BAM—!

  AH—!

  A sudden, loud crash erupted in the room, accompanied by Clara’s startled scream.

  The guest room telephone that had been on the nightstand lay shattered on the floor, broken into pieces by Eric’s violent throw. A vein throbbed on his temple, his eyes bloodshot as he roared at Clara, almost like a wild animal, "What the hell did you do to me?!"

  Clara flinched under the force of his fury. Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled the covers tighter around herself, looking at him fearfully, her voice trembling. "I didn't... you... you were drunk last night. I was just trying to take care of you. It was you who..."

  Before she could finish, Eric suddenly rolled out of bed, completely naked, and began frantically searching the room. His gaze was fixed, shaking out pillows and the clothes scattered on the floor, behaving like a madman.

  "Eric, wh-what are you looking for?"

  Eric ignored her completely. Finally, his eyes landed on a small box on the desk. He lunged for it, rummaging inside until he pulled out an unopened box of condoms!

  Unopened!

  Only then did Clara understand. He was looking for the condom wrapper.

  "Clara!" Eric turned his furious glare back on her, shouting again. "You didn't even use protection?! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"

  Clara looked at him with utter grievance, tears streaming down her face. They had shared an intimate night, and upon waking, he showed no concern for her, only blaming her for not using protection?

  Shouldn't she be the one worried about potential consequences?

  Why was he treating her like this!

  But Clara meant nothing to Eric, not in his eyes nor in his heart. Her pitiful weeping only grated on his nerves, fueling his annoyance and disgust.

  Once he calmed down slightly, Eric grabbed his phone. He checked the room number, then opened a food delivery app, changed the address, and swiftly placed an order for a packet of emergency contraceptive pills.

  "I ordered the pill for you. You take it!" he said while hurriedly getting dressed, desperate to leave the room. He felt tainted. His first time wasn't with Grace!

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The thought of Grace sent a sharp pang through his chest. He glared at Clara again with a warning. "If you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, I will never forgive you!"

  SLAM!

  The door closed sharply behind him. Left alone, Clara could no longer hold back. She broke down into loud, wailing sobs. A dull ache lingered in her abdomen, and beneath the white sheets, dried traces of crimson were visible.

  Why?

  Why couldn't Eric ever love her? Cherish her?

  He hadn't even uttered a single word of concern. His first worry was about protection, and now he was forcing her to take that pill!

  It was Grace!

  Yes, it was all Grace's fault. If not for her, Eric would surely like her!

  Thinking this, the tear-stained expression on Clara's face gradually darkened into one of resentment. Subconsciously, she clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

  Meanwhile, Grace had just woken up and was having a video call with her brother, Tony.

  "I tried calling mom, but she didn't answer. Is she not home?"

  On the screen, Tony was brushing his teeth. He spat out toothpaste foam and gave a cold laugh. "She went out first thing in the morning. I finally get a two-day break for the holiday, and I have to make my own breakfast."

  "She went out?" Grace was surprised. "Where to?"

  Tony rinsed his mouth and shrugged helplessly. "She can't sit still. For the holiday, our gated community organized some activity—I forget the details. Mom volunteered to help. Right now, she's probably at the intersection handing out eggs to elderly ladies. One dime a day."

  Grace: "..."

  Tony looked at his sister on the screen with an "I told you so" expression, then continued, "The day after you left, mom went to Auntie's shop, wanting to help. But think about it, Auntie's shop is tiny. With Auntie and Uncle there, it's already packed. No room for her. So, she gave up after one day."

  He sighed and ventured, "Sis, look at this big place you're staying in. Chloe isn't here either. Why don't you bring mom to Aethelburg now? Otherwise, once this volunteering thing ends, she'll definitely look for a job again."

  All the siblings knew their mother well. In the past, she worked hard to support and educate them. Now, she worked purely because she couldn't stand being idle.

  Having been diligent her whole life, it was ingrained in her bones. All that pent-up energy suddenly had nowhere to go, which made her restless.

  "Not now. Right now, the most important thing for our family is your university entrance exams. Before your exams, mom must stay with you. Otherwise, even if she were in Aethelburg, she'd just worry about you all day."

  "Oh, why worry about me? With my grades, if I perform normally, it's a sure thing."

  Grace ignored him. This was non-negotiable.

  "That beauty spa card I got for mom, has she gone again with Auntie?" Grace suddenly asked.

  Tony nodded. "They went last night. You loaded so much money onto that card, and it's non-refundable. Mom definitely won't let it go to waste."

  This was another of their mother's traits—she hated waste, which, from another angle, was a form of frugality.

  An idea sparked in Grace's mind, and a smile spread across her face. "I'll transfer you some money in a bit. Go find out the best and most expensive dance studio in Novastra. Get mom a membership card—belly dancing, jazz, folk dance, anything. Buy the kind where you pay per session. Get her two hundred sessions to start with! Make her go learn dancing!"

  Tony's eyes lit up. "Sis! That's brilliant! Once the card is bought, mom won't dare waste it. Going to dance lessons every day can keep her fit, burn off energy, and improve her poise. Multiple benefits in one!"

  Grace raised an eyebrow in satisfaction and immediately transferred 20 Dollars to her brother, adding, "Keep the change for yourself. Buy whatever you want."

  "Long live sis!"

  Just then, a knock sounded on the bedroom door, followed by Scarlett's voice. "Honey, Charles brought us breakfast."

  Grace responded and got out of bed. Opening the door, she saw Scarlett standing there, fresh-faced and grinning goofily at her.

  The two best friends had binge-watched dramas late into the night, so Scarlett had ended up crashing at Grace's place.

  Grace sighed, "We could have just ordered delivery. No need to trouble Charles to make a special trip."

  Scarlett shrugged nonchalantly. "He offered on his own. By the time he messaged me, he was already at the gate. Besides, this was all made by our family cook. Way better than takeout."

  Chatting, they headed downstairs to find Charles standing by the dining table. He had already neatly laid out breakfast.

  There was pumpkin porridge, fried sausages, some steamed buns, and scrambled eggs.

  Very traditional, exactly the kind of breakfast Grace liked.

  "Thank you, Charles. Have you eaten? Join us!" Grace expressed her gratitude and warmly invited him.