NovelEnglishNina blinked her wide eyes and said innocently, "It's not that many. My dad has two kids, Uncle Arnold has two as well, and Uncle Leopold just has one." Kane glanced at William with a playful smirk, "Well, I'm an only child. It's pretty lonely." William pouted, "Aren't | like a brother to you?" "But we're half-brothers, remember?" Kane teased.
William muttered, "Fine, at least I've got a little sister now." Tomorrow William was to accompany his dad to Aunt Lisa's to see Nova.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt the backyard grill, Aurelia flipped burgers and chicken drumsticks sizzling over the flames while Jelena rinsed lettuce and tomatoes at the garden hose.
"Every t| see Leopold and Arnold together, it's like watching a Western showdown. | bet they had a spat again and both looked thunderous," Aurelia observed, flipping a burger.
"If you were in my boots, what would you do?" she asked Jelena.
With a nonchalant shrug, Jelena advised, "Do nothing. A little competition is beneficial; it will make Leopold work harder to treat you right." Aurelia offered a faint smile. Before she and Leopold got back together, that was her philosophy. But now, she preferred to steer clear of any that might cause misunderstandings.
A whiff of grilled meat made her feel queasy, and she covered her mouth, fighting the urge to retch.
"You're not pregnant again, are you?" Jelena joked.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"No, we've been careful. | think it's the coconut water | had earlier that upset my stomach," Aurelia said, taking a sip of water.
She had felt bloated the past few days, probably her period was due.
Then a thought struck her, "You're not expecting, are you? Didn't you mention you were ovulating last week?" "I took the morning-after pill," Jelena said dismissively. "As if I'd be foolish enough to have Fredric's baby." Aurelia blinked in surprise, "I thought you were going with the flow?" Jelena shrugged again, replying, "Changed my mind. I'm young, why rush into motherhood? It can mess with my figure." Aurelia stuck out her tongue playfully, "I'm even younger than you and have two already. Better to have them young, and your body bounces back quicker." Jelena retorted, "I don't want to go through it myself. A post-baby body even looks great, it is different. Pregnancy widens the pelvis and doesn't go back. If | want kids later, I'll look into surrogacy abroad." Aurelia glanced down at herself, feeling a touch self-conscious.
She did seem a tad broader than Jelena. No wonder scould tell if a woman had given birth.
"True, you've got that killer figure to maintain. I'm average, so it doesn't matter as much." Jelena pinched Aurelia's waist lightly, "You've got to keep up, too. Your competition isn't any less than your husband's. Men, even the most devoted, are visual creatures. When beauty fades, so does their interest." Aurelia's thoughts scattered in the breeze.
"A woman's pris brief and beauty fades with age. Better to nourish the soul than the skin. Pretty faces are a da dozen, but an interesting soul is one in a million. That's what truly counts."Aurelia explained.
"That's for the romantics, not for the visual creatures," Jelena scoffed. "In the wild, male mammals are the most promiscuous and irresponsible, ejaculating without care or nurture, worse than birds. Men might be a step up but can't escape their nature. Look at those guys out there, with a bit of cash, they start messing around. The loyal ones? You can count them on one hand." It was then that Aurelia realized Jelena, perhaps influenced by Chloe, had lost faith in both love and men.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
