Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Could You Be Pregnant?

The call came from Emmett Baldwin, one of Kaleb Keaton’s college buddies.

Kaleb was Ayla’s younger brother, who had graduated that very day.

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Back in school, he and Emmett co–founded a gaming company called Dimensia Labs.

When their Uncle Hugh moved overseas, he left behind ten million dollars and a house.

Kaleb chose the ten million and used it as the company’s startup fund.

The moment Ayla heard what happened, she agreed right away. “Alright, I’m coming.”

Halle drove her to the hospital.

Once they arrived, Ayla asked her to wait in the car and hurried inside.

Just as she reached the doorway, Ayla heard Kaleb’s cold voice, “Why’d you call her?”

She froze and didn’t push the door open.

Through the crack, she saw Kaleb lying in the hospital bed.

He was only in his early 20s, but years of running a company had matured him. His appearance was caught between boy and man.

Through the crack, she saw Kaleb lying in the hospital bed.

Ayla felt a wave of relief.

Emmett, staring at Kaleb’s cold expression, couldn’t understand it. “She’s your sister. If I don’t tell her you’re sick, who am I supposed to tell?”

Kaleb’s voice was downright freezing. “My problems have nothing to do with her.”

Emmett frowned. “Come on, why do you hate your sister so much? She seems fine to me.”

Kaleb clearly didn’t want to bring up

the past.

past. “Shut

up or get out.”

“Alright, alright. You focus on getting better. I’m leaving.”

Emmett muttered as he walked off, “I’d give anything to have a sister like her.”

As he came toward the door, Ayla quickly stepped aside.

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Chapter 9 Could You Be Pregnant?

When Emmett opened it, he spotted her.

She shot him a quick look.

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He caught on instantly, acted like he hadn’t seen her, and closed the door again.

Out in the hallway, Ayla pulled a debit card from her bag and went straight to the point.

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“There’s ten million dollars on this. Use it for emergencies. Don’t tell Kaleb it came from me.”

Back when she built the LugiX system, Halle had bought it out for 20 million.

That became Ayla’s personal money.

She wasn’t one to spend much. Her paycheck at Storm Group easily covered her daily needs, so most of that fortune had stayed untouched.

Emmett stared at the amount of money she gave him; his jaw practically dropped on the floor. “Ayla, I just asked you to check on Kaleb. I wasn’t asking for money…”

His words trailed off, guilt written all over his face.

Ayla caught it right away. “You don’t need to be polite. Just take it.”

Even with Hugh’s 10 million startup fund, Kaleb’s big game project was far more expensive.

He was great at development, but to keep the company alive, he had to deal with investors, which often meant drinking at business dinners.

Ayla always thought he could handle it. She never expected it would land him in the hospital.

Emmett knew the estranged bond between Ayla and Kaleb. He wouldn’t call her out of the blue unless Kaleb was in real trouble. Since it wasn’t health, it had to be about money.

Young people like them were too shy to ask for help. For Emmett to reach out meant it was serious.

Before Emmett could refuse again, Ayla pressed her debit card into his hand.

Emmett stared at the card. He heard her reassuring words and saw the concern in her eyes. His

eyes stung.

Earlier that day, he and Kaleb had gone to meet an investor. The man demanded they drink a full quart of whiskey in exchange for a one–million–dollar deal. Without hesitation, Kaleb downed it.

The problem was, he hadn’t eaten all day. He drank on an empty stomach, threw up halfway

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Chapter 9 Could You Be Pregnant?

through, and still kept going.

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Emmett couldn’t stand to watch anymore and told Kaleb to just forget it. But Kaleb was stubborn. For that ten million dollars, he forced himself to keep drinking, even as the liquor burned his stomach raw.

After he downed the whole quart, the investor broke his word.

He laughed in their faces, mocking them as clueless kids who were easy to fool. He said they were too simple–minded to ever make a real game, his insults sharp and humiliating.

If they weren’t desperate for money, who would ever put up with that kind of treatment?

Emmett had no choice but to call Ayla.

He knew she was married to the famous CEO of Winston Group, a man worth billions.

If Kaleb would just ask for a few million in investment from his brother–in–law, that money could solve all their problems.

But Kaleb would never do it. Their sibling bond was strained to the breaking point. He’d rather die than beg Troy for help.

Emmett wasn’t as rigid. He had secretly tried approaching Winston Group before, using the title of the CEO’s brother–in–law to get in the door. He even met Troy in person and gave a one–minute pitch about their ambitious AAA game, blending new tech with classic culture. He thought it might spark interest. Surprisingly, the security guards threw him out.

Emmett had been stunned. And what cut deeper was hearing that Winston Group had just invested in their rival.

The whole episode felt like they were being slapped across the face.

He didn’t dare to ask Ayla about her marriage, so he spoke carefully instead. “Ayla, I’ll be honest with you. The reason Kaleb and I are desperate is because our best engineers got poached by our competitors. It’s crippled us. The company’s on the edge of collapse.”

He leaned forward, his voice intense. “This investment of yours is everything to us. Without it, we’re done. But listen–we’ll make it through. You’re now our biggest shareholder. Once the game launches and makes money, you’ll get dividends. We’re not giving up. Kaleb and I are determined to prove everyone wrong.”

Ayla shook her head gently. “You can worry about that stuff later. Just focus on your work. That’s what matters.”

She knew she couldn’t manage their battles. The business world was ruthless, and competitors would always play dirty.

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Furshed

All she could do was give them what help she could. For the rest, Kaleb and Emmett had to face themselves.

Emmett felt Ayla’s warmth and care, the kind that only an older sister could give. The anger he had been carrying from earlier in the night slowly faded.

His heart calmed, and he asked, “Ayla, don’t you want to go in and see Kaleb?”

Ayla shook her head, holding back the bitterness in her chest. “He doesn’t want to see me. I won’t go in.”

Emmett noticed the sadness in her eyes.

But as an outsider, he couldn’t say much. The words he wanted to speak stuck in his throat

Ayla gently patted his shoulder. “Take good care of Kaleb for me. If anything comes up, tell me directly. Now go on in.”

Emmett lowered his head and gave a soft, “Okay.” He did as she said, walking off quietly.

He still had to figure out how to cover up that money with a lie with Kaleb. Thankfully, that wasn’t too hard for him.

Not long after Emmett left, Ayla unexpectedly ran into Bria Winston at the hospital.

She was Troy’s younger sister.

Ayla’s brows furrowed.

Bria was the same age as Kaleb. She grew up showered with her parents‘ love and her brother’s protection. Her whole family revolved around her, and because of that, she leaned heavily on Troy.

When Ayla married Troy, Bria saw her as someone who stole her brother away.

Just like her mother, Bria looked down on Ayla from the start. Whenever they crossed paths, Bria never bothered to hide her dislike.

Ayla usually kept her distance and avoided her. She had no desire to run into Bria now either, so she tried to slip away.

But Bria had already spotted her and stepped right into her path.

Ayla was forced to stop.

Bria’s eyes swept her up and down, full of scorn. She mocked, “Why aren’t you at home taking

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care of Troy? What are you even doing here?”

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Ayla had climbed up the social ladder when she married Troy. To the Winstons, that meant one thing–taking care of Troy was her only real duty. Her life and needs were supposed to come second.

Back then, Ayla poured all her energy into being a good wife. She tried to win over Troy’s family and earn their approval.

Even when she was treated unfairly, she swallowed it down. She hated fights and always avoided conflict, so she learned to live with their constant criticism.

Over time, she got used to their constant criticism.

But now that she was divorced, she didn’t have to play along anymore. She didn’t need to please

anyone.

Ayla said calmly, “I have something to take care of.”

She didn’t bother to explain further.

Bria’s eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. “And what could be more important than looking after Troy?” Her gaze swept over Ayla from head to toe, sharp and prying. Then she smirked. “Wait. Don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

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