Chapter 2: No Need for Explanations, Cancel the Engagement

Vivian Winifred left Saint Virtue Hospital under the doctor's complicated gaze. Unwilling to give up, she visited several other hospitals, but almost none of them were willing to perform the surgery for her. As soon as they saw her name, the doctors immediately refused. After visiting all the hospitals, big and small, in the city, she finally realized that it was impossible for her to have the surgery. Someone was always stopping her from getting the operation, though she had no idea who. But it certainly wasn't Wayne Pope, nor was it her father. Even if they didn't want the child in her belly, they didn't have enough power to make every hospital in the city listen to them. Who was it then? And why would they do this to her? After a day of struggle, Vivian Winifred even forgot about the pain caused by Wayne Pope and Stacey Goldsmith being together. All she could think about was who was behind the obstruction of her abortion. When she returned home, exhausted, she was suddenly slapped across the face.

*Smack!*

She only heard the sound, not realizing at first that she was the one who had been hit. It took a while for Vivian Winifred to realize she had been slapped. Half of her face felt numb, followed by a painful, swollen sensation. "Dad, don't hit my sister, it's not her fault, it's mine!" "I let it slip, I'm sorry. My sister didn't do anything wrong, please stop!" Stacey Goldsmith's voice came, as she pulled on Darnell Winifred, seemingly trying hard to stop him, but without much effort. She was, as always, good at acting. Vivian Winifred looked up at Darnell Winifred, her voice cold, "Why did you hit me?" "Why did I hit you? Kneel down! You're still asking me why? Do you not know what you've done? Whose bastard is in your belly?" "Did I raise you just so you could go around doing such things? Don't forget, you are engaged to the Qin family! You're dating him, yet you got pregnant with someone else's child?" "Vivian Winifred, how could I have given birth to such a disgraceful child!" "Whose child is it!" Vivian Winifred's cold eyes turned to Stacey Goldsmith, who shrank back, looking frightened. She lowered her head, appearing more wronged than anyone, "Sis, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I accidentally let it slip..." "Yale, don't blame yourself. Such things can't be hidden," her stepmother, Regina Winifred, stepped forward to protect Stacey Goldsmith, then glanced at Vivian Winifred, "Qianwei, I'm not criticizing you, but how could you be so careless, how could you be so disrespectful to yourself?" Vivian Winifred's eyes narrowed, and she gave a cold laugh, "Don't pretend." *Smack!*

Another slap landed on the other side of Vivian Winifred's face. Darnell Winifred was furious, "Pretend? Your mother is concerned about you, and you call it pretending?" "And your sister, why can't you be like her? We raised you both, look at Yale, she's always so well-behaved and obedient." "What about you? What kind of example are you setting? Not coming home for days, and now you're pregnant. I want to know, how do you plan to explain this to the Qin family, how do you plan to explain this to Yiqing?" Vivian Winifred's lips curled into a mocking smile. She lifted her cold, disdainful eyes, which seemed to further infuriate Darnell Winifred. He raised his foot to kick her, but was interrupted by a voice. "There's no need to explain to our family. The engagement between Yiqing and her is canceled." Darnell Winifred looked up and saw a wealthy woman in a qipao, accompanied by Wayne Pope in a suit. "Auntie," Stacey Goldsmith called out in surprise. "Mrs. Pope, Yiqing, what brings you here?" Regina Winifred hurried to greet them, "Come in, sit down. It's been a long time since our families gathered." "Mrs. Pope, Yiqing..." Darnell Winifred's face alternated between pale and flushed. He glanced at Regina Winifred and then at Wayne Pope, sighing, "You heard everything?" "We know about Qianwei's situation," Mrs. Pope said, not sitting down. She glanced at Vivian Winifred, then spoke coldly, "I have no other intention. If Qianwei doesn't like our Yiqing, we have no reason to force her, right?" Darnell Winifred's expression was troubled, "But—everyone knows about our engagement. Cancelling it now would be—"

Mrs. Pope snorted, "Mr. Tang, if we don't cancel the engagement, do you want our Yiqing to wear a green hat and raise someone else's child?"

Darnell Winifred swallowed, glaring at Vivian Winifred. Mrs. Pope smiled again, "I see, Qianwei doesn't fancy our Yiqing. We are reasonable people, aren't we? If she doesn't like him, let's just end it."

Stacey Goldsmith stepped forward, standing beside Mrs. Pope, and said with a troubled look, "Auntie, it was just an accident. Please don't blame her."

Wayne Pope and Stacey Goldsmith exchanged a meaningful glance.

"Yale, you're so sensible and well-behaved. Some people really can't compare to you," Mrs. Pope held Stacey Goldsmith's hand, "If only Yiqing's engagement had been with you from the start."

Regina Winifred and Darnell Winifred exchanged a sharp look, sensing something in those words.

"It's not too late!" Regina Winifred quickly said, "Now that you mention it, Yale and Yiqing are quite close. To avoid embarrassment for both families, why don't we cancel the engagement between Yiqing and Qianwei and arrange an engagement between Yiqing and Yale instead?"

"Such a thing—but is Yale willing?" Mrs. Pope looked at Stacey Goldsmith with a troubled expression.

Stacey Goldsmith lowered her head, embarrassed, "This, this might not be appropriate..."

Regina Winifred gently patted Stacey Goldsmith, "What's there to be embarrassed about? The question is whether Yiqing sees you as suitable."

Darnell Winifred nodded, "Exactly, we have no right to say yes or no; it's up to Yiqing."

Vivian Winifred stood nearby, listening to the group discuss the marriage between Stacey Goldsmith and Wayne Pope. It was utterly ridiculous. She never liked returning to this home because, most of the time, she felt like an outsider. Regina Winifred, her stepmother, naturally favored her own daughter. But even her biological father, Darnell Winifred, was the same. In his eyes, Stacey Goldsmith was always better, cuter, more likable, and smarter. If Stacey Goldsmith had ten thousand virtues, then she, Vivian Winifred, had ten thousand flaws.