, she went downstairs. Martha had already prepared breakfast. "Mrs. Jennings, I made some light food today. Please have a bite."
Quinley couldn't refuse and sat down to eat. Fifteen minutes earlier, she'd made an online appointment with an OB-GYN. Pregnant or not, she wanted to confirm it at the hospital.
Registration, blood draw, waiting. In less than half an hour, she had the test results.
She was pregnant.
This was good news. But Quinley didn't immediately tell Zachary. She really liked her current job and wanted to prove her worth through work. Wealthy ladies lived lives of luxury and leisure, but she didn't want that.
All day at work, Quinley's mind wandered. On one hand, she felt she should tell Zachary—as her husband, he had the right to know he was about to become a father. But on the other hand, she wanted to be selfish for once and live the way she wanted to.
Lost in this internal struggle, quitting time arrived.
"Can you leave on time today?"
Zachary suddenly called her.
She was surprised.
"Yeah, I'm already in the elevator."
The moment Quinley finished speaking, the call dropped. She thought the elevator signal was bad, but when she stepped out, she discovered Zachary waiting for her at the entrance.
"What are you doing here?"
Quinley's heart soared, and her steps quickened.
"Slow down, don't rush."
Zachary watched her with a smile. The car door was already open, and like a gentleman, he stood to the side, one hand on the door, the other steadying Quinley's shoulder.
"Let's eat out tonight. I made reservations at a restaurant—I guarantee you'll love it."
Zachary was being mysterious.
"Is today a special day?"
Quinley was puzzled.
Zachary got in the car and took Quinley's hand.
"Today marks one thousand days since we got together, so we need to celebrate properly."
Time had flown by, you'd never realize how far you'd come without looking back.
"Time really does fly." Quinley sighed.
"Doesn't it? But at least we never gave up. You and I finally became one. Once we have a baby, we'll be even happier."
His eyes held warmth and laughter, but Quinley looked away. Zachary longed for a child of his own, and right now, Quinley was carrying one. She hesitated, should she tell Zachary?
"I'm giving you a gift tonight."
"What gift?" Zachary was dying to know.
Quinley acted mysterious. "I'll tell you when we get home. Don't be impatient."
She imagined how thrilled Zachary would be when he found out about the baby.
The candlelit dinner was warm and romantic, every moment brimming with happiness.
"Darling, I love you."
When they brought out the anniversary cake, Zachary got down on one knee again. This time, he'd prepared a nine-carat blue diamond ring.
"Why'd you buy something so huge?"
Seeing such an extravagant ring, Quinley laughed.
Seeing her laugh made Zachary grin from ear to ear.
"You didn't have one, so I got you one. There's only one like this in the whole world, it's completely unique."
When it came to romance, Zachary kept getting better.
"Thank you."
The moment Quinley accepted the gift, Zachary started obsessing over the gift she'd mentioned.
"Sweetheart, what's the gift you're giving me?"
He was usually a patient man, but around Quinley, he dropped all armor and acted like a big kid.
Quinley almost blurted it out but held back.
"When we get home, I'll tell you."
Hearing this, Zachary checked his watch. "Should we head home now then?"
However, Quinley never expected that when they got home, there would be a big surprise waiting for them to sign for.