Chapter 3

Lloyd stared at me for a good several seconds.

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

My voice was very soft.

"Suddenly? I've been bringing it up for seven years."

He frowned.

"Alvin just had his surgery. Don't say things like this in front of the child."

Still Alvin. Always Alvin.

That night, on the way home, I fell asleep in the car.

When I woke up, Lloyd's coat was draped over me.

That's just how he is. He remembers what I like, knows I'm afraid of the light when I sleep.

That's exactly why it took me so long to understand.

How can a person love you and at the same time cheat you out of everything with ten years of lies?

When we got home, I had barely changed my shoes when my mother-in-law came out of the bedroom.

She was holding my pregnancy test bag.

"You're pregnant?"

I didn't answer. Lloyd snatched the report from her.

When he saw the gestational age on it, he froze.

I watched his face, waiting for his reaction.

Happy, excited—even just a hug would have been enough.

But his first words were:

"Why does it have to be right now?"

It felt like someone had slammed a fist into my chest.

My mother-in-law jumped in at once.

"Alvin's sensitive to begin with. If you suddenly have your own child, how is he supposed to feel?"

I looked at them.

"Then when is a good time?"

"Wait another seven years? Or wait until Alvin gets married?"

Lloyd's face darkened.

"Cynthia, don't be snide. It's not that I don't want this baby."

I stared at him.

"Then why weren't you happy just now?"

"Lloyd, I'm thirty-six years old."

"This is the child I've longed for for seven years."

My mother-in-law frowned and cut me off.

"Who's saying you can't have it?"

"But a person has to have a conscience. Alvin has called you 'Mom' for seven years. Now that you've got one in your belly, you're going to shove him aside?"

I was so angry my fingertips went numb.

"When did I ever say I didn't want Alvin?"

My mother-in-law's voice rose too.

"Then who's that face for?"

"What difference does it make, biological or not!"

I looked at her.

"Is there really no difference?"

I took the DNA paternity test out of my bag and set it on the coffee table.

"Lloyd, how much longer are you going to keep up the act? Whose son is Alvin, really?"

For the first time, I lost control and shouted.

A dull pain shot through my abdomen right away, and I instinctively pressed a hand to my belly.

Lloyd took a step toward me. I jerked back.

"Don't touch me!"

My mother-in-law suddenly dropped to her knees, exactly like seven years ago.

"Cynthia, honey, Mom is the one who wronged you."

"Back then Lloyd messed up, and Bella got pregnant. What was I supposed to do?"

"James had just had his accident, so I thought I'd bring the child home first and figure it out later."

My temples were pounding.

"So you told everyone he was James's posthumous child?"

My mother-in-law cried harder.

"I was afraid you wouldn't be willing to raise him!"

"Bella didn't want to take care of him back then, and Alvin was only three."

"You're kind-hearted, and you love children..."

I looked down at her, and for the first time I felt that a person could be this repulsive.

"So you picked me."

Lloyd finally spoke.

"Cynthia, it's not what you think..."

I looked at him.

"Then what is it?"

"You cheated during our marriage and had a son."

"Your mother dragged your dead brother out to claim him as the father."

"Every single time I wanted a child, you told me to wait a little longer."

"If that isn't picking me, then what is it?"

His lips moved, but no words came out.

Suddenly my abdomen clenched, and something warm gushed out inside my pants.

A small bloodstain spread across the light-colored lounge pants.

Lloyd's face went white.

"Cynthia!"

I braced myself against the corner of the table.

"Take me to the hospital."

On the way there, Lloyd said hoarsely,

"I'll take responsibility for the child."

I looked out the car window.

"No need. You already have a son."

"This one is mine."