Wendy often wondered just how badly she had failed as a mother.


    It was toote to do anything now, but she still wanted to know about Natalie''s world -her circle of friends, the people she knew.


    How did she learn design? How did she and Keith meet?


    She wanted to know all of it.


    Before, she had been so focused on Sebastian. Yes, she''d never said anything, but she''d assumed Natalie was incapable. She had wanted to send her abroad for a prestigious degree to improve her reputation, but Natalie had refused. Wendy had seen her as a hopeless, lost cause and had simply given up on her.


    After that, she stopped paying her any attention, pouring all her energy into raising Joanna.


    She thought that if Joanna married a good man, it would also help her career.


    Only now did she realize she didn''t know her daughter at all. Her daughter was exceptional, but she had never bothered to see her strengths or understand her past.


    She could understand why Natalie was unwilling to forgive her. She had been too harsh in her words and actions.


    She had never truly tried to understand her, favoring Joanna and believing only what Joanna said.


    Thinking back on it now, she was irredeemably foolish.


    Wendy cried as she carefully followed Natalie''s car.


    Natalie was heading to the Nayn Estates.


    Zenobia had been living there since her mother brought her back, and the baby was already a month old.


    Zenobia had only invited her and Susan White to celebrate with a simple party for the baby. It was a small gathering, just the few of them.


    Susan lived nearby, but Natalie was a bit farther out. The weather was freezing, and traffic was backed up everywhere. It took Natalie an hour to reach Zenobia''s house.


    Zenobia was waiting for her at the door, holding the baby, which gave Natalie a


    scare.


    "Zenobia, it''s freezing out here! Why did you bring the baby outside?"


    Zenobia was bundled up in a down jacket, and the baby in her arms was wrapped so tightly that the wind


    couldn''t reach him. "Don''t worry,''


    Natalie he''s fine. I''ve been so


    cooped up in the house I thought d go crazy I wanted toe out and greet you."


    Natalie quickly grabbed the gift she''d bought for the baby from her trunk, then looked down at the little guy in Zenobia''s arms. She hadn''t seen him in over two weeks, and he''d grown even more handsome, looking more and more like Jerome.


    "Hey there, little one! Auntie''s here to see you," Natalie said happily. Jerome was Jerome, but the baby was an innocent child, and she absolutely adored him.


    "Come on, let''s get inside. Susan is already here."


    They quickly went in.


    Following behind, Wendy was stunned. Zenobia was pregnant and had a child.


    Whose child was it?


    She had never heard that Zenobia got married.


    Wendy quickly took out her phone and called Jerome.


    She knew that Zenobia and Jerome had been in the hotel room that night.


    Joanna and Jerome had insisted that Natalie and Zenobia had set him up, and she had believed them.


    When Zenobia''s family moved away afterward, she had felt guilty, and Jerome had hurled every nasty insult imaginable at Zenobia.


    Wendy felt a growing sense of dread, but Jerome didn''t answer his phone.


    She tried again, but there was still no answer.


    Wendy was furious. What was that boy doing? Why wasn''t he picking up his phone?


    It wasn''t until her fourth call that Jerome finally answered.


    "Mom," Jerome said in a low voice.


    "Jerome, I saw Zenobia. She has a baby, and she isn''t married. Could this child be..."


    "Mom, he''s my son. But I don''t have the right to show my face to them. I said some terrible things to protect Yvonne Sraith. Ipletely burned that bridge. Zenobia has given up on me. She''ll never forgive me."