Chapter 3

3: 3

Tilda grabbed Patrick's sleeve at once.

"Don't say that. Celine will be upset if she hears it. I told you, I'm only borrowing a single sperm. You don't have to take responsibility. I can raise the child on my own!"

Her eyes reddened as she spoke, all cool composure and quiet strength.

I laughed. Very coldly.

"What brand of trash bag makes them this good at pretending?"

"If you could really raise the kid alone, you wouldn't have dragged Patrick along to buy formula!"

"You just want him to swipe his card for you, don't you? So why put on this whole serene, above-it-all act?"

Tilda was left speechless under my rapid fire.

She gazed at me with watery eyes, brimming with tears.

"Celine, how... how can you say that about me?"

I raised a brow. "You dare do it, but you're scared of being called out?"

"Enough!" Patrick barked. "Celine, you have no filter at all!"

"You were young before, so fine. But you're going to marry into the Stephens family someday."

"If you dare snap at Tilda today, tomorrow you'll be talking back to the society wives, and then how is my family supposed to do business?"

The Stephens family did have money, but only a little more than ordinary people.

They were in real estate, in the middle of restructuring these past few years, chasing partnerships everywhere.

A ten-million household putting on a hundred-million show.

There was really no need for it.

"Sis, what's wrong?"

My sister-in-law noticed the commotion and came over, hooking her arm through mine.

Only then did Patrick see her big belly.

"You... you didn't come here just to follow me?"

I let out a snort.

"Good, you finally get it!"

"I'm not as bored as you are!"

With that, I turned to leave, steadying my sister-in-law as we went.

Patrick's sharp eyes caught the plain band on my finger.

"Stop right there!"

He grabbed my arm, yanking hard enough to make me stumble, then pulled the ring off my finger.

"Tell me. Who gave you this?"

"Give it back!"

I reached for it, but he held his hand up out of my reach.

Tilda stepped in to smooth things over.

"The ring's so plain, it clearly isn't worth anything. Maybe Celine just bought it herself to wear for fun!"

Patrick's face was dark. "She never wears things like this! Someone gave it to her. Tell me, who was it?"

Several of the moms in the store started whispering.

"Did this guy's girlfriend cheat on him?"

"Looks like it, and she's openly wearing a ring from the guy she cheated with? What's she thinking?"

"Well, that's how it goes these days. Everybody wants to play around before they settle down!"

The words landed in Patrick's ears, and his face twisted with fresh fury.

"No wonder you kept turning me down since I got back. So to get revenge on me, you actually cheated on me!"

"With your level, what kind of catch could you possibly land?"

"That college classmate of yours? Or that greasy boss? Do either of them measure up to me?"

"If you've got the guts, call him out here. I'll beat him until he's on his knees begging!"

I raised a brow.

"Oh? You're that capable?"

"Then what if I told you he's Clarence Gilbert, CEO of Gilbert Group, the very company your family is trying to partner with?"

Patrick froze for a moment.

The next second, all the tension and anger drained from his face, replaced by ease and certainty.

"How could Mr. Gilbert possibly marry you?"

"I get it now. This thing is just something you bought to provoke me on purpose. There's no such man at all!"

With that, he rushed to the window and threw my ring straight out.