Chris' eyes flickered with surprise when he turned around and looked at me. Soon, a flash of anger appeared in his deep eyes.

"Madeline, there's a time and place for your stubbornness. Jewel is—"

"I'm your fiancée," I cut him off. Saying that made me feel so lowly.

When I watched TV and saw scenes like this, I used to think that the female lead was weak and that such a man wasn't worth the effort. Now that it was happening to me, I finally understood how it felt.

"Jewel is pregnant. I can't let anything happen to her!" Chris insisted as he stepped back.

A few steps later, he turned around and ran outside.

In the end, between Jewel and me, he didn't choose me.

Sitting there, I saw him catch up with Jewel. They struggled with one another until Jewel clung to his clothes and collapsed into his arms.

I lowered my head. I couldn't watch them any longer.

Whether or not there was somet

His expression stiffened slightly. "Given the situation last night, I was afraid something might happen to her. You know Ian was his parents' only child. Now, Jewel's baby is their entire hope. If anything were to happen..."

I understood his unfinished sentence.

"So, from now on, anything related to her will always be your priority, right?" I asked coldly.

Chris was silent for two seconds. "Things will be different once the baby is born."

I started to laugh. As I turned, the newly risen sun stung my eyes.

"Chris." I looked at him. "There will be other problems after the baby is born. The baby might get sick or have accidents. As long as you use this child as an excuse, you and Jewel will always be in some kind of entanglement, and I will always be the one you abandon."

Chris fell silent at my words.

I made my stance clear. "Chris, if we get married, I don't want my husband to be t

Jewel's expression visibly turned darker, her naturally pale complexion now even more ashen. Her hand holding the juice trembled. 

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to," she stammered, looking fragile and pitiful as if my words had wounded her.

But I didn't stop. Since I had started, I continued, "Perhaps you didn't mean to, but it's true that your actions have affected us. Mrs. Goodwin, if it was unintentional, just be mindful in the future. You don't have to apologize."

"If Ian were here, I wouldn't bother Chris," Jewel murmured as tears streamed down again. There was a saying that women were like water. Looking at her now, I could say that the saying applied to her. 

Her way with words somehow left me at a loss.

"Madeline." Jewel looked at me with shimmering eyes. "The only reason I contact Chris is because Ian told Chris to take care of me before he passed on. Chris agreed to it." Her hand continued to fidget with the cup. "If not for this, I wouldn't contact Chris."

She was justifying herself, yet also subtly jabbing at me. 

We were all adults here; everyone had their own agenda.

"Mrs. Goodwin, Chris promised your late husband to take care of you, but this 'care' needs boundaries. After all, you're alone now. People might gossip if they see you two together all the time." I paused briefly. "Mrs. Goodwin, it doesn't matter what others say about Chris. However, it would be bad if people gossiped about you, especially since you have a child. Don't you think so?"

She could act like the angel she was; I didn't mind playing the saint.

Jewel's face fell after I said that.

"Madeline, all this talk is because you're worried about Chris taking care of me, isn't it? Do you not trust him, or do you lack confidence in yourself?"

Her sharp retort cut through. It was the complete opposite of her usual demeanor.

I looked at her and chuckled. The "rabbit" had finally borne its fangs! It seemed like she was done pretending.

Before I could say anything, Jewel's tears suddenly started to fall. 

"Madeline, I'm sorry. If you're still upset, you can hit or scold me all you want. But please, keep my child out of this."

"Huh?" Did I say anything about her child?

Jewel stood up and started to leave. With her hands on her belly, she looked every bit a pregnant woman.

Right then, Chris strode over and grabbed her.

This was the third time he'd stopped her from leaving tonight.

His dark eyes glared at me with anger. "Madeline, what are you doing?" he hissed.

Now I understood why Jewel had suddenly brought up the child. She was resorting to cliches that not even TV dramas use anymore.

"What did I do?" Seeing the coldness in Chris' eyes, I died inside a little.

He didn't even ask anything before he started accusing me. Our ten years together were no match to Jewel's little tricks.

"Chris, don't argue." Jewel grabbed him. "It's my fault. I know I'm always troubling you and taking up your time. It's my mistake..." 

Instead of self-blame or reconciliation, she was pouring fuel on the fire.

"Chris, I'm sorry for bothering you." Jewel pulled away from Chris' hand and rushed outside.

"Jewel!" Chris called out and chased after her.

"Chris." I stopped him. "My clothes are dirty."

When he heard me, he looked at his other hand. That was when he remembered I was on my period.

The next moment, he placed the sanitary pads he bought for me on the table and took off his jacket. "Maddie, Jewel is pregnant and emotionally unstable. I can't let anything happen to her."

With those words, he tossed the jacket at me and started to leave.

"Chris, we're done if you go after her."

My words made him stop.

Chris' eyes flickered with surprise when he turned around and looked at me. Soon, a flash of anger appeared in his deep eyes.

"Madeline, there's a time and place for your stubbornness. Jewel is—"

"I'm your fiancée," I cut him off. Saying that made me feel so lowly.

When I watched TV and saw scenes like this, I used to think that the female lead was weak and that such a man wasn't worth the effort. Now that it was happening to me, I finally understood how it felt.

"Jewel is pregnant. I can't let anything happen to her!" Chris insisted as he stepped back.

A few steps later, he turned around and ran outside.

In the end, between Jewel and me, he didn't choose me.

Sitting there, I saw him catch up with Jewel. They struggled with one another until Jewel clung to his clothes and collapsed into his arms.

I lowered my head. I couldn't watch them any longer.

Whether or not there was something between them, his choice today gave me the answer to my wavering heart.

In the end, I barely a

Chapter 11