Chapter 3

Mom froze.

I looked calmly into her eyes.

"Didn’t Miss Keegan from Hafort mention an engagement with me in the past? I’m interested."

Mom stared at me for what seemed like ages before releasing an exhausted sigh, "Have you thought about it thoroughly?"

"Yes."

My phone vibrated again. It was Clementine who had sent me a stream of messages, but I did not open them.

Her name, which was once capable of stirring all kinds of emotions within me, was nothing but an insignificant symbol displayed on the screen now.

It had been seven years. It was time to move on.

By the fifth day, I had yet to see any tangible outcome of Clementine "settling matters". Instead, all I received was a visit from Stanley himself.

He had somehow found out where I live and had shown up at my front door with his eyes visibly red and swollen from crying.

"Mr. Everett, I beg you…" He got on his knees.

"Mr. Everett, the baby is innocent. The doctor said that if Clementine gets an abortion, it will be very difficult for her to get pregnant again in the future…"

He looked up at me with tears streaming down his face.

"I don’t need status or anything else, all I want is for Clementine to give birth to our baby and..."

I fixed a look at him. He was a twenty-two-year-old fresh graduate. Just from looking at his eyes, I could tell he was a young grasshopper who had yet to be exposed to the harsh realities of the world.

"Do me a favor and get up first."

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and cried out sharply, "I won’t get up until you say yes!

"Clementine told me you love her, don’t you? Even if the baby isn’t yours, how could you bear to be so cruel to her?"

My wrist was starting to hurt from his nails digging into my flesh.

Just as I was about to speak, a figure rushed in through the doorway.

It was Clementine. She immediately grabbed Stanley and pulled him behind her to shield him before turning to me with a sheepish look in her eyes.

"Luke, you can take it up to me if you have any problems. Don’t pick on him."

Time seemed to stand still.

I slowly withdrew my hand and observed the red streaks left on my skin. I was already on the verge of breaking down. What she did was the nail in the coffin that sent everything crashing down.

Meanwhile, she stood protectively in front of Stanley like a valiant knight. All the while, Stanley cowered behind her like a frightened puppy. They looked like a perfect match.

I felt a sharp throb somewhere deep in my heart.

My voice was faint when I spoke, "Clementine, your actions speak louder than words. It seems to me that deep down, you think the baby you have with him is worth more protection than I am."

"No!" She cried out while lunging forward to take my hand, only for me to pull away.

"Luke, I'm pregnant, and my emotions are running wild because of hormones. I only came because I was worried something would happen to him… I don’t want him to get himself hurt or…"

When she heard Stanley sobbing behind her, she instinctively turned to look at him. The concern she had in her eyes when she looked at him stamped out the last bit of affection I had for her.

With that, I prepared to dismiss them. I did not want to risk losing control if this got drawn out any longer.

Clementine grabbed my arm.

"Luke! We need to sit down and talk it out properly. I’ll call your parents and mine. We can settle this in person…"

I shrugged off her hand. "There’s nothing to talk about. I already said everything I needed to say that night. Now take him and leave!"

I proceeded to head upstairs.

"Luke!"

I did not bother to turn back. All I wanted was to get out of this suffocating place.

Soon, I heard the door shut behind me. They were gone.

I stood on the stairs for a while. I felt a stinging sensation in my eye, but no tears would come out. That was how I found out that when someone was truly heartbroken, they lose the ability to cry entirely.

Soon, my phone rang again. It was Dad calling.

"Luke, the Keegans have agreed to the engagement. They want you to visit as soon as you can."

I looked out the window. It was getting dark outside.

"Sure."

Before I departed for Hafort, I had to renew my passport.

The next afternoon, I drove to the immigration hall. As I was driving across the highway, I was thinking about the weather in Hafort.

Based on what the Keegans told us, they had a warm climate all year round, even during the winter. That sounded good. I hated the winters in Ambrough. It was too long and too cold.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crash.

Bang!

Whatever it was had detonated from the rear and side of the car simultaneously. I would have been launched forward if not for the seatbelt jerking me back with such force that I nearly passed out.