When I returned home, Irvin was walking back and forth while holding our daughter. At the same time, he was reading a document.
Although our children were twins, their temperaments couldn't be more different. Our son was content with wherever and however he was laid to sleep. On the other hand, our daughter insists on being carried. Not only that, but one also had to keep walking around while carrying her.
The moment they paused or tried to sit down, she would immediately start wailing. She was also extremely picky about who carried her, only allowing Irvin to do so and walk around with her.
People said whoever took care of the baby would end up exhausted, and that couldn't be more true.
Ever since our babies were born, Irvin looked more worn out as time went by. It was to the point where even Cordelia, who used to loathe him, now found herself feeling sorry for him. So, one could imagine just how tough things had been for him.
Logically, people would think that with how difficult and tiring it was to look after our daughter, Irvin would favor our son more. But no, he was actually more fond of our daughter and couldn't stand to see her cry.
He also coddled her terribly and would pick her up the second she started crying. And now, she was so used to being held by him that she couldn't leave his arms. Because of this, Irvin always held her in his arms, even during meetings or when he was reviewing documents.
His eyes instantly lit up when he saw I had returned.
Hearing my footsteps and sensing my presence, our daughter turned her head toward me. When she saw me, she immediately started waving her tiny arms and legs in excitement. Her already wide eyes sparkled even more with delight.
As much as she loved being in her father's arms, I was still her favorite person. Plus, she would still fuss should Irvin tried to sit down while carrying her.
But when in my arms, she would become perfectly well-behaved. Her sparkling, sweet eyes could melt anyone's heart, especially when she looked up at me with them.
The last time Cordelia visited, I told her how my little girl always quieted down when I held her. Cordelia had very enviously said that my children were the best in the world.
They were already so thoughtful of me—their mother—even at such a young age, and had never caused trouble for me.
Still, once the paternity test had confirmed the child was indeed his, he quickly accepted reality and brought the boy home to raise him. The child's grandmother had also come with him.
Cordelia had been living a perfectly normal life. But suddenly, she was thrust into the role of a stepmother. Worse, she now had to live under the same roof as Hugo's ex's mother and was finding it incredibly difficult to adjust.
She didn't want to live this way, but Hugo's son wasn't born from infidelity. And he hadn't been aware of the child's existence. But now he did, and the child's mother was gone. So, he had a moral obligation to care for his son.
As for the child, the sudden loss of his mother left him very attached to his grandmother. Because of this, Hugo had no choice but to let her move in as well.
Cordelia didn't like her current life and couldn't get used to her new identity as a stepmother. But Hugo loved her dearly and treated her exceptionally well.
It was because of this that she couldn't bear to leave him. So, she could only try hard to adapt to her new life.
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