Chapter 11 – His Second Chance Love: The Freezing Silence

I nodded. “I’m six weeks along.”

“Why are you aborting your child at this stage? Does Mr. Featherstone know about your pregnancy?” Martha was confused. “You’ve been married for some time. The child has arrived at the perfect time!”

I gave her a faint smile. “Anthony and I aren’t ready yet.”

I paused briefly before adding, “I can use the excuse to delay the completion. Please inform Dr. Ludwick of my request.”

“Does Mr. Featherstone know about this?” she repeated unconvincingly.

I nodded. “He does.”

“Well, that’s too bad.” She sighed.

That was it.

Stacey prepared some supplements for Martha before she left. “Go to the president’s office and ask Joseph to hand me the divorce agreement that Anthony drafted earlier,” I told her after Martha was gone.

Stacey was dumbfounded. “Ms. Stanhope!”

Stacey had been with me for about two years, and she was well aware of the things that happened between Anthony and me. Knitting her brows, she said, “If you agree to the divorce, you know Old Mr. Featherstone would be disappointed with your decision, right?”

“Besides, if you agree to it right now, the shares which Old Mr. Featherstone had transferred to you will belong to Mr. Featherstone. Ms. Stanhope, the odds will not be in your favor if you make this decision.”

I was well aware of her concerns. After looking at the time, I noticed that it was already quite late. Hence, I did not care to explain things further and said, “I have my own plans. Please fetch me the documents. I need to head out later.”

Stacey stomped out of the office when she noticed that I did not pay heed to her.

I cleared up my stuff and found the car keys. Thanks to Stacey’s efficiency, I only had to wait at the staircase for a short while before she fetched the things that I requested.

She still had not given up on talking me out of the divorce. “Ms. Stanhope, it’s really not wise to sign the divorce papers now. You…”

“Enough!” I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. After getting into the lift, I looked into her eyes and said, “Don’t worry about me and focus on your work. I know what to do.”

She parted her lips to say something, but the elevator door already closed.

I started my car after I reached the parking lot and drove straight to the place where Jared and I had agreed to meet.

South Bay was a restaurant where people from the upper echelon would frequent despite its obscure location. The dishes here were exquisite.

Since I had made a reservation before coming, I went straight to my table after I had arrived at South Bay. However, I was surprised to see that Jared had arrived ahead of time.

He was dressed rather casually, exuding a classy demeanor as he sat by the window. He tapped his slender fingers against the table in a carefree manner.

“Sorry for being late!” I said as I took a seat right opposite him and called for the waiter to take my order.

He was initially staring blankly out the window. At the sight of me, he lifted his brows and a hint of smile fleeted across his face. “How could I be late on a date with a pretty girl?”

It was actually quite rare to catch him with a smile. I pushed the menu toward him. “Has anyone ever told you that you look really gentle when you smile?”

He raised an eyebrow at my comment and gestured me to order from the menu first. His almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly as he looked into my eyes. “You’re the first person to say that.”

I merely smiled and did not comment further. After skimming through the menu, I ordered a few dishes that I thought he would enjoy.

After handing the menu back to the waiter, I sipped on my water. He did not say anything and merely smiled as he looked at me.

Puzzled at his demeanor, I put down the glass of water and asked, “Is there something on my face?”

His lips curved into a smile. It was apparent that he was in a good mood. “It’s my first time dining with my best friend’s woman. It feels…”

He paused and grinned from ear to ear. “Well, I’d have to say it feels quite great.”

Birds of a feather flock together. Naturally, the people around Anthony would not be as easy to manipulate.

I did not doubt his words, nor did I ruminate over his undertone. Seeing that he was not beating around the bush, I returned the favor by asking him directly. “If something comes up and I need your help, I believe that you would offer me a helping hand?”

He raised a brow and leaned back into his seat. “What kind of help are we talking about here?”

“Get me some medicine for women recovering from a miscarriage.”

He frowned upon hearing my request. “Only this?”

I nodded. “Well, you have a good reputation. So is that a yes or no for the medicine?”

With a frown, Jared stared straight into my eyes with his obsidian deep-set ones. He was contemplating whether I was being truthful.

I did not fret. I sat quietly as he tried to gauge me.

After some time, he finally spoke. “Sure.”

“Thank you, Dr. Crest.” It was always a pleasure to deal with smart people. Just throw them a look and they would have gotten the gist of it.

After the waiter had served our food, he shot a glance at me again. “Has Ms. Stanhope always downplayed your brilliance this way?”

I chuckled at his remark. “Oh, you flatter me. It’s just a small trick to protect myself. Besides, Anthony and I are really not meant for each other anyway. This is a really bad time to have the baby.”

He had a few bites, seemingly pleased with my answer. “When do you plan to leave?”

I was taken aback and locked eyes with him. My plan was to deal with the baby and divorce Anthony. As for leaving J City, I really had no inkling as to where I should be headed at the moment.

He had even gotten the last step of my plan correct.

I paused for a moment, putting down the utensils in my hands. “Maybe in two months’ time. I haven’t decided on the place.”

“Why don’t you consider Q City? I think you’d fit in perfectly there.” He put down his utensils and wiped the corners of his mouth. Maybe he was done eating.

I actually found Q City to be a good suggestion and nodded. “Yes, maybe I should consider that.” Even though Q City was modest in comparison with J City, the pace of life there was slower. If I were to choose someplace where I would spend the rest of my life, Q City was actually a viable option.

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