Emotional Breakdown

Alexander Hayes hadn't meant anything by his words, but as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Lily Evans's face darken instantly. She murmured, "It's all my fault... If I hadn't been so careless and let Princess May exploit a loophole, Charlie wouldn't have been born two months early. Other babies his age are still sleeping soundly in their mothers' bellies, but my Charlie came into the world too soon, suffered so much, and now he's so frail, always sickly... It's my fault, all my fault, it's all because of me—because I'm a terrible mother!"

As Lily spoke, her emotions seemed to spiral out of control and she began to cry.

Alexander was instantly flustered. He hurried to wipe away Lily's tears, coaxing her gently, "Don't cry, my dear. The sages say, 'When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it first tests their spirit and bones.' Our Charlie is destined for greatness—this is just his trial and test."

But Lily shook her head, tears falling as she said, "I don't expect my son to achieve anything great. I just want him to live, safe and healthy."

Seeing Lily like this, Alexander sighed and hugged her tightly, his heart aching for her.

But just as the couple shared this tender moment, Charles Hayes woke up again and began to cough. The coughing was so fierce that his little face turned red from crying.

Seeing his son suffer like this, Alexander felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, but he was powerless to help.

"Charlie is coughing again! Someone, bring the medicine!" Lily called out toward the door.

Immediately, a young maid came in carrying a bowl of medicine. Alexander sniffed it—it was the same medicine for treating the child's cough.

"Wait!" Alexander frowned and said to the maid, "Where's the wet nurse? The Princess Consort isn't well. Have the wet nurse give him the medicine!"

The young maid flinched at Alexander Hayes’s fierce tone, but Lily Evans snatched the medicine bowl, pressed it to her lips, and was about to gulp it down herself.

Seeing Lily about to drink the medicine again, Alexander panicked and slapped the bowl out of her hands. It hit the floor and shattered, pieces flying everywhere.

Lily snapped, "What do you think you’re doing!?"

Alexander pleaded anxiously, "Didn’t I tell you? Your body’s too weak. Let the wet nurse take the medicine and feed the baby instead!"

"But I’ve said it before—Charlie needs my milk, it’s the best thing for him!" Suddenly, Lily lost control and screamed at Alexander, "I couldn’t even carry my son to full term, and he had to come into this world early and suffer! Now I want to take the medicine and nurse him myself—what’s so wrong with that? You men have never endured the hardship of ten months’ pregnancy, never felt the agony of childbirth. You can’t possibly understand what a mother goes through! Watching Charlie cough day and night, gasping for breath… Do you have any idea how much it hurts me? Don’t just talk about letting the wet nurse feed him medicine—if it would save my son’s health, I’d trade my own life for his!"

When she finished, Lily turned to the maid and barked, "Go get another bowl of medicine!"

"Don’t go! Lily, please—just let the wet nurse take the medicine and nurse Charlie, okay? I’m begging you…" Alexander was utterly helpless, torn between heartbreak for Lily and his own powerlessness.

Lily stared at Alexander’s anguished face, stunned for a moment.

"Waa—waa—waa—" Charlie’s cries grew louder, each sob mingled with coughing, as if he might choke at any moment.

Hearing her son’s desperate cries, all of Lily’s reason vanished. She instantly ordered the maid to fetch the medicine, glared at Alexander, and declared, "If you stop me from nursing my son myself, I’ll never forgive you!"