The Surrogate He Discarded

After spending a week in the hospital, Isobel was finally discharged.

Her Uncle Leon was discharged the same day, and Morgan and Judy came to pick them up. Instead of returning to the Foster mansion, however, Isobel insisted on accompanying Leon and the children to the apartment Morgan had prepared for them.

Located at a busy downtown street, the modest neighborhood was filled with small shops, pedestrians, and the constant bustle of city life.

The building itself was modest—a five story structure that had once housed a small neighborhood mini grocery on the ground floor.

The living quarters occupied the entire second floor. There were two bedrooms, a compact living room, a dining area, and a kitchen tucked neatly against the wall.

Morgan had initially wanted to give Leon a condominium unit at the luxurious Viridian Heights.

Julian had immediately rejected the idea.

He knew Leon’s pride too well. A man like him would never feel comfortable accepting an expensive condominium as a handout, especially from people he barely knew.

So they had compromised.

This place was modest enough for Leon to accept without feeling as though his dignity had been bought.

But the moment Leon and the children stepped inside, all three of them stopped.

Their eyes widened as they looked around.

Randy slowly turned in a circle, taking in the furniture, the bright curtains, and the clean tiled floor.

”Aunt Bel...” he asked in disbelief. ”Is this where we’re going to live?”

Isobel smiled.

”Yes. This is your new home.”

Randy’s face immediately lit up.

Yana was already peeking into the bedrooms, while Leon remained near the doorway, quietly taking everything in.

He didn’t say anything, but the surprise in his eyes was unmistakable.

Before they could explore further, a woman in her late forties approached them with a welcoming smile.

”Mr. Leon? I’m Nancy.”

She was the caretaker Morgan had hired to help them settle in and look after the apartment and the store.

Nancy immediately began showing Leon where everything was and explaining the arrangements.

Morgan waited until Leon had finished looking around before speaking.

”Uncle Leon, I’ll take Isobel home so she can get some rest. Tomorrow, a team will come to set up the grocery store downstairs. Once it’s ready, it will be yours to manage.”

Leon looked toward the ground floor through the window.

”The store?”

”Yes.” Morgan nodded. ”It will be your livelihood. You can manage it the way you used to manage your store back in the province.”

Leon hesitated.

He had spent years running a small village store. He knew how to keep accounts, order supplies, and deal with customers.

But this was different.

A store in the city meant more customers, more competition, and far more responsibility.

”I don’t know if I can manage it,” he admitted quietly.

Morgan smiled.

”Don’t worry. Nancy is very capable. She knows the business and will help you with everything until you’re comfortable running it yourself.”

Leon glanced at Nancy, then slowly nodded.

He had little choice but to accept.

In his mind, all of this was simply Julian’s compensation for everything that had happened to his family.

He didn’t want to return to the province anyway.

There was nothing left for him there.

His sister was gone, his old home held too many painful memories, and the life he had once known had already disappeared.

Besides, he still had one important thing left to do.

Find his son.

His only son had joined the army and was currently stationed somewhere in the north. Now that Leon was finally free from the hospital and had a roof over his grandchildren’s heads, finding him became his next priority.

Isobel turned toward the children.

”Randy, Yana, you two take care of each other, all right?”

”We will, Aunt Bel,” Randy promised.

Isobel smiled and reached out, affectionately ruffling his hair before doing the same to Yana.

”I’ll come visit you often.”

The children nodded happily.

Isobel lingered for another moment, looking at the modest apartment around them.

It wasn’t much compared to the luxurious homes she had seen in the city.

But it was safe.

It was theirs.

And, most importantly, it gave her uncle and the children a chance to start over.

As she turned to leave, Isobel quietly made herself a promise.

One day, I’ll give them something better.

When she earned more money, she would buy her uncle and the children a proper home.

Not as compensation. Not as charity.

But as something she had earned for them herself.

For now, this was enough.

Isobel left knowing that her relatives, the people she loved had somewhere they could finally call home.

...

The moment Morgan pushed open the grand double doors of the Foster mansion and ushered Isobel inside, a shower of colorful confetti rained down over her.

”Welcome home, Isobel!”

The cheerful voices filled the entrance hall.

Isobel barely had time to react before Julian, Leanne, and Kristine hurried toward her, wrapping her in warm hugs one after another.

”Welcome back!”

”We missed you!”

Behind them, the nannies, Anna and Pamela, stood alongside several maids, each holding an empty party popper after firing it the moment Isobel stepped through the door.

The entire room had been transformed for her return. Fresh flowers adorned the tables and staircase, while a large WELCOME HOME, ISOBEL! banner hung prominently above the entrance.

Isobel laughed softly, her eyes growing warm as she looked around.

They had actually gone through all this trouble just for her.

But before she could say anything, something else caught her attention.

Two familiar little faces were staring at her from across the room.

The twins.

Kirsten and Kristoffer were both strapped into their walkers, their tiny hands gripping the edges as they watched her.

The moment they recognized Isobel, their faces brightened.

Their little legs began kicking excitedly, sending the walkers wobbling across the floor toward her.

”Babies!”

Isobel immediately crouched down, her face lighting up.

”I haven’t seen you for a whole week, and look at you! You’ve both gotten so chubby!”

”Daaa... daaa!”

”Ma!”

The twins babbled excitedly, their voices overlapping as they stretched their tiny arms toward her.

They clearly wanted to be picked up.

Isobel laughed.

”Oh, you missed Aunt Isobel?”

She reached for Kirsten first.

But before she could lift her, Morgan quickly stepped in and scooped Kristoffer out of his walker.

”Your Aunt Isobel is not fully recovered yet,” he told the baby solemnly. ”She can’t carry both of you at once. You’ll have to wait your turn.”

Kristoffer immediately protested.

His little lips pushed into an adorable pout as he stretched both arms toward Isobel, determined not to be left behind.

Morgan chuckled and held him securely against his chest.

”Nice try, little man.”

Isobel couldn’t help laughing at the sight.

After a week away, surrounded by hospital walls and worries, the warmth of the mansion—and the familiar faces waiting for her—made something inside her finally relax.

She looked around at everyone who had gathered to welcome her home.

”Thank you,” she said softly, her voice filled with genuine emotion. ”Thank you all for such a warm welcome.”