Chapter 153: Life Has Its Poetry While You Have Your Lecture
Looking at Halle’s questioning eyes, Hilla said discontentedly, "Halle, you’re my sister. Why are you partial to Bruce? I did nothing."
Hilla’s period came later than usual, so she went to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test, but unfortunately, she was caught by Bruce.
She was wronged, so she got uncomfortable and felt sorry for the Andersons. She even did not dare to face Bruce and felt annoyed.
"I’m asking you because I’m your sister and worried about you. Bruce is not such an unreasonable man. You are younger than him, so he always cossets you. On the contrary, you are spoiled."
After all, it was always said that those who were lucky were often spoiled while those who were unlucky were usually modest.
Halle gently rubbed her bulging belly and thought the baby was the best and greatest blessing, so she was very gratified.
"Halle, I’ve had enough of you. You are so mean. You even belittle me for the sake of Bruce."
"Don’t talk nonsense. If I belittle you, Bruce will kill me. Tell me what you did. You look guilty. If you don’t tell me, I will know it when I reach River City tomorrow."
Halle was confident that she didn’t even need to ask Margaret when arriving there.
Instead, she would know what happened after staying there for a while.
Halle felt that she was almost omnipotent. After a failed marriage, she could nearly see through anything.
Hilla was at her wit’s end. She stepped back, stopped beside the bed, and began to pluck at the corner of her clothes, whispering, "Margaret said that I got fat and ate as much as a pregnant woman. It reminded me that I hadn’t had my period for a long time, so I thought I was pregnant..."
"So what?"
This was easy. Now that Hilla wasn’t sure, she just needed to see the doctor.
Halle had been anxious before, so she knew every woman would be suspicious, nervous, and expectant when this happened.
"I thought I was pregnant, but I was not sure, so I asked Margaret to keep the secret. Before I went back to school today, I..."
Hilla suddenly stopped. After a while, she said through gritted teeth, "I went to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test and some contraceptives, but I met Bruce when I went out."
"Do you mean he came to attend your graduation ceremony?"
To Halle’s surprise, Hilla wasn’t at sixes and sevens when knowing that she might be
pregnant. Instead, she went to buy a pregnancy test first. Thus, Halle thought Hilla did much better. Hilla was calmer than Halle had been!
"He said he was just passing by. Anyway, I bumped into him. Then he took my handbag and opened it to take a look ... Halle, do you think he didn’t respect my privacy?"
Hearing this, Halle thought Hilla’s focus was in the wrong area.
If Hilla scolded Bruce that he didn’t respect her privacy, he would probably feel guilty.
"It’s none of my business. I can’t interfere, but considering his personality, I think he was doubting you, or he wouldn’t have looked into your handbag."
"For what? Do you mean he thought I stole his money and salivated at his family’s property? How dare he think so! I really regret my hasty decision to marry him."
Even though Hilla was aggressive and angry, Halle was not angry but very calm. Instead, Halle frowned and said, "What did he see?"
Hilla was stunned and said innocently, "What do you mean?"
Halle shook her head and said patiently, "Did Bruce see the pregnancy test or the contraceptives?"
In Halle’s mind, Bruce’s attitude might depend on what he saw first.
He would be panicky or surprised when seeing the pregnancy test while he would be disappointed by the contraceptives. After all, Bruce was not so young anymore and he didn’t have any brothers or nephews, so he must want to have a baby.
Hilla pouted and said in an annoyed tone, "I don’t know."
Bruce was taller than her. She was too nervous and guilty to notice what he saw first. In any case, there was nothing else and her handbag was not big, so he could see anything in it.
"Did his expression change?"
Hilla’s mouth twitched as she replied with a shrug, "No, he was poker-faced."
Halle frowned. No matter what Bruce saw first, he couldn’t be expressionless. It must be that Hilla didn’t pay attention to him.
Thinking of this, Halle didn’t know what to say. Hilla often carelessly ignored something important, but sometimes, she was very careful and clever.
"So, you are here today to hide from him."
Hearing this, Hilla immediately retorted in dissatisfaction, "No. I was waiting at home for him to come back and make things clear. However, Lilian called me. I come here because I’m worried about you. Halle, do you know how hurtful your words are?"
"Bruce is always kind to you, but I won’t, so don’t play that card."
They shared the same mother, and they were family, so they were the closest to each other. They wouldn’t cut ties with each other because of a few words.
Halle heaved a sigh of relief and lay down on the bed with a smile. Because she was pregnant, the bed was covered with a layer of soft mat. Besides, there were many new things in the room, and most of them were used for the baby.
Some were given by neighbors while some were bought by Halle when she went to the market. In a few months, this small house was nearly full.
However, Halle was satisfied, and she felt very well once she entered this room.
Hilla was holding a plastic bell in her hand. It was very small, light, and colorful. It would make a soft and pleasant bell sound when gently shaken.
She stared at the bell, deep in thought.
Halle poured some water for herself and took a sip. "What do you want to do? Bruce is the only male descendant of the Anderson family, so he is responsible for procreation. Don’t tell me you’d not like to have a baby."
In the past, Halle could not understand why some women decided to bring up children who would carry on the family’s name in the future at the cost of their personality, career, wealth, and even pride. In the end, they might end up being extremely miserable. But now, she understood that it was for nobody but the child, who was a woman’s whole world.
Every woman cherished her children most, on whom whether she was happy or not depended.
Looking at her belly, Halle couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction. With the baby, she felt very content!
...
When Hilla looked up, she saw that Halle was gently stroking her belly under the light with a sweet and happy smile.
Halle remained in such a good mood when staring at her belly.
Seeing that Halle was being so gentle and careful, Hilla was a little curious. "Halle, how do you feel with it in your belly? Is it naughty?"
As she said, she couldn’t help walking closer to Halle and putting her hand on Halle’s belly.
Hilla had thought it was tiring when she saw pregnant women with big bellies. She was also a little confused when seeing their happy faces. Besides, she didn’t have any other feelings.
Ever since Halle had become pregnant, she smiled more than before and changed a lot, which made Hilla feel that it was not bad to be a pregnant woman.
A child was a gift for a woman, so it was not so embarrassing to be pregnant.
Hilla was cautious when putting her hand on Halle’s belly, for fear that she would stab it.
"I don’t feel anything. Why is it so quiet?"
"If it was vigorous all day long, I’ll be worn out."
Halle couldn’t help laughing when she saw Hilla frown. Hilla pouted and withdrew her hand. "Well, I want to have a baby as well, but I hope to be pregnant two years later. However, I feel strange after this mistake."
Although she was not prepared, when Margaret reminded her, she was a little expectant.
It was wonderful. Hilla was not sure at that time, but she unconsciously cared about her belly, as if she were sure there was a baby inside.
Thus, Hilla somehow felt upset. She had wished not to get pregnant, but she felt a sense of loss when it came true.
It was deadly contradictory, but Hilla had never been so ambivalent before.
Halle handed Hilla a glass of water, and when Hilla reached out to take it, Halle suddenly took it away.
"You are agitated because it came so suddenly. Just like the glass of water, although you didn’t want it, you subconsciously reach out to take it. But when it is taken away, you naturally feel strange."
After Halle finished speaking, she handed the glass back to Hilla and said with a smile, "Do you feel good now?"
Hilla lowered her head and took a sip. The water was not too hot or too cold, and it felt good in the mouth. Although it had no flavor at all, it didn’t taste bad.
"I’m better, but, Halle, you’re getting increasingly garrulous as you grew old."
Halle was stunned, and then she smiled and said, "You are joking!"
"You kept teaching me a lecture. With the baby in your belly, you almost become a philosopher. Life has its poetry while you have your lecture. Halle, I sometimes feel you are resurrected."
Hilla changed the topic with a big smile on her face and began to tease Halle.
In the past, they usually talked about clothes, cosmetics, playing, using, eating, and teasing. Nonetheless, unknowingly, they seemed to have grown up as time passed. They also understood what their parents said before they passed away.
Hilla and Halle had thought it was annoying and nagging, but now, they became as garrulous as their parents.
Before Hilla could tell Bruce where she had gone, Bruce called her.
Hilla went to the countryside alone, so he was a little worried. However, she went there to pick up Halle, so he didn’t scold her.
Hilla decided to face Bruce when she returned to the urban area with Halle. Nevertheless, to her surprise, she saw Bruce the next morning when she opened the door.
He came here like what he had done a few days ago!
"Don’t tell me you came here last night and kept standing outside the door."
When Hilla saw Bruce, she was shocked and wide awake, fixing her eyes on him.
He didn’t look tired or slovenly, and his clothes didn’t have any creases. Thus, Hilla guessed that he didn’t sleep in the car for a night.
Halle also came out of the room. When she saw Bruce, they nodded at each other.
Bruce rubbed Hilla’s head, messing up her hair that she hadn’t combed since she got up.
"I’m not that stupid. I think you may bring a lot of things and your car can’t carry them all."
"Don’t mess up my hair."
Hilla whined as she was put into Bruce’s arms. She flushed and was too shy to look at Halle.
She disliked the public display of affection, but she was unwilling to push him away.
She didn’t see him for the entire night. Thus, smelling the familiar scent on his body, she realized she really missed him.
However, she felt a little embarrassed and complained, "I don’t think so. My car is
big enough."
Apart from Halle, Hilla wouldn’t take anyone else to the urban area. The baby was in Halle’s belly, so it took up no room at all. In conclusion, Bruce was speaking nonsense.
"Do you want a pregnant woman to squeeze together with your luggage?"
Bruce got to the point and continued, "Above all, I come here because I miss you."
If he didn’t say that, Hilla would continue enjoying his love for her.
However, hearing what he said, she got embarrassed.
Halle pursed her lips and tried hard not to laugh. Seeing this, Hilla blushed and couldn’t do anything.
"How shameless you are!"
Looking at Bruce’s and Halle’s smiles, Hilla finally felt that the confidence and image that she had established for twenty-one years were completely shattered.
She stomped her foot in anger and ran back to the house to get something.
Halle could not cook, so they went to the small shop inside the village to buy some Panna cottas.
Hilla liked its taste quite a lot. The countryside was good. The food was cheap and delicious. Most importantly, it was natural.
When Bruce looked at Halle, the smile on his face vanished and he became as cold and noble as usual. What was more, the tenderness in his eyes even faded away and he looked unapproachable.
"I heard that your time was near."
Halle didn’t care about his manner at all, as long as he was nice to Hilla.
"Not so fast. There’s still more than a month before the due date. You’ve given the neighbors too much money, so they are very nervous and always call Hilla for the merest trifle. After all, she has no experience."
When Halle said the last sentence, she glanced at Bruce with a meaningful smile.
Bruce knew nothing about pregnancy, so he nodded expressionlessly.
Now that Halle said she was fine, he needn’t ask anything else. But he also had a Plan B in case something was to happen.
"Let’s go back to River City first. There’s only a month left." When Bruce said the last sentence, his voice was a little low.
If Halle continued to stay in the countryside the next month, Hilla might well come to see her every night.
It meant that he might be alone at night for more than a month, which would upset
him!