I woke up to the sharp scent of disinfectant filling my nostrils.
I jerked up, instinctively reaching out to feel my stomach, and was left thunderstruck when I felt flatness.
My baby! Where was my baby?!
Even as my face turned pale, and I was about to get out of bed, a nurse hurried into the room toward me, handing a tiny bundle into my arms.
My fingers were trembling as I looked down, my heart calming when I saw my baby's sweet little face.
-
Meanwhile, Quentin was pacing around restlessly in another end of the hospital after rushing Kelly over—the sight of me collapsing on the floor and crying out in pain seemed to echo in his mind.
There was a dull ache in his heart, the sense of foreboding only growing stronger as my tear- covered face was all he could think about.
A trace of guilt would show on his face as he vividly remembered the way I fell so violently and got burned.
And I was pregnant too, but he simply walked away despite my clear distress.
Even so, whenever he reached for his phone, Kelly would lean on him, clutching her belly and gasping in pain. "My tummy hurts… What should I do if the baby gets hurt? I honestly just wanted to apologize… I didn't know she would snap at me like that."
And with that, Quentin put down his phone and assured her, "It's not your fault—I've spoilt her too much. I'll make sure she changes that attitude."
Still, he hung his head and sighed in regret. "It's true that she shouldn't have hurt you, but she got her just deserts when she got hurt too. If anything, it's my fault—she's pregnant too, and I should've been more considerate of her. If I had been, then maybe she wouldn't have been so upset."
Seeing that Quentin really felt guilt over what he did to me, Kelly's eyes briefly flashed in resentment.
Still, she soon sighed miserably as she said, "I didn't want to tell you, but I think Jolin might be insane. She threatened me to leave, or she'd kill my baby..."
Quentin did a double take, as he knew for a fact that I wasn't that ruthless.
That was when Kelly simply showed him his phone, and what good opinion he had of me vaporized as he dropped it angrily.
Still, he reasoned, "Maybe her hormones are causing her to be so emotionally unstable during her pregnancy, and that's why she'd go that far. Don't worry, as long as I'm around, she won't hurt you or the baby… If she dares try anything, I'll kick her out of my house."
Behind Quentin, Kelly smiled triumphantly again.
-
A couple of days later, I arrived at the airport, holding Bonnie, my baby, tightly in my arms.
When my flight departure was announced, I boarded the plane without looking back.
Meanwhile, Quentin and Kelly stayed in the hospital for a week, and once they were sure Kelly was fine, they returned home together.
However, Quentin opened the door to find the house strangely empty, all my possessions nowhere to be found.
His face dropping, he whipped out his phone and finally called me, but all he heard was static beeping.
He snorted angrily, thinking that I was just being petty and hiding from him.
We had been together for so long after all—he'd never believe that I would give up on us so easily.
However, when I still didn't return after another week, Quentin started to panic.
He would call me repeatedly, but the number remained dead.
After searching the whole city but still finding no sign of me, he finally broke down and sent all his men to find me.
Eventually, one of them arrived gingerly with a report and some documents. "Sir, you're officially divorced, so you're not legally allowed to call for a search… There's even copies of divorce papers with your signature on it."
"What?!" Quentin exclaimed, incredulous.
Seeing that he was ready to kill, the man quickly added, "But wait! I've already searched for her and found her name registered on an airline manifest. She left the city on Flight WB123 just two weeks ago, but it crashed with no survivors… I think we lost her, sir."
Quentin was left standing there, thunderstruck.
Soon after I disembarked, I found my mother searching the crowd anxiously. Her
hair had turned fully white, making her look much older.
As she saw me, tears streamed down her face as she rushed over and hugged me fiercely.
"Jo… you're finally home."
My nose felt runny, and my tears nearly gushed out as my father had come too.
He smiled, but he was clearly fighting back tears too. "As long as you're home, Jo. Everything's going to be alright."
"Mom… Dad, I'm home." I hugged both of them as tight as I could, tears streaming down my face.
It had been three years since I last saw them—I had cut ties from them, traveling to that faraway city just to be with Quentin.
Even so, they didn't complain even though I was returning as a single mother, and my mother was still hugging me and gently tousling my hair.
"It's alright, Jo," she assured me with her soft voice. "It's okay for your baby to live with us without her father. We'll take good care of her from now on. You have us—no one will ever dare to hurt you."
My father nodded. "Yes, nothing is impossible for a family that stays together."
Their words left my heart overflowing with warmth, and I felt as if all the weariness that was building up for so long was quickly swept away.
We got home together, and I was about to sleep when I saw Quentin on the news.
His face was haggard, and his eyes pleading as he gripped the microphone and pleaded, "Jolin, I'm begging you, please come home.
"I've been searching for you, and I won't give up.
"I know I made a mistake—please just give me a chance to make things right, for you and our child."
I turned off the TV, impassive.
After all, I understood that when he chose to protect Kelly, all the promises he had made to me before had gone up in smoke.
Still, just as I was about to return to my room to sleep, my phone vibrated.
I picked it up and saw several messages from Kelly.
[So, you're at least smart enough to get lost.]
[Quentin and I are made for each other.]
There was also a photo captioned: [Here—check out the dinner Quentin made for me. Doesn't it look delicious?]
In the photo, Quentin had an apron around his waist, and he was smiling at her dotingly as he fed her soup.
Still, I remained unaffected as I read the messages—such provocation meant nothing to me right now.
Blocking Kelly's number, I toss my phone aside—someone as frivolous as her just wasn't worth my time.
-
After getting enough rest, I heard downstairs and quickly picked up a scent of scrumptious food wafting from the kitchen.
My mother saw me and beamed. "Come here, Jo! Let's eat."
I nodded and sat down at the dining table, while she served me a bowl of soup and said softly, "By the way, we've got you a nutritionist who will supervise your postpartum care. And since your baby is still too young, we also got a nanny. We have to make sure she grows up healthy and happy."
My father nodded solemnly. "Just focus on resting for now, since you just got home. In a few days, you can start working and familiarize yourself with the family business. It will eventually be passed down to you anyway."
Their words left my heart gushing with warmth once more.
I had once given up my career and my family for Quentin, but now, I finally understand that only my own family loved me unconditionally.
-
With my parents' help, my daughter grew up energetic and adorable, while I gradually adapted myself to the family business' operations and began to make my mark.
Naturally, the shareholders were initially skeptical of my leadership, presuming that a young woman like me would have trouble managing a company.
I didn't argue, but simply carried on quietly and proved myself with my achievements, including securing a multi-billion dollar contract abroad.
As the company raked in billions, no one dared to question me, while my career took off, my position in the company solidifying.
One day, my father called me into his study, studying me hesitantly as he said, "There's something we need to discuss…"
"What is it?" I asked, puzzled.
My father scratched his head and chuckled as he said, "Well, your mom and I found someone who we think would suit you. He comes from an illustrious family, is young, and has a promising career ahead of him.
"Anyway, your mom and I are quite satisfied with him, and we think you two should meet. If you think he's good, you can try things out with him…"
Seeing my silence, he quickly clapped a hand on my shoulder and assured me, "But don't feel pressured. You can just say no—we're just hoping that you'd have more people watching your back, so you'll have someone backing you up in the future."
I smiled wryly, not quite sure how to react.
I knew my parents were worried about me, and that I no longer believed in love after Quentin had hurt me so terribly.
They just wanted me to start over by arranging a meeting with a marriage prospect, but right now, I'd rather focus on my career.
I simply wasn't in the mood for love.
With that in mind, I smiled at my father. "Thanks, Dad, but I'm not ready to get back in the game yet. I know you have my best intentions in mind, but I'd like to move on at my own pace."
My father nodded and tousled my hair lovingly. "That's fine. You're an adult now—it's fine that you have your own opinions on things, and you have our full support as long as it makes you happy."
