“Huh? Why not?”
“He hates me,” Elyette paused briefly, before continuing, “but I won’t let her get rid of the child.”
“Well, women often become more emotional when they are pregnant due to the change in hormones. Perhaps it’s not that Miss. Tate doesn’t want the child, she is simply in pain and doesn’t know what to do about it,” the doctor assured, “she will need you to care for her with patience at times like this.”
“She doesn’t want to see me.”
“…If that’s the case, then it’s best that you leave her be for the time being.”
“I can’t do it,” he concluded after thinking it through.
Meanwhile, Averie went upstairs to change into her cotton-made pajamas and laid awake on the bed with her eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep.
‘He’s still there. I wonder what he’s doing downstairs. I don’t even know what he’s thinking,’ she thought. ‘Did he insist on keeping our child because he wants to be a father, or because he wants me to compensate for the baby he had with Zoe?’
‘Once the child was born, do I really give it to Elyette? Can he even raise a child? He has such a bad temper and gets angry easily, so I can’t rest assured knowing that the child is with him.’
Countless thoughts crossed her mind and she felt as though her head was about to explode.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching from outside the door. Without a doubt, she knew it was Elyette.
Averie immediately closed her eyes.
The door was pushed open and Elyette strode towards the bed.
She had thought that he only came in to check on her, but he sat down; not only did he sat down, he then lied down next to her.
She immediately tensed. Since she was facing her back at him, she couldn’t see his face and had no clue as to what he was trying to do.
She was instantly at a crossroad, thinking to herself, ‘what should I do if he tries something?’
To her surprise, he did not move after laying down.
His breath was close to her and she could feel his strong heartbeat. As the pace of his breathing slowed down, he wrapped his arm around her waist abruptly; like the way he would naturally pull her into his arms back when they were in love.
She opened her eyes and dazedly thought back to the past. After a while, tears began to gather in her eyes, while the man behind her fell deeply into sleep.
She lifted his arm off of her and sat up, before wiping the tears in her eyes as she studied Elyette while he was asleep.
Her gaze lowered to his chest and she suddenly felt the urge to see the wound on his chest. She reached out and unbuttoned his shirt.
As soon as she unbuttoned the first one, he scowled and instinctively shoved her hands away forcefully.
She looked at him dazedly and thought to herself, ‘but he’s asleep! How can he be so alert when he doesn’t even know who touched him? Has he always been so alert to others’ touch? But if that’s the case, how did he manage to be intimate with Zoe?’
She sank into depression at the thought.
She had never been with any other man apart from him, so she couldn’t tolerate the fact that he had been with another woman. She couldn’t possibly accept a flawed relationship, even when his heart still beat for her.
She sat dazedly as tears scrolled down her face uncontrollably. She knew that she would easily get emotional because of the pregnancy, so she had been trying to remain calm to counter the effect of her hormones; she never expected that Elyette would be able to break her with ease.
As though he had sensed something, Elyette opened his eyes abruptly.
Averie didn’t have the time to adjust herself and so he caught sight of her in such a discomfited state.
“What’s wrong, Averie?” Startled, he sat up hastily before he was fully awake and reached out to wipe away her tears. “Why are you crying?”
Embarrassed, she stopped crying and came up with an excuse. “I wanted to see your wound, but you shoved me away.”
“I’m sorry. I was asleep,” he said, before unbuttoning his own shirt. “The wound isn’t that good to look at.”
She saw his exposed wound the next moment and she felt as though she was being mocked by the hideous wound.
Averie reached her fingers to touch it.
He shivered slightly and grabbed her hand. “Don’t touch it. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
She retracted her hand from his and scolded, “you are a madman! If you died back then, even if your families and friends didn’t come looking for trouble, they would be certain that I was the one who killed you! I could have been condemned for life!”
He studied her reddened eyes and pursed his lips.
He acted on impulse at the time because he was provoked. He loved Averie so much, and yet she wanted to kill him. He felt that there was no longer any meaning in life and thought that it would be better to die and be free.
“Are you blaming me for wanting to kill you?” Though Elyette didn’t say anything, Averie had guessed what he was thinking and retorted, “what I think is my own business. It doesn’t count as long as I don’t act on it!”
“Why are you mentioning this now?” Elyette didn’t want to fight, because there was something else between them; and that was their child.
“Why not? Just because we don’t talk about it, doesn’t mean it’s in the past!” Averie knew it was bad to be hung up on the past, but she also knew that there were things that had to be clarified, or they would all turn into knives that come back to haunt them.
Elyette pulled her into his arms and said in a gentle voice, “weren’t you going to sleep? Did I wake you?”
Her face came into contact with the burning skin on his chest before she could react and she panicked, so she shoved him away and lied back down with her back facing him.
Elyette stared at her slim frame dazedly as his heart ached. Averie had not told him what his mother had said to her before she died, and naturally, he did not have the courage to ask about it.
If she was this frustrated when he didn’t ask about it, she would only be angrier if he confronted her.
He pulled up the blanket and covered her body with it, before lying down next to her once again.
…
At six in the evening, Mike and Chad came home with the children. When they opened the door to the mansion, they saw Averie watching television from the couch.
“Averie, I brought you dinner.” Mike unpacked the food in front of her. “There are some of your favorite fruits, some soup and appetizers… Try them.”
Averie took one glance at the food and her stomach instantly started rumbling.
“Mom! Why didn’t you tell Hayden and I that you have a little baby in your belly?” Layla went to sit down next to Averie and scowled in a slightly frustrated expression. “Why do you want another baby, when we are being good? I’m upset!” Averie felt extremely awkward at the question. “I’m sorry, Layla, I should have told you and your brother. It’s my fault and I will reflect upon it.”
“Oh… An apology is good enough, you don’t have to reflect on it.” Layla reached out to touch Averie’s on her belly. “Huh? Where’s the baby? Why isn’t there anything?”
Averie had gone through most of the day without eating and her belly shrunk due to hunger.
Both Chad and Mike stared intently at her belly and started to have different thoughts.
“Averie!” Mike roared, “did that bast*rd Elyette took you to get an abortion again?”
“…” Averie couldn’t respond.
Chad was having a hard time believing that Elyette would be so ruthless, but he started to waver when he saw how pale Averie was along with her flat abdomen. In order to prove that he was normal human being, Chad’promised, “Averie, if Mr. Foster forced you to get an abortion again, I’m going to resign right away.”
Just then, a towering figure appeared by the stairs and both Mike and Chad gazed over.
When Chad saw Elyette, all strength was instantly drained from him and he only managed to remain standing by grabbing onto Mike’s arm.
Elyette strode down the stairs and went towards Chad, before asking, “are you resigning?”
Chad hesitated and dared not to speak while being stared at by Elyette’s sharp eyes.
Mike, on the other hand, was furious. “You bast*rd! That’s Averie’s baby, who do you think you are to force her into getting rid of it?”
Mike became increasingly agitated and was about to start a fight, but Chad stopped him with all his might.
Seeing how chaotic the situation had become, Averie clarified, “he didn’t make me get an abortion. Also, can you all control yourselves in front of my kids?”
Mike instantly quieted down.
Elyette glanced at the dinner laid out before Averie and said to Chad, “come, Chad.”
“Okay… Mr. Foster, I’m not resigning… Of course, I’m not resigning when you didn’t force Averie to get rid of her baby…” Chad explained in a flattering tone while following Elyette out.
Once they left, the living room returned to silence.
“Averie, Averie! Are you crazy? You already have two kids and now you are having another one! Are you a breeding cow or something?” Mike scolded in disappointment, “you already took a cut to the belly before and now you will have to go through that again for that dirtbag’s sake. Is it worth it?”
Averie felt as though her head was about to explode. She didn’t want to give birth to another child had it not been for Elyette relentlessly demanding that she compensate him with a child. What other option did she have?
“Oh, right, so what’s his take on all this?” Mike shoved his hands into his pockets and asked,” he wants you to give birth? And then what?”
Averie lifted her gaze to look at Mike, then said, “Can’t you just let me eat in peace? We didn’t talk about any of that!”
“What did you talk about all afternoon, then?” Mike said with a look of astonishment. “Why was he upstairs? Did he sleep in your room? Well?”
“Do I ever freak out when you bring Chad home to stay the night?”
“Chad’s my boyfriend. Is Elyette Foster your boyfriend?” Mike teased. “How can your ex husband possibly compare to my boyfriend? Or are you planning on making things official with him again?”
Averie was taken aback.
“You’re so annoying,” she said with furrowed brows.
“Fine, I won’t say anymore. Go on and eat,” Mike said as he felt bad seeing Averie’s skinny figure.
Averie picked up her spoon and took a sip of her soup.
It was still warm.
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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