C32 Relationships Come And Go But Family Is Always There

The group chat exploded the moment I mentioned dinner. Chris was the first to attack. “Brother, are you serious?” “You met Laura at the mall?” “You had dinner?” “And you only tell us now?”

Message after message flooded the screen. Before I could answer, Alicia joined in. “Nerd!” “You actually asked her out?” “Who gave you such courage?”

Chris immediately replied. “Obviously you.” Alicia fired back. “What does that mean?” “It means if he spent enough time with you, eventually anyone would gain courage.”

I stared at the screen helplessly. These two had already started arguing. Meanwhile, Alicia sat on her bed holding her phone.

For some reason she was not as happy as she expected to be. When Mike first said he had dinner with Laura, her heart had suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was a strange feeling.

Almost as if someone had taken something important from her. The more she thought about it, the stranger it became.

Why would she feel that way? Wasn’t she supposed to be happy? Laura was beautiful. She was kind. She shared many of the same interests as Mike.

If anyone deserved a chance to move forward after everything that happened with Samantha, it was Mike. Then why did she feel wronged? Why did it feel like someone was replacing her?

Alicia lowered her gaze. The bracelet on her wrist reflected the light from her bedside lamp. The matching bracelet.

One of three. The bracelet she, Mike, and Chris had chosen together. Slowly, a smile appeared on her face. “Idiot.” She laughed softly at herself.

“What am I thinking? I am their younger sister. That would never change. Relationships could change. People could fall in love. People could break up. But brothers and sisters remained family.”

“No matter who Mike dated in the future, he would still be her older brother. No matter who Chris married one day, he would still be her older brother.”

The thought brought comfort to her heart. She quickly typed another message. “Congratulations, Big Brother.” The group suddenly became quiet.

Even Chris stopped typing. Alicia continued. “You deserve to be happy.” A few seconds later I smiled as I read the message. Then I replied. “Thank you, Little Sister.”

The simple response somehow made Alicia happier than she expected. The argument soon started again. Chris continued interrogating Mike. Alicia continued teasing him. The three of us chatted late into the evening before finally going offline.

At the Wood family villa, life had changed. Ever since Monica’s birth, Kelvin and Tracy had grown increasingly fond of Samantha.

The distance that once existed between them had almost completely disappeared. Tracy frequently visited her room to help with the baby. Kelvin carried Monica whenever he had free time.

Sometimes he would walk around the villa for hours with his granddaughter sleeping in his arms. The servants secretly joked that Monica had become the true ruler of the Wood family.

Only Ben seemed distant. He loved Samantha. He cared about Monica. Yet he somehow felt left out. Whenever Kelvin held the child, Samantha smiled. Whenever Tracy visited, Samantha smiled. But when he approached, things always felt awkward. It frustrated him.

The family gathered for dinner. After the meal, Tracy And Kelvin, old couple looked at Monica with doting expressions. The little girl had completely stolen their hearts.

Finally, Kelvin spoke. “We need to think about Monica’s future.” Everyone became serious. He continued. “She is a Wood.” “Our family’s blood.” “We should secure her future now.”

Tracy nodded in agreement. She also supported the idea. Then she looked directly at Ben. “When are you two getting married?” The room became silent.

Ben froze. Samantha also stiffened. She continued. “The child has already been born and right now Samantha isn’t sure whether to give her our surname or Heaps.” “There is no reason to delay.”

“For Monica’s sake, you should marry as soon as possible.” For once, Ben did not object. In fact, his eyes brightened.

This was something he had wanted for a long time. He immediately agreed. “I am willing, I had once discussed this with Samantha.” He paused and said “She agreed that after giving birth we will get married”

All eyes turned toward Samantha. Samantha lowered her head. For months she had avoided this topic. Whenever marriage was mentioned, she found excuses.

Sometimes she claimed she was not ready. Sometimes she wanted to focus on the baby. Sometimes she simply remained silent.

But now things were different. Over the past weeks, she had noticed how much Kelvin loved Monica. He treated his granddaughter like a treasure.

Then Kelvin spoke. “After the marriage, Samantha will officially become part of the Wood family.” He paused. “I also plan to place some company shares in Monica’s name.”

Everyone looked at him in surprise. Even Ben was shocked. Kelvin continued calmly. “The shares will be managed until she is old enough.” “Samantha her mother will keep hold of those shares until her daughter grows up, so she will receive a position within the company.”

The room became quiet. Samantha’s heart trembled. For the first time, she saw a future. Not for herself. But for her daughter.

With company shares, Monica would have security. With a position in the company, Samantha would have influence. Power. Protection.

Most importantly, she would no longer need to depend on her parents. She could finally stand on her own. She looked down at the sleeping child in her arms.

A long silence followed. Finally, she nodded. “I agree.” The room erupted with joy. Tracy immediately hugged her. Kelvin laughed loudly. The grandparents looked satisfied.

Even Ben felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Only Samantha knew the complicated emotions hidden in her heart. She was not marrying because she loved Ben. At least not yet.

She was marrying because she wanted a future where nobody could control her daughter. And for the first time in a very long while, that future finally seemed possible.

After dinner she went back to their room, she quickly picked up her phone and called her parents. The call connected almost immediately.

“Samantha!” Katie Heaps exclaimed excitedly. “How are you doing, my child?” “I’m fine, Mom.” Nicolas Heaps quickly joined the conversation. “We heard that everything is going well.” “ You have given birth to a daughter” they said.