Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 502

Molly felt a twinge of guilt thinking about her spat with Chad. Despite their argument, he had been patient and coaxed her back into good spirits.

"Alright, enough about me," she said, turning to Mia. "What's going on with you and Andre? Why's he not helping you out?"

Mia sighed heavily. "Andre won't lift a finger to help. He's dumped his entire graduation thesis on me."

Molly paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Welcome to the club!"

Mia rested her chin in her hand, looking despondent.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, huh?" Molly observed, noticing her friend's weariness.

"Is it that obvious?" Mia thought back to her son's restless night. "He'd cry when he was hungry, cry when he had a dirty diaper, cry when it was too dark, and cry when the light was on. One minute I'm rubbing his belly, the next I'm up walking him around. I mean, seriously, taking care of a baby shouldn't be this hard, right?"

Molly asked, "Usually, isn't it Andre who gets up at night to look after Henry while you catch some sleep?"

Mia thought of her husband. "It's possible. Last night he kept showing up at the door. Every time the baby cried, he was there, reminding me what to do. You know, my husband's actually pretty responsible."

The two friends pondered if they might have been taking their men for granted.

"Mia, you should get some sleep tonight. You're sporting some serious dark circles. You're still recovering from childbirth; you can't overdo it."

Mia was candid with her bestie. "I just can't swallow my pride."

Jade chimed in, "Honestly, I don't even know how to sweet-talk Chad anymore."

The worries were back.

Then, Molly clapped her hands together. "I got it! You tell my Chad that I really care about him, and I'll tell my Andre how pitiful you were last night. We'll make it seem like we're spilling the beans behind each other's backs, sparking their sympathy and guilt. They'll come crawling back to us, full of apologies. What do you think?"

Mia immediately caught on. "Molly, I'm sticking with you for life!"

So, after their chat, the unsuspecting guys were lured into the trap.

Mia played her part well. "Chad, I saw Molly looking pretty down. Did you give her a hard time? Nothing seems to rattle her, except you. You're the only one who can make her feel this way."

Chad frowned. "I'm the only one who can upset her?"

"You have no idea how much Molly adores you, Chad," Mia said with a sly double meaning.

...

In the backyard, Molly wasn't dropping the ball either. "Andre, did Mia get any sleep last night at all? Look at her, she's got bags under her eyes, she looks more like a grandma than a fresh 21-year-old. It must be all the stress from taking care of the baby." Andre remembered his wife's tired face. "I haven't noticed any change in Mia."

"That's because you see her every day. Us girls notice these things right away. Mia was practically falling asleep standing up. Have you been too knocked out at night to hear Henry crying, leaving Mia to deal with it all on her own?"

...

As they left, Mia and Molly exchanged covert winks. The men had taken the bait; now it was time to see the plan in action.

Back in the BMW, Chad's mind was reeling with Mia's words. "Molly, I didn't mean to come down on you. And it's not just because I feel sorry for them; I care about you too.

You wanted to teach them a lesson, and I did too. But I handle things more smoothly, without leaving any trace. Remember the other night when I had to smooth things over with the neighbors? If the cops had come for you, would you have been safe?" Thank goodness he had stepped in to clean up the mess.

Molly realized that she hadn't handled things as well as she thought, which explained why Andre had been so worried.

She nervously took a sip of water from the car's cup holder.

Chad then asked, "Mia told me you think I'm the one you want to marry?"

"Spit-take!"

Molly sprayed her water all over the windshield, coughing and sputtering. Chad quickly handed her a tissue while keeping one hand on the wheel.

"What did Mia say?!" Molly gasped in shock.

At Maplewood Estates, Mia brushed off her husband's suspicions. "Andre, don't believe Molly's nonsense. I love only you. Even if you don't help me with my thesis, I understand you're just worried about my defense. And it doesn't change how I feel about you. There's no one else for me. You were my first love, and I'm devoted to you. Before you, I was single; now I'm a married woman. Those other guys don't even register to me, hubby. Don't dredge up the past.

I'm loyal and have emotional integrity. I might get mad at you, but that's because I love you and I need you.

I spent all of last night caring for our son, with no time to regret marrying you. And marrying you is the best thing that's ever happened to me. How could I ever regret that?

Even if we end up broke, even if all we have is bread and butter, I'm not vain. I'd be right there with you, eating bread and butter. I'm willing to endure hardship with you. And I can support us all on my own if I have to.

Don't listen to Molly's wild stories. I can confront her face to face if I need to!"

Andre raised an eyebrow, realizing that getting a confession out of his wife required a bit of a nudge.

"Alright, I won't believe what Molly told me about you regretting our marriage, having a fling, or marrying me for money."

Mia nodded vigorously. "You should trust my love."

Andre smiled. "So, will you join me in bed tonight?"

"I will," she replied, without hesitation.

Andre was pleased, picking up their baby from the crib. "Finally got your mom back," he whispered to the little one.

Meanwhile, Molly was at the hospital having her own reckoning. "You told Andre I regret marrying him and that I have a side guy?"

Molly countered, "When did I ever say Chad was the one I wanted to marry?"

They finished their interrogation in unison, "I never said that!"

In Coleen Byrne's hospital room, Officer Chad tended to his mother with a smile.

Coleen wasn't blind. "Did you make up with Molly after your fight?"

Chad thought back to the car ride, where she had babbled nervously, "No way, bro, don't buy into Mia's tall tales. She's just spinning yarns. How could I ever, ever, fantasize about you as my Prince Charming, right? I'll fess up, there are times when I have these slightly off- kilter thoughts about you, and sure, there are moments I regret that you're my brother. But come on! I'm not that clueless..."

Addressing his mother's concerns, Chad replied, "We've made up, and yeah, I've realized she's been playing dumb all along."