"Clara, it's been three years since you married into the Morgan family, hasn’t it?"

"Yes, Mom," Clara Ellsworth nodded politely, her voice soft. Then, silence.

Sylvia Gerner studied her daughter-in-law, who kept to herself most of the time and seldom talked. With a sigh, she said, "Time really flies. Three years gone just like that. Everyone at home’s been hoping for some good news from you, but nothing’s happened. Sigh..."

As she spoke, her eyes instinctively drifted to Clara’s flat stomach, and she let out another quiet sigh.

Clara knew well—Sylvia had run out of patience with her empty womb.

In families like theirs, kids were a big deal. It’d been more than three years since she married into the Morgans, and there wasn’t the slightest sign of pregnancy. Sylvia had held it in until now, which honestly was already generous.

"Clara, the Morgans may not be some grand aristocratic family, but tradition still matters here. Especially to Grandma—family always came first for her. She’s always dreamed of filling this old house with the laughter of children. That’s what she calls real happiness."

"You know that saying, 'Among all unfilial acts, having no descendants is the worst.' Alexander might not be the eldest son, but Grandma's always had a soft spot for him. I’d always hoped he’d marry a kind, capable woman who'd help carry the family line forward."

"Truth be told, I wasn’t thrilled about your marriage from the start. Your background wasn’t exactly a match for Alexander’s—no impressive family name, no top-tier education, and no real connections. But Grandma insisted it had to be you. And since Alexander didn’t object, I went along with it."

"But here we are, three years into the marriage and still no sign of a baby. Don’t you think that looks bad?"

Clara couldn’t respond. She knew people often said mothers-in-law were hard to get along with, but with Sylvia, things had mostly been civil.

Before and after marrying Alexander Morgan, Sylvia never made trouble for her. They didn’t live under the same roof, and only saw each other during the monthly family gatherings. Honestly, Clara had nothing to complain about.

Still, Sylvia had a point. Three years and no child wasn’t a good look. Clara felt guilty about it herself—but what could she do? She couldn’t force Alexander.

Over the past three years, she’d managed the house down to the tiniest detail, just so that Alexander could focus on his work. But when it came to kids? That was never in her control.

To the Morgans, she and Alexander looked like the perfect, loving couple—but the reality? It was all for show.

He never touched her. Not once.

Clara’s silence stretched on, and it made Sylvia frown slightly, a trace of annoyance surfacing. Was Clara really not catching her drift?

Since the topic was already out in the open, Sylvia didn’t bother sugarcoating it anymore. "Clara, if you can’t give the Morgans an heir, maybe this whole mother-in-law and daughter-in-law thing really ends here. Do you understand what I’m saying?"Clara pressed her lips together, then said softly, “Mom, I understand.”

Sylvia nodded in satisfaction. “Alright then, I’ll leave it at that. You think it over.”

“I made a special tonic in the kitchen just for you, used some rare herbs that are great for nourishment. Make sure you drink it while it's warm and finish all of it.”

With that, Sylvia got up and left the study without saying anything else.

The second her mother-in-law walked out, Clara finally relaxed her shoulders. She let out a long sigh, the bitterness and frustration swirling in her chest too tangled to sort through.

About twenty minutes later, after adjusting her emotions, Clara headed to the kitchen to get the tonic Sylvia mentioned.

But just as she reached the kitchen door, she caught whispers from the maids inside.

“Madam really went all out—using all those pricey herbs just to make soup for the young madam. Honestly, how lucky can someone get? She’s got nothing on the young master in terms of family background, personality, whatever. Just because the old madam liked her, she got to marry in and now lives the easy life. Jealous!”

“What's the point of luck if she still can’t get pregnant after three years of marriage? Madam's already worrying herself sick. If you ask me, she’s not going to last in this house.”

“So true. I mean, even in regular families, if a woman can’t have kids, the husband usually leaves. Who’d want a hen that can’t lay eggs?”

“Exactly, couldn’t agree more...”

Clara stood still, expressionless. She lowered her gaze, turned around silently, and walked away, leaving the gossiping maids behind.

By the time she returned to the living room, her face was already wearing a calm, light smile.

The moment Liam spotted her, she dashed over excitedly and grabbed Clara’s hand. “Auntie Clara! What dessert did you make me this time? Show me, please!”

Liam, Alexander’s little niece, always had a soft spot for Clara’s desserts. Clara would bring special treats for her every time she visited the old house, and because of that, Liam stuck to her like glue.

Clara smiled, “Just a sec, I’ll go get it for you.”

Soon after, she returned with a food box and placed it in front of Liam. “Go on, open it.”

Liam’s eyes lit up the moment she opened it. “Whoa! It’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!”

The little girl loved fairytales, so Clara molded the characters from one of the stories and put them in a themed box. It really didn’t look any worse than something made by a pro.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it! Thank you, Auntie Clara!”

“No need to thank me.”

Just then, a maid came over to say dinner was ready and invited everyone to the dining room.

They all headed over and took their seats.

Before the meal started, Sylvia looked over at Clara and asked with concern, “Clara, did you drink the tonic I made for you?”

Clara froze for a moment.

Everyone turned to look at her. Her mind suddenly replayed all the harsh words from the maids, and for a second, she didn’t even know how to respond.