All that effort, and it had been years with no result. It was not until the apocalypse came that Lillian finally gave up. With medicine and resources so scarce now, she would have to be crazy to risk her life as an older woman just to give that old man an heir. Yet, Jacob never gave up. Every single day, his eyes lingered on her belly. Lillian let out a sigh, set down her fork, and stood up to head upstairs. Rosalie, still eating, called out to her, "Mom, you're not eating anymore?" Lillian said, "No, I'm going to give your grandma a massage. You finish your food, and clean up the dishes when you're done." Rosalie answered with a small "oh," her mood sinking too. She barely had any time to enjoy being a legitimate heiress—had not even gotten her fill of shopping sprees—before the good days ended. Food at home was limited, all the maids and guards had been dismissed by her dad, and now all the chores fell on her and her mom. This villa was huge, so cleaning it was enough to almost kill a person! Honestly, it was easier living back in their old apartment ... Lillian reached the third floor and opened the main bedroom door. Inside, an old woman with a wrinkled face was lying on the bed. It was Jacob's mother, Maisie. Lillian drew in a breath and walked in. "I'm here." Maisie shot her a look of displeasure. "What took you so long? What was that noise outside just now? Whose kid is setting off firecrackers?"Lillian gently walked over and sat by the bed. "It wasn't firecrackers. It was gunshots." The old woman jerked upright. "Gunshots?! What happened?" Lillian briefly explained the situation. Maisie nodded, then lay back down. "Tell Rosalie to be careful and not to bring any dangerous people near the house." Lillian softly murmured, "Yeah." As she gestured for the massage, Maisie asked, "Any news about your pregnancy?" Lillian's expression soured. "No luck." Maisie shot her a sharp, dissatisfied glance. "That useless belly of yours! Twenty years have gone by, and I still don't have a grandson to hold!" Lillian stayed silent, quietly massaging her calf. Back when Maisie was younger, she had injured her leg working in the fields. Ever since, her legs had been weak, and walking too much caused pain. So Lillian massaged her a few times each week. On top of that, she brought meals up here daily. The reason was simple—though Maisie's legs were not good, she insisted on living in the main bedroom on the top floor. Lillian glanced around the lavish room and let out a small, ironic hum. This grand bedroom had originally belonged to Scarlett's parents. Back when they were alive, Maisie had not dared breathe too loudly around her in-laws. Now she was overjoyed to take over their room. Like a monkey claiming the mountain once the tiger was gone. It was not just Lillian thinking of Scarlett; Maisie was too. While enjoying the massage, she grumbled, "What a lousy fate I've got. Two daughters-in-law, and not one of them gave me a proper grandson—just two useless girls, nothing but money drains!" When Lillian did not respond, it felt like her words had hit cotton. So she closed her eyes and snorted coldly. "At least Scarlett was capable in business and knew how to earn money. But you? What good are you?" Lillian still did not answer, but her hands pressed harder. Maisie immediately cried out in pain. "Have you lost your mind? Why so rough?" Lillian had long grown used to bowing and scraping in front of Jacob and his family, swallowing grievances, and bottling up her anger. Money talks, so she had no choice. But now it was the apocalypse. Jacob could not go out to make money anymore, and she was the one keeping everything together in the household. And this old hag still thought she could lord it over her? Her words came soft but sharp. "Mom, how am I useless? Look, I'm massaging you, aren't I? Scarlett never had this skill." After saying that, she pressed down a few more times, harder, then stood up straight. Maisie looked at her in surprise. "Where are you going?" Lillian pointed to the nearby table. "I'm taking your dirty dishes downstairs." Maisie frowned. "You haven't finished the massage!" Lillian said, "It's finished." Maisie snapped, "Just a few presses and you call that finished?" Lillian nodded. "Yes." Maisie was taken aback.Her eyes widened as she ground her teeth. "You're just brushing me off!" Lillian replied calmly, "If that's how you want to see it, I can't help you." Maisie was so furious she nearly choked. "Oh, you! Lillian, if it weren't for my son, would you be living in this luxury villa? How dare you talk back to your mother-in-law?" Lillian ignored her, calmly gathering the dishes and heading for the door. From behind, the shrill voice rang out again, "If it weren't for your fake show of diligence, Jacob would've never married you! Truth is, you're not even fit to touch Scarlett's toes!" Lillian clenched her teeth, anger burning in her chest.