Chapter 2: One Dinner Changed Everything
Chapter 2: One Dinner Changed Everything
The next evening, Ethan came home earlier than usual.
Instead of heading inside, he stopped at a nearby restaurant.
He ordered enough food for himself and Claire.
Nothing for anyone else.
When they sat down to eat, the delicious smell quickly filled the house.
His younger brother walked over.
"Where's ours?"
Ethan smiled politely.
"I only ordered dinner for the people responsible for cleaning."
His mother frowned.
"What kind of attitude is that?"
"The same attitude everyone had toward my pregnant wife yesterday."
The room became uncomfortable.
His aunt stood up.
"So now you're punishing your family?"
"No."
Ethan calmly continued eating.
"I'm introducing fairness."
He reached into a folder beside him and placed several papers on the table.
Hospital reports.
Blood pressure records.
Doctor's instructions.
Every page clearly warned that Claire needed rest because of pregnancy complications.
His mother's face slowly lost its color.
"You never told us it was this serious."
Claire lowered her head.
"I didn't want anyone to feel guilty."
Ethan answered instead.
"That was exactly the problem."
"You never asked."
No one touched the papers again.
For the first time, they realized the woman they had taken for granted had been risking both her own health and the baby's every single day.
That night, Ethan hired a professional cleaning service.
He also arranged for a part-time caregiver to help Claire until the baby arrived.
When his mother protested about strangers entering the house, Ethan calmly replied,
"If family refuses to help...
May you like
...then kindness can be hired."
No one argued after that.
