Chapter 4
725words
Standing before me was none other than Fred's wife, Felicia Cane, the very woman who was with him from the ground up.
I thought she would react with anger, maybe even some tears, toward the news of her cheating husband, but there was nothing. Instead, she looked at me somewhat contemptuously.
"I know you just want to use me to deal with your friend. You're too naive."
I didn't get upset that she saw through my intentions. After all, someone who could run a successful factory back in the days clearly wasn't simple-minded.
I smiled faintly. "What if she's pregnant?"
Felicia's expression darkened. For years, she had been able to tolerate Fred's affairs, only to tear him apart last year. It wasn't just because the other woman showed up. It was because she had the audacity to tell her she was pregnant.
Years of struggling to conceive had left a deep wound in Felicia. How could she possibly allow someone else to bring his child into the world? And why would she give away everything she had worked so hard for to some unknown illegitimate child?
I was betting she would be on my side.
Her expression began to twist into hesitation. In the end, she opened her eyes with a newfound perspective. "What do I need to do?"
I folded my arms, watching as Sydney's figure disappeared. "It's no—"
Before I could say "rush", her alarm cut me off. She apologized and said, "It's my meds time."
I carefully examined her medicine. "Are you sick?"
She smiled bitterly. "It's for regulating my body. I still want a child of my own."
A child? I looked at her medicine and fell into deep thought.
"I'm leaving," Felicia said. "If you need anything, just text me."
Even after she left, I couldn't help but wonder if human nature was truly capable of that kind of evil.
…
A few days later, Sydney came running to me in a panic. "Chloe, I think Mrs. Walmsley found out about us. She's been checking up on Mr. Walmsley every day lately. What do I do?"
Now, she was scared of the consequences.
I closed my eyes and pretended to think, then I looked at her hesitantly. "Why don't you stay at my place for a few days? You know, to lay low."
She looked dubiously at me. "At your place?"
"Yeah. That way, his wife wouldn't be able to find you," I said. "Once this blows over, you can be with Mr. Walmsley again."
Sydney seemed to think my suggestion made sense and immediately got up to pack her things. That was more like it. Only by keeping her firmly in my grasp could the next steps go smoothly.
She packed up in no time and urged me to take her home quickly. Seeing her all geared up like that, I nearly burst out laughing. It turned out she could get scared too.
"Wait outside. I need to see if my parents are home," I said.
Although Mom and Dad usually slept at the factory, I couldn't guarantee they were always away from home.
Seeing how careful I was, Sydney grumbled, "If you'd told me I'd have to sneak around to get in, I wouldn't have come. Now, I feel like a thief."
I turned to her. "Growing up, my parents made sure to remind me not to befriend people who have bad values. Now that I brought you home, they'll definitely punish me if they find out."
Sydney knew what she was doing wasn't exactly honorable, so she could only sulk quietly. By the time I got her settled, so did the sun.
She kicked my leg. "Hey, go get me something to eat. I don't know what's wrong with me lately, but I get hungry so easily."
And? What did that have to do with me?
I dusted off my clothes and headed for the stairs, but she grabbed me by the arm. "Where are you going?"
"Getting dinner, obviously. Can't you tell? I'll see if there's anything left over. If there is, I'll bring some back for you."
She wanted to snap at me, but given the circumstances, she held back. "Fine. Just remember to—"
Suddenly, Sydney bolted to the bathroom and started dry-heaving. Could she really be… pregnant?
