Ch42 - Wedding or the test

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of air moving through the vents.

Allison kept her eyes on her dress, brushing at an invisible crease. Her tone was calm — too calm. “Do you know what day it’ll be a month from now?”

Marcus frowned. “What are you getting at? It’s our wedding day, isn’t it? What about it?”

Exactly one month from now — the day the two families would officially be joined.

Allison stood, her shadow falling across him. “The first time, I let it slide. But you just had to bring it up again.”

His eyes widened. “So you did hear everything?”

She didn’t answer. That wasn’t the point — she’d wanted to see what he’d do, not what he’d say.

She had hoped, foolishly, that fatherhood might soften him, make him less rigid. But all she felt now was disappointment. The new flat, the private nutritionist, the nanny with childcare experience, the family SUV — none of it had been for her.

It was all for the baby. For what that baby represented to him.

“Well, whatever you heard,” Marcus said, jaw tight, “you know it’s not my idea. It’s a family tradition.”

“Tradition?” Allison let out a cold laugh. “You mean you agreed to it. Don’t make it sound like your hands are tied. Your family hid something that serious from me, and now I’m the one being doubted? What kind of man does that to the mother of his child?”

Marcus’s face turned to stone. His hands clenched, then loosened slightly. “You’re right — my family handled this wrong. I can apologize for that. I didn’t know about it either.”

He paused, then looked up. “But for my sake, can’t you just do the test? My mom said the technology’s safe now — it won’t hurt the baby at all—”

Allison’s breath hitched. Her voice came out sharp, cold enough to cut. “This isn’t about technology!”

He frowned. “You don’t need to be angry. I’m just being rational.”

“YOU knew I’d be angry. You still brought it up.” Her voice trembled with restrained fury.

Marcus’s brow furrowed deeper. That domineering look in his eyes was hard to ignore. He glanced at her belly — then at her shaking frame — and finally sighed. The room went heavy again.

A few seconds passed before Allison spoke, her voice eerily calm. “And what if I say no?”

Marcus’s head snapped up. “Why won’t you? It’s just a quick prick — one drop of blood and you’re done.”

He trailed off mid-sentence, exhaling through his nose. The thought he’d been fighting off all day crept back in, dark and poisonous. His tone hardened. “Or is there something you’re hiding from me?”

Allison’s pupils shrank. The pain hit her chest before the anger did. She sucked in a breath, eyes locked on him. “Wow. That’s how you choose to humiliate me.”

Marcus shot to his feet, voice rising. “CAN you stop turning this into a fight for once? Just do the damn test and put everyone’s mind at ease! If there’s nothing wrong, why are you so against it? I don’t get it!”

She froze, her hands trembling, the knuckles bone-white. “So what — you’re saying if there’s no report, there’s no wedding?”

He hesitated for only a heartbeat… then bit down hard on his jaw. “Yes.”

The air turned thick. Neither of them spoke.

Allison buried her face in her hands, eyes squeezed shut. She tried to picture the man she’d known for years — the one she thought she loved — but his voice kept echoing in her head, sharp and unforgiving.

No, she realized. He’d always been this way. No one was allowed to come before his ambition — not even her. And she’d been the fool who kept hoping otherwise.

For a split second, the room went completely still — nothing but the sound of air moving between them.

Allison’s eyes, once soft, turned to ice. Her words came out slow and deliberate. “The wedding or the test. You choose.”

Marcus frowned. “WHAT?”

“If you want the report, fine — I’ll do it. But the second it’s done, we’re over. The wedding’s off. You can explain that to your family yourself.”

Each word landed like a hammer. The sting didn’t hit him all at once — it spread, slow and dull, through his chest. He’d never felt this kind of ache before.

Before he could gather his thoughts, the sharp click of her heels snapped him back to reality. He lunged forward, grabbing her wrist. “Hey, we can talk about this. Don’t go to extremes.”

Allison stopped and turned, her voice cold but steady. “I’m giving you one last chance.”

Her tone had no trace of softness, no space for compromise. Marcus felt his pulse spike — letting her walk away wasn’t something he could do. He forced his voice calm. “Think about the baby, Allison. He deserves to have a father.”

She yanked her hand free, one brow arching. “FUNNY you bring that up. We agreed — two kids. One to carry your Ashford name, one to take over my family’s hosiptal. But now that you’ve got your little condition, who knows if there’ll even be a second child? So if this one makes it, he’s mine. He’ll inherit the Winthrop name and business.”

Marcus blinked, stunned. “WHAT—what the hell are you talking about?”

One crisis wasn’t even over before another slammed into him. His head felt like it was splitting open. “We agreed — the first kid* would be an Ashford, the second yours.”

“Well, things change,” Allison shot back, cutting him off. “What we agreed on doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t even know if we’re still getting married. I’ll decide what’s best for this child. Whatever you can give him, I can too. He doesn’t need a father who doesn’t believe in him.”

“I never said I didn’t believe—” Marcus snapped, stepping closer. 

“I’ve done everything to give you both the best life possible. Everyone knows we’re getting married next month — if you cancel now, what do you think people will say? And you, raising a baby alone — who else would take you in like I have?”

Allison’s voice cracked, half from rage, half disbelief. “SO that’s it? You’re worried about what people will think? Do you ever stop to think how I feel?”

He gripped her hand tighter. “Of course I care! Why do you think I’ve spent weeks setting up this nursery?”

The room around them — warm white walls, pale yellow curtains, everything soft and serene — suddenly felt hollow. She saw it now for what it was: not love, just his own self-satisfaction dressed up as devotion.

“The Winthrops don’t lack cribs and baby blankets, Marcus,” she said quietly. “What I wanted was simple — but you’ve never once given it to me.” 

Her gaze lifted from the room back to his face. “This isn’t just about the test. It’s about us. And now I finally see who you are. I’m done compromising.”

His jaw flexed. “And what about our families’ deal? The partnership? You’re just going to throw that away?”

She gave a small, bitter laugh. “You’re right — the Ashfords are good business partners. You’ve managed to stay on top longer than most—”

Marcus cut her off, the tension in his face softening slightly. “Then you know what’s at stake. It’s not too late, Allison. Come back, and I’ll—hell, I’ll even get my father to give your family better terms. Would that make you happy?”

He tried to sound reasonable, almost pleading.

But Allison only shook her head. “No. Even if this deal falls apart, I won’t come crawling back. Our hospital doesn’t need you to survive.”

Her words hit harder than a slap.

She pulled her wrist free and slapped a folder against his chest. The papers inside rustled sharply. “Consider this my last gift to you,” she said flatly. “You can cancel the gender reveal — the answer’s right here.”