C158 The Secret Revealed

The Wood residence, which was usually lively on weekends, felt unusually peaceful that morning. Sunlight filtered through the large dining room windows, casting warm rays across the polished wooden table. Breakfast had already been prepared. Yet one person was still missing. Sarah.

Tracy looked upstairs before glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. "Nine o'clock already..." "She still hasn't woken up?" Kelvin folded his newspaper before placing it on the table. "I've noticed it too." "Our daughter has been sleeping a lot these past few weeks." Just then... Footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Sarah slowly descended, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She wore a loose cream-coloured sweater over comfortable trousers, her long hair still slightly messy from sleep. Unlike her usual energetic appearance... She looked exhausted. Tracy immediately stood up. "My child." "You finally woke up." Sarah forced a smile. "Morning, Mom." "Morning, Dad." She greeted Samantha as well before quietly taking her seat.

The maid immediately served her breakfast. However... The moment the aroma of the fried eggs reached her nose... Sarah frowned. Her stomach twisted. She gently pushed the plate away. "I'll just have some fruit..." Kelvin noticed everything. His brows slowly knitted together. "My child..." "Has work been keeping you this busy?" Sarah looked up. "Hmm?" "You've been sleeping far more than usual."

Tracy nodded in agreement. "Exactly." "You come home late..." "You wake up late..." "And whenever we see you, you look exhausted." She reached over and gently held Sarah's hand. "If work is becoming too stressful, then rest." "The company can survive without you for a day." Sarah laughed awkwardly. "Mom..." "I'm really fine." "There's nothing wrong." She quickly picked up a slice of apple to avoid meeting their eyes.

Across the table... Samantha remained unusually quiet. Her mind wasn't at breakfast. Since last night's engagement ceremony... She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Mike. The image of him placing the engagement ring onto Alicia's finger replayed over and over inside her mind. Every smile. Every laugh. Every look they exchanged. It all reminded her of what she had lost. Have I really lost him forever...? She lowered her head silently.

Meanwhile... Sarah continued pretending everything was normal. Kelvin watched his daughter carefully. The more he looked... The more something felt different. Finally, he spoke again. "My child..." Sarah looked up. "Hmm?" "I've noticed something else." "You've put on a little weight." Sarah almost choked on the juice she had just taken. "Cough..." "Cough..."

Tracy immediately handed her a glass of water. "Slowly." Sarah smiled awkwardly. "I'm okay..." Kelvin continued innocently. "Even at the office..." "I've seen you sleeping." "You've never been someone who sleeps during working hours." "But lately..." "I've walked into your office several times..." "And found you asleep." Sarah's heart skipped a beat. She forced herself to remain calm. "It's just..." "I've been working harder."

Kelvin nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps." Then... Something suddenly crossed his mind. "Oh..." "I almost forgot." Sarah looked at him. "What is it, Dad?" Kelvin leaned back in his chair. "You remember your graduation ceremony in England?" The colour slowly drained from Sarah's face. Her fingers tightened beneath the table. Graduation...? Why is Dad suddenly bringing that up?

Kelvin smiled casually. "I was looking through those photos again yesterday." "There was one picture..." He paused deliberately. "...where someone's back was captured beside you." Sarah's heartbeat instantly accelerated. No... Did I accidentally send them the wrong picture? Did they notice Chris? She kept her head lowered. Trying her best not to panic.

Unfortunately... Both Tracy and Kelvin had already noticed the sudden change in her expression. The two parents exchanged a quiet glance. Kelvin smiled even more. "You know..." "I've been wondering." "Could that person..." He paused again. "...be the same young man I saw carrying lunch to your office yesterday?" Silence.

The entire dining room became unusually quiet. Sarah's breathing became slightly uneven. Across the table... Samantha suddenly froze. Lunch... Her mind immediately recalled yesterday afternoon. She had seen Chris carrying several lunch boxes toward the Director's office. The first time... He had hidden from her. The second time... They had simply walked past one another without speaking.

At the time... She hadn't thought much about it. But now... Everything suddenly connected. She immediately looked toward Sarah. "Dad..." "You mean..." "...Chris?" The moment Chris's name left Samantha's mouth... Sarah's face turned bright red. Tracy blinked in confusion. "Christopher Chambers?" She looked between Samantha and Kelvin. "Wait..." "How did Samantha know you were talking about Chris?" "You weren't even there when your father told me about the graduation photo."

Samantha also looked confused. "I wasn't." "I just remembered seeing him yesterday." Kelvin slowly folded his arms. Now even he looked puzzled. "Exactly." "That's what I've been trying to understand." "If it really was Chris..." "How did he end up at your graduation ceremony in England?" His gaze returned to Sarah. "My child..." "Would you mind explaining?"

Sarah opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She simply lowered her head again. Her silence... Only made everyone more suspicious. Kelvin frowned. "There must be a reason you've been sleeping so much." "And becoming so picky with food." He looked at the untouched breakfast. "You barely eat anything these days." Sarah quietly swallowed. Her palms had already become damp with sweat. She wanted to speak. She truly did.

But every excuse she had prepared suddenly disappeared from her mind. Then... Tracy's eyes slowly widened. Her years of experience... Combined with everything she had just heard... Suddenly pointed toward one unavoidable conclusion. She slowly looked from Sarah's face... To the untouched breakfast... Then remembered the constant sleeping... The sudden weight gain... The strange cravings... And finally... The mysterious young man.

Her breathing became uneven. She slowly turned toward Kelvin. Then back to Sarah. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Sarah..." Sarah slowly lifted her head. "...Yes, Mom?" Tracy hesitated for several seconds. Then finally asked the question that had just formed inside her heart. "Are you and Chris..." She immediately stopped herself. "No..." "That's not the question I should be asking." She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Sarah..." "...are you pregnant?"

The words landed like thunder. Kelvin, who had been drinking tea... Immediately began coughing violently. "Cough!" "Cough!" "What?!" Even Samantha's eyes widened in complete disbelief. Pregnant? Sarah? With... Chris? Her mind refused to process it. The dining room became deathly silent.

Everyone's eyes slowly shifted toward Sarah. Waiting. Watching. Expecting her to deny it. Sarah lowered her head once more. She said nothing. But sometimes... Silence gave a louder answer than words ever could. Tracy slowly stood up from her chair. Sarah's heartbeat pounded loudly inside her chest. Every step her mother took felt heavier than the last.

There was nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide. Tracy stopped directly before her daughter. Instead of shouting... Instead of becoming angry... She simply opened her arms and hugged her tightly. "My child..." Her voice trembled slightly. "Tell us the truth." "We're your family." "Whatever it is..." "We'll face it together." The warmth of her mother's embrace almost made Sarah cry.

But before she could answer... A familiar perfume drifted into her nose. Instantly... Her stomach churned violently. She quickly covered her mouth. "Mom..." "I..." Without another word... She gently pushed Tracy aside before running toward the garden. Everyone hurried after her. The next moment... Sarah bent over beside the flowers. "Blegh..." She vomited repeatedly. No one spoke. No one needed to. The answer had already revealed itself.

When Sarah finally wiped her mouth and slowly turned around... She found Kelvin... Tracy... And Samantha... All staring at her. None of them had the slightest remaining doubt. Kelvin's face slowly darkened. His eyes no longer carried confusion. Only the fierce protectiveness of a father. He took one step forward. His deep voice echoed through the silent garden. "Sarah..." "...who is he?" He paused. Then asked the question everyone was thinking. "Was it..." "...Chris?"