Theodore dropped Madison off at the Reynolds Group and headed out to get Phoebe and Ollie vaccinated and pick up some cat food.

At the International Finance Center, they found a store with a great selection of imported cat food. The sales assistant was super knowledgeable and shared lots of cat care tips. Phoebe listened carefully, taking notes on her phone so she wouldn’t forget. Theodore stood nearby, wanting to hold Ollie, but Ollie was in a bad mood and swiped at him. Luckily, Theodore pulled back in time and avoided getting scratched.

Theodore joked, “You ungrateful little thing, scratching me. Do you know who brought you home? And now you won’t even let me hold you.”

His charming voice made Phoebe blush a bit, feeling like he was indirectly scolding her.

The sales assistant smiled and said, “Male cats can be territorial in new places. Just interact with it more, and it’ll stop attacking you.”

Phoebe asked, “We’ve never had a cat before. What kind of cat food should we get?”

The sales assistant suggested a few popular brands. “Start with these small bags to see what it likes. Once you know, you can buy a bigger bag to avoid waste.” Phoebe nodded and put several small bags into the cart. As they shopped, she spotted some cute cat collars, especially the ones with little gold name tags. She picked up a red and gold collar, her eyes lighting up. “It’s so cute. Do you think it suits Ollie?”

Theodore, looking cool with one hand in his pocket and the other on the cart, said, “Yeah, it suits him.”

Phoebe held the collar up to Ollie’s neck, liking it more and more. “Okay, we’ll take this one.”

Theodore asked the sales assistant, “Do you engrave names?”

“Yes, you can write down the cat’s name and a contact number here,” the sales assistant replied, handing him a notebook. Theodore quickly wrote down Ollie’s name and contact info and handed it back. They continued shopping.

It was Phoebe’s first time in such a mall, and she found everything adorable and wanted to buy everything.

Theodore silently pushed the cart, following her with a doting smile. Seeing her so happy made him smile, too.

He thought bringing her here was a great idea, even though Ollie was hogging all her attention, which annoyed him.

He walked up to her and said, “Are you tired of holding it? Let me take over for a bit.”

Phoebe shook her head. “No, it’s very light.”

Seeing her hold Ollie so tightly, Theodore felt a bit jealous. “Let me hold it for a bit. Give it to me.”

Theodore reached out, but Ollie swiped at him again. Phoebe quickly turned to avoid it.

Ollie missed and bared his teeth at Theodore.

Theodore was speechless.

Phoebe looked at Theodore nervously. “Ollie didn’t hurt you, did it? The sales assistant said it’s just not used to people yet.”

Theodore gritted his teeth, thinking, ‘I barely got to enjoy this before reality hit. Bringing Ollie home seems to have made me less favored, not more.’

Frustrated, he glared at the growling Ollie for a moment before surrendering. “Never mind, you’re adorable. You win!” he conceded in his mind.

Meanwhile, Madison was upset after being scared outside the market and then being dropped off at the company by Theodore.

She messaged Vanessa: [Vanessa, you won’t believe what Theodore did today. He took Phoebe to buy a cat and calls the cat his son. Has Theodore gone crazy wanting to be a dad?] Vanessa saw the message just as a nurse was helping her back to bed, and her mood plummeted. Did Theodore really get a cat?

She sent back a string of question marks.

Madison replied: [It seems Phoebe really likes cats, so Theodore brought one home for her. They were having some issues before.] Vanessa’s face darkened as she looked at her phone.

She remembered when she and Theodore were at Kedora University. She was in the arts program, and a roommate had a cat. She called it a gift from her boyfriend and their “son.” Vanessa was envious, and her roommate told her that having a pet together could strengthen a relationship.

Having a special pet name made the relationship feel more intimate, like a family.

Later, Vanessa found an excuse to take Theodore to a pet store, hoping to adopt a pet together. But Theodore had told her he was allergic to animal fur. Although disappointed, Vanessa had to give up the idea.

But now, Theodore allowed Phoebe to have a cat. Was he no longer allergic, or was it just an excuse to brush her off back then?

Vanessa felt extremely hurt.

Madison, oblivious, continued to rant.

Madison: [Do you know what they named the cat? Ollie. How lame is that? When did Theodore develop such bad taste? People say men in love are idiots. Now I see it’s true. Theodore is totally a hopeless romantic, calling the cat his son. If he loves having a son so much, why doesn’t he have Phoebe give him one?]

Vanessa looked at Madison’s endless complaints and thought Madison was inconsiderate. She tossed her phone aside, not wanting to see those annoying messages. Vanessa sat on the edge of the hospital bed, lost in thought for a long time, before opening the drawer of the bedside table. Inside lay a silver jewelry box. When she opened the box, her eyes were immediately drawn to the crown-like diamond ring, shining brilliantly against the black velvet and captivating her.

The jewelry box had fallen out of Theodore’s coat and slipped into the gap between the sofa cushions. The nurse later found it while tidying up the room. The nurse had given it to Vanessa, and when she opened it and saw the ring, her heart sank.

Vanessa knew Phoebe hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring. She had tried on Theodore’s bought ring, but it didn’t fit her well.

‘So it definitely wasn’t bought for me!’ Vanessa thought.

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