Pressuring Ava to Have Children

Aunt Susan rolled her eyes on the sidelines.

"Of course, Grandpa," Nathan Ford said, feigning obedience and piling Ava Sterling's bowl so high with food it formed a small mountain.

"That's enough, that's enough," Ava Sterling protested, eyeing the mound of food in her bowl with dismay. She couldn't possibly eat that much. Nathan Ford was clearly doing this on purpose.

Despite her protests, he kept adding more to her bowl, drawing the attention of everyone at the table.

"Not at all, honey. Have a little more," Nathan Ford insisted, his "affectionate" gaze making Ava's skin crawl.

"I can't finish all this," Ava Sterling replied with a cold laugh.

"No worries, just do your best," Nathan responded warmly.

Ava swore she'd never again assist Nathan Ford with anything like this. 

From now on, the Ford family gatherings could go on without her. 

After all, Nathan had a girlfriend, Iris Hart. Why couldn't she be the one to endure this? It always seemed to be Ava who got hurt.

But Ava didn't want to dwell on it any longer. Now, she just focused on eating as much as she could.

"Diana Ford, look, Ava and Nathan have been married for a while now, yet there's still no sign of any pregnancy. Could it be..." Aunt Susan Johnson had to mention the most awkward topic.

Ava, who had been compensating for her frustration by eating voraciously, choked on her food at Susan's words, her face turning red. 

Nathan quickly poured her a glass of water.

After drinking a large gulp of water, Ava finally caught her breath.

It was embarrassing enough discussing this topic privately with Grandpa, but now Susan Johnson had brought it up publicly. 

Ava knew their concerns weren't genuinely for her well-being. They were all eyeing the Sterling family's shares. 

If she and Nathan had a child, the child would carry the Ford surname, naturally inheriting a portion of the Sterling shares, which would then benefit the Ford family. It was a cunning plan indeed.

Diana Ford, Nathan Ford's mother, usually keeps to herself and rarely interacts with Ava Sterling. 

The early loss of Nathan's father has left Diana even more withdrawn. Without Nathan, who is dearly loved by the grandfather, Diana's presence in the household might have been even less significant.

When Susan Johnson raised her question, Diana's usually dim gaze lit up slightly before turning towards Ava Sterling. 

"I don't know whether to blame it on lack of luck or what. We've not skimped on health supplements, yet for some reason, conception just hasn't happened."

Hearing Diana's words, Ava felt a sudden panic. Had she done something wrong? Although generally indifferent to others' opinions, the direct address from her mother-in-law left her at a loss for how to respond.

Ava couldn't help but be amazed at the dynamics of Nathan Ford's family.

"We're trying our best, but with our careers in a critical phase, perhaps it can wait," Ava managed to say with a forced smile, while Nathan seemed amused by the situation.

Frankly, she had no desire to be grouped with Nathan under the term 'we.'

"Is it that you think our Ford family can't support another member? How significant can a career be? In the end, not having descendants is the greatest failure. Your primary focus should be to ensure the Ford lineage continues," Susan Johnson blustered.

Ava felt a headache coming on. She glanced cautiously at her mother-in-law Diana, whose expression was as dark as a storm cloud.

Had she misspoken?

"Your Aunt Susan is right." Diana snapped, glaring at Ava.

"But, Mom, Aunt Susan, that's not what I meant. I just..." Ava struggled to find the right words to clarify, but found it difficult to articulate her thoughts clearly.