Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Little Brother

Phoebe Thorne was deeply aggrieved. Her belly grew larger by the day, slowing her down, yet her workload hadn’t lessened in the slightest. Perhaps because she was getting older, this pregnancy was particularly difficult. With her first two children, she could still walk briskly at eight months. Now, at only five, she already felt completely drained.

’But what would happen if I went back to my family? I’d have to come back eventually; it wouldn’t change a thing. Besides, if I left, my daughter would be the one to suffer. My mother-in-law would just order her granddaughter around and would never lift a finger herself.’

’I’ve been married into this family for over a decade, and that old hag has never done a lick of work. My heart has gone completely cold; I’ve given up all hope for her.’

“Goldie, that’s enough,” Phoebe Thorne chided in a low voice.

’What’s the use of making a scene? Once Goldie leaves, my husband and in-laws will just blame me, and my life will be even more miserable.’

“Auntie, come home with us! No more work.”

Tang Xiaonan hugged Phoebe Thorne’s arm and refused to let go. A sudden memory surfaced. ’The author mentioned that Phoebe Thorne would slip and fall while doing laundry, causing her to go into premature labor. The delivery was incredibly difficult. And even though the baby survived, Phoebe hemorrhaged so badly that her once-healthy body was left permanently weakened, unable to do any physical labor.’

’On top of that, their sex life was affected, and Brian Chapman had an affair. When Phoebe Thorne told her family, Felix Thorne brought his brothers and son storming over the mountain. They gave Brian Chapman a sound beating and beat the young widow he was seeing half to death. The whole affair spiraled into a massive scandal.’

’Promiscuity was a serious offense back then. Brian Chapman was fired from his job, and the family lost their source of income. Phoebe Thorne’s life became even harder; she had to rely completely on her family for help and struggled just to get by. The author never wrote what happened after that, but I can only imagine it wasn’t good.’

“Auntie… home… no more work… The baby brother will be in pain…”

Tang Xiaonan pointed at Phoebe Thorne’s stomach, using the baby as an excuse. In the book, Phoebe Thorne had prematurely given birth to a boy, but he was in such poor health that his survival was uncertain. Tang Xiaonan hoped she could change the fate of both mother and son.

Phoebe Thorne’s expression flickered. She looked down at her belly. It was round and full, her skin was clear, and she had a strong craving for spicy food—all signs, people said, that she was having another daughter. This was also why her in-laws were so indifferent.

’But they say children’s words are prophetic, especially coming from a niece who has always been a lucky child. She said it’s a baby brother… could it be?’

“How do you know it’s a baby brother, Xiaonan? Maybe it’s a baby sister!” Phoebe Thorne asked with a smile.

“It *is* a baby brother, not a baby sister.”

Tang Xiaonan was resolute.

Phoebe Thorne bit her lip. She was starting to believe Tang Xiaonan, and a flicker of hope ignited within her. ’I really do want a son,’ she thought. ’It’s not that I think boys are better than girls. It’s just… I’ve suffered so much for being born a daughter. I don’t want to bring another girl into this world to go through the same thing.’

Brian Chapman was also quite pleased. He had been disappointed, assuming it was another daughter. This would be their last child; big cities like Aethelgard and Tristone were already implementing family planning policies, and it was only a matter of time before a small city like Wraven followed suit. He had rushed to have a third child after hearing the rumors, so he’d been disheartened by the prospect of another girl. But now, his hope was rekindled.

“How about this? I’ll ask my cousin to come over and help,” Brian Chapman suggested.

’He, too, was worried something might happen to his son. This was the heir to the Chapman family line; absolutely nothing could go wrong. Phoebe Thorne was almost six months pregnant. An accident now would be a catastrophe, and Brian Chapman wasn’t willing to risk it.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep