Matthew liked the way that Erica had never hidden any of her desires. "The key is yours once the baby is born," he stated.
"Really?" Erica gaped at him, and surprise flashed in her eyes. "Aren't you worried about me? Aren't you afraid that I'll run off with all your money?"
"I'm afraid," he answered without hesitation. "But I'll always have a record of wherever you withdraw money from any of your cards. I can find you with a flick of my wrist." And with the letter of commitment she had signed, she'd be stuck with him for the rest of her life.
'Well, he's right. No wonder why he trusts me so much, '
she thought.
Patting his chest, she promised, "Don't worry. You know that I'm not that kind of person. Now that I know you trust me, I'll be sure to be accountable for every cent in your account." Erica enjoyed having so much money under her palm.
Resisting the urge to laugh, Matthew placed his large hand onto her belly. "You should be more careful in the future, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of our baby from now on." Erica would be extremely careful in the future. After all, she was going to be a mother. It wouldn't be wise to do something so rash.
The atmosphere in the ward was peaceful and happy that both of them wanted to make it last forever.
After the infusion, Erica could be discharged from the hospital once her condition stabilized.
From the hospital to the second floor of the Li family house, Matthew made sure to hold his wife in his arms the entire time. He wouldn't let her go no matter what, and he agreed to all her requests.
Seeing her daughter being spoiled, Blair was quick to remind her son-in-law, "If you keep doting on her like this, she'll be difficult to control in the future." She knew her daughter enough to assume such a thing.
However, Matthew shook his head and answered, "It doesn't matter, Mom. All I want is for Rika to grow even stronger. That way, she wouldn't be bullied by others."
'No one would dare bully her even before you started to spoil her like this, ' the older woman thought. Shaking her head helplessly, she followed them.
Erica must've saved the world in her past life given how amazing her life was now. Before she even met Matthew, her father, brother, and sister made sure to spoil the living life out of her.
Now that she was married, that luck never seemed to run out.
Knowing that Erica was pregnant and had almost suffered from a miscarriage, Carlos and Debbie dropped all the events lined up the next day and traveled to A Country to visit their beloved daughter-in-law.
When the couple entered her room, Matthew was coaxing Erica to take another spoonful of medicine. "This is the last spoonful," he stated.
Her eyes watered. "You also said that the last time!" she protested.
The medicine was a mix of different Chinese herbs to promote a healthy pregnancy cycle. Although Erica knew its importance, it was still very bitter. She almost cried when she had taken the first sip.
"Rika!" Debbie didn't want to break the warm atmosphere, but she couldn't help herself. She walked to her bedside and peered over her frail figure.
"Dad, Mom, why are you here?" Erica's eyes widened. No one told her that her in-laws would visit.
While she was distracted, Matthew took this opportunity to feed her the last mouthful of the medicine. Her attention was trained on her in-laws that she drank it up subconsciously.
The moment she swallowed it, her face quivered as the bitter aftertaste took over. "Mmph." He quickly placed a piece of sweet candy into her mouth. Immediately, she wrapped her tongue around it, trying to dispel the bitterness.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Debbie pushed her son aside and held Erica's hand. "Are you feeling better, dear?"
"I'm feeling much better now." She nodded. The doctor had said that she only needed to stay in bed for a few more days before she could return to her normal schedule.
"That's good. We're here to pick you up. Don't get me wrong. If you want to stay at home for a few more days, then that's fine as well. We can go back later," Debbie said softly. She could understand that Erica would want to spend more time with her parents as much as possible.
When she heard of the news, Debbie had been so anxious that she couldn't stay put in Y City any longer. She immediately dragged Carlos over to see Erica.
After thinking for a while, Erica glanced at Wesley and Carlos by the doorway and then gazed at Blair and Chantel. "Mom, you haven't seen my mom for a long time. Why don't you stay for two more days?" she suggested.
She did want to spend more time with her parents.
"That's fine with me," Debbie readily agreed. Carlos and Wesley were good friends, so it didn't matter for them if they got to spend time together for a few more days. They had much to talk about.
'Two more days?' Afraid that it might delay Matthew's work, Blair was quick to say, "You can't wait for two more days. Debbie, why don't you take her with you and fly back to Y City tomorrow? Now that she's pregnant, she's more willful. Sometimes, I couldn't help but want to beat her."
Erica frowned. "What are you talking about, Mom?" Her mother was obviously overreacting. She was still the same as before.
Blair snorted, waving her hand. "Hurry back to Carlos and Debbie. Besides, we still have Chantel to worry over. You know how your father and I can't take care of two pregnant women at the same time."
"I'm your daughter too, you know!" Erica gritted her teeth. Having no idea why her mother was acting like this, she crossed her arms over her chest and grunted.
Debbie was quick to smooth things over. She stood up and placed her hand on Blair's shoulder. "It really doesn't matter," she soothed. "Carlos has plenty of time, so he isn't in a hurry. Plus, Matthew already arranged all his documents before he got here. Carlos and I can stay and take care of Rika and Chantel with you. Hey, you don't want us here, do you?" she said deliberately.
Blair flushed at the implication. She grabbed the woman's hand. "Of course not! I just didn't want to delay Matthew's work since he's usually so busy."
"I'll be fine, Mom. I have my laptop," Matthew explained, motioning to his bag.
That was one of the benefits of the Internet. Now, he could work anywhere in the world as long as he had his gadgets close by.
That night, Carlos and Debbie stayed in the Li family's house.
In the evening, Matthew went to the study to continue reading all the documents he had brought with him. Blair was in charge of changing the bed sheets. Erica, in the meantime, was lounging on the sofa and playing with her phone. "Look at Carlos and Debbie," Blair admonished. "They're so good to you. You shouldn't give them any trouble after you get back."
The Huo family treated Erica as if she were their own daughter. Blair was more than relieved of this. A part of her had been worried that Erica would be careless and irresponsible when it came to taking care of her husband.
"I know, Mom," Erica replied.
"Matthew is always busy with his work, so you better be more considerate. Since you don't know how to cook, the least you can do is massage his shoulders. If you don't have anything to do, then you could prepare a bath for him or even iron his clothes..."
"Okay." That was simple enough.
"When it's time for dinner, you can ask him if he has a dinner he needs to attend to. If he does, let him go. If he doesn't, then ask him what he wants to eat. Then, you can ask the cook to make it."
"Okay." That was not a problem either.
"You shouldn't bully Matthew. Look at how considerate he is to you! He apologizes to you every time you two have a fight. Let me tell you, if you keep being stubborn, he'll hate you sooner or later. Maybe then he'll find another woman to be his wife."