Chapter 2

“Even if you look down on me, how can you ignore the baby’s safety?! If something happens to the child I’m carrying, how will you answer Mrs. Shaw Sr.? Don’t forget. You’re here to take care of me!”

Mrs. Zane finally stopped when she heard my threat. After a moment, her impatient voice came from outside the door.

“I’ll call Mr. Shaw now. If he says you can’t go, it won’t be my fault when Mrs. Shaw Sr. asks.”

I nodded frantically, pressing myself against the door as I waited for her to make the call.

“Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Shaw says she’s bleeding and about to give birth. Should we take her to the hospital?”

Adrian had just finished ordering when he got Mrs. Zane’s call. His expression darkened with irritation as he snapped coldly, “Mrs. Zane, do you not want this job anymore?! I told you to keep an eye on her, not to plead on her behalf!”

Mrs. Zane’s face fell as she was scolded. She shot an annoyed glance at the basement door.

Suddenly, she noticed the blood seeping out through the crack beneath it. Her face turned deathly pale, and she screamed and trembled, “Blood… Blood! Mr. Shaw! She might be telling the truth. She’s bleeding! There’s so much blood coming out from under the door!”

Adrian froze for a moment, his hand clutching the phone frozen. After a tense moment of silence, he finally spoke, though his voice was hesitant.

“Wait for me…”

In a daze, I heard Evan’s childish voice come through the phone, cutting off both what Adrian was about to say and my last thread of hope.

“Dad, I want some ice cream.”

Adrian turned his head.

Sue held the child in her arms and gave him a gentle look. “Adrian, is it Elena?

“Today is Evan’s birthday. Is she upset that you’re celebrating for him, so she’s making excuses to get you to go back? It's just like last time, when she stopped you from attending his parent-teacher meeting.

“It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on keeping this child, Evan wouldn’t be mocked at school for not having a father.”

Adrian’s heart softened when he saw Sue on the verge of tears.

Evan ran over and threw himself into his arms, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“Dad, can you stay and celebrate my birthday with me? This is my first birthday with you. Before, it was always just Mom. Everyone laughed at me for not having a dad…”

Adrian bent down and held him tightly. He looked at Sue with eyes filled with tenderness and concern, and said,

“I promised I’d celebrate with you, and I’ll keep that promise. No matter what happens today, nothing is more important than Evan’s birthday.”

Sue broke into a smile through her tears.

“Adrian, thank you.”

…

Outside the door, Mrs. Zane dared not say another word.

As I listened to his voice through the phone, the last bit of strength I had been holding onto finally gave out. My body slid slowly down against the door.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Adrian’s final instructions to Mrs. Zane.

“Mrs. Zane, I don’t have time to come back. I’ll call Dr. Cady to go to the house and check on her. Elena has a habit of lying. When Dr. Cady arrives, please follow his instructions. I don’t want you letting her go on your own. Make sure she’s properly cared for.”

I had a habit of lying?

The moment before I blacked out, tears slipped from my tightly shut eyes.

This was how I truly appeared in Adrian’s eyes. He did not trust me in the slightest.

At the time of Evan’s parent-teacher meeting, I did call him while he was on his way to school, but that was only because the baby had kicked for the first time. I merely wanted to share the moment with him right away.