C18 Our Child Is Only Few Weeks Away

That night, my parents immediately noticed my mood. I was smiling without realizing it.

My mother tilted her head. “You look very happy after work today… what kind of job makes you smile like that?” My father laughed. “If he is this happy, then maybe work is finally treating him well.”

I barely heard them. My mind was still on the day after tomorrow, my mother called me again.

I snapped back. “Mom, Dad… tomorrow I get my first salary,” I said proudly. They both laughed. My father nodded. “Good. You are growing up.”

We sat down for dinner. But I was still distracted. Then I hesitated. “Mom… Dad… have you ever heard of Kite Flying Day?”

They both paused. My mother smiled softly. “Yes,” she said. “When we were younger, we used to go.” “They say when your kite flies high, your luck rises with it.”

“And when it falls early…” She paused for a moment. “…they say it carries bad luck.” She looked nostalgic. “I went once with your father.” “We had fun.”

Then she smiled at me. “You should go too.” “Maybe one day you’ll take your girlfriend with you.” Both of them laughed.

I nearly choked on my food. I quickly looked down, hoping they wouldn’t notice the panic on my face. Girlfriend?

Thank god I didn’t tell them I was going with Chris and Alicia.

At the Mooney residence, Alicia had just returned home. Dinner preparations were already underway. But her mind was elsewhere.

She suddenly looked up. “Dad… I think I now know why my photo was posted online with Mike.”

Mark Mooney looked at her with interest. “Oh? My little girl did her own investigation?” Her grandfather laughed from the side. “Let’s hear it.”

Alicia calmly explained everything she had learned. About Mike. About Samantha. About Ben. About the company. And everything that had happened so far.

When she finished, silence filled the room. Her grandfather’s expression slowly changed. “How old is this boy?” he asked. “Mike?” “19,” she replied. Mark’s expression darkened slightly.

For the first time, even he looked serious. “And he is already going through all this…”

Alicia nodded. “I think Vice Director is still targeting him?” she said. Silence returned.

Then Alicia suddenly smiled again. “Oh—by the way…” Everyone looked at her. “I invited Chris and Mike to Kite Flying Day.”

The room went quiet for half a second.

Then her grandfather burst out laughing. “You invited them?” “What do you even know about kite flying?”

The whole room broke into laughter.

Just then, the maid announced dinner was ready. And the Mooney family moved to the dining room… still laughing softly.

At the Wood Castle, Ben arrived home at almost the same time as his father. The two entered the dining hall while discussing company matters.

Inside, Tracy and Samantha were already seated. Several maids moved around the room preparing dinner and setting the table.

Seeing them arrive, Tracy smiled warmly. “There you are.” Kelvin nodded and took his seat. Ben sat beside Samantha.

As everyone settled down, Tracy suddenly looked toward her son. “Oh, Ben.” She smiled thoughtfully. “The day after tomorrow is Kite Flying Day. Why don’t you take Samantha there and enjoy yourselves?”

Ben agreed almost immediately. “Sure, Mother.” To him, it sounded like a perfect opportunity. Perhaps if they spent enough time together, Samantha’s attitude toward him would improve.

Samantha wanted to refuse. The words almost escaped her mouth. But she stopped herself. She knew she was fighting alone.

Her parents only cared about the benefits of the marriage. No matter what she said, nobody would stand on her side.

In the end, she forced a smile. “Alright.” Tracy seemed pleased.

As the conversation continued, Kelvin’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen before answering. A brief conversation followed.

After hanging up, he continued eating. Tracy looked at him curiously. “What was that about?” “The Finance Department,” Kelvin replied. “They’ve finished processing salaries.”

Tracy smiled. “Then Mary and Quinton must be very happy.” As a mother herself, she understood the joy parents felt when their children took another step forward in life.

Unfortunately, she failed to notice the sudden change in expression from both Ben and Samantha.

The atmosphere around the table shifted slightly. Kelvin noticed. But he chose not to comment.

Instead, he calmly added, “After Mike helped stop that security breach, I asked Finance to include a small performance bonus in his salary.”

The moment he finished speaking, his eyes landed on Ben. The meaning behind that glance was obvious.

Only a few days earlier, Ben’s reckless actions had nearly created trouble involving the Minister of Police. Kelvin was still angry about it.

Ben understood perfectly. Yet he pretended not to notice. A faint smile appeared on his face. “I didn’t realize our surname had changed from Wood to Smith.” He casually picked up his fork and continued eating. Nobody responded.

Across the table, Samantha had already lost her appetite. Her thoughts were elsewhere. The photograph. The rumors. The sight of Mike standing beside Alicia. The memory continued replaying in her mind. A strange pain settled in her chest.

Her pregnancy was entering its final stage. The delivery date drew closer with every passing day.

Unable to eat much, she simply drank water while everyone else continued dinner. Soon the meal ended.

Everyone returned to their rooms.

When Ben and Samantha entered their bedroom, Ben immediately spoke. “You said we would discuss something tonight.” Samantha nodded. “I remember.”

Then she looked at him. “I still don’t understand why you’re rushing all these wedding plans.” “Our child is due in only four weeks."

There was genuine confusion in her voice. After a brief pause, she spoke again. “Can we not go to the Kite Flying Day event?”

Ever since the Year-End Function, Samantha had hated large gatherings. Crowds reminded her of everything she wanted to forget.

Ben immediately shook his head. “No.” He spoke without hesitation. “Our baby needs fresh air.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You need fresh air too.” “We’re going.” Samantha remained silent.

Seeing that she was still reluctant, Ben continued. “Besides, Kite Flying Day isn’t very popular.” “There won’t be many people there.” “Just a few families and children.”

As expected, Samantha’s expression softened slightly. Ben noticed immediately. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. His little trick had worked.

Samantha finally nodded. “Fine.” The answer delighted him far more than he showed.

Not long afterward, the lights were turned off. Both of them lay in the same room. Yet neither of them shared the same thoughts.

Samantha stared quietly into the darkness. Thinking about the past. Thinking about Mike. Thinking about the child she was about to bring into the world.

Beside her, Ben slowly closed his eyes. A different thought occupied his mind. Kite Flying Day. Another opportunity had presented itself. And this time, he intended to make full use of it.