Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 826: Misunderstood by Mrs. Jones as Living Together
Chapter 826: Chapter 826: Misunderstood by Mrs. Jones as Living Together
Catherine Ford didn’t know how she got home, walking along the road, several times she wanted to send a message to explain, but it was impossible to clarify things through Facebook, so she gave up in the end.
Arriving at the villa, she pushed open the door to find that Alice was nowhere to be seen, so she went to the bedroom and found the little girl asleep, sprawled on the bed. Catherine tiptoed over, intending to tuck Alice in, but as soon as she touched her, Alice sat up abruptly, sleepily lunging into her arms, "Mommy, Mommy..."
Catherine’s heart uncontrollably tightened, a painful distress, she would never wish to leave Alice alone at home if there was any way around it.
She still needed to find a dance class or some other kind of course quickly, so that Alice could spend her days with her classmates and teachers.
"Are you hungry? Mommy will make anything you want to eat today, Alice." With a plan in mind, Catherine bent down to touch Alice’s little face and asked.
"I love everything Mommy makes." Alice hadn’t seen her mom all day and nestled her little head in Catherine’s arms, speaking in a baby voice.
Catherine chuckled, "How about Mommy makes little meatballs for Alice, sound good?"
"Good." Alice raised her hands in excitement upon hearing this.
Catherine kissed the crown of her daughter’s head, where her hair swirled, picked the little one up from the bed, put on her shoes, and changed into a different outfit before heading to the kitchen.
Alice clung to her mother’s side, unwilling to be separated, like a little shadow, occasionally helping Catherine by tossing out trash or handing her things.
Catherine had been busy all week, and now that it was finally Saturday, she relaxed, making fried meatballs, seared shrimp dumplings, and simmered vegetable porridge for Alice. In the end, she also baked some animal-shaped cookies.
When she first moved into the villa in Rose Valley, Catherine’s initial impression was that it was luxurious, but after a week, that turned into an appreciation of luxury indeed being wonderful.
Whether it was the community’s property management or its infrastructure, everything was extremely well maintained, and then there was the villa experience itself—comfort upon comfort. Even the kitchenware was fully equipped, allowing her to make lots of things that she couldn’t before in her rental due to missing tools. Everything was possible here.
Like the cookies, for example, the oven she had used before was one she had won in a store raffle, it was functional, but that was about it. Later, after moving out of Foster Newman’s place, she didn’t even have that, whereas the villa had a built-in oven of excellent quality, convenient to use. The tantalizing sweetness of the cookies wafted out even before they were out of the oven, leaving Alice licking her lips in anticipation.
Once Catherine took them out, the results were indeed perfect. Alice rushed over the moment they were placed on the table, blowing on them for a bit before eagerly taking a bite, crying out that they were hot but also delicious.
After finishing, Alice lifted her little face to look at Catherine, "Mommy, shall we give some to Uncle Jones too?"
Catherine, who had been so busy that she had nearly forgotten what had happened after work, was reminded by her daughter of Benjamin Jones and the need to explain things to him, and nodded, "Mhm."
"Can I go with Mommy? Alice hasn’t seen Uncle Jones all day." The little girl still revealed her true desire.
Catherine had things to explain to Benjamin Jones, but she didn’t want to disappoint her daughter and nodded, "Mommy needs to talk with Uncle Jones later, can you promise not to cling to him?"
"Deal." Hearing her mother agree to her request, Alice happily made her promise, but then asked with feigned annoyance, "What does Mommy have to talk with Uncle Jones about? Is it a confession?"
Catherine Ford, who just thought her daughter was becoming sensible, "...What does a three-year-old girl know about confessions?"
"No, Mommy is talking to Uncle about serious stuff." She Tsukkomi-ed in her heart about the alarming speed of children’s growth these days, then solemnly replied to her daughter without any hint of brush-off.
Catherine knew that Alice was bright and precocious, so she tried to explain things to her daughter as clearly as possible.
Of course, if clarifying misunderstandings counted as serious stuff.
"Oh." The little girl responded with a tone that seemed to understand but didn’t actually grasp the concept, and then she stopped worrying about what her mother and uncle were discussing and happily picked out the good-looking cookies to pack for Benjamin.
By the time the two had made their selections, it was already nine in the evening. Catherine held Alice’s hand and walked over to the brightly lit house where they pressed the doorbell.
Benjamin, who had just finished showering, heard the doorbell. He glanced at the video monitor, saw that it was mother and daughter, called out for them to come in with the intercom, then changed into a comfortable casual pyjama and went downstairs.
For the convenience of cooking, Catherine’s fingerprint had been inputted into the security system of Benjamin’s villa. Hearing his voice on the video intercom, she opened the door and walked in with Alice, only to be greeted by the sight of Benjamin descending the stairs. She stopped awkwardly in her tracks, while Alice had already let go of her hand and darted up, shouting "Uncle Jones!"
Catherine was seeing Benjamin in such casual attire for the first time: light grey striped loose pajamas paired with matching pants, shuffling in white slippers, his hair still damp, obviously having just showered not long ago, exuding an ease she had never seen before. Nevertheless, his relaxed appearance didn’t diminish his aura. The moment he walked down the stairs, it struck Catherine as if she wasn’t in Benjamin’s home but had accidentally walked into a top brand’s pyjama show.
She licked her lips unconsciously, just as Alice ran up to Benjamin who, in a fluid motion, scooped the little girl up with one hand.
Alice, being held by Benjamin, was over the moon, eagerly holding up the box in her hand, "Uncle, Mommy made me animal cookies, they’re super tasty. I’m sharing half with you."
"Really? Thank you, Alice." Benjamin took the cookie box from Alice’s hand and glanced at the slightly uneasy little woman in the living room, "Have a seat."
"No need, it’s getting late; I’ll take her back now." Seeing Benjamin like this made Catherine even more nervous than usual, and she scrambled for words, forgetting her intended explanation.
But Alice tilted her head to look at her, "Mommy, didn’t you have something to talk to Uncle about?"
Catherine, "...It’s just that you have a good memory."
"That... I..." Stirred by Alice’s intervention, Catherine’s face turned pink, but she was at a loss for words to explain.
Alice, perceiving her mother’s hesitation, immediately thought of a scene at the dance school, "Mommy, you said you weren’t confessing to Uncle, but last time at the dance school, teacher Liz’s boyfriend did the same when he was confessing."
"Confession?" Benjamin’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, his gaze falling on Catherine.
Alice, young as she was, spoke slowly, but with a serious tone, which made Catherine blush even more. Hearing Benjamin’s question, she became frantic and quickly waved her hand, "Alice is talking nonsense, sorry Lawyer Jones, I just wanted to explain about the speakerphone incident this afternoon, someone overheard, thought it sounded like you, and misunderstood. I haven’t spoken about our matters with anyone."
Stimulated by Alice like this, Catherine became flustered and spilled out everything in one breath, then felt her word choice at the end wasn’t quite right and added, "I haven’t spoken to anyone about cooking for you, no, I mean the matter of owing you money, that’s not right either, just..."
"I understand." Benjamin Jones saw the woman’s neck turn pink in her urgency, her pretty little face full of anxiety, fearing he would misunderstand, even breaking out in a light sweat on her forehead. Seeing this, he spoke out gently.
Suddenly interrupted, Catherine Ford’s mouth was still slightly open, staring blankly at the man, her almond-shaped eyes dumbfounded and mixed with unease. Alice, who was still in Benjamin’s arms, covered her laughing face, "Mommy, shy."
Catherine Ford, "...Suddenly, she wasn’t all that eager to have her daughter around.
Benjamin Jones looked down at the little girl in his arms and gently tapped her nose, "You mustn’t laugh at Mommy."
"Heehee." Alice looked up at Benjamin Jones with a sweet, cloying smile.
Benjamin Jones’s heart couldn’t help but soften, thinking about how Catherine Ford had been at work all week, and Alice had been at home alone every day. The little girl, barely over three years old, was so well-behaved it was heartbreaking. He carried her to the sofa, then gestured for Catherine to sit down next to him, "Sit."
After such an embarrassing moment before, Catherine Ford didn’t expect Benjamin Jones to still invite her to sit down. On the verge of a farewell, she forced herself to sit down under the man’s gaze.
"Do you plan to let Alice stay at home all by herself?" After settling Alice beside him, Benjamin Jones magically produced a box of blocks from beneath the coffee table to give her something to play with, then he turned to Catherine Ford.
Catherine Ford hadn’t expected Benjamin Jones to suddenly ask her this and guilt flashed across her face, "I plan to find a training class in the area tomorrow and enroll Alice."
"Mommy, I don’t want to go to training classes." After speaking, she looked towards Benjamin Jones, "Uncle, Alice will be very good when home alone."
"Uncle knows Alice is very good, but are you happy being at home alone?" Benjamin Jones gently asked the little girl holding the blocks.
Alice hesitated, "Alice is very happy waiting at home for Mommy to come back."
"Little children who lie will have their noses grow long," Benjamin Jones gently ruffled Alice’s hair. The little girl was smart, skillfully avoiding the question, but the loneliness on her small face couldn’t be hidden.
Alice, hearing his words, quickly covered her nose and looked to Catherine Ford for help.
Catherine Ford’s eyes were already red. She knew how sensible Alice was, and the more sensible Alice was, the more guilty she felt. She sadly hugged the little girl into her arms and whispered softly, "It’s all Mommy’s fault."
Feeling her mother’s emotions, Alice looked up, reached out her small hand to touch Catherine Ford’s head, and comforted her in an adult-like manner, "Mommy, don’t be sad, fairy tales are all lies, Alice’s nose won’t grow long."
After she finished speaking, Catherine Ford’s nose felt even more sore as she held her daughter tighter in her embrace.
Benjamin Jones always considered himself to have a cold heart, but at that moment, his heart unconsciously welled up with sympathy. He then pressed his temples and passed a card from the table to Catherine Ford, "This is the property manager’s number. Call this number tomorrow. Rose Valley has its own early education class and daycare center, complete with various courses. When you go to work, you can send Alice there."
Upon hearing this, Catherine Ford jerked her head to look at the man. She knew about Rose Valley’s education and daycare facility, even the private bilingual kindergarten in the community, but it was only for residents of the Valley. She had already asked several times and was rejected each time. She never expected Benjamin Jones would make arrangements for Alice.
Feeling Catherine Ford’s gaze, Benjamin Jones’s face showed a bit of discomfort, but his tone was as usual, "It’s just a small matter." freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Thank you, Lawyer Jones, I... really don’t know how to thank you." Catherine Ford lifted Alice into her arms and placed her to one side, then deeply bowed to him. She was truly at a loss, not knowing how to express her gratitude, and for a moment she even wondered if Benjamin Jones knew something she didn’t. But after hearing the man’s words, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and felt even more grateful to him.
Alice seemed to realize that she wouldn’t have to stay home alone while her mom was at work anymore and was very happy. Seeing her mom thanking Uncle, she quickly got up from the couch and imitated Catherine’s gesture by bowing to Benjamin, "Thank you, Uncle."
Benjamin, "..." He had been thanked by many people before, but it was the first time he witnessed a mother-daughter team showing such grandiose and slightly... comedic appreciation.
"Don’t mention it, I should be thanking you for the cookies, Alice." Benjamin gently ruffled Alice’s little head, looking at her childlike but earnest little face, his heart melted.
Upon hearing this, Alice looked up at Catherine, "Mommy, can we make little cookies for Uncle more often from now on?"
Catherine knew the man might not really care for such things, but she still nodded seriously, "Okay."
After the mother and daughter left, his gaze remained soft. Looking at the cookies on the table and thinking of Alice’s little expression earlier, the man who seldom indulged in sweets opened the box. Inside, just as Alice had mentioned, were cookies shaped like little animals, each intricately crafted, baked to a golden crispness and exuding a delicious aroma. He casually took one and popped it into his mouth, the delightful crunchiness and a hint of sweetness surprisingly tasty.
He couldn’t help but grab another and by the time he realized, he had already eaten half of it. He couldn’t help but facepalm; he was not one to indulge in food, but ever since Catherine had been around, his appetite had increased. Today, after socializing outside, he even found the food at the Imperial Cuisine Pavilion a bit too rich for his liking.
He sighed, put the remaining half away, and went back into the bathroom to brush his teeth again.
The next day.
Since she had found out last night that Alice could attend classes at the property management, Catherine was so happy she barely slept. She woke up at 8:30, bolted upright, threw on some clothes in a hurry, and rushed over to cook breakfast. Noticing Benjamin wasn’t in the living room, she guessed he had finished exercising and was preparing to get busy, so without further ado, she rolled up her long hair and got to work.
While she was cutting vegetables, she heard some noise at the door and called out without turning her head, "Breakfast will be ready soon, just wait a bit."
However, no one responded for a while. After Catherine finished chopping the vegetables and sensed the quiet in the air, she turned around in surprise and saw a beautiful woman standing in the living room with her mouth slightly open, as if she had been shocked. The woman was holding two thermos flasks, and her eyes were full of surprise as she looked at her.
Catherine was stunned, "You are..."
"And you are?" Mrs. Jones’s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Catherine.
They both spoke almost simultaneously. At that moment, Benjamin, wearing a bathrobe, happened to come downstairs and saw the two staring at each other, dumbfounded, which made the atmosphere somewhat peculiar.
"Ha, I was just saying I’d bring you some breakfast, but you were making excuses. Turns out there’s a beauty hidden in the golden house making breakfast for you," Mrs. Jones put down the thermos flasks, flipped her hair with a touch of sentiment, then looked warmly at Catherine, "Young lady, how old are you? How long have you been living with Benjamin? This guy hasn’t bullied you, has he? How did you two meet..."
Catherine had a blank expression and, upon hearing the string of questions that followed, realizing the misunderstanding about her relationship with Benjamin, her pretty little face blushed red, and she shook her head stubbornly while holding a spatula, "I didn’t, I’m not, please listen to me..."
But Mrs. Jones didn’t bother with her and gave her son a knowing wink, "Mom understands."
Over the years, she had almost come to believe that her son might be gay. But now, to her relief... there was still hope!
