The doctor''s heartfelt advice plunged Gwh into an agonizing dilemma.


    She didn''t want to continue this pointless connection with Hawthorne, and she didn''t want his children because she knew they were destined to part ways. She couldn''t bear the thought of bringing children into the world who would grow up without a father, just like she had. But why was fate so cruel?


    Hawthorne was keeping a mistress right under her nose. He had returned to Greenvale to be with his other woman just three days after their wedding. She had absolutely no reason to convince herself to keep this baby.


    "Fine. I''ll go home and think about it," she said.


    The doctor looked at her with sympathy. "Are you married? If you have a husband, you should discuss this with him. If not, talk to your family. You''re a young woman; don''t gamble with your future happiness. This procedure could have irreversible consequences you''ll regret for the rest of your life. No woman wants to be unable to have children."


    His words echoed in her ears as she walked out, clutching the report. Distraught, she rounded a corner and collided with someone.


    "I''m sorry!"


    Gwh scrambled to pick up her report. When she looked up to apologize, she saw a face that was all too familiar.


    Patti Yale. She was here, too, being pushed in a wheelchair by a nurse, also holding an ultrasound report. Their papers had fallen together.


    As Gwh had reflexively gathered them, her eyes had caught the gestational age on Patti''s report.


    Patti seemed just as shocked to see Gwh. "Mrs. Everhart, what a coincidence. Fancy meeting you at the hospital."


    Patti gestured for Gwh to return her report. Numbly, Gwh let it go. She had seen it already. Patti was pregnant, too. And based on the timing, it must have started right around when Gwh first found out about her existence.


    "You have the wrong person," Gwh said, trying to walk away.


    But Patti had no intention of letting her go. "You weren''t like this at the exhibition, Mrs. Everhart. Back then, you had such an air of authority, fike you were thedy of the house You scared me half to death. The police were about to take me away. I was terrified, but luckily my boyfriend showed up just in time to defend me. I wonder if you remember that day? Oh, and forgot to tell you m pregnant it''s my boyfriend''s Are you in the OB/GYN department because you''re pregnant, too? I wonder if Mr. Everhart knows?"


    1.n


    Patti finished with a gasp, covering her mouth in mock surprise. "Oh, how silly of me. I heard Mr. Everhart y of has another woman now. He''s probably busy with her. It''s so sad to see you at the hospital all alone, Mrs. Everhart. My boyfriend came with me today. If it''s inconvenient for you, I could ask him to sit with you during your check-up. I''m a very generous person, you see. I can''t stand to see a woman left all alone."


    The color drained from Gwh''s face. Patti was openly taunting her. The ''boyfriend'' she spoke of could only be Hawthorne The realization struck her with brutal force: the reason he hadn''te to Starfall City was because he was here, at the hospital, with Patti forher appointment.


    So they had secretly conceived a child together long ago. And yet, he had still


    married her. And now she, too, was carrying his children-twins.