"Madeline!"Madeline was heading to the ward when she heard her name from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Lydia.Without a moment's hesitation, she kept walking, ignoring Lydia completely.Lydia clenched her teeth in irritation. "Hey, wait up!"She hurried to catch up and managed to slip into the elevator alongside Madeline. They stood there, alone in the confined space. Madeline's expression was one of pure distaste.Lydia seemed oblivious to the tension. "What's the rush, sis?"Madeline gave her no response.Undeterred, Lydia prattled on. "I hear your mother's here too. What's the point, really? Let's be real, your mom's never waking up. Staying in this fancy room is just a waste, isn't it?"Madeline's eyes turned frosty. "I'd shut up if I were you."Lydia smirked, sensing she had struck a nerve. "What? I'm not wrong. I saw the bill. Your mom's care is costing the company an extra thirty grand a month."The thought of selling her house because of Madeline's ex
Trevon froze at her words. "What? You're pregnant?""Yes. It was a surprise to me too. I've spent the last few days in the hospital. The nurse sensed something was off and decided to run some tests, and well..."She handed Trevon the test results she had prepared. He could not make heads or tails of the numbers, but some words stood out like a sore thumb.'Early pregnancy. Recommend a follow-up ultrasound to confirm intrauterine pregnancy.'A jolt went through Trevon's heart, and he instinctively wanted to look at Madeline. However, he could not bring himself to do it.Pregnant? How could it be?He had only been with Lydia that one time during a business trip.Just that once, and then…How could that happen?He had made up his mind not to split from Madeline, he wanted to make their life together work, but why?His usually unflappable demeanor showed a crack.Lydia caught it and could not suppress a flicker of triumph.Her plan was effective!With that thought, she slumped
Lydia was adamant about not going to the doctor. The mere mention of it, and tears streamed down her face."I don't want to see a doctor. I'm scared they'll want to take my baby away."Trevon felt powerless and finally let the matter rest.Once he had collected himself, Trevon said, "You're not feeling well. You should rest."Was he about to leave her?Lydia's eyes brimmed with tears. "Are you mad at me, Trevon? Are you worried that my pregnancy will be a burden? Don't you want our child? Are you going to be like Madeline and pressure me to have an abortion?"Trevon massaged his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. "That's not what I'm saying."The baby was unexpected, and he had not figured out how to handle the situation.He added, "Madeline wouldn't ask you to do that."Madeline had a good heart. She would not dream of hurting an innocent life.However, then again, she might. Madeline's words could cut deep when she was upset.He spoke firmly. "She's been ill and
"Why didn't you wake me?"Handing Caleb back his jacket, Madeline took in the view. A few scattered lights twinkled in the darkness, and a towering structure nearby had to be the aerial restaurant."We just got here," Caleb said with a grin.They exited the car and made their way to the restaurant.In the shadows behind them, Trevon's face was a mask of darkness, the chill in the air the only thing moving in the car.Caleb's car had been stationary for over thirty minutes. What had they been up to?If it had not been so quiet, Trevon might have been compelled to investigate.At last, they stepped out.Watching them head for the sky-high dining spot, Trevon's expression darkened once more."Go after them, see what they're doing," he ordered.The guard in front paused, then hurried out of the car.He had not understood Trevon's interest in that particular vehicle until he saw Madeline emerge.'Man, if Mr. Gibson is so bothered by Mrs. Gibson having dinner with another guy, wh
Madeline pondered the same mystery.They had shared the same campus for a year, yet their lives barely intersected. However, it was not entirely true.it was just that Trevon had been so wrapped up with Lydia back then, he barely noticed anyone else. His visits were fleeting, just ticking off the necessary boxes, never lingering.Once Madeline learned he was Lydia's man, she made it a point to steer clear.Their lack of interaction was not surprising after all. Their connection was just too superficial."Hey, Caleb, let's hit up the food street," she suggested with a casual smile.When Madeline heard Lydia announce her pregnancy, she felt the chapter of her life with Trevon closing for good.Compelled by a wave of nostalgia, she found herself wandering the school grounds, drawn to the spot where she and Trevon first crossed paths.She walked until she reached the shelter where it all began, taking a seat at the quaint shop across the way.The university was back in session, an
Madeline was puzzled for a moment, trying to decipher Trevon's cryptic words. With Lydia's test results laid out before them, how could he dismiss it as nothing? Was he planning to just walk away without owning up to it? Watching the stream of people on the busy street, it finally clicked for Madeline. He knew the issue was shady and did not want to admit to anything in public, did he? Such a typical man. Rolling her eyes, Madeline retorted, "Mr. Gibson, didn't you notice I'm in the middle of a midnight snack? I'm not going anywhere. If you want to leave, be my guest."With that, Madeline started eating again. To her surprise, the tomato soup was delicious. Narrowing her eyes with pleasure, she could not help but take another taste and called out to Caleb."Hey, try this. The tomato soup is amazing." Caleb let out a laugh, shot Trevon a look, and joined in the feast. Trevon was seething, his jaw clenched tight. "Street food is filthy. Put that down this instant!" His outb
Madeline could not hide her disbelief. "You're asking me to come back just to put ointment on you?""Have you not done it yet?" Trevon shot back.Madeline mused internally, 'He's too stubborn to accept help from a nurse, but what about Lydia?'Madeline sneered, lIs your precious Lydia so delicate that she can't even handle applying a bit of ointment without getting tired?"Trevon's stare deepened. "Why do you always get so worked up at the mention of Lydia?"Madeline shot him a frosty look and kept silent.Caleb chuckled. "Madeline is usually so calm. It takes a special kind of person to get under her skin like that. Maybe you should be asking Lydia what she's done to tick Madeline off so much."Trevon's voice was icy. "Stay out of this, Caleb. This is between Madeline and I."Caleb met his gaze. "Madeline and I go way back. Her problems are my problems."Their eyes locked, each man unyielding in the quiet standoff.Madeline had enough. She dropped her spoon with a clatter.
"I'll have Lydia get an abortion—"Trevon's words were cut short by the guard's sudden, sharp braking.Madeline lurched forward, crashing into the seat ahead with a jarring thud.Trevon's quick reflexes saved the day, his hand shooting out to protect her. However, even with his swift action, Madeline was left reeling, her head spinning from the close call."Are you okay?" Trevon blurted out, concerned about lacing his voice."Who taught them to drive?"The guard was quick to apologize. "Mr. Gibson, my apologies."It was not on purpose. A kid had bolted into the road out of nowhere, and the guard had no choice but to hit the brakes hard.Thankfully, the car was up to the task and came to a halt just in time.The child was unharmed, but the scare had set off a torrent of tears.A young mom was there, doing her best to calm her little one.Since her pregnancy, Madeline had a soft spot for kids, and the sight of that one crying tugged at her heartstrings, drawing her gaze again