The next morning, Nick sat at the table, savoring the warm vegetable soup Amelia had made. The rich, savory flavor hit just right, and the warmth in his belly was enough to shake off the lingering effects of the night before.
He looked at Amelia, who seemed totally normal. It was like she didn't remember a thing from last night — how they almost went all the way, and how she ended up stopping it.
Nick could barely believe it. All she wanted to do was cuddle up to his abs, holding on so long until she finally passed out on top of his rock-hard abs, after non-stop stroking and praising how he still hadn't lost his physique.
Somewhere between regret and relief, Nick had to hang in there until she fell asleep. He ended up taking a cold shower in the most miserable way.
'She was drunk last night. What was I expecting?'
He shook his head, convincing himself. He smiled, glancing over at Maddie, who was looking much healthier now. That alone made him feel better, like everything was getting back on track.
But something was up. Maddie and Sean kept giving each other these weird looks, their little eyes squinting as they exchanged silent glances. It was like they were communicating in their own secret kid language, and Nick could feel the tension building.
Amelia, noticing the odd behavior, furrowed her brows and put down the dish she was drying. "What's up, Sean?" she asked, puzzled. "You seem curious about something. Maddie, are you feeling sick again?"
Both kids snapped to attention at their mom's sharp tone, sitting up straight as if they were caught in the act. They shook their heads in unison, but the look on their faces screamed that they had something on their minds.
"Tell me, please?" Amelia said sweetly, but with that firm mom tone that made it clear they couldn't dodge the question.
Sean exchanged one last glance with Maddie before finally blurting out, "Mom, what does 'alluring' mean?"
Amelia's eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me? What did you just say? Where did you hear that?"
Maddie fidgeted nervously before chiming in, "Is being too alluring even if you're mad a crime?"
"What?! Who told you that?" Amelia's voice was louder now, panic creeping in.
Sean, ever the brave one, answered quickly, "Nick said it's your crime for being too alluring—"
"Nick said what?!" Amelia's eyes darted to Nick's seat, but somehow, in the chaos of breakfast, he had already vanished. All that was left was a quick text message on her phone: *Take a cab to the office. I had to rush out.*
Amelia groaned, rubbing her temples. Of course, Nick had slipped away at the perfect moment, leaving her to clean up the mess of his careless words.
Meanwhile, outside, Nick was sprinting to his car, nearly tripping over himself in his haste. He knew. Oh, he knew exactly what he'd done. His mouth had run wild last night, and he'd spilled that nonsense about Amelia being "too alluring" right in front of the kids.
"That's why Amelia refuses to drink," he muttered to himself as he yanked open the car door, breathing hard. "She doesn't want to explain where babies come from in the worst way possible to our kids. God, what was I thinking last night?"
Just as Nick started the car, his phone buzzed. A call from the hospital. "Nick! Get here fast! Your dad's losing it again!"
Without a second thought, Nick sped toward the hospital, his heart pounding harder with every mile. When he arrived, the sight of doctors and nurses huddled around his father's room hit him like a punch in the gut.
One of the doctors approached him, a stern look on his face. "Please, Mr. Zhao, this can't happen again. Any more stress like this, and your father's health will decline further."
Nick nodded, a wave of relief washing over him that his father was okay for now, but the worry remained. He stepped into the room, his father lying on the bed, eyes burning with anger despite the sedative's effects. He looked weak, but the intensity was there.
"You never learn, do you?" Mr. Zhao's voice, though tired, was sharp. "All your problems stem from one thing—your complete inability to manage your household."
Nick's stomach dropped. Had someone told his father about last night's fiasco?
"Your problem," Mr. Zhao continued, "is that you've kept your marriage a secret. It's reckless. It's going to tear your family apart."
Nick's heart raced, panic setting in. Did his father know everything?
"And all these gold diggers trying to get close to you," Mr. Zhao snapped. "You think your wife is going to put up with that forever?"
Nick's throat tightened. "I'm sorry, Dad," he muttered, his head hanging low.
"I don't care about apologies," Mr. Zhao barked. "You're going to announce to everyone at work that Amelia is your wife. No more hiding it. If you let her walk away again because of some foolish woman chasing after you, I'll never forgive you."
Nick left his father's room feeling like the weight of the world was pressing down on him. Outside, he found Ferdinand, the family's longtime caretaker, waiting nervously.
"If anything like this leaks to my father again," Nick said through gritted teeth, "you're fired. Understood?"
Ferdinand swallowed hard, nodding quickly. "I'm sorry, Boss, but it was Mrs. Zhao—"
"How dare you blame my mother?" Nick cut him off, his voice rising in anger. "She's exhausted from taking care of my dad all day. Do you even care about her health?"
Without waiting for Ferdinand's apology, Nick stormed off, his head spinning from the stress of it all. But as he reached his car, another call came in. Harry from the office.
"Nick, you've gotta get down here. There's a situation, and it's bad."
Nick groaned, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Why is it easier dealing with Amelia's kids than it is handling my parents?" He scratched his head, messing up his perfectly styled hair. "Being a sandwich generation's really sucks."