Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

What could she do if a child simply didn't come? Mila Anderson stewed. It wasn't as if she could ascend to the heavens and demand one from Guanyin, the child-giving goddess. Besides, all that talk about a child-giving Guanyin was just superstition. If it were truly that effective, the Guanyin temples would have been mobbed to bursting long ago.

"Since you still haven't shown any signs of pregnancy, you should be even more diligent about drinking this. Come on, drink it while it's hot. It's genuinely effective. A mahjong friend of mine recommended it to some of her close friends, and it worked for all of them—they all had sons! If Mom weren't so close with her, she wouldn't have given me the prescription. She said people have offered high prices for this kind of formula, thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan for a single dose. If it weren't effective, would people pay that much? Julia, Glades is the eldest son. While the other young masters aren't married yet, you should quickly have a son. Then your son will be the Horne family's eldest legitimate grandson, and that illegitimate son will have even less chance of getting his hands on the Horne family's assets," Mila Anderson said, her words eventually drifting to the Horne family's property. Deep down, she was still scheming, always wanting to suppress Pheobe Rogers and her descendants.

She feared her hatred for Pheobe Rogers was something she could never extinguish in this lifetime.

Julia Bluen wanted to protest, but after hearing the latter part of her mother-in-law's speech, she suddenly didn't know what to say.

She actually understood the bitterness and resentment in her mother-in-law's heart.

She genuinely pitied her mother-in-law for marrying such a faithless man.

Glades had told her that his father had an affair when Glades was only three years old.

In this day and age, unfaithful men were plentiful. Usually, hearing about someone's husband keeping a mistress was just gossip, but when it involved someone close, one's feelings inevitably changed. Consider the years her mother-in-law had endured. Married for only four years, with a son just three years old, she had to wait by a solitary lamp for her husband's return, night after long night. Such loneliness, such pain—how could anyone who hadn't experienced it possibly understand? No wonder Glades Horne's personality was so unpredictable. Having witnessed the breakdown of his parents' marriage in his childhood, it was a testament to his mental fortitude that he hadn't turned into a complete eccentric.

Quietly, Julia Bluen picked up the bowl of herbal medicine. She didn't believe drinking this concoction would make her instantly pregnant, but her mother-in-law's loneliness made her reluctant to refuse again.

She gently took a sip. The brew wasn't overly bitter, with hints of angelica and other herbs. It probably just contained ingredients to nourish her yin and strengthen her kidneys.

Only when Julia finally picked up the herbal medicine to drink it did Mila Anderson's expression soften into satisfaction.

"Drink slowly, don't choke. Is it bitter? If it's too bitter, Mom will get you some preserved fruit," Mila Anderson said, a rare moment of thoughtfulness.

Julia Bluen shook her head.

"Then drink up. There's more in the kitchen. From now on, Mom will have someone brew two bowls for you every day. I guarantee you'll be pregnant soon," Mila Anderson said with a smile.

Before her eyes, a longed-for scene seemed to play out: Julia Bluen presenting her with a big, healthy grandson—no, a pair of big, healthy twin grandsons! Yes, twins born at once would be much more efficient. Then she saw herself, holding a grandchild in each arm, while Pheobe Rogers stood by, consumed with jealousy…

Every day? Two bowls a day?!

The words hit Julia Bluen, and she immediately choked.

She hurriedly put the bowl of medicine back on the coffee table, quickly pulled out a tissue, wiped the medicinal liquid from the corners of her mouth, and coughed incessantly.

"I told you to drink slowly and not choke," Mila Anderson chided, though she kept handing her tissues.

"What's wrong?"

Glades Horne's deep voice sounded as he descended the stairs.

Julia hadn't wanted him to see her off. Since he wasn't leaving for work particularly early, he came downstairs later than she did.

"Glades!" Mila Anderson exclaimed, her expression undergoing a 180-degree transformation at the sight of her son. Her face, her eyes, her entire being radiated adoration for him.

"Mom, why are you up so early today?" Glades Horne asked casually as he strode over to Julia Bluen's side. When his gaze fell upon the bowl of dark liquid on the coffee table, his brows furrowed. Staring at the bowl, he asked in confusion, "Mom, whose medicine is this? Is it for Julia?"

Laughing, Mila Anderson went over, took Glades Horne by the arm, pulled him aside, and explained the medicine's purpose.

Upon hearing this, Glades was as incredulous as Julia. Neither of them was in a rush, preferring to let nature take its course, but his mother was more anxious than they were. It was truly a case of the eunuchs panicking while the emperor remained calm.

"Pleasant Goat…"

Julia Bluen's mobile phone suddenly rang. She quickly pulled it from her bag. This call is my savior, rescuing me from this ancestral fertility concoction! she thought with relief.

The caller ID showed it was from the Bluen family home. She hurriedly answered.

"Julia, come quickly! Your dad and your sister are arguing!" her mother, Scarlett Taylor, urged from the other end. Julia's expression tensed. Why would Dad and Sis be arguing so early in the morning? She didn't have time to ask for details. Hastily assuring her mother she'd be right there, she hung up, grabbed her bag, and rushed out.

"Julia, you haven't finished your medicine…" Mila Anderson's voice called after her.

Julia Bluen had already run out of the Main House.

Seeing Julia rush out after a phone call, Glades Horne immediately said to Mila Anderson, "Mom, I'll go check on Julia." Then, moving past his mother, he quickly followed Julia out of the Main House.

"Julia!" He caught up with her in the courtyard, grabbing her hand. "What happened?" he asked in a low voice.

"My mom called," Julia Bluen explained briefly. "She said my dad and my sister are arguing. I need to go back and see."

After hearing her explanation, Glades Horne's brows drew together slightly. "I'll go with you," he said.

Julia nodded, and the couple left the Horne family villa together.

"About that medicine… Mom means well. Don't take it to heart," Glades Horne said after a long silence on the drive.

He understood his mother's suffering better than Julia Bluen did. His mother's eagerness for Julia to conceive stemmed from a desire to fill her empty days with the joy of grandchildren.

He knew his mother didn't actually enjoy playing mahjong. But after all these years, what else could she do besides play mahjong and shop? The meager affection she received from her husband must have felt like charity.