A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Chloe tossed the question out casually as if she were commenting on the weather. “Was it

Yvan?”

Matilda’s face turned ashen, and after a long silence, she didn’t deny it, whispering softly. “Yeah.”

“That jerk.” With a frustrated mutter, Chloe kicked at the nearby shrubbery, then fished a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. Catching sight of Matilda, she hesitated and put them back. “Can’t smoke around a pregnant lady.”

Matilda let out a snort of laughter. “You’re actually holding back.”

“What, do I look heartless to you?” Chloe arched her graceful eyebrows, “Let’s just wait another twenty minutes; the results should be in by then.” All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

Matilda glanced at her. “You seem like you’ve got more to say?”

“What are you gonna do if you really are pregnant?” Chloe’s questions always seemed casual, as if she was mindful of Matilda’s feelings.

Still, Matilda felt a twinge of pain at the question. She gave a pale smile. “Get rid of it, what else?”

Chloe slung an arm around her shoulder. “To be honest, you could keep the baby as leverage against Yvan. Wouldn’t that be sweet?”

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Matilda forced a laugh, “You’re ruthless.”

“I’m not ruthless, just standing my ground.” Chloe winked. “Then, the Boyd family’s second grandchild would be right there in your belly. You could play Yvan like a fiddle, couldn’t you?”

Her tone was so nonchalant she might as well have been talking about a sunny day.

Matilda chuckled at the idea.“Play Yvan? How?”

“Ruin him! Leave him broken and alone! A life of misery!” Chloe, still not satisfied, gave another angry kick to the garden foliage. “That’s what he deserves for everything he’s done to you!”

Only through punishment can errors be redeemed, not forgiveness.

Matilda shook her head, murmuring. “Better to end it. Bringing the child into a world filled with

generational hatred isn’t fair to them.”

our

Chloe stroked Matilda’s cheek. “You’re too kind. If it were me, I wouldn’t care about the kid. It’s just a means to an end for revenge against Yvan.”

Revenge against Yvan?

How chilling those words sounded.

Matilda smiled wryly. She had grown to hate some people so much that forgiveness no longer

mattered.

“Better to abort it. Even if not for the baby, I should think of myself and accumulate some good karma.” Matilda gazed into the distance with indifference. “I can’t bear to put my child through so much. Just thinking about Logan breaks my heart.”

“Logan, that little rascal, I don’t know how you managed to raise him.” Chloe walked with Matilda back inside. “He’s so mature for his age; it’s a bit unnerving.”

“It’s my fault.” Matilda exhaled the words weakly.

It was this harsh reality that forced her son to grow up too soon; her inability to shield him and give him a happy, carefree childhood, made Logan so precocious.

They returned to the lobby to collect the test results, and the blood test came out at the same time. Matilda held the papers as they made their way back to the clinic door.

The doctor glanced at them and took the papers. “Take a look at this. The pregnancy indicators are positive.”

The doctor looked at Matilda again. “Do you want to keep the baby?”

Matilda hesitated, then replied almost subconsciously, “No.”

“Abortion, then? Medical or surgical? Have you had one before?”