Chapter 429

Pregnancy was a long journey. Shelmaine's emotions fluctuated dramatically, and nightmares were frequent. This time, she dreamt that she had failed to protect her child once again. When she woke up, she covered her face and cried uncontrollably. Samuel wasn't home. He had something going on in Aurich and had to leave that afternoon. Just as Shelmaine was drowning in her grief, her phone started ringing nonstop. Without checking who was calling, she grabbed her phone and answered it. Samuel's deep voice rang through. "Honey, what's wrong with your voice?" It was as if he knew telepathy. She choked out, "Samuel Hasting, you're a scumbag. I hate you! I really hate you!" "I'm sorry, honey. Please don't be mad. I'll come back soon. Don't cry—you're pregnant, and it's not good for your body." Clearly anxious, Samuel couldn't sleep at this hour. He immediately called a cab to the airport, grabbed his passport, and prepared to head back to Amberward. The call stayed connected the whole time, and he spent the whole journey comforting Shelmaine. She cried her heart out, leaving him upset and anxious. He consoled her relentlessly until she finally calmed down. Samuel had to end the call as he was about to board the plane. He repeatedly reassured Shelmaine that he would be there soon and told her not to worry. After the call ended, she remained upset as she was still immersed in the haunting nightmare. Exhausted from crying, she eventually fell asleep. When she woke up, Samuel was already back. Sitting by the bedside, he gently pressed a warm towel to her face. He kissed her forehead and softly asked, "What's wrong? Why were you crying so much?" Thinking she was still in a dream, Shelmaine's eyes were still reddened. She murmured, "Don't hurt my child…" "No, I'm not going to hurt you or your child—never. Shelly, you've just had a bad dream. It wasn't real, so don't cry." With her vision blurred by her tears, she indeed found it hard to distinguish between dream and reality. She pinched her hand so hard that it brought more tears. When Shelmaine finally realized it wasn't a dream, she turned to Samuel and bit her lip. "I dreamed about what happened back then." "I'm sorry, honey. It was all my fault…" "Samuel, I can live just fine without you. If you ever think of doing anything bad…" "No, never. I'll never do them again. Honey, you're the most important person in the world—I swear. Please don't be mad at me." He was terrified of Shelmaine mentioning the past. To make things worse, she was extremely sensitive during her pregnancy. Any emotion she had would be greatly intensified. The doctor warned him that extreme emotional swings could harm both her and the child, deeply worrying him. Gradually, Shelmaine's emotions settled, and she quietly fell asleep in Samuel's arms. His heart softened as he held her gently, careful not to disturb her. From that moment until she gave birth, he never left her side. He handed all company matters to Samson, who was left overwhelmed with work. Every few days, he would call Samuel and scold him for being inhumane and exploitative. He ended up blocking Samson. Shelmaine gave birth to a daughter at Amberward Hospital and named her Tamisha Clarke. Samuel didn't mind having her take Shelmaine's last name, as long as they were both by his side. He didn't dare ask for more. During Shelmaine's recovery period, Isabelle came back to see Tamisha. Both women were overjoyed for their reunion. They forbade Samuel from being present at their gathering. They even chased him out of the ward and left him standing guard by the door. He could only hear their conversation from outside the ward. Shelmaine asked, "Why have you lost so much weight?" "It's the food abroad. It's awful—absolutely disgusting! I don't like cooking, so I ended up eating bread all the time. Of course, I'd lose weight." Tears welled up in Shelmaine's eyes. "Oh, Belle…" "It's okay. I'm perfectly fine, so don't worry." Isabelle glanced at Tamisha, who was sleeping soundly after her meal. "Tammy looks so much like you. Thankfully she doesn't look like her dad." Shelmaine nodded in agreement. Indeed, Tamisha resembled her more instead of Samuel. She was thankful and hoped Tamisha wouldn't take after her father's personality. "Shelly, take good care of my goddaughter. When I'm rich, I'll get her a mansion." "Really?" "Of course! Why would I lie? I don't plan to get married or have kids. I'm relying on Tammy to care for me when I get old."