C161 Family's Decision

For the first time in a very long while... I felt completely helpless. Chris had stood beside me when everyone else abandoned me. When I was accused... When I was betrayed... When the whole world pointed fingers at me... He never once doubted me. He had shielded me countless times. He wasn't just my best friend anymore. He had become the brother I never had. A brother I wished I would never lose. A brother who stayed... ...when everyone else walked away.

Thinking about him facing the Wood family alone made my heart feel heavy. Beside me, Alicia quietly noticed my distracted expression. Without saying anything, she reached over and gently intertwined her fingers with mine. She squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Husband..." Her soft voice pulled me back to reality. "We'll think of something."

I turned to look at her. Although she looked calm, I could tell she was worried too. Just then... Chris' face appeared again on the video call. He forced a grin. "Guys..." "I'm the one in trouble." "You two are holding hands and comforting each other instead of comforting me." His exaggerated complaint made both of us laugh.

Alicia smiled innocently. "Well..." "I don't actually think you're in trouble." Chris blinked. "...What?" She leaned back against the sofa thoughtfully. "The real problem hasn't started yet." She paused before continuing. "If Sarah's parents oppose your relationship..." "...their grandchild will eventually suffer because of the conflict."

She looked directly at Chris through the phone. "But..." "If they accept you immediately..." "It won't be easy either." Chris frowned. "I don't understand." Alicia explained patiently. "Think about it." "Director Sarah is no longer an ordinary employee." "She's now the Director of Wood IT Company." "You're still one of her employees." "The moment people discover she's pregnant..." "...they'll start talking." "They'll question her professionalism." "They'll question her leadership." "They'll even question whether promotions inside the company are based on ability or relationships."

She sighed softly. "No matter which way you look at it..." "...there'll be pressure." Chris slowly nodded. "I hadn't thought that far." I looked at him seriously. "Brother..." "Don't worry." "We'll figure something out." "But for now..." "We wait." "We wait to see what Director Wood and Mrs. Wood decide." Chris remained silent.

I continued calmly, "I warned you before, didn't I?" "Falling in love with your boss wouldn't be simple." A faint smile appeared on my face. "So now..." "We wait." "Things might become much better..." "...or much worse." Chris rolled his eyes. "Thanks." "You're really encouraging." I laughed. Then I deliberately teased him. "Oh..." "And tell my sister-in-law not to panic." "I can't wait to carry my little niece."

The moment those words left my mouth... Chris exploded. "Niece?" I shrugged dramatically. "I've already decided." "My niece." Chris pointed at the camera. "You..." Before he could continue... I burst into laughter. Even Alicia covered her mouth as she giggled. Chris finally shook his head helplessly. "I'm hanging up." "You two don't deserve me." The call disconnected.

The room suddenly became quiet. Alicia gently rested her head on my shoulder. She wrapped both arms around me. "Hubby..." I looked at her. "Tonight..." "I want to cook dinner." I smiled faintly. "For who?" "For everyone." She looked up at me. "Let's invite your parents to my family's house." "I want both families to eat together." "After everything that has happened..." "...I think everyone deserves a peaceful evening."

I stroked her hair gently. "That sounds wonderful." Although I answered her... ...my thoughts were somewhere else. Would Chris really be alright? Would the Wood family accept him? Would everything fall apart? Or... Would things finally begin getting better? Alicia noticed I had gone quiet again. She simply smiled. Without saying another word... She stood up. "Come on." "We need vegetables."

I blinked. "Vegetables?" "If I'm cooking tonight..." "I need ingredients first." She laughed. "And since you're my husband..." "You're carrying the shopping bags." I sighed dramatically. "So this is married life." She grinned mischievously. "It has only just begun."

A few minutes later... We climbed into her Maserati. The afternoon sun shone brightly as she drove toward one of Scotland's largest supermarkets. Along the way... She quietly hummed to herself. Perhaps... She was trying to distract both of us from worrying about Chris.

Meanwhile... At the Wood residence... The atmosphere upstairs remained tense. Sarah stared at the closed bedroom door for several moments before finally gathering enough courage. She slowly turned the handle. Click. The door opened. Outside... Kelvin and Tracy were still waiting. Neither of them had left.

The moment Kelvin saw his daughter... His stern expression disappeared. Instead... It was replaced with guilt. Before Sarah could say anything... Kelvin spoke first. "My daughter..." "I'm sorry." Sarah looked up. He took a deep breath. "We failed you." "If I hadn't insisted that you accompany me to France..." "If I hadn't dragged you onto that business trip..." "...none of this would've happened."

Sarah immediately shook her head. "Dad..." She gently interrupted him. "Please don't blame yourself." "What's done..." "...has already happened." She forced a small smile. "We can't change the past." "What matters now..." "...is deciding what we do next." Kelvin and Tracy quietly listened. Sarah looked at both of them before speaking again. "Chris..." "...is a good man."

A warm smile unconsciously appeared on her face. "During these past few months..." "I've come to know him well." "He's honest." "He's kind." "And he has never once lied to me." She lowered her eyes. "When I told him I was pregnant..." "I was terrified." "I thought he'd panic." "I thought he'd run away."

A faint laugh escaped her lips. "But instead..." "He smiled." "He was happier than I was." "He even started talking about our future." Her cheeks gradually turned pink. "He said..." "...he hoped we'd have a beautiful daughter." Remembering that conversation... Sarah couldn't stop smiling.

Looking at his daughter... Kelvin also smiled faintly. Then he spoke calmly. "Sarah..." "We've never judged people by their social status." "We started with nothing ourselves." "We understand hardship better than anyone." Tracy nodded in agreement. "Christopher's mother..." "Saved your father's life." "For that alone..." "I'll always be grateful."

Kelvin continued, "You're no longer a child." "You're old enough to make your own decisions." He paused. "However..." "You're also the Director of Wood IT Company now." "You must always look at the bigger picture." Sarah nodded quietly. Kelvin's expression became serious. "In a few weeks..." "Your pregnancy will begin to show." "People will notice." "They'll ask questions." "Rumours will spread." "They'll gossip inside the company." "They'll question your leadership."

Tracy gently held Sarah's hand. "So before making any decision..." "Think carefully." Sarah's heartbeat quickened. She looked at both of them uncertainly. "...Dad..." "...Mom..." She swallowed nervously. "You..." "...you're not going to oppose us?" For several long seconds... Neither parent answered. Then... Both of them slowly shook their heads. Sarah froze.

The next second... Her eyes became red. Without caring about anything else... She rushed forward and hugged both of them tightly. "Thank you..." "Mom..." "Dad..." "Thank you so much..." Tears quietly rolled down her cheeks. For the first time since discovering her pregnancy... The burden in her heart finally became lighter.