“Babe, why aren’t you sleeping yet? It’s that time of the month for you, so you really shouldn’t be staying up this late!”
Harlan brought over a glass of warm milk, which he brewed and placed in my hands. Then, he brought a blanket and gently draped it around me, asking tenderly, “Is your back sore? Would you like me to massage you?”
I closed the file in my hand and smiled brightly at him. “Yasmine’s school recital is coming up soon. She’s been unhappy with the piece she’s been practicing. I got the most renowned pianist in the country to come and coach her in a couple of days.”
Harlan looked touched. “You’re always so dedicated to Yasmine. When she becomes successful, she’ll surely repay you a hundredfold!”
I looked at Harlan and replied naturally, “Of course. Yasmine is smart and talented. Being her mother is my greatest blessing.”
Harlan sighed gently and embraced me from behind. “The Thornes are incredibly blessed that I married such a wonderful wife like you!”
Turning my face so he couldn’t see, I sneered silently without responding.
Harlan and I had been together since college, which equaled four years of dating and seven years of marriage. Despite eleven years of being together day in and day out, he was almost perfect in my eyes.
During our relationship, he never forgot when my time of the month was and prepared a glass of warm milk for me for over a decade without fail. After marriage, he knew I loved surprises and romance, and no matter how late he came home, he always brought a small, thoughtful gift.
Until I overheard his conversation with the nanny, I had always thought I was the happiest woman in the world.
“Wow, Lana, you’re amazing!”
From the music room not far away, Yasmine’s delighted applause rang out.
Instinctively, I got up and walked toward the door of the music room. The graceful melody of the piano ceased. Lana picked my daughter up and affectionately tickled her under the arms. “So, do you want to continue practicing?”
“Heehee, Lana, give me a kiss, and I’ll keep practicing!” Yasmine pouted and acted coy.
Lana gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “Alright, play it for me one more time. If you play well, I’ll make you egg and soldiers tomorrow morning!”
Their intimate tone resembled that of a biological mother and daughter.
From the corner of her eye, Lana noticed me and immediately got up. Flustered, she put Yasmine down. “Dana, I…”
Before she could explain, Harlan quickly interjected to smooth things over, “You haven’t been feeling well these days, so I asked her to help Yasmine practice the piano. She used to be a music teacher, and you can see she’s done a decent job with Yasmine.”
Upon hearing this, Lana gave me a bashful smile and then quickly lowered her head. “Well, I was a substitute teacher for a few years. Your family has been so good to me. I just wanted to help Yasmine as much as I could.”
Seeing her guilty demeanor, I couldn’t help but think back to the day I gave birth. After narrowly escaping death, I woke up to find her holding the child I had risked my life to deliver, soothing her skillfully.
Harlan had explained she was a nanny hired from a top agency.
Lana had taken care of my child with such care that even when my mother wanted to hold the baby, she was reluctant to let go.
