Chapter 4

Zoey’s expression soured. “I’ll go when I have time.”

The assistant laughed awkwardly. “It’s tomorrow. Don’t forget to go.”

Zoey’s breathing was heavy. “Okay.” She hadn’t expected Laurence to be so quick. “I’ll be on time.”

The office was filled with the smell of coffee. Zoey was nauseous all afternoon. She only felt slightly better after opening the window for some fresh air. Before the day ended, she went to the bathroom to vomit again. She hadn’t expected her morning sickness to be so serious.

Just after she cleaned herself up, her phone rang. Zoey answered the call.

Laurence’s voice sounded cold through the phone. “Where are you?”

“Bathroom,” Zoey replied.

“I’m waiting for you in the car park. We’re going home for dinner tonight.”

“Yes, Mr. Scott.”

Thankfully, they rarely went back to have dinner with the Scott family. Laurence’s mother was hoping for a grandchild. In the car, Zoey felt nervous sitting next to Laurence. He had a strong aura that often made people nervous.

He looked at her and asked in a low voice, “Why are you so pale?”

Zoey had just been sick, so naturally, she did not look good. “Am I? I feel fine.”

Laurence gave her a look. “Your lips are red.”

Zoey didn’t know how to answer that.

“You haven’t cheated on me, have you, Miss Jenner?” Laurence asked suddenly.

He sounded like he was joking, but Zoey didn’t like what he was implying. “No, I have not.”

Laurence suddenly reached out and touched her face. “You’ve worked hard these few days. You should take some time off.”

Zoey gave it a thought. She could take advantage of the vacation to get herself checked out at the hospital. But she wasn’t going to go to the checkup Laurence had arranged for her. She had to admit that she already knew how it would turn out.

She was scared. She also didn’t want Laurence to find out that she was pregnant.

“Okay.”

Their car rolled to a stop in the driveway of the Scott family mansion. When Zoey got out of the car, Laurence put an arm around her waist. His grip was a little tight.

“You’ve gotten fat,” he said suddenly.

Zoey’s heart skipped a beat. “Maybe I’ve been eating too much lately.”

Laurence did not pay much attention to what she was saying. “If my mother asks you about Sarah later, you don’t need to answer her.”

“Yes, Mr. Scott,” Zoey answered.

Sarah. Sarah Jenner. This was a name that had followed Zoey all her life. Sarah Jenner was her half-sister on her father’s side. Her father was a ruthless man. To put it crassly, he was a calculating asshole who had cheated her mother out of her inheritance and turned the Fulton family’s company into his.

Not long after that, he invited his first love and his illegitimate daughter into their family. Laurence and Sarah had had a long history. He didn’t know that they were half-sisters. He had given Sarah every ounce of love he was able to give.

He was only ever gentle to Sarah. To him, Sarah was Sarah, and Zoey was just Miss Jenner. Zoey felt as if there was a weight on her chest. She could feel herself tearing up. Laurence pulled her closer to him by the waist and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you still calling me Mr. Scott?”

Zoey repressed her emotions and said softly, “Darling.”

In the mansion, Laurence’s mother held Zoey’s hand affectionately. “It’s been two weeks since you were last home. Zoey’s gotten thinner!”

Zoey smiled. “No, I haven’t.”

Laurence’s hand was still around her waist. He smiled lightly too. “Mom, Zoey hasn’t gotten thinner. She’s actually gained weight.”

He would only call her Zoey when they were acting as husband and wife. The way he called her name was intimate and affectionate, as if they were a loving married couple. Laurence had always been good at acting. He was also good at humoring his parents.

Mrs. Scott was surprised. “She doesn’t look like she gained weight.”

“Don’t worry, mom,” Laurence said, “I won’t mistreat your daughter-in-law.”

Mrs. Scott glared at him. “You’re a sweet talker. The most important thing now is to give me a grandchild.”

Laurence raised an eyebrow. “I’m working on it.”

Zoey listened to their banter without interrupting. Mrs. Scott was ecstatic that she had finally gotten through to her son. She didn’t know that they wore contraceptives every time they had sex. During dinner, Zoey tried her best to cover up her discomfort. The dishes were simple, but she couldn’t take the smell of meat, as it made her nauseous.

Her face so pale Mrs. Scott couldn’t help but ask, “Is Zoey okay?”

Zoey shook her head. “No, but I’m just a little sleepy.”

Mrs. Scott turned to her son. “You really shouldn’t work Zoey so hard.”

Laurence raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I admit that I have given her too many tasks these few days. I’ve already told her to take some time off.”

“Fine.”

Zoey did not end up eating much during dinner. Before they went to bed, she grabbed some yogurt from the fridge and downed it in one gulp. It made her feel better.

Zoey and Laurence had slept in the same bed since they got married. She was more of a sex partner to Laurence than she was his wife. After his shower, Laurence climbed onto the bed and tried to kiss her. Zoey had nowhere to run. She had already refused him once last night, there was no reason for her to refuse him again tonight.

He wouldn’t be happy if she did.

But Zoey was worried about the child she was carrying. She turned away in a clear sign of refusal. “Mr. Scott, not tonight…”

Before she could finish, Laurence’s eyes darkened. It was hard to tell how he felt from the slight smile on his face. “Zoey, you know I don’t like people playing hard to get.”

Zoey knew. Everything that happened afterward was a flurry mess. She didn’t know how they ended up having sex again, but thankfully she felt fine. After it ended, she was so tired that she didn’t even have the strength to shower. She fell asleep in Laurence’s arms.

Before she fell asleep, Zoey had a fleeting thought: this was the first time Laurence had expressed his displeasure. The man had always been mysterious. He never showed his emotions on the surface, no matter how angry he was. Zoey woke up at noon the next day.

The sun was already high up in the sky. She sat on the bed listlessly for a moment, then got out of bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a note on the bedside table, beside a check. The amount on the check was large.

She didn’t look at it for long before placing it back to the side. Then she picked up the note. The handwriting was familiar. Laurence’s writing was sharp and flourishing.

The note had only two sentences: “Thanks for last night. Here’s your compensation.”