Chapter 2



A sweet, melodious voice filled the air. It belonged to Kallie’s sister-in-law, Melinda Reeves, who was cradling her baby and smiling warmly at Kallie.

“Come hold the baby for some good luck,” Melinda urged. “You and Jake have been trying for five years without any news. It’s time to pick up the pace.”

All eyes suddenly fixated on Kallie, sharp as knives. Kallie’s hands began to sweat with anxiety.

Melinda continued, “Look, no one blames you for your disability. But sweetness alone won’t suffice as a wife. How can you meet your responsibilities if you can’t bear children?”

Crushed by embarrassment, Kallie moved to take Melinda’s baby. However, she was abruptly stopped by another hand.

Her mother-in-law, Shirley Reeves, quickly took Melinda’s baby away. “This child is healthy. We can’t let her risk being affected by bad luck or sickness once you hold her.”

Kallie’s heart sank. She tried to explain that it wasn’t that she couldn’t bear children. The thing was…

The crowd was puzzled by Kallie’s sign language, and Shirley interrupted her sharply. “Even if you could have children, we’d rather you didn’t. What if your child inherits your problems? We can’t allow that!”

The crowd murmured in agreement, “Exactly, we must think of the children’s well-being!”

Kallie felt a cold dread. If she couldn’t have children, then surely that other woman could? She wasn’t as infertile as Melinda implied. Kallie had once fallen pregnant unexpectedly. However, Shirley, insisting that the child might inherit her muteness and that Jake wouldn’t want such a child, coerced her into having an abortion.

Kallie was unable to convey that her muteness was caused by an illness, not heredity. Thus, with heavy tears, she aborted the child. The pain of that decision lingered, sharper than she ever imagined it would.

Melinda remarked softly, “Shirley, I hear your concerns. However, I’ve only been able to have one daughter, and I faced complications that may prevent me from having more children. If Kallie is unable to have children, our family line could end here.”

Turning to Jake with a soft expression, Melinda asked, “Jake, what are your thoughts on this?”

The room’s attention pivoted to Jake, many anticipating a scene.

It was common knowledge that Jake was not fond of his arranged marriage. A public rejection of Kallie would certainly stir up headlines.

Yet, a frosty demeanor overtook Jake’s stern features as he retorted sarcastically, “You’re speaking too much. What’s your point?”

Melinda’s expression faltered, realizing she had inadvertently crossed a line with the wrong person.

Shirley intervened, attempting to smooth things over. “Your sister-in-law was only expressing her concern out of care for you. It was out of line for you to respond so harshly.”

Melinda cast her eyes down, her voice tinged with remorse. “Dean is away on business, and I’ve been handling everything on my own since the baby came. I meant only to show I care, but I apologize if I’ve caused any offense.”

Jake’s skepticism was palpable, his voice frosty as he said, “If managing the household feels overwhelming, you don’t have to force yourself to do it.”

He gestured to his assistant, instructing him to set aside the gifts. “My personal life is off-limits,” he declared firmly.

In the stunned silence that followed, filled with astonished and perplexed gazes, Jake escorted Kallie away from the party.

Kallie was dumbfounded, barely registering the events until they were seated in the car. She hadn’t anticipated Jake defending her so openly.

Jake’s brow creased slightly, annoyance tinging his voice as he said, “Ignore what they said.”

Kallie shook her head, indicating the comments hadn’t affected her.

Jake’s frustration grew. “So, in all these five years, have you really never considered the idea of us having children?”

Kallie had always been compliant and kind, her love for Jake unquestionable. Yet, her apparent indifference to the idea of children now made him doubt her feelings.

Ever since their wedding, Kallie had harbored dreams of them sharing a child. However, she knew that as long as Shirley was in the picture, it would remain just that—a dream. She wondered if Jake was testing her desire for motherhood.

Pausing briefly, Kallie finally gestured to let the incident slide. She feared, as Shirley had said, that her child might inherit her inability to speak.

Jake looked at her sharply. “You’re saying you don’t want to have a baby with me. But unless I’m mistaken, we were quite careless last night, and you haven’t taken any medicine since then.”

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