Chapter 8: Having a Second Child
He frowned slightly, his voice a bit cold.
I knew he probably thought I was eavesdropping on purpose again.
But I didn't care. Tyler's impression of me was already set in stone. No matter what I did, he would never think well of it, so I didn't bother explaining.
"I came to see Grandma."
He stared at me, his eyes dark. "Grandma needs rest."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cleo's voice came from inside the room. "Is that Sophia? Come in quickly, I've missed you."
I ignored Tyler, walked past him into the room, and when I faced Cleo, I acted normal, my tone gentle. "Grandma."
When Cleo saw me, her eyes filled with joy. She took my hand and had me sit beside her.
"Sophia, I've asked Tyler several times to bring you home for dinner, but Tyler kept saying you were busy."
Hearing this, my heart tightened, and I smiled bitterly. "I was helping a friend with something recently."
"Sophia, I know about what happened a few days ago. Tyler was wrong. I've already scolded him. Don't worry, no matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."
I lowered my long lashes, hiding the sadness that flashed through my eyes.
Tyler walked over and sat across from us, his tone revealing some displeasure. "Grandma, don't say things like that. There's nothing going on between Sophia and me."
"I'm not talking to you." Cleo glanced at Tyler reproachfully.
I pressed my lips together. "Thank you, Grandma. Right now I only care about Jasper. As long as Jasper can grow up healthy every day, nothing else matters to me."
I didn't directly state the status of my marriage with Tyler, but I also didn't want to be a doormat.
Cleo looked at me, then at Tyler, as if she sensed something.
But her next words surprised me.
"Sophia, Jasper is already five years old. So many people your age are having second children now. You two should put it on the agenda too. Have a daughter—a son and a daughter, how wonderful."
Perhaps because I'd never thought about this, my facial muscles lost control in that instant, frozen in initial surprise, my eyes also fixed and unmoving.
Tyler's face was similarly frozen in a dramatic stillness of disbelief.
A few seconds later, I calmed myself down and refused very calmly.
"Grandma, I have no plans for a second child. Having Jasper is enough for me."
Cleo frowned slightly, her tone seeming both serious and casual. "Of course having Jasper is good. I'm just suggesting—everyone envies having both a son and daughter. How nice. Let Jasper have a little sister, so they can look after each other in the future."
I moved my lips and smiled with slight self-mockery. "No need, Grandma."
"When there's a suitable opportunity, we'll consider having a second child. I've thought about it before too. Indeed, having both a son and daughter would be best." Tyler suddenly said.
Instantly, my heart tightened. An indescribable feeling rose in my chest, as if all the bitter medicine in the world was churning in my stomach. I couldn't stand it and wanted to spit out this bitterness, but could only swallow it back down, leaving only a bitter taste.
I hated Tyler's attitude of not considering me, not caring about my feelings, but I had no power to resist. Who told me to agree to be a housewife?
All these years, all my expenses have depended on Tyler. In my situation, I have no right to refuse.
I clenched my hands hard, suppressing the turmoil in my heart, and spoke with some sadness. "Grandma, let's just let nature take its course with this kind of thing. Besides, during this year's checkup, the doctor said I have a cold uterus, so it's better not to have a second child if possible."
Cleo saw that something was wrong with my state. She held my hand, her tone gentle. "I'm not trying to pressure you. Let nature take its course. Don't take it to heart."
I forced a smile and said nothing.
After dinner, Tyler drove us home. I held Jasper in the back seat. Jasper was already asleep.
Tyler looked at me in the back seat through the rearview mirror, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. "Sophia, Grandma's health isn't good. I don't want any issues between you and me to disturb her. The smallest thing can keep her up at night."
Hearing this, the anger in my heart could no longer be suppressed.
My tone was emotionless. "If I heard correctly, Grandma's friend told her about what happened a few days ago. It has nothing to do with me. I didn't say anything. Please stop blaming everything on me. I'm a person too, not a piece of wood."
Tyler paused, a trace of surprise in his eyes. "You're still angry?"
"I told you, Jasper is my bottom line. Beyond that, whoever you want to be with outside is up to you. Just leave me alone."
He pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes cold.
"What's between Ava and me has nothing to do with you. No one can replace your position."
I was so angry I laughed again. I looked at him coldly through the rearview mirror and said seriously, "Tyler, I don't care about being your wife."
At the same time, Jasper moved in his sleep and made a soft whimpering sound.
Tyler and I both fell silent. The car fell into a long silence.
When we got home, I settled Jasper in and returned to my own room. Just then, my phone rang.
I answered the call, and a pleasant, magnetic voice came through. "Are you asleep? The time difference between home and abroad is so big. I was afraid of disturbing your rest and hesitated for a long time before daring to call you."
I smiled. "It's fine, Zachary Baker."
"Haha, that's good. I received the email you sent me. The defense opinion you wrote is really amazing. This could be used as teaching material in law school. How did our team not think of defending it this way?"
I blushed at the praise and said modestly, "I also looked through a lot of materials. You guys have many cases and tight deadlines. If you were as free as me, you'd definitely write even better defense opinions."
"Actually, I'm calling not just about this, but about something more important."
I was puzzled. "What?"
"A while ago, a foreign law firm sent you a job offer, right? Coincidentally, I happen to work at this firm. I just didn't know about it before. I only found out today when we were discussing cases."
Hearing this, I was surprised. "Really? What a coincidence."
"It really is a coincidence. The boss heard that you and I were college classmates, so he entrusted me with this important task. Sophia, are you willing to come? I heard you've been considering it for quite a while."
I was stunned for a moment, trying hard to control the sadness in my heart, and answered, "Zachary, I can't take the position in the short term. If your company isn't willing to wait, you can withdraw my offer."