Chapter 4

Tiffany seemed a little surprised.

She asked me, “You really don’t mind? Are you really not upset?”

“I’m not upset,” I said. “No one wants their child to be called an illegitimate child.”

She let out a sigh of relief and nodded.

“You’re right to take it in stride.

“I’ll leave the wedding arrangements up to you. In the eyes of others, we’re a married couple. It doesn’t matter whose name is on the marriage certificate.”

I nodded wordlessly.

She continued, “There’s just one more thing. Giving birth to Henry took a heavy toll on my body, so let’s not have any more children after we’re married.

“You’ll raise Henry as your own son. He’s very smart. He’s a promising young man worth nurturing. We’ll leave all our assets to him. He’ll definitely take care of you in your old age.”

I nodded without hesitation. “Okay.”

She paused for a moment. Her brow furrowed slightly as a hint of unease flashed in her eyes.

“Why are you being so understanding today?”

I smiled. “We’re about to get married. Why dwell on such things?”

She visibly let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought you were just sulking.

“I’m glad you’ve come to terms with it. After all, you’re about to have me. You really should be content.

“Honey, I truly love you. Seeing you so understanding makes my heart ache for you.

“I promise that from now on, we’ll live a peaceful life. Even though I had a child with him, I won’t let him or his son disrupt our lives.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than her cell phone rang.

She answered it.

On the other end, a child was crying and faintly calling out, “Mommy.”

After hanging up, she glanced at me with a look of hesitation.

“Henry misses me. I have to go see him. He’s so young. This is exactly when he needs his mom the most. You don’t mind, do you?”

I said, “Go ahead.”

She left.

After the door closed, I sat on the couch and received two messages from Howard.

[You’re a piece of trash who couldn’t even get a marriage certificate or a child. Do you really think she’s going to marry you? She’s just using you to support me and my son! But that’s fine. I know you’ll be on your knees, desperately taking good care of us!]

[You’ve been a most loyal dog. Work hard, so you can support us when we have a second child.]

I did not delete them, nor did I reply. I just took screenshots of the messages.

Tiffany did not come back for three days.

I had not contacted her during those three days either, because I had been busy meeting with Claire.

Claire was even prettier in person than in her photos. Her smile was refreshingly genuine.

On the morning of the third day, Claire and I went to get our marriage certificate.

After leaving the County Clerk’s office, Claire went to a nearby print shop to make copies of the documents.

I stood at the entrance waiting for her. The marriage certificate we had just received was tucked in my bag.

Just then, a black sedan pulled up to the curb.

Tiffany and Howard got out of the car.

Tiffany spotted me at once. Her expression immediately changed. “Brendon, you promised me you wouldn’t make a scene. Why did you still follow me all the way here?!”

Howard also stepped forward and stood right in front of me. Then, he spoke loudly on purpose.

“Dear god, have you no shame? We’re about to get married, and you’re still trying to meddle. Is this supposed to be a joke?”

There were quite a few people around waiting to get their marriage certificates. Upon hearing that, they all turned to look in our direction.

Feeling embarrassed, I explained. “I’m not here to see you two.”

“What are you playing at?” Howard’s voice rose even higher. “You chased us all the way to the door of the County Clerk’s office, and you’re still trying to play it cool?!

“I’m warning you. If you dare harass my wife one more time, I’ll beat you to a pulp!

“Get out of here. Don’t ruin this happy occasion for us.”

Tiffany’s expression turned cold as well. “Brendon, you’re really making a spectacle of yourself today. Just leave already. I don’t want you to embarrass yourself any further.”

Just then, a clear, bright voice rang out from behind us.

“How is my husband embarrassing himself?”