Chapter 747

I was utterly embarrassed. "Uh, Vera… This…" Vera shot me a look. "Stop calling me 'Vera' when we're out in public. You should call me 'Mom' instead." She winked at me and added, "Don't worry, I'll give you a little something for changing how you address me." To prove she was serious, she immediately reached into her handbag and pulled out a blank check. With a flourish, she wrote down a string of numbers. I was stunned. I counted the digits—eight figures! Oh my God! Ten million dollars just for calling her "Mom"? Vera, with an almost magical efficiency, pulled out an envelope from her bag and slipped the check inside. "Here, a little gift for changing what you call me," she said, smiling brightly as she tucked the envelope into my pocket. I was dumb with shock. Vera stared at me as if she could somehow see through my stomach and catch a glimpse of the yet-to-exist baby growing inside. Her lips curled into a hard-to-suppress smile. Just then, the fitting staff entered with