As Lydia spoke, she walked into the adjoining room. When she emerged again, she was holding a baby who was swaddled in a blanket. She coddled him for a while and he stopped crying. It was a rather warm sight to behold.
That’s Jackson’s kid. I
“How many months is he?” For some reason, my nose suddenly felt sharp as if I were about to cry. I walked over to her and looked at the baby, who wasn’t scared in the slightest. He looked quite a lot like Lydia and was very quiet.
“Just under six months.” Lydia’s face lit up with a smile as she talked about her child.
Kids were always particularly welcoming. I couldn’t help but reach out toward his little chubby cheeks when footsteps suddenly sounded up right outside the door. I turned around before touching the baby.
At the sight of Jackson standing in the doorway, I pulled my hand back awkwardly.
Jackson didn’t seem rattled. He looked at me for a couple of seconds before walking toward Lydia and taking the baby from her. His face finally softened slightly as he smiled at his baby.
I lowered my head and sighed in relief, having basically readied myself to be ignored. After a few seconds, Jackson’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Lydia told me you’re having twins.”
I thought I was hearing things and looked up rapidly to meet Jackson’s gaze before nodding. “Yeah.”
“That’s good. At least now you won’t have any regrets.” After that, Jackson turned his attention back to his kid and wife, clearly not planning to say anything else.
The three of them seemed to bask in a warm familial glow that I was clearly not a part of. I was starting to feel a bit awkward when Anthony walked in. The two men nodded at each other as a way of greeting. After that, we went through the check-up.
Once we left the hospital, I started thinking about Jackson’s cold attitude. It felt like a heavy rock was crushing my chest, making it a bit hard for me to breathe.
Anthony was smart enough to spot something wrong. He drove off for a bit and stopped the car once we were far enough away from the hospital.
“What did Jackson say to you?”
I shook my head. “He didn’t say anything.”
That was exactly why it hurt me so much. Macy, Jackson and I had been childhood friends for a long time. We had fought before, but usually, we got over our differences quickly enough once we argued it out. No one ever held grudges. On the contrary, we both seemed fine on the surface but there was now an invisible thick brick wall between us that I couldn’t break through.
Anthony lowered his head in deep thought. “You two should meet up and talk things out properly. Maybe you can ask Jackson to come over.”
I smiled bitterly and looked at him. “Jackson is a man too. Why aren’t you jealous of him?”
“I don’t get jealous of everyone.” Anthony turned back to start the engine again. “If Dr. Alder is his type, then you’re far from it. He’s not going to start anything.”
“Huh? What type is that?” I felt like he meant more than what he said.
Anthony chuckled slyly and didn’t answer my question. He just drove off.
I thought he was kidding, but he really invited Jackson over that night.
Things didn’t seem real at the sight of both Anthony and Jackson in the living room. It felt like we had gone back to the time before Macy died, back when the two of them were the most important people in my life.
Soon enough, the table was all set. Jackson and I sat opposite one another while Anthony sat in between both of me.
I looked at Jackson. He was just as calm and unruffled as ever. It was as if nothing had changed. What exactly did Anthony do to get Jackson to come over? I was really curious.
Anthony suddenly kicked me under the table and raised his eyebrows at me, indicating for me to say something.
I looked at him and then at Jackson. After a deep breath, I decided to blurt it out.
“Jackson.” I looked at him seriously. “Why didn’t you tell me before leaving for M Country? Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding? W-why did you block me on WhatsApp?”
As I spoke, I heard my voice beginning to crack. Disappointment and confusion welled up in my heart and pushed my tears out of my eyes.
Jackson was no different from Macy to me. Therefore, I felt like a child who had been abandoned by her parents—lost, confused and just wanted to know what I had done wrong.
As he heard that, Jackson’s hand froze and he sat in silence for a few seconds before going back to picking up dishes nonchalantly. “There’s no reason. It’s useless.”
That made me both angry and even more curious. “What do you mean by ‘useless’? Are you just going to throw away our friendship like that? Even Macy would never…”
“Don’t talk about Macy!” Jackson raised his voice. He tossed his chopsticks away and stared straight at me. “Sienna, I didn’t want to say this, but you forced me to.”
He turned away as if he didn’t want to look at me anymore. “Macy died because of you. I can’t just forget that. If it wasn’t for our past friendship and Macy’s wishes, I would never have let Summer go with you. I already gave up so much, but it looks like you just couldn’t wait to have a kid of your own instead, huh?”
It seemed like even Anthony did not expect that from Jackson. His expression darkened and warned, “You’d better watch what you’re saying.”
It felt like there was a lump stuck in my throat. I couldn’t pinpoint anything wrong or right when it came to Macy. She might not have died so young if she never got to know me, so Jackson had the right to hate me while I couldn’t say anything in my own favor.
Jackson didn’t seem to calm down at all. If anything, he got even angrier. He scoffed coldly at Anthony’s warning and looked at me again with an almost empty expression. “I only came for one reason, and that’s to take Summer back. She’s more important than life itself to Macy, and I won’t just leave her with the two of you to act like a shadow for someone else…”
“That’s enough!” Anthony slammed a fist on the table, which even shocked me. He rarely threw such a temper, and even the maids next to us held their breath in fear.
Jackson showed no signs of feeling threatened and continued glaring at me. “Sienna, I want you to give up the custody of Summer. You can’t say no to me, not if you still love Macy.”
Jackson looked at me with those eyes as cold as shards of ice. I had never seen this side of him before. Inwardly, I was panicking like a headless chicken.
He knew me too well. He knew I wouldn’t be able to say no because of Macy. Despite that, I found it hard to believe the words he had just said. Anthony and I had never treated Summer as anyone’s shadow. Does Jackson really think that lowly of me?
Jackson treated my silence as an agreement and stood up. “I’ll come to get Summer the day after tomorrow. Please help her pack whatever she needs,” he said blandly.
After that, he turned to leave, but not before I finally stood up. “Jackson.”
I clenched my fists and pressed my lips together, determined to put my foot down. “You’re not taking Summer anywhere. She’s my daughter.”
Jackson stopped walking and turned back. “Your daughter is the one who’s inside your stomach right now. Do you know who crashed into Macy and caused her to lose so much blood? One of Cameron’s drivers. It was her plan all along. I saw Cameron and Zachary come find you once. If Anthony didn’t try to exchange your life with Rylee, then none of this would have happened. Macy would still be alive.”
Even a grown man like Jackson couldn’t help but start getting choked up while bringing up the tragedy. “I don’t know why you wanted to force me together with that Anderson woman, but I’m sure about one thing. Just based on how differently Cameron treated you before and after finding out you were her biological daughter, I’m sure Summer will feel the same after you give birth to your own children. Since you chose to forgive Cameron and to have your own children so quickly, you should let Summer go. Macy’s life may have ended much too soon, but I will not let that happen to Summer.”
Cameron was the one who killed Macy?
I stood in shock at what I just heard. Terror and disbelief crashed into me like cold icy waves that wanted to drown me. My stomach suddenly started hurting a little and I instinctively placed my hand over it protectively. In slight disbelief, I asked, “What are you talking about? You told me it was just an accident. Also, when did I ever force you to deal with Cameron?”
Jackson turned around and glared at Anthony before looking back at me. “So you have no clue of what happened then? I didn’t know anyone could be more selfish than you, but now I see why you two are a good match.”
Right as I was contemplating what he meant, Anthony suddenly got up and punched Jackson in the face out of nowhere. It took Jackson by surprise and he reeled back, falling down on the ground. His lip cracked and he wiped away the blood that was starting to leak out.
Anthony glared at him venomously. “Get out.”
Jackson didn’t fight back. He got up and patted himself down before leaving. “I’ll come again the day after tomorrow. By then, I promise I will be leaving with Summer.”
Their actions had completely befuddled me and I was already getting fed up with his miraculous determination. I dug my nails into the soft flesh of my palms and yelled, “You already have your own kid too, so why are you questioning my love for Summer?”
Jackson was already at the door when he paused. Without even looking back, he said, “I’m not like you. To me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Macy’s child or Lydia’s child. I’ll treat them both the same way.”
After that, he walked out with his head hanging low.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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