Chapter 4

Instead, I looked at Kelsey and suddenly asked a completely unrelated question, "Kelsey, I heard you're going to give Patrick a son?"

The moment those words left my mouth, our relatives' sullen faces lit up.

Aunt Anita even cried out in delight, "What? Kelsey's pregnant?"

Kelsey froze for a second, then immediately clutched her belly, her expression shifting to a mix of coyness and smug satisfaction.

"Yes, I was planning to tell everyone in a few days. But since Jillian brought it up, I'll just say it now. I'm pregnant with Patrick's child, and I'm two months along."

"Oh my god! The Snyder line will carry on!" Aunt Rita was so excited she slapped her own thigh. "This is wonderful news! Patrick, you've really stepped up as a man!"

Patrick looked completely blindsided. This clearly wasn't part of the script.

But the moment he caught Kelsey's affirming glance, he immediately ran with it.

"Yes, that's right. Kelsey is carrying my baby—the first grandson of this family!"

He then turned to Mom and Dad, his tone growing even more brazen. "Uncle Myron, Aunt Eileen, you hear that? This is the Snyder family bloodline we're talking about. Could you really bear to let this child grow up without a roof over his head?"

Mom and Dad were stunned by the news.

In the old generation's mindset, carrying on the family line trumped everything.

The firm refusal they had held onto just moments ago was now beginning to crack.

The longer I watched the whole circus play out, the frostier my smile became.

"You're pregnant?" I twirled the pen between my fingers, my gaze piercing straight into Kelsey's body like a pair of scalpels.

"Kelsey, if I'm not mistaken, the medical community hasn't exactly figured out how to make men pregnant, has it? Unless you're part seahorse or something?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Kelsey shrieked, her face draining of all color in an instant. "I'm pregnant, whether you believe me or not! I have the ultrasound to prove it!"

She yanked the printout from her bag and slapped it onto the table. "Take a good look! This is my proof!"

The relatives crowded around to see. Sure enough, it was an early-pregnancy ultrasound report. Though the patient's name was a bit blurry, the date was clearly recent.

"See that, Jillian? What do you have to say now?" Patrick was practically preening. "Now sign the agreement! Or I'll show you what it means to sacrifice family for the greater good!"

"An ultrasound report, eh?" I picked up the sheet of paper and tossed it straight into the trash without even glancing at it. "Anyone can pay a few bucks to have something photoshopped, and the only people who'd fall for it are those clueless about the law, like all of you.

"But since we're gathered here, and Patrick's so eager to get his hands on the apartment…"

I stood up and walked over to the TV cabinet, where Dad's brand-new 85-inch flat screen TV sat. It was already connected to my phone via screen mirroring.

"Then allow me to give Patrick a little welcome gift too. It's a precious video clip, all about Kelsey's past life and how she became who she is today."

As if sensing what was coming, Kelsey charged at me like a madwoman, trying to snatch my phone.

"No, Jillian! Don't you dare, you absolute snake!"

"Stop her!" I barked coldly.

Dad was still bewildered, but his body reacted fast. Instinctively, he stepped in front of me and sent Kelsey stumbling backward.

The next second, I hit play.

The dark TV screen lit up in an instant.

There was no explicit video. Instead, what appeared was a high-definition surgical consent form, followed by a set of shocking before-and-after comparison photos. Lastly, there was a police wanted poster.

I pointed at the pre-surgery photo on the screen—a bare-chested figure with hairy legs and unmistakably male features.

The face was rough, tanned, and fleshy. But the eyes and that black mole on the brow bone were identical to the perfectly made-up Kelsey standing right now in the living room.

I turned to the ashen-faced Patrick and the crumpled Kelsey and smiled.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce you to Kelvin Randall, the one carrying Patrick's son. Not only is she a half-baked product with her male parts still intact, but she's also on the Most Wanted list for two counts of fraud. Patrick, are you surprised?

"Bet you didn't see this coming, huh? Looks like she'll be having your son in a men's prison."