005 The Last Call

Scarlett’s POV

Aurora still took me to the airport. But she wouldn’t give me my ticket.

Stuffed a cup of hot cocoa in my hands, she glares at me across McDonald’s tiny table like a fierce mom judging her truant kid.

“I JUST found out today--” I start timidly and instantly she retorts--

“Yeah, you said that!”

It’s not like I planned any of this. I drop my eyes to my cocoa, can’t look at her. She’s mad, and I know why.

She’s from a rich family. Beautiful, popular, two-meter-long legs, etc. But she wasn’t born rich. She watched her single mom work her ass off raising her, hating her irresponsible father her whole life, only to find out that he didn’t leave them, like what her mom told her. Her mom brought forward the breakup.

She is seeing me doing exactly the same thing.

“I won’t teach the baby to hate him...” I mumble, not dare look at the anger on her face. I know how much she has been through.

“That’s not all!” Aurora shoots me a death stare, firing like a machine gun, “My mom lied to me, yes, but that’s because my dad did cheat on her. But he also loved me, and it hurts to only know that he suffered a dozen years thinking I hated him while I thought the same, and it hurts when it blew out and I shouted at my mom, and it hurts to know she has given me her everything and more...it’s just very, very complicated. You have no idea how hard it was for her to start her own company, and I watched, every bit of her pain!”

I let her finish her rant, I have seen her words happening to her, and I know it still hurts.

Aurora lets out a long sigh, “Scar, it’s not easy, raising a baby by yourself.”

“You are the lucky one, Aurora,” I wish I could listen to her, but my case is different, “but what if your father hated you? YOU went to him, remember how nervous you were?”

She is silenced.

It was the last semester of our 8^th grade. Making that decision took her weeks. The teacher suspected that her best student was getting into a toxic relationship, seeing how off she was.

“Is there really no chance with you two? I still can’t believe you did it...” Aurora grumbles, reluctant to accept the reality, “What happened this time? It’s not like he wasn’t a jerk before...?”

What happened? Not much. I just walked in on my husband kissing my sister. They might have been doing it all along, but seeing it is still different.

“Doesn’t matter now,” I close my eyes, shaking my head to get him out of it, “He doesn’t love me, and now the love of his life is all healed. They will be together, and I’ll be free of them. That’s the plan.”

“Uh-huh, good plan,” Aurora shoots death stares at me, “don’t mind me asking but, where is the baby in your perfect plan?”

I return her a deadpan. The baby wasn’t there when I came up with this plan. But then again, Sebastian already made it clear that it wouldn’t change anything anyway.

“You don’t have to stay in a marriage for a baby, but you still should tell him,” Aurora says, huffing angrily as she rants, “Ughhh, why do I have to defend that jerk?! Look what you made me do!”

Only she would trash a powerful billionaire in the city for a notorious me.

Aurora pushes the flight ticket to me, pressing it down with one finger, and in her other hand lies my phone: “Tell him, and no matter his attitude, you can leave knowing you did everything you could.”

Tell him that I’m leaving with a baby he doesn’t want, a baby with his blood that would ruin his chance with Ava? On the day where he sees the first shine of hope to be with his beloved?

Even for me, that’s too cruel.

“He deserves to know,” Aurora just says.

Hesitating, I take the phone.

“What?” Aurora opens her eyes wide when I put it down.

“I texted him,”

“Texted?!” Aurora rolls her eyes, “He is your husband, and you TEXT? For a news like this?!” She grabs my phone in fury and I let her.

I’m tired. Tired of seeing hatred in the eyes I love. Tired of hearing the coldness in the voice that once brought me warmth.

“Seriously?! This is all you can do?” Aurora presses my phone to my face.

[I’m at the airport. Say the word and I won’t leave.]

“If there are even the slightest feelings for me in his heart,” I look at Aurora, “just one word to tell me he is okay with me staying NEAR his life, even if divorced, I’ll fight for him, for the baby, for everything and anything. But if not, then...”

Then what’s the point of torturing everyone with an innocent baby?

[Attention all passengers, this is the final boarding call...]

For a whole hour, we waited, only to hear the call for boarding repeated to the last one. Aurora’s look turns sadder and sadder. Strangely, mine remains calm. I’m used to disappointment.

Or. I didn’t get my hopes up this time.

My phone rings, cutting Aurora off. She nudges me excitedly, but it’s not a call from him.

[Mr. Fuller calling...] Three words glowing coldly on my screen. My heart freezes. I don’t want to pick up.

“Hello,” I hear my own cold voice.

“Your mom is hurt. Come home.” With a colder voice, he hangs up before I could.