Chapter 3


    Should I be surprised? In all honesty, it wasn’t really unexpected. Even though she and Josiah didn’t


    date each other before getting married, they had been together for almost three years, so she felt


    like she knew him quite well. Josiah was a kind person, not like the arrogant CEOs portrayed in


    novels and TV dramas who could intimidate one with just a single word. On the contrary, he was


    elegant in his demeanor, considerate in his speech, and meticulous in his actions. He was a gentle


    and mature man. A woman who could make him lose hisposure must be someone


    extraordinary. She was almost prepared for an emotional reunion filled with memories of the past,


    but reality turned out to be quite different from her expectations. When she returned to the old


    house, there was indeed a pregnant woman present. However, the pregnant woman was seated


    with her mother-inw, Susan McKay, while Josiah was seated alone on a single couch next to


    them. When he saw her return, he quickly stood up as usual, took her coat and bag from her hands,


    and said, “Let me hang these up for you.” Susan warmly weed her back. “You’re back,


    Lysander. Hurry up and take a seat.” Lysander greeted Susan and then nced at the pregnant


    woman beside her. “And she is…” Susan smiled and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Lysanne,


    the daughter of our neighbor, Mr. Thorne, next door. She and her husband have been living abroad


    and just returned recently. Lysanne, this is Josiah’s wife, as I mentioned to you earlier.” The


    pregnant woman smiled and slowly stood up, holding her belly. “Nice to meet you, my name is


    Lysanne.” Lysander was taken aback. “What did you say your name is?” “What a coincidence. I’m


    Lysanne. Our names sound rather simr, don’t they?” Susan nodded in agreement. “Yes, what a


    coincidence indeed. I was pretty surprised when Josiah got married. Perhaps Josiah is destined to


    have a connection with people whose names start with Lysan. One was his best friend since


    childhood, and the other was his wife.” Lysanne said, “Yes, how wonderful. You may not know this


    yet, Madam Susan, but Dr. Thorne was the one who performed surgery on me.” Susan was even


    more surprised now. “Really?” “Yes.” Lysanne reached out her hand to Lysander, seeking a


    handshake. “I haven’t thanked you for saving me and my child yet. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t


    be standing here safe and sound.” Lysanne was frank and straightforward, so Lysander saw no


    reason to be afraid of her. She shook hands with her confidently. “No need to be so polite, it’s my


    duty. Your situation seemed dangerous, but it wasn’t a big deal. Once you rest for a few days post-


    surgery, everything will be fine, but you still need to be careful afterward.” “Thank you, Dr. Thorne. I


    will remember that.” The servants gradually set the table with food, and Susan invited everyone to


    eat together. Josiah was modest and not fond of extravagance. Since turning thirty-one wasn’t a


    milestone birthday, he didn’t have a grand celebration. Instead, he prepared a feast at home and


    gathered with his family for a meal. Lysander had always been a woman of few words. At the dinner


    table, it was mostly Susan and Lysanne chatting about daily life, and she listened on the side, more


    or less understanding some parts of it. Beside the old residence lived a family surnamed Thorne.


    The two families had been neighbors for decades. Lysanne and Josiah were born in the same year,


    with Lysanne being a few months younger. They were ssmates from elementary school to high


    school, and they didn’t part ways until college. Josiah studied management at the top local


    university, while Lysanne went abroad to studyw. In Susan’s words, “Lysanne and Josiah are so


    close they could finish each other’s sentences.” Lysander’s mother-inw, Susan, was a cultured


    individual, having written and published her own books, and she spoke eloquently. Her words subtly


    suggested that Josiah and Lysanne shared a tonic bond, not a romantic one. Concerned that


    Lysander, with her background in science and engineering, might not grasp her meaning, Susan


    gently patted her hand and remarked, “At one point, they were so inseparable that I briefly mistook


    their rtionship for something more, but it turned out… Hahaha, it was just a misunderstanding!”


    Turning back to Lysander with a smile, Susan borated, “Actually, Lysanne had a crush on one of


    Josiah’s male friends, and she used to ask Josiah to pass notes to him every day!” Josiah’s


    expression betrayed a hint of mncholy as he self-deprecatingly remarked, “Yes, I was merely a


    messenger.” Lysander smiled and inquired, “So, did it work out in the end?” Lysanne, who had been


    quiet this entire time, answered directly, “We did date, but it didn’tst long. It was just a teenage


    crush, and those rtionships usually don’tst.” “True.” Susan joked, “Lysanne, why didn’t you


    ever fancy Josiah? I fail to see how that boy is any better than Josiah.” Lysanne shrugged and


    replied, “We’re too close to each other. I just couldn’t bring myself to feel that way.” Susan had


    achieved her objective, and Lysanne’s lighthearted response lifted the mood. The dining room was


    filled with Susan’s heartyughter. In truth, Lysander was grateful for Susan’s act of kindness.


    Lysander harbored doubts in her heart but refrained from asking directly. Susan saw through her


    doubts, thus spoke up and rified everything. Honestly, Lysander was genuinely content with this


    marriage. Josiah was kind and considerate, Susan was easy to get along with, and they didn’t


    pressure her to have children like other affluent families. On the contrary, they were very supportive


    of her career. It was almost perfect, except for the absence of love. But… Lysanne, Lysander… The


    simrity of these two names led her to overthink. ording to Susan, their neighbor, Mr. Thorne,


    had apanied his wife to a sanatorium in the mountains a few years ago. His wife’s health was


    poor, and the mountain air was beneficial for her recovery, so the neighboring house had been


    vacant for over three years and was temporarily uninhabitable. As a pregnant woman, Lysanne


    stayed overnight at the Guerra Residence that night, either out of safety concerns or out of


    neighborly care. After showering, Lysander returned to the room to find Josiah half-reclining on the


    bed, wearing gold-framed sses and perusing a book. He set aside the book as she approached,


    took the towel from her hand, and helped dry her hair. “Feeling tired?” She had worked continuously


    for 24 hours to apany Josiah back to the old house for his birthday. Upon returning home, she


    didn’t get any rest either and had been awake for nearly 36 hours. “I’m fine,” she replied. Josiah’s


    movements were gentle, and his tone even gentler. “That day at the hospital, time was limited, so I


    didn’t mention Lysanne to you. She flew back from overseas specifically to celebrate my birthday,


    but unfortunately, she got into a car ident on her way back from the airport.” “Ah, so that’s how it


    is.” So that night, he hurried out, not due to an urgent matter at work but to pick someone up from


    the airport. Josiah stated, “Lysanne and I are the closest of friends.” When he mentioned the word


    “friend,” he spoke deliberately and with emphasis. Lysander responded slowly, “Flying back from


    abroad while six months pregnant to celebrate your birthday, it’s certainly not an ordinary


    friendship.” His hand paused for a moment as he dried her hair, and she heard his soft and hesitant


    voice in her ear, saying, “Mm-hmm.” “By the way.” Josiah changed the subject. “You mentioned


    earlier that you had a birthday gift for me. The day is almost over, so where’s my gift?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!