Chapter 19
“This is the truth!” she retorted to Jade, then turned to me. “He’s that kind of rich kid who won’t stay with people like us for long! Think about his status, he’s a mobster! Are you sure you want to believe him? Do you want your child to live in a world of danger?!”
I bit my lower lip, her words seeping into my thoughts like venom. She was right, I realized. Nathan really had no legitimate reason to help me. If he ultimately wanted full custody, with his wealth and power, I had no chance to fight back.
“Jade,” I turned to my other friend, my voice shaking. “What do
you think?”
To my surprise, Jade’s expression showed she was also in doubt. She sighed, sitting on the couch beside me. “I hate to say this, but… you might want to distance yourself from all of this, Lily. Live in another town, find a stable job, ask him for child support.” She shook her head. “His promises do seem a bit suspicious.”
I thought of Richard, Nathan’s father. He had been kind to me before, not someone who would snatch a child away from the mother. But then again, my knowledge of the Sullivan family was limited to their surface image.
“So I shouldn’t move in with him?” I asked for the last time, my voice almost too quiet to
hear.
Jade and Olivia exchanged a glance, then shook their heads simultaneously.
“Don’t you find it a bit suspicious?” Olivia questioned, leaning forward, her eyes focused. “He suddenly wants to take responsibility, have you move into his mansion? Be careful,
okay.”
Jade seemed to want to change the subject. “Olivia, care to bet on whether it’s a nephew or a niece?” she asked, her tone deliberately light.
But I couldn’t focus on their conversation anymore. All the doubts flooded back, including doubts about my parenting abilities. Was it the right thing for a good mother to move in with Nathan without trying to handle things on my own?
“It’s a girl,” Olivia said, suddenly excited. “Don’t overthink it. By the way, we’re in charge
your gender reveal and baby shower.”
of
1/3
Chapter 19
“Even if you choose Olivia as the godmother, I will strangle you!” Jade added with a laugh.
Their enthusiasm made me chuckle, briefly forgetting my worries. “Deal,” I said, forcing a
smile.
Deep down, I knew this should have been a joyful moment. The announcement of
y should be accompanied by screams, hugs. But instead, my mind was filled with ts of Nathan and a family we had never had.
At a time like this, everyone had family to rely on. And I only had my stepmother Emily, with whom I wasn’t even that close. While I appreciated having Jade, I didn’t want to hear “I told you so” in a few months.
I wished for someone to wipe away my tears, to assure me that everything would be okay,
that someone would always be there and not disappear.
Olivia spoke the cruel truth. It was a conclusion I had also come to when I found out I
was pregnant. I remembered James’s words about Nathan and our shared future. But even
James didn’t know how things would unfold; he was just guessing.
And Nathan’s promises… I couldn’t help but doubt. Promises were made to be broken, and I had learned the hard way to not rely on anyone but myself.
Both paths ahead of me were difficult. If I rejected Nathan’s proposal, I would struggle alone to raise the child, and he might use his power and money to take the child away. If I accepted his proposal, I would live like a puppet in the dangerous world of the Sullivan
family.
As Jade excitedly discussed her role as the godmother, I pondered what would be best for my child.
Tomorrow, I would visit Nathan. I would tell him my terms. If I were to live with him and raise the child, we would do it on my terms.
This would be a true test of James’s words. If Nathan truly had been “misunderstood,” then he would agree to all my conditions, right?
He promised not to abandon us…
2/3
