As both of them continued to chat, Roxanne gave Madilyn some encouragement upon sensing her lack of confidence. Nevertheless, Madilyn responded with a wry smile before changing the topic to Roxanne’s wedding.
In reality, Madilyn wasn’t afraid of Coralie’s family background but was instead wary of the latter’s vibrant demeanor and the confidence she exuded that stemmed from her prominent identity.
Madilyn, comparatively, had to face life’s cruel realities since young as an illegitimate child whose mother was abandoned by her father. Furthermore, she could sense that Coralie’s vigor was exactly what Jonathan needed to cure his depression. Perhaps she’s a lot more suited to him. That thought flashed through her mind unbidden.
Not wanting Roxanne to worry, Madilyn kept such thoughts to herself and focused on discussing the wedding preparations. She even told Roxanne that she would meticulously choose a wonderful gift for the latter.
When Roxanne asked her what it would be, she replied that she had yet to make a decision, eliciting an eye roll from the former. It wasn’t until darkness began to fall that both of them went their separate ways.
Upon returning to the mansion, Roxanne was greeted by the sight of everyone busying themselves in the living room. As the star of the wedding, Roxanne felt embarrassed for not having to do much.
“Mommy, you had a long day. Here, have a glass of water!” The adorable and attentive Estella was always the first to welcome her mother home.
Archie and Benny were just as enthusiastic as they grabbed one of Roxanne’s hands each, showering her with attention. “What’s going on? What do you want from me this time? Spit it out.”
The children’s overwhelming affection naturally aroused her suspicions. Lucian simply shook his head with a smile. “Nothing’s going on. The children are just happy to see you, that’s all. I showed them a photo album just now, and they all understood how much you have suffered over the years.”
“That’s right, Roxanne. It must’ve been hard for you. While you were in Epea, you had to raise the two boys while studying medicine and developing your career at the same time! You have my respect for that. In the past, I was blind to not have noticed how exceptional you are!” Sonya chimed in, praising Roxanne with utmost sincerity.
Her demeanor was a huge contrast to how she used to treat Roxanne in the past, so much so that Roxanne began wondering if she really meant what she said.
At the same time, Elias nodded with a grin. He, too, felt that Sonya was exaggerating, making it sound like flattery.
“I see. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with. It is my wedding after all. I can’t just let all of you do the work.”
Even though having a wonderful family like that was every woman’s dream, Roxanne still felt uneasy not doing anything. She felt the need to be useful as if that was the only way she could retain her current state of bliss.
However, Lucian shook his head with a thoughtful expression as his eyes suddenly veered toward Roxanne’s belly.
“There’s only one thing you can do now. The children are waiting for another brother and sister, while my parents want to experience raising a grandchild again. Essie was, after all, difficult to manage due to her illness. Plus, she resented them. Therefore…”
Realization quickly dawned upon Roxanne. All of them are pampering me because they want me to give birth. Nonetheless, she shared their sentiments.
It was just as her husband had said. Everyone in the family had their own regrets. Their previous marriage of three years and the six years they spent raising the children were all unhappy times.
As a result, if she were to give birth again, the newborn would undoubtedly garner affection from everyone in the family. At the same time, the child’s presence would also reinvigorate the Farwell family.
