CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: DON’T LET MOMMY HURT

"By the way, Conrad Sterling!" Anna Thornton was almost done with her dinner and remembered to remind him, "I’m taking Pop for a pre-surgery check-up tomorrow. Can you take us there?"

"..."

"It’s good for you to come with Pop and listen to what the doctor says. We can schedule the surgery sooner. If we do it separately, I’d still have to go with you to feel at ease... Hey, did you hear me? You’re not thinking of backing out on the bone marrow donation for the child, are you?"

Conrad Sterling swallowed his food before answering her, "I’m not backing out."

"That’s good!" Anna Thornton had developed a psychological shadow from this man’s broken promise four years ago, and she couldn’t rest easy about the bone marrow transplant until it was secured.

"Then why were you silent? Scaring me on purpose, still holding a grudge from earlier?"

"I just don’t like talking while eating."

Even though he didn’t like it, since the conversation had come to this point, Conrad Sterling didn’t mind adding, "Unlike some people, who can’t let go of things from years ago."

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I’m holding a grudge?" Anna Thornton didn’t like hearing this, "So what if I hold you accountable? For what you did to me four years ago, you deserve to be entangled for a lifetime, never-ending! If morality and conscience don’t condemn you, I will!"

Conrad Sterling: "..."

Anna Thornton couldn’t stay quiet. Seeing Conrad Sterling not continue the previous topic, she quickly shifted to a new one, "By the way, President Sterling, let me ask you a question."

"Eating can’t even block your mouth?"

"Hmph, forget it, as if you’re the only one here!" Anna Thornton turned to ask Granny Chandler, "Isn’t it wasteful to make so many dishes every day that we can’t finish?"

"It won’t be wasted, Miss Thornton," Granny Chandler replied to her, "There are many staff members in the house."

"So you mean the staff usually eats whatever Conrad Sterling leaves behind?"

To be honest, with the high-end chefs Conrad Sterling had hired, who were comparable to top western restaurants and the best chefs domestically, this meal was so expensive that many people wouldn’t have it even once in their lifetime.

Not to mention, as staff members, being able to have the same level of meals as the host’s is something many would dream of.

But if something could be said nicely, Anna Thornton wouldn’t say it nicely.

This made Conrad Sterling emphasize, "I only pick the ingredients I like, and I won’t touch the others."

Saying this, the man glanced at Anna Thornton... It was she who ate the wontons without concentrating solely on them, her eyes coveting other dishes, everything seemed curious to her, and she had to take a bite of each dish.

"What are you looking at? I’m using public chopsticks, so it doesn’t matter."

"Stop looking down on people as if no one else has learned table manners. I was born a lady of status, okay?"

"I started learning etiquette when I was three, and at that time, you were busy breaking your leg trying to go to internet cafes to play games."

The man, who hadn’t really reacted until now, heard her mention this, and Conrad Sterling’s face fell, "Anna Thornton, one more word and I’ll throw you out!"

"..."

The next day—

Even though Anna Thornton stepped on President Sterling’s toes multiple times last night, Conrad Sterling still, as promised, accompanied her and Pop to the hospital for the check-up.

When getting in the car, Anna Thornton was pleasantly surprised to find a child seat installed in the back seat.

Before she could ask, Conrad Sterling explained first, "Maybe Granny Chandler arranged it."

"Granny Chandler? Doesn’t she only take care of housework? How does she even have the keys to your car?"

"A housekeeper naturally manages everything!"

Though he said that, Anna Thornton couldn’t imagine Granny Chandler, likely a middle-aged woman without even a driver’s license, thinking to install a child seat in the car.

Besides, with Conrad Sterling’s huge garage and so many cars... How could Granny Chandler know which one they’d use to go to the hospital today?

"I still don’t believe it. Why not let me ask Gran—"

Before Anna Thornton could finish speaking, Conrad Sterling decisively pushed her into the car, "The doctor has scheduled the examination; who has time to waste with you?"

"Fine." Anna Thornton stuck her tongue out in the back seat, carefully fastening Pop into the child seat.

Seeing Conrad Sterling sit in the driver’s seat, she leaned in with a mischievous smile, "Actually, if you said Ethan installed it, that would be more believable than Granny Chandler."

Conrad Sterling: "Shut up!"

With a three-year-old toddler in the back seat and a more mischievous young woman, President Sterling wanting to drive quietly was impossible.

Anna Thornton didn’t bother him anymore, instead spending the journey talking to Pop, teaching the child Chinese.

At Pop’s age, full of desire to express, having grown up overseas, many pronunciations were incorrect, and some words didn’t make sense.

Yet Anna Thornton could understand everything, mother and daughter communicated without barriers, occasionally even waving their hands excitedly together.

Children’s voices are always sweet, soft, and cuddly like a talking little dumpling.

Anna Thornton’s voice was especially gentle and sweet when facing her child.

Conrad Sterling, clearly someone who disliked noise, didn’t feel bothered while driving, reaching the hospital soon.

Pop had also been to this hospital the last time she was sick.

The hospital under Sterling Group could guarantee them green-light service; no need to line up and wait like others, nor to worry about being disturbed by reporters.

Pop had already been checked, and the hospital had her files, this time it was a pre-surgery re-examination.

The child’s physical condition needed to be checked and verified, confirming the disease state before the transplant, and similarly, Conrad Sterling, as a donor, needed a comprehensive physical examination.

For adults, this wasn’t difficult. He cooperated with the examinations and finished quickly, but when he came out of the last examination room, Anna Thornton with Pop hadn’t even finished half.

Conrad Sterling went to find them and could hear the child’s crying from afar.

Pop was undergoing a blood test, something many adults fear. For a three-year-old, needles must be the scariest thing in the world.

Anna Thornton covered her eyes not to let Pop see, and as Conrad approached, he heard her comfort the child in a self-deceiving manner, "It doesn’t hurt, it didn’t prick Pop’s hand. Don’t be scared... It doesn’t hurt at all, does it?"

Key is, she said it, and the child believed it.

Pop nodded and actually stopped crying.

The nurse swiftly inserted the needle and drew blood as per her lead, and Anna Thornton immediately pulled down Pop’s sleeve to cover the needle puncture, then lightly scratched a red mark on her own arm with her nail.

Pretending for Pop to see, deceiving her, "The nurse auntie just pricked mommy’s hand."

Upon hearing this, the silly little dumpling, despite her tears, lowered her head to blow on mommy’s arm, comforting her, "Don’t hurt, mommy..."

"It’s okay, mommy doesn’t hurt at all."

There were tears in Anna Thornton’s eyes too. She peeled a milk candy and fed it to Pop, then led her to the next examination.

Conrad Sterling looked at the mother and daughter from behind, without saying a word.

Suddenly, he somewhat understood why Anna Thornton did not restrict Pop from eating candy or forcibly weaned her off the pacifier.

This morning before leaving, he saw Anna Thornton giving Pop the medication to suppress the illness, and Pop cooperated well.

Because of this illness, aside from medication, it’s accompanied by repeated injections, blood tests, and punctures...

Pop had suffered enough, so why take away that little bit of sweetness?