Ariel loved children. How could she possibly give up on this baby<b>? </b>
“Do you think I owe you an exnation?” she asked. (2)
Lowering her gaze, she brushed her hand over her stomach. “You never consider my thoughts before acting. So why should I consult you about my decision?<b>” </b>
Jayson’s tension spiked. He stared at her. “But this is my baby too.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want it.”
Ariel looked him squarely in the eyes. This was one of the rare times she was truly biting. Her expression was utterly cold, as if this had nothing to do with her.
“Jayson, this is the consequence of everything you’ve done. I won’t let a child be born into an unhealthy
home.” 3
Although this was an excuse she had no choice but to make for her cancer, it was still a fact.
Wasn’t this cause and effect?
He didn’t want her to get pregnant, so he gave her medicine to prevent it. Now he wanted her to have the child, so she must obey? Why should everything be dictated by his will?
“Does this have anything to do with Lucas not marrying Wendy?” Jayson suddenly asked as he looked at
her.
Lucas backed out of his marriage, and suddenly, Ariel, who had always loved children, didn’t want his
baby.
Ariel clenched her fists. His words cut. “You-”
“Let’s go home.” Jayson cut her off abruptly, restarting the car. He didn’t want to hear any more words that would pierce his heart.
The joy he felt when he first learned of the pregnancy had turned to an ache that seemed to hollow him
out.
Ariel knew that he understood how determined she was, so she stayed silent.
Jayson drove them back to their neighborhood. After going upstairs, he followed her to the door.
“This is my home,” Ariel said, looking back. She was chasing him away.
He lowered his head and pressed her hand to the fingerprint scanner. The door opened.
He led her inside. “Are you hungry<b>? </b>I can make something for you.”
Not a word about terminating the pregnancy.
Ariel looked at him. “I’m not hungry. You don’t need to bother.”
She was referring to both the food and the baby.
+15 BONUS <fn3c30> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fn3c30>
Jayson paused. He took a slow, deep breath before turning to her. “Did the doctor prescribe anything? Did they say the baby is healthy?”
He shifted the topic again.
Ariel turned toward the bedroom. “There are plenty of women who can have children for you. No need to fight me over it. You can have whatever you want with just a curl of your finger.”
He could simply find Evelyn a daughter–inw with high–IQ genes.
Jayson’s face darkened. He stepped closer, grabbing her arm. “Mind your words. What do others have to do with me?”
He knew his tone was harsh.
He lowered his head to calm down for a moment, then looked at her again. His hand, which had been holding her arm, slid down to grasp her hand. He traced her hand with his thumb. In his deep eyes, there was a hint of a silent plea.
“Ariel, give me some time, and give yourself some time too. What if you acted out of anger toward me and ended up regretting it? This is a living being in your body.”
Beyond that…
He wasn’t even sure if Ariel was rejecting this baby because Lucas wasn’t marrying Wendy. After all, the timing was too coincidental, and all the lingering pain from past years still throbbed faintly in his mind.
Even if she said she didn’t love Lucas anymore, the sting remained.
He couldn’t fathom any reason why Ariel–someone who adored children–would want to give up on the
baby<b>. </b>
The only possibility before him seemed ringly obvious, but he refused to let himself lean toward that thought.
He refused to let anyone else be the reason, even if it meant believing Ariel hated him.
Feeling the warmth in his palm, she gently pulled her hand back. “You’re overthinking. I’m not doing this because of you, Jayson. Don’t put yourself at the center of everything.” 1
Jayson felt like his heart had been pierced.