The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 1

"Jocelyn, it's happened. S-she gave birth!"

The housekeeper, Maria, was practically grinding her teeth when she delivered the news.

Jocelyn, however, seemed unnervingly calm. "A boy or a girl?"

Maria's voice was tight. "A boy! Lady Eleanor and Lady Michelle are over the moon, going on and on about how beautiful he is. Even Adrian is so happy that he..."

Maria caught herself and quickly fell silent.

She shot a sympathetic look at the woman sitting silently by the floor-to-ceiling window, then turned and walked away with a shake of her head and a heavy sigh.

Despite her poise, a heavy stone of dread settled in the pit of Jocelyn's stomach.

For the past few days, nearly the entire Lowell family had descended upon the hospital to be with Audrey as she went into labor.

Including Jocelyn's husband.

He had been by Audrey's side night and day.

He showed more devotion to his sister-in-law than he had ever shown to his own wife.

The sound of the door opening startled her. Adrian was back, and he was home early.

He seemed to be in an excellent mood, all traces of the coldness he usually reserved for Jocelyn gone.

"Audrey had the baby. Eight pounds, six ounces. He's so chubby, you can't imagine how cute he is."

Those were the first words out of his mouth. The excitement in his voice was impossible to hide.

"The little guy didn't make it easy. He gave Aud a hell of a time during delivery. We were going to do a C-section, but she refused. She was determined to have him naturally, so we had to respect her wishes."

"But watching her in so much pain... Grandma and Mom were in tears."

Aud was Audrey Preston Lowell, the beloved daughter of the Preston Corporation's chairman. She had married into the Lowell family three years ago, at the same time as Jocelyn.

Jocelyn had married the Lowell's eldest son, Adrian.

Audrey had married the second son, Arthur.

It was a double wedding, an event so grand it was the talk of Northwood City for months.

But the good times didn't last.

Arthur, who had always loved speed and thrills, died in a high-speed crash when his car collided with a semi-truck.

Jocelyn remembered it clearly. During his wedding vows, Arthur had specifically promised that for Audrey's sake, he would give up his dangerous hobby.

No one knew why he had suddenly gone street racing that day.

And just like that, the heiress to the Preston fortune became a widow.

"Audrey went through so much to have this baby because she loved Arthur. He's gone, and she wanted a child to give her a reason to keep going. What's wrong with that?"

Jocelyn let out a barely audible sigh.

"Did you ask for my permission?"

When Jocelyn first learned of Audrey's pregnancy, she had assumed it was Arthur's child, conceived before his death.

Even when Audrey's pregnancy hormones made her irritable, Jocelyn had treated her with kindness and respect.

It was only when the timeline of the pregnancy became undeniably suspicious that Adrian finally told her the truth.

He had said, "The baby Audrey is carrying was conceived through IVF, using sperm I had frozen years ago. The whole family discussed it and agreed. I hope you can understand."

Something this monumental, and everyone in the Lowell family had hidden it from her.

They waited until it was a done deal to finally tell her?

And then ended it with a simple, "I hope you can understand"?

Adrian sat down on the sofa across from her and lit a cigarette, his long, elegant fingers clicking the lighter open.

Adrian was handsome, with sharp, defined features. His gold-rimmed glasses gave him a charming, intellectual vibe, the kind of older guy you'd have a crush on in college.