Sylvia blurted out, "Then go tell Rupert to marry me off to him! Do it now!"
Naomi choked on her words, unable to muster a response.
No one dared to cross Rupert. Could she?
After a moment of silence, Sylvia suddenly grabbed Naomi's arm.
"Mom, do you...do you have any pills?"
"What kind of pills?"
"Morning-after pills," Sylvia said with a tone of resignation.
"You...At my age, why would I possibly have those? Even if it came to that, your stepfather has always been considerate of me."
"Mom, the Garcias must be watching me. Can you go get the pill for me? I was ovulating yesterday."
Sylvia opened her period tracker app, her gaze lingering the day marked in red, a wave of fear washing over her.
She loved Stella. But she couldn't bear Stella. Her Stella deserved to be born into a happy family, not suffer alongside her.
Naomi furrowed her brows and sighed.
"I'll take care of it."
"Okay."
Sylvia exhaled in relief.
But Naomi didn't head out to purchase it herself; instead, she asked a trusted maid to do it, and the maid then left. She didn’t take it seriously, assuming right now, everyone's attention was centered on the living room.
Unbeknownst to Naomi, her request was overheard.
Half an hour later, Naomi entered the room, holding an opaque pharmacy bag.
"Take the pill quickly, or it'll be too late for it to work."
Sylvia nodded, glancing at the box that read "48-hour emergency contraception".
Before swallowing the pill immediately, she instinctively touched her stomach. Her beloved daughter had once lived there. So understanding, so adorable.
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