Chapter 2
Chester couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Did those words really come from Angelina?
He was so worn out from everything that even in his wildest dreams, he couldn’t have imagined this.
Before he could process it, Angelina’s phone rang. She picked up the call without thinking.
“Angelina! Do you think you’d be where you are today if not for us? You’d still be stuck in that little town! How could you treat my son like this? Emily Powell’s voice was raw and emotional.
“You’re the one who drugged him and insisted you’d marry him no matter what. You promised you’d never leave him! And now, after we’ve lost everything…” Her voice broke, replaced by sobs. “You can’t just walk away. If you want a divorce, fine. But at least let us keep the baby! The baby is eight months along. It has fully formed. It’s the only hope we have left.”
In the original story, this was when the female side character tore into Emily with zero remorse. “You think I owe you because you helped me? If you really cared, you would’ve made sure I had a perfect life. You’ve never treated me like how you treat Isadora!”
Isadora was Chester’s younger sister.
“You said you’d take me as your daughter, but you’re all liars. You make me sick!”
The female side character would make use of people without a second thought. After the Whitmores went bankrupt, she treated them like garbage and tossed them aside.
Later, when Chester rebuilt his fortune and her own life fell apart, she begged the family to take her back, hoping they’d remember she had once carried their grandchild. But by then, they wanted nothing to do with her.
Bitter and vengeful, she retaliated by spreading nasty rumors about them. She told anyone who would listen that the Whitmores had used her as a plaything for their son, even forcing her to terminate her pregnancy.
She became an influencer and milked her fabricated sob story for public sympathy. She charmed a few wealthy older men and even started a crowdfunding campaign, asking for donations.
Of course, her life ended tragically as she fell ill not long after.
–
Back on the phone, Emily continued sobbing. “Angelina, I’m begging you. We raised you. We gave you everything. Please just have this baby. If you need money, I still have my mother–in- law’s bracelet. It’s the only thing of value I have left. Take it. Just don’t take away our hope.”
Angelina glanced at Chester, who had no idea who was on the other end of the line.
“Emily…” she said softly, surprising even herself.
Chester froze. Angelina turned back to the phone. “Of course, I’m having the baby.”
“W–What? Are you serious?” Emily sounded stunned.
“We’re family, and families stick together. None of this is anyone’s fault. We’ll get through it. Please stop crying, okay?”
Emily was speechless. The last thing she had expected from Angelina was words of comfort.
When the female side character climbed into bed with Chester, Emily saw her true colors and called her out for being ungrateful. But by then, it was too late. Despite everything, Emily had hoped she might change for the better.
Emily tolerated the female side character’s antics, treating her with kindness in hopes that it might change her.
Back to the present, Angelina added, “How could I give up on my baby or Chester? Even if we have to live with less, I want us to stay together as a family.” She placed her hand on her belly,
her voice sincere.
When the call ended, Angelina realized Chester had been staring at her the whole time. She sat down, picked up the divorce papers on the table, and tore them to pieces.
Chester opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off with a deep breath. Looking him straight in the eye, she said, “I’ve done a lot of terrible things. I’ve wasted money, made your life harder, and acted selfishly. I’m sorry.”
Her tone was so earnest that Chester didn’t know what to say. He reached out to steady her when it looked like she was about to lean too far forward. Her belly got in the you doing?” he asked, his brows furrowed together.
way.
“What are
“I wanted to bow and apologize properly,” she admitted.
Chester stared at her, trying to make sense of her sudden change. It didn’t add up. Angeline
had always been selfish and self–centered. What was she playing at?
Chester’s phone rang moments later. It was the hospital. He said in an icy voice, “Yeah, I understand.”
Confused by his sudden shift in demeanor, Angelina watched as his expression turned as cold as stone. “You made an appointment at the hospital. Did you think lying to me would stop me from finding out?”
Angelina froze, the realization hitting her like a truck. “L… I did? No! I swear I’ve changed my mind,” she said, scrambling to follow him as he headed toward the door. “Chester, listen to me! I’m not going to the hospital! I’m not getting rid of the baby! Please believe me!”
Chester ignored her and walked down the stairs Angelina leaned out of the apartment door, shouting after him. Her voice echoed in the stairwell, activating the automatic lights.
She sighed, muttering to herself, “Trying to turn over a new leaf is harder than I thought.”
Reputation wasn’t something that could be rewritten overnight. She realized words weren’t enough. She’d have to prove herself through actions.
After Chester left, Angelina grabbed the female side character’s laptop. Her jaw dropped as she opened it to find multiple chat windows. It was worse than she thought.
Even though Chester had just gone bankrupt, the side character was already trying to line up her next sugar daddy. There were messages in exclusive dating forums.
“Hey, handsome. Miss me? I’m in Rhomara right now, but I’ll be back in Brookhaven next month. I can’t wait to see you.
“Sorry, I only chat with trust fund guys who are worth at least nine figures.”
Disgusted, Angelina deleted every message and blocked every contact. But it didn’t take her long to realize the problem.
The messages weren’t going to stop. She needed a fresh start. Without hesitation, she deleted the account, set up a new one, and cleaned the house. She wiped all the contacts from her phone except for Chester.
Now, her contact list was squeaky clean, and her chat history was empty. It felt like a fresh slate. She even started listing her designer bags and clothes on a resale site. With every photo she uploaded, she felt lighter.
Meanwhile, Chester was still lingering downstairs, looking up at the lit windows of their apartment. He didn’t trust her, not entirely.
Angry as he was, he truly wanted the child. He was afraid that if he turned and left, she’d head straight to the hospital without a second thought
His phone buzzed with a friend request on Facebook. The message read, “Hey, darling. It’s me!
He stared at the screen, torn between disbelief and confusion. Without thinking, he hit the back button. He neither accepted nor rejected the friend request.
