Chiharu felt a little sick at the thought of the past at Sayaka's words. If she knew that Sayaka would bring up grandchildren because she showed up in the morning, she would never have visited until later.

The truth was that she came to the house early so that she could bond with Sayaka a little before Makiko came over and delivered a death blow to Akira.

She believed that if she could be close to her mother-in-law during a crisis, she could occupy the space vacated by Kaoru and Hanae. And if she could control Sayaka, a perfect future would not be out of her reach.

Additionally, she could cut loose that useless pair of mother and daughter before they dragged her down with them. She could not cope with short-sighted idiots. Already, Willow Mental Wellness had called to inform her about Hanae's real breakdown.

She needed to have a better plan for harnessing the Yamazaki family.

For now, Kazuo could only remain as a simple assistant director at the company, even though his father was the CEO, and his grandfather was the chairman.

In a few years, the chairman position would be open, and Daiki would take the mantle as the patriarch of the Yamazaki clan.

It would not be fair if Kazuo did not become the CEO at that time.

However, as things were at the moment, Kazuo would not receive a promotion any time soon. Daiki was keen on evaluating abilities, and his eldest son was a disappointment.

Chiharu also knew that Daiki would not hesitate to make his brother the president when he became the chairman. The only hope for Kazuo rising higher in the rank without him magically developing real abilities was using Sayaka.

The other obvious solution was having a child and making Kazuo a more mature and reliable candidate for promotions and the CEO position.

Regardless of how much Daiki did things strictly, he would be moved by a grandchild. He would offer his eldest son better opportunities to ensure he raised his child well.

But Chiharu was not sure if she could have a child.

She had put in all the efforts she could since the wedding. She had spared nothing to make her womb respond. However, there was nothing.

Eventually, people would start asking questions like Sayaka. She could not use the excuse that they were newlyweds and wanted to enjoy more time together anymore.

And if she were to say that she did not want children… That was not an option.

She needed a child to have a foothold in the family. It did not matter if it was a girl or a boy. Only a child could make her a true member of the Yamazaki clan. Even if Kazuo found out about her actions in the past, he would not be able to get rid of her.

Chiharu felt a little sick.

"Are you feeling ok? You look a little pale." Kazuo noticed his wife was not well.

Chiharu realised that she was behaving a little abnormally for no reason. If she lost control of her emotions, people would discover her unusual behaviour. More questions could expose what must never be exposed.

"No, it's nothing. I guess it's the smell of the fish." She responded with a stiff smile. "I'll just go rest for a while in your room."

Kazuo, like Seiji, had a suite in the Yamazaki mansion, although he was not as welcome. Chiharu had only spent a couple of nights in the mansion and only had a few things in the house. So, technically, it was not their room, but Kazuo's childhood bedroom.

"Alright. I will get you after a while for breakfast." Kazuo was reassured by her words.

Akira looked at Chiharu as she walked away with narrowed eyes. She knew that the salmon did not have a fishy smell. The brine got rid of the fishiness, and her heat control methods were guaranteed to maximise freshness.

She was not, per se, offended at people disliking her food. However, Chiharu was behaving a little suspiciously. And when an already suspicious person was behaving oddly, something strange was afoot.

Sayaka also stared at Chiharu with interest as she walked out.

"Dear, do you think…" She whispered to Daiki.

Nausea was a common sign of pregnancy.

Daiki felt his wife was as quick as ever to jump to conclusions. It was more likely that Chiharu was feeling sick because of Sayaka's comment about the lack of grandchildren.

"Don't think too much." He responded helplessly.

In Kazuo's room, Chiharu cleaned her face with cold water before lying on the large bed. She took a deep breath and placed a hand on her lower abdomen. She pressed on her stomach as if she was punishing her womb for failing her.

If she did not get pregnant soon, she might be in danger of losing her position. As soon as she was taken in for a medical examination, things would start going wrong.

Kazuo was anxious about having a baby. He told her that he wanted to have at least three children, five if possible. He did not have enthusiasm towards a lot of things, but he intended to become a father.

However, her mistakes could mean that she might not be able to help him fulfil his dreams.

Her eyes closed, and her mind drifted to the past.

About four years ago, she had moved to Mountain Ridge with the dream of becoming a rich man's wife. She was not from a poor background, but she did not like the idea of living an average life forever. It did not match her image of the future.

She wanted more.

She did not want to save carefully for vacations. She wanted to be able to choose an island and be there on a private yacht. She did not want to buy one car. She wanted to have a fleet so that she could choose one to match her outfit.

In simple terms, she had grandiose dreams about her future life.

After coming to Mountain Ridge, she did not directly apply for a job. She had some substantial savings. Her parents had good jobs, and they were good to her. Even after she graduated college and began working, they would send her a lot of gift money for special occasions.

Her original idea after coming to Mountain Ridge was to apply for jobs in prestigious companies. Meanwhile, she would go to places where she was more likely to have an accidental meeting with a wealthy young master.

She was confident in her looks, and she knew how to appeal to different types of men.

As luck would have it, she met with a wild and handsome young master. He was not from a top family, but his family conditions barely met her standards.

Moreover, her savings were running low because of the expensive lifestyle in Mountain Ridge. She had not gotten a response even after finally applying for a lot of good jobs. So, she had to settle for that young man.

Their beautiful relationship started and proceeded quite well for almost a year. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. On a certain month, everything changed.

She discovered that she was pregnant.