?Chapter 616:


    Outside the hospital, Jazlyn pulled out her phone and called Marc.


    He answered with a sigh, thinking she was calling to nag him about returning to the vi. “Mom, I told you—I’m swamped at work. Can we not do this today?”


    But Jazlyn cut him off. Her voice was cold. “Marc, Doreen was never pregnant.”


    Marc nearly dropped his phone. He froze at his office desk,pletely blindsided.


    “What are you talking about?” he asked, stunned. “Did you two get into a fight or something?”


    “Why would I make this up?” Jazlyn snapped. “Her mother came over earlier asking for a million dors as a wedding gift. Then Doreen slipped down the stairs, so I rushed her to the hospital—and that’s when the doctor told me. She’s not pregnant. She never was.”


    Marc said nothing. He’d been scammed. yed. All of them had.


    Marc’s mind was in turmoil, unsure of how to react.


    Jazlyn’s voice cracked with frustration. “What kind of cursed luck is this? What did our family ever do to deserve this kind of disgrace? Is this karma?”


    Marc let out a long breath and raked a hand through his hair. “Mom, I told you from the start—I didn’t want that baby. I wasn’t going to marry her. You’re the one who pushed for all this. You let her move into our home. You deal with the mess.” Then he hung up.


    Marc sat there in silence. Yeah, the news had hit like a p—but now that the shock was wearing off, he actually felt… relieved.


    He had never wanted Doreen to have the baby, and now he wouldn’t have to be the bad guy trying to end it.


    When Doreen came to, the hospital room was empty.


    Feeling unsettled, she lifted a hand to her forehead and touched the bandage there. Her mind was hazy, but shes of what happened before she cked out starteding back.


    Her eyes flew open. She snatched up her phone and dialed Jazlyn without thinking.


    The line rang a few times before Jazlyn answered, her voice cold. “You’ve got some nerve calling me.”<fne9a7> The rightful source is find[?]ovel</fne9a7>


    Doreen quickly switched to a pitiful tone. “Mrs. Walsh, please don’t be mad. I only went along with my mom because I had no choice. She’s got a gambling problem—I’ve wanted to cut ties with her for ages. But she’s unpredictable. If I’d gone against her that day, she might’ve hurt you… or the baby I’m carrying!”


    g?lnσν????s is where magic happens


    Jazlyn scoffed. “The baby you are carrying? Seriously? You think I’m stupid, Doreen? You really think I don’t know you’re not even pregnant?”


    Doreen’s heart skipped. Her grip on the phone tightened as she stared nkly at the white wall in front of her. How… how did Jazlyn find out?


    “Mrs. Walsh, I—”


    “Save it. From this moment on, the Walsh family has nothing to do with you. I’ve already thrown your things out. If you dare show up again, I’ll call the cops.” Jazlyn hung up.


    Doreen tried calling again, but the phone was off.


    Teeth clenched, she stared at the screen, her free hand curling into a fist so tight her nails dug into her palm.


    She’d worked so hard for this. Why did it all have to fall apart now?


    .


    .


    .