Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

Originally, the due date was half a month away, but just after Joseph and his brother left, Violet started feeling waves of pain in her lower abdomen. On the way to the hospital, her water had already broken.

When the Lady of the Lancaster Family gives birth, all members were summoned by the elder to the hospital.

The elder sat in the middle of the wooden bench, his face solemn.

Bodhi and Atlas Lancaster sat on the sides, respectively.

Victoria Thornton and her husband Daemon Lancaster sat together, even bringing their son Maximilian Lancaster with them.

Gabriel Lancaster and his second brother Michael Lancaster sat on a long bench further down the corridor, their hands tucked in their pants pockets, glancing at Daxton Lancaster who was pacing back and forth in front of the delivery room door, grumbling in displeasure.

"It’s not even our wives giving birth, making such a big fuss. I could be lying at home for these two hours!"

Michael Lancaster crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and leaned against the wall.

Aurora Lancaster tightly clutched her mother’s arm, listening to the cries coming from the delivery room, her face almost scrunched up into a ball.

"Mom, childbirth is so scary, I don’t ever want children when I get married..."

"Don’t say nonsense, you should be ashamed if someone hears you and laughs!" Lorelei Howard admonished with a sneer. Aurora immediately shut her mouth, hiding behind her mother and secretly glancing towards the direction of the delivery room.

Daxton Lancaster kept one hand in his pants pocket and the other covering his mouth, his head hanging low as he paced anxiously in front of the delivery room door.

Joseph Lancaster also stood at the delivery room door, anxiously rubbing his hands, even though he couldn’t see anything. He was standing on tiptoe, raising his chin to peer inside, feeling more nervous than anyone as the child was about to be born.

Just a door away, Violet’s screams intermittently came out, "...Doctor, I can’t do it... Please, use a knife and cut my stomach open..."

In that era when technology was still undeveloped, there was no term "Cesarean section." Hearing Violet’s nonsensical words, the assisting doctor just assumed she was confused from the pain.

The first childbirth is not easy, especially when the nutrition during pregnancy was good, making the belly larger than that of typical pregnant women. At this moment, Joseph continuously blamed himself in his heart; if he hadn’t brought back so much delicious food, the baby wouldn’t be so big, making childbirth easier, sparing Violet from such suffering...

Seeing Joseph’s eager gaze towards the delivery room, Gabriel nudged the meditating Michael with his shoulder, "Second Brother, look, now this is a true doting uncle—his sister-in-law giving birth has him utterly wrought up!"

Michael glanced over and reminded in a low voice, "Don’t speak recklessly, be careful if Grandfather hears you and scolds you again."

"Hmph, what’s that, I’m just stating a fact."

Gabriel said indifferently, and Michael closed his eyes again, arms wrapped around himself as he leaned against the wall.

"Mom, why is Aunt always screaming, is someone hitting her?" Maximilian asked his mother, the three-year-old child still not understanding much.

Victoria Thornton leaned in and whispered in her son’s ear, "Aunt is having a baby, soon you’ll have a little brother or sister to play with."

"I don’t want it! Aunt’s baby isn’t my real brother!" A three-year-old doesn’t understand these things, mostly influenced by Eva Hayes grumbling at home without shielding her grandson.

Victoria quickly covered her son’s mouth, quietly glancing towards the elder, and scolded in a low voice, "Don’t say nonsense, your uncle would be upset if he hears!"

...

The miserable cries in the delivery room ceased, a nurse wearing a white coat opened the door, "Who are the family members of the patient?"

Just as Joseph was about to speak, Daxton had already rushed forward.

"Me, I’m the family member. Doctor, what’s the matter?"

"The baby is too big to come out, the expectant mother fainted from pain earlier. We recommend making a five-centimeter episiotomy to facilitate faster delivery."

"Does making a cut affect the mother’s health?" Without waiting for Daxton to answer, Joseph asked anxiously.

The nurse glanced at him and said, "It doesn’t affect much, although the recovery time will be longer before the couple can share a bed."

Lorelei Howard also came over, "Doctor, make the cut, it’s been over two hours, if it’s not born soon, my grandson will suffocate."

"Your opinion, patient family member?" The nurse turned to Daxton.

Daxton hesitated for a moment, "Alright, go ahead with the cut."

After performing an episiotomy, equivalent to enlarging the exit, within about half an hour, amidst a loud cry, the baby was finally born.

The nurse wrapped up the newborn and carried him out, "Congratulations, it’s a boy!"

Daxton received the child with trembling hands, the elder and the entire first family clustered around them, while the second family still sat on the wooden bench, with only Eva Hayes coming over out of curiosity for a look.

Whether perfunctory or truly sincere, she rarely uttered a polite sentiment.

"Wow, the baby is really quite big! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, thank you." Lorelei Howard was already grinning widely as she took the child and presented him before the elder.

"Dad, quickly hold your great-grandson."

"Yes, yes!" The elder quiveringly received the child, the excitement in his heart was beyond words.

"Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law, the baby is born, we can’t be of much help here, so we’ll head back first. Let the cook prepare some food for Violet and bring it over."

Eva Hayes left these words and departed with her family.

Lorelei Howard took the baby from the elder’s hands and walked towards the ward.

The elder along with his son and grandson followed behind, the four of them had only the newborn baby in mind, while the mother who gave birth to him had already been forgotten.

In the delivery room, Violet was supported by the nurse to slowly get off the obstetric bed, the lower body in agony, stitched with five stitches.

Violet was never one to often do chores, having worked at her family’s company back home, never handled physical labor; after marrying into the Lancaster Family, she spent her days in leisurely comfort.

At this moment, as the nurse supported her down from the obstetric bed, a sudden surge of grievance hit her heart.

Seeing Violet’s eyes redden and her difficulty walking, the nurse asked with concern, "Can you walk? Should I call your husband in to carry you to the ward?"

"No need..." Violet shook her head, lacking even the strength to speak.

Joseph, having been anxiously waiting at the delivery room door, hearing the nurse suggest calling someone to carry Violet out, pushed open the door and quickly stepped inside.

The nurse supporting Violet saw a figure flashing by, and Violet was already lifted up by the man.

In public, Violet felt somewhat timid, gently pulling at Joseph’s shirt, lowering her voice to remind him, "Put me down, I can walk by myself."

"What are you being stubborn about, you’ve already undergone surgery!"

Joseph’s handsome face was a mixture of seriousness and displeasure, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, carrying Violet in large strides as they left.

Behind them, the nurse who had supported Violet was full of envy, "This woman’s husband is so handsome and considerate!"