Chapter 3

Should I be surprised? In all honesty, it wasn’t really unexpected. Even though she and Josiah didn’t date each other before getting married, they had been together for almost three years, so she felt like she knew him quite well. Josiah was a kind person, not like the arrogant CEOs portrayed in novels and TV dramas who could intimidate one with just a single word. On the contrary, he was elegant in his demeanor, considerate in his speech, and meticulous in his actions. He was a gentle and mature man. A woman who could make him lose his composure must be someone extraordinary. She was almost prepared for an emotional reunion filled with memories of the past, but reality turned out to be quite different from her expectations. When she returned to the old house, there was indeed a pregnant woman present. However, the pregnant woman was seated with her mother-in-law, Susan McKay, while Josiah was seated alone on a single couch next to them. When he saw her return, he quickly stood up as usual, took her coat and bag from her hands, and said, “Let me hang these up for you.” Susan warmly welcomed her back. “You’re back, Lysander. Hurry up and take a seat.” Lysander greeted Susan and then glanced at the pregnant woman beside her. “And she is…” Susan smiled and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Lysanne, the daughter of our neighbor, Mr. Thorne, next door. She and her husband have been living abroad and just returned recently. Lysanne, this is Josiah’s wife, as I mentioned to you earlier.” The pregnant woman smiled and slowly stood up, holding her belly. “Nice to meet you, my name is Lysanne.” Lysander was taken aback. “What did you say your name is?” “What a coincidence. I’m Lysanne. Our names sound rather similar, don’t they?” Susan nodded in agreement. “Yes, what a coincidence indeed. I was pretty surprised when Josiah got married. Perhaps Josiah is destined to have a connection with people whose names start with Lysan. One was his best friend since childhood, and the other was his wife.” Lysanne said, “Yes, how wonderful. You may not know this yet, Madam Susan, but Dr. Thorne was the one who performed surgery on me.” Susan was even more surprised now. “Really?” “Yes.” Lysanne reached out her hand to Lysander, seeking a handshake. “I haven’t thanked you for saving me and my child yet. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be standing here safe and sound.” Lysanne was frank and straightforward, so Lysander saw no reason to be afraid of her. She shook hands with her confidently. “No need to be so polite, it’s my duty. Your situation seemed dangerous, but it wasn’t a big deal. Once you rest for a few days post-surgery, everything will be fine, but you still need to be careful afterward.” “Thank you, Dr. Thorne. I will remember that.” The servants gradually set the table with food, and Susan invited everyone to eat together. Josiah was modest and not fond of extravagance. Since turning thirty-one wasn’t a milestone birthday, he didn’t have a grand celebration. Instead, he prepared a feast at home and gathered with his family for a meal. Lysander had always been a woman of few words. At the dinner table, it was mostly Susan and Lysanne chatting about daily life, and she listened on the side, more or less understanding some parts of it. Beside the old residence lived a family surnamed Thorne. The two families had been neighbors for decades. Lysanne and Josiah were born in the same year, with Lysanne being a few months younger. They were classmates from elementary school to high school, and they didn’t part ways until college. Josiah studied management at the top local university, while Lysanne went abroad to study law. In Susan’s words, “Lysanne and Josiah are so close they could finish each other’s sentences.” Lysander’s mother-in-law, Susan, was a cultured individual, having written and published her own books, and she spoke eloquently. Her words subtly suggested that Josiah and Lysanne shared a platonic bond, not a romantic one. Concerned that Lysander, with her background in science and engineering, might not grasp her meaning, Susan gently patted her hand and remarked, “At one point, they were so inseparable that I briefly mistook their relationship for something more, but it turned out… Hahaha, it was just a misunderstanding!” Turning back to Lysander with a smile, Susan elaborated, “Actually, Lysanne had a crush on one of Josiah’s male friends, and she used to ask Josiah to pass notes to him every day!” Josiah’s expression betrayed a hint of melancholy as he self-deprecatingly remarked, “Yes, I was merely a messenger.” Lysander smiled and inquired, “So, did it work out in the end?” Lysanne, who had been quiet this entire time, answered directly, “We did date, but it didn’t last long. It was just a teenage crush, and those relationships usually don’t last.” “True.” Susan joked, “Lysanne, why didn’t you ever fancy Josiah? I fail to see how that boy is any better than Josiah.” Lysanne shrugged and replied, “We’re too close to each other. I just couldn’t bring myself to feel that way.” Susan had achieved her objective, and Lysanne’s lighthearted response lifted the mood. The dining room was filled with Susan’s hearty laughter. In truth, Lysander was grateful for Susan’s act of kindness. Lysander harbored doubts in her heart but refrained from asking directly. Susan saw through her doubts, thus spoke up and clarified everything. Honestly, Lysander was genuinely content with this marriage. Josiah was kind and considerate, Susan was easy to get along with, and they didn’t pressure her to have children like other affluent families. On the contrary, they were very supportive of her career. It was almost perfect, except for the absence of love. But… Lysanne, Lysander… The similarity of these two names led her to overthink. According to Susan, their neighbor, Mr. Thorne, had accompanied his wife to a sanatorium in the mountains a few years ago. His wife’s health was poor, and the mountain air was beneficial for her recovery, so the neighboring house had been vacant for over three years and was temporarily uninhabitable. As a pregnant woman, Lysanne stayed overnight at the Guerra Residence that night, either out of safety concerns or out of neighborly care. After showering, Lysander returned to the room to find Josiah half-reclining on the bed, wearing gold-framed glasses and perusing a book. He set aside the book as she approached, took the towel from her hand, and helped dry her hair. “Feeling tired?” She had worked continuously for 24 hours to accompany Josiah back to the old house for his birthday. Upon returning home, she didn’t get any rest either and had been awake for nearly 36 hours. “I’m fine,” she replied. Josiah’s movements were gentle, and his tone even gentler. “That day at the hospital, time was limited, so I didn’t mention Lysanne to you. She flew back from overseas specifically to celebrate my birthday, but unfortunately, she got into a car accident on her way back from the airport.” “Ah, so that’s how it is.” So that night, he hurried out, not due to an urgent matter at work but to pick someone up from the airport. Josiah stated, “Lysanne and I are the closest of friends.” When he mentioned the word “friend,” he spoke deliberately and with emphasis. Lysander responded slowly, “Flying back from abroad while six months pregnant to celebrate your birthday, it’s certainly not an ordinary friendship.” His hand paused for a moment as he dried her hair, and she heard his soft and hesitant voice in her ear, saying, “Mm-hmm.” “By the way.” Josiah changed the subject. “You mentioned earlier that you had a birthday gift for me. The day is almost over, so where’s my gift?”