Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 197: Humanity

Ethan Sterling listened to her speak, and his somewhat tense facial features relaxed slightly. His fingers became gentler, and he didn’t know how long it had been before he noticed Ruby Sullivan’s breathing had become deeper. Only then did he stop and softly call, "Ms. Sullivan." Seeing she didn’t respond, he confirmed she was asleep.

He wanted to stand up but found that his legs had gone numb from sitting. Afraid of making too much noise, he could only endure as he turned around and slowly straightened his legs, waiting for that heart-clawing numbness to pass before moving.

However, listening to Ruby Sullivan’s long and deep breathing, he surprisingly felt a small sense of accomplishment, believing all this was worth it.

When Ruby Sullivan lay down, she lay right in the middle of the bed, completely unlike her usual sleeping posture, essentially occupying the whole bed, leaving Ethan Sterling with no place to sleep.

He worried that waking her would cause her sleeplessly to toss and turn, so he gently covered her with the blanket and quietly went to the guest room.

Initially, the two of them still lived together in this house to reassure the children, but today was considered a special circumstance.

As he went downstairs, he happened to see Cindy Sterling coming out of her room, her hair disheveled, wearing a loose nightgown, looking like a wandering spirit.

She glanced at him, mockingly asked, "Kicked out?" and didn’t seem too interested in his answer, heading directly to the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge.

Because she favored various craft beers, the family had specially left half of the refrigerator empty just for her to store her beer.

Cindy Sterling had intended to buy a fridge for her room, but Rachel Lawson stopped her, concerned that then she would see even less of her daughter.

Ethan Sterling followed her to the kitchen, seeing her sitting directly on the table, dangling her legs, which, judging by her posture, seemed quite happy.

"Have you gained weight recently?" Ethan Sterling scrutinized her stomach and legs sprawling on the table.

"Yeah, no exercise, no mysteries; don’t sell the principal doorway; eating a lot and drinking beer, how could I not gain weight? No matter how good the genes, they can’t withstand such torture." Not only had she gained weight, the muscle had loosened. The abs she maintained for many years were gone at some point, the firm calves were no more, and now her thighs were starting to show excess flesh.

It’s downright ugly.

Cindy Sterling looked at the pitch-black air, her mind empty. She just wanted to get tipsy and go to sleep after two bottles of beer, thanking God for her mediocre tolerance that allowed her to feel light-headed without drinking too much.

Yet, her body seemed immune to the effects of alcohol, as her demand for beer had recently increased.

"So have you given up now?" Ethan Sterling didn’t want to lecture her but was curious about her current thoughts.

"Given up on what?" Cindy crooked her head.

Ethan Sterling stood at the kitchen doorway, the hall light turned him into a shadow, looking somewhat unreal.

Cindy Sterling found the brightness outside uncomfortable, slightly furrowing her brow.

"Life, perhaps." Ethan Sterling wanted to know what she had given up. He walked in and opened her beer fridge, "So many?" He looked at the colorful beers from top to bottom, "Which one’s good?"

"They’re all good; it depends on your taste." Cindy thought for a moment, "Second row, fourth on the left, Stout. It has a bit of a dark chocolate taste; the bottle looks nice, perfect for a man kicked out by his wife." Her face showed no expression and her tone seemed coldly detached, influenced by her facial expression, without much fluctuation.

It seemed she wasn’t mocking her brother but was instead being quite earnest and factual.

Ethan Sterling picked up the bottle with a cute smile on it.

He closed the fridge and took an opener from the top, with a small pop, the aroma of beer diffused into the air.

"The beer’s quite good." Ethan Sterling sat on the table, "Though I’m not a man kicked out by his wife—currently, I don’t even have a wife."

Cindy almost laughed, had she not grown used to controlling her expressions, she’d likely have burst into laughter. She took a sip of beer and added, "You win; you’re even more pathetic."

She finished the bottle and reached for another, her fingers sliding over several bottles, eventually deciding to join her brother by drinking the same beer.

"I think sister-in-law’s actually quite nice. If I were her, I’d accept brother-in-law’s pursuit now, to first cause discord among you brothers, and second, infuriate you."

Ethan Sterling unceremoniously slapped the back of her head, "You’ll look good if you dare suggest that to Ruby Sullivan."

Cindy rubbed her head, mumbling, "Look at you scared; I’m not stupid." After speaking, she firmly pursed her lips; for some reason, having just been hit made her feel like laughing.

Previously, though she liked jumping up to hug her brother’s neck when she saw him, engaging in close actions typical among good siblings, it seemed superficial. At their home, despite seeming like joyful brothers, they were inherently cold.

Her mother, looking cheerful and familial towards everyone, dressed as if defeating time, was actually a long-term depressive relying on medication to sleep, someone who might one day use a knife to cut her wrists.

Thus, her care and love for Cindy and Leon were limited and, at times, heavy.

Her elder brother was unaware of their mother’s condition and didn’t know this was the true reason she didn’t try to bring him back.

"Brother, I feel you’ve changed from before."

"Really?"

"In the past, you would at most help me find the world’s best doctors and send me to the best hospitals. You wouldn’t run to the kitchen at midnight to drink beer with me, asking if I’ve given up on life with such mundane questions." She finished speaking with a cold laugh.

A slight cold chuckle was now Cindy’s only facial expression because she found it didn’t involve the muscle of her apple cheek, allowing her to use it for smiling, laughing, crying, or expressing displeasure.

It’s better than having no expression, like a robot, perhaps even worse. It’s said that the rubber robots researched in Nihona can make expressions according to the program.

Ethan Sterling didn’t understand; he watched his sister’s alluring side profile in the dim light, wanting to figure out her current mood.

"Concern for you giving up on life... Is that boring?" These words made Ethan Sterling feel a bit embarrassed.

Cindy Sterling paused and turned to look at him, realizing he didn’t catch her embarrassment, seemingly misunderstood as feeling rejected.

She sighed, "If this goes on, I’ll end up with facial paralysis." She took a sip of beer, explaining, "Not boring, I... am somewhat moved; you are now more humane than before." She finished speaking with another cold laugh. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Ethan Sterling mused over his sister’s expression, raising his eyebrows, "Hmm, is that so."

That woman had shown him a much more vibrant life.