Evangeline was the Foster family's darling, a girl wrapped in velvet and born with a spine of steel. She had immense pride and a rebel heart to match. She had moved on from Walter, and even the idea of having his baby did not cling to her like it used to.She was all about letting the chips fall where they may. However, Minnie's little jab? That just lit a fire under her."I... I think I can have kids," said Minnie, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before she had spoken a tad sheepishly."You 'think'?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow, sounding concerned. "Ever had a pre-pregnancy checkup? You know, to see if everything's in working order? It takes more than wishful thinking to know for sure."Julia and Minnie, neither married, would not normally have considered such a personal medical exam."I... I'm not even married yet. Isn't it a bit premature to get checked out?" Minnie shot back accusingly as if Evangeline was making a mountain out of a molehill with her unsolicited advic
Evangeline should have done this ages ago.Minnie was mysterious. Even if things did not pan out as Evangeline suspected, she clung to the hope that Minnie might lead her to her elusive stepmother, Lydia.When she got back to the private room, Evangeline was surprised to find the once-buzzing dinner had cleared out, leaving only Walter.He sat there, stone-faced, his eyes deep pools of nothingness. What was he thinking?She did not bother with niceties and just waved her hand in front of his face. "Walter? Where did everyone go? They just up and left without a word?"She thought of Alex and felt a twinge of regret.They had not seen each other in forever, and when they finally had the chance, they had not even exchanged a word."How would I know? Maybe you should call them?" Walter snapped back.He was not trying to start a fight with Evangeline, really. It was just that the idea of her worrying about Alex, who had left without a word, got under his skin."Okay, fine," said Ev
"Anyway." Evangeline glanced at her watch. "It's four o'clock. By the time we get there, the doctors will have clocked out. Who's going to see me?""Don't you worry about that! Just bring yourself and that belly of yours along with me!"Walter did not wait for a reply. He grabbed Evangeline's wrist, bundled her into the car, and even buckled her in.His caring gesture did not warm her heart in the slightest.Walter was trapping himself, and he knew it. With the car humming to life, he hit the hands-free button and dialed out."I need a doctor who can do a pregnancy check, now."The voice that answered was a mix of charm and warmth, aged but caring, "Of course, Mr. Walter Gordon. When will you be here? I'll make sure everything's ready for you...""Give me ten minutes," said Walter, checking the time.After he hung up, Evangeline bit her lip, at a loss for words.She was aware of the Gordon family's clout in Avalon City—they could make things happen with a snap of their fingers
"What to do? We're going to have the baby, of course!" blurted Walter without hesitation. He had not been too keen on the idea of kids before. However, the thought of his child growing inside Evangeline filled him with a warmth he could not ignore. He even found himself eagerly anticipating the moment.Evangeline wondered if the baby might change things, if she might stop pining for Alex and start thinking about what was best for herself."Evangeline, can you even imagine how long we've been waiting for this baby, and how hard I've worked for this? Just erase any thought of an abortion from your mind!"Evangeline's lips quivered. Staring at Walter's face, she was dying to ask him what exactly he had worked hard on. Nonetheless, her good upbringing sealed her lips, and she kept the question to herself."It was just a question, no need to get worked up," she said calmly. "We don't even know for sure if I'm pregnant yet. We haven't done the tests, so it's too early to jump to conclusi
Sadly, it was all just a daydream, something that just could not happen. Her so-called engagement to Walter was a sham, and their child was never going to have the whole family picture.Walter had only agreed to this baby-making business to put on a show for Cole. With the baby finally on the way, carrying the blood of both the Gordon and Foster clans, there were some serious talks that needed to happen, and fast.However, the first flutters of pregnancy had started hitting her. The second her head hit the pillow, sleepiness swamped her. She had to fight to not just fall asleep then and there. She was waiting for Walter to show.What she did not know was that Walter, out in the living room, was waiting on her too. They were both on standby for different reasons. She was waiting for him to walk through the door. He was waiting for her to invite him in.After remembering what the doctor had said and thinking about how he was feeling, Walter smartly took an icy shower and then, like a
His words hit Evangeline like a dagger to the heart.Nonetheless, the sting was dull. She had long accepted that she never truly held a place in Walter's heart. With their mission to have a child complete, it seemed only natural for him to want some distance.She reminded herself of the reason for her visit and chose not to squander her precious sleep over it."Walter, remember the conversation we had about the parenting contract?"She had brought it up before, and Walter had stormed off, leaving her without a clear response. However, with their child growing inside her, the urgency of the parenting contract could not be ignored any longer."What are you getting at?" Walter inquired.He remembered the terms of the parenting contract all too well. However, the fact that this was the first thing on her mind after getting pregnant made his heart sink."I'm saying that now I'm pregnant, the parenting contract should come into effect immediately. I'll print it out first thing tomorro
The Foster and Gordon families were still intertwined in business, and Evangeline would have to face Walter sooner or later. A total war with Walter would help no one.However, with him pushing her, she was done with the lies."Bravo, Evangeline. You're just fantastic," said Walter through clenched teeth, sarcastically giving her a thumbs-up.Evangeline had hoped that having a child might change everything between them, a wishful dream that felt so right."I've been trying to figure something out. Why are you in such a rush to cut me loose? Is it because of Alex?"He could not think of any other reason that would drive Evangeline to make such a choice.Were children not supposed to be everything to a mom? So why could Evangeline, with his baby on the way, hit him with words so cold?Evangeline sighed deeply, her voice tinged with resignation as she replied, "We're on our way to a divorce. Why keep this up?"She could not fathom why Walter kept dragging Alex into their mess.No
No!Evangeline was his wife, Walter's wife, and she was pregnant with his child. How could he possibly let go?The blanket dropped to the floor as Walter stood behind the door, his hands balled into fists, his stance resolute.However, his deep eyes betrayed a storm of bewilderment and uncertainty.…In the CEO's office of the Gordon Group building."Seriously? This is the proposal you guys came up with? Did anyone even think this through?"The sound of a heavy hand slamming down on the desk echoed as the young assistant bit back tears, her hard work just a mess in the eyes of the big boss. She practically sprinted out of the office.David had been lingering outside the president's office, watching the assistant beat a hasty retreat. He felt a wave of pity for her and started counting on his fingers.What was the count for this day? One from HR, one from marketing... Including this one from planning, that made six, right?Mr. Walter was on a whole other level of cranky today.