Last time Purple Summers followed Allen Rivera to visit the Douglas Family, she said many impolite and even offensive things to Norman Douglas.
Norman, upholding his dignity, didnât want to quibble with a female student, but he hadnât expected that, two days later, representatives from the Womenâs Rights Protection Federation would show up at his door with an assertive attitude and take away his wife and daughter!
If he were to obstruct them, the Womenâs Rights Protection Federation would charge him with illegal detention!
How ridiculous that wasâshe was his wife; he only wanted to give her the best care. How had that become illegal detention?!
It was then that Norman realized what Purple Summers meant when she left him with these words before she departed:
â âI really want to help your wife, but the way of helping might make you feel uncomfortableâ¦â
Norman looked steadily at Purple Summers, his tone suggestive and lingering, âThe students today are truly surpassing their teachers, able to engage the people from the Womenâs Rights Protection Federation. Ms. Summers must have gone to great lengths, I presume.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âNot really,â Purple Summers smiled, âIf the situation didnât warrant it, no matter how much effort I put in, the people from the federation wouldnât bother with me.â
She left Norman with no comeback.
Norman chuckled coldly, then became silent again.
Today they were here to mediate, not to argue, although from a certain perspective, mediation was a form of argument, a seemingly more elegant one.
The staff at the law firm brought in several cups of coffee to the reception room.
The female lawyer Norman had invited gestured with her hand: âIâm pregnant, I canât drink coffee. Could I trouble you for a glass of water, please? Thank you.â
Impatience immediately flashed across Marcel Jeffersonâs brow.
And then, all those bad hunches he hadâthey all came trueâ
When Riley Montgomery came in holding the child, the pregnant lawyer immediately stood up, her belly protruding, and with a beaming face, she approached, saying: âAh⦠is this Judge Douglasâs baby? Sheâs so adorable! Look at that nose, those eyes; she really resembles Judge Douglas!â
Riley managed a faint smile, lowered her eyelids, and somewhat uneasily avoided Normanâs gaze.
Norman asked her, âHave you been doing well recently?â
âYes, pretty well,â Riley said softly, sitting down with the child in her arms, somewhat restrained and uneasy.
Norman fell silent as well.
The lawyer asked Riley with a smile, âWhatâs the little babyâs name?â
ââ¦Her name is Serena Douglas, nickname Lena.â
âYou can tell youâve taken good care of her. It must have been very hard taking care of her by yourself all this time, hasnât it?â the lawyer added.
Riley, remembering Purple Summersâs words, responded with her head lowered, âItâs not too hard. I enjoy taking care of children, and besides, I majored in nursing and have taken an Infant and Child Care Course.â
âThatâs wonderful,â the lawyer said, engaging readily with Riley, âIâm due in three months, and Iâm really nervous lately. Iâm worried about how to take care of the baby after birth. Newborns are so tiny, Iâm afraid I wonât even dare to touch them, wondering how to dress the baby, feed them, bathe them, choose toys⦠Oh, you must teach me.â
Riley smiled gently and said, âYou donât have to be too nervous; little babies are not so fragileâ¦â
As mothers themselves, Riley kindly shared some tips on baby care, and the lawyer listened very intently, occasionally taking notes with a pen.
After a short introductory chat, the lawyer suddenly asked, âSince youâre so adept at caring for children, how did your first and second children, despite having servants and a nanny to assist, suffer such unfortunate accidents? Are you sure you have the capacity to care for a child on your own?â
Rileyâs complexion immediately turned pale.
The atmosphere in the reception room grew heavy; she knew the confrontation had begun.