Chapter 7
Jerome, having mastered the act of the obedient son–in–law, peeled an apple with expert ease as he broke the news to my dad.
My dad gripped my hand in shock as he demanded, “That’s great! When’s the adoption?”
I stiffened and said pointedly, “Dad, it’d be better for Jerome and I to have a child of our own, don’t you think?”
Dad looked somewhat disappointed, but he got over it within seconds. “Adopted or not, he’ll be my grandchild all the same.
I squeezed a tight smile. Jerome wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he turned to address Dad, “We’re on the same page, Ben, which is why the kid will be a Clark instead of a Maslow.”
I stared at Jerome with wide eyes, but his pleasant and indulgent façade did not so much as falter. He said warmly, “I’ve given it some thought, Harley. The kid will be ours, and it’d make sense for him to have your last name.”
Is that so? The corner of my lips twitched wryly as I glanced at Dad. “Jerome and I will step out for a bit, Dad.”
I dragged Jerome out to the corridor and walked away. When Dad’s hospital room was out of sight, I hissed, “What are you getting up to, Jerome?”
He lowered his head. “Harley, the kid is ours. Think of it as my apology to you.”
Apology? What a nice way to put it.
The timbre of Jerome’s voice was laced with charm and persuasion as he tried to convince me. “The kid will have your last name, Harley. You’ll be his only parent, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making this up to you. Believe me.”
After talking things out, Jerome and I bid Dad a quick goodbye. On the way home, Jerome appeared to be giving me space to consider his proposition.
As I stared at the traffic piling up on the expressway, I broke the silence by asking, “What about Audrey? What are you going to do about her?”
Jerome gave me a surprised look. “Audrey was an inconsequential mistake on my part. I’ve talked to her about this. She’ll disappear after giving birth.
“If that’s not enough for you, I’ll have her move far away and out of your sight. Audrey will give birth in a couple of months, and I’ll bring the child to you after that.
“From that point onward, you’ll only have to focus on raising the kid while I take over the company and provide for you.”
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 7
I closed my eyes and said nothing more to him.
Another week went by, and I did not step foot in the company once. Instead, I went on a spree with the credit card Jerome gave me.
He approved of my frivolous spending, and every time he called me, it was always to ask if I wanted to buy more. I accepted his generosity and took the card meant for his mother, then went on an all–out spree.
At last, I received a text from Audrey on one of the evenings I was out shopping. “Harley, the plan worked!”
That was quicker than I expected.
Surprised, I hurried to the location Audrey had sent me. I found her in a karaoke lounge. She opened the door for me and nudged Jerome, who had blacked out on the couch with her foot.
“Harley, I told him I was willing to be his secret lover, and he bought it!” she said. When I raised a brow, she continued, “He even told me you’d agreed for me to sell him the child.”
I met Audrey’s gaze and cursed, “Fucking bastard.”
I wended past the few men who had been drugged into oblivion on the ground to where Jerome was. Lately, Audrey had been using her pregnancy symptoms as an excuse to throw fits, forcing Jerome to bring her everywhere.
I thought Jerome would put off his cheating for at least a couple of months before he resumed his affair, but he didn’t even last a week before bringing Audrey to dinner with his friends.
The original plan had been to give me a heads–up so that I could storm over and kick up a fuss, during which we would swipe Jerome’s phone.
However, the plan was thwarted when Jerome’s friends brought another young lady with them, intending to get her drunk. As such, Audrey quickly swapped the spiked drinks they had prepared and took care of the young lady before calling me.
I deftly pulled Jerome’s phone out of his pocket and unlocked it with his fingerprint. I then clicked on his social media, phone log, and inbox, only to find them wiped clean.
