The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 6

But she couldn't exactly reproduce through parthenogenesis. She and York had been separated for two years; it made no sense for him to return and immediately start pressuring her for a child.

As for children...

Sitting in the taxi, Madeline unlocked her phone and lowered her gaze.

She opened a hidden video file.

In the video, a little girl was taking wobbly steps, babbling adorable baby talk.

What the Yates family didn't know was that when York was transferred to San Francisco, she was already three months pregnant.

And a year and a half ago, entirely hidden from York and the Yates family, she had given birth to a daughter.

She named her Evie Monroe.

Evie, meaning radiant and full of life.

...

Madeline went to the magazine office, wrapped up her new article pitches, and then headed straight to Willow Lane.

Willow Lane was home to Sloane's mother, Fiona Xavier.

A year and a half ago, when Madeline went into difficult labor in San Francisco, it was Fiona who delivered the baby.

At the time, she and York had been separated for nearly six months. After wrapping up a business trip, she had impulsively flown to San Francisco. It was on that very trip that she witnessed York picking Felicity up from her university classes.

Felicity had worn a sweet, radiant smile as she sprinted right into his arms.

She overheard the people around them whispering about how that was Felicity's boyfriend, how he spoiled her, and how he always picked her up.

Her heart had turned to ash, triggering a terrifying, premature labor.

Coincidentally, because of her cold war with York over those six months, she hadn't mentioned the pregnancy to the Yates family. After giving birth, she handed her daughter over to Fiona.

She and Sloane were best friends, and since Fiona was divorced and had quit working, raising a child gave her something meaningful to do.

Therefore, aside from Sloane and Fiona, absolutely no one knew she had a daughter.

Fiona realized Madeline had no intention of letting the child claim her paternal roots. She sighed softly. "The child will be fine, but you adults need to think things through. Don't punish yourself."

Fiona didn't push further. She had suffered her own share of hardships in her youth and had only divorced Sloane's father in middle age. She knew better than anyone that outsiders couldn't fully grasp the complexities of a marriage.

Madeline gently squeezed her daughter's tiny hand, spending the entire afternoon at Willow Lane.

She didn't leave until Seraphina called her.

Seraphina's birthday had just passed, but some of York's childhood friends had just returned from out of town and wanted to throw him a welcome party. Seraphina insisted Madeline come back to join the gathering, and since Madeline couldn't politely decline, she rushed back to the estate.

When the group saw her, they playfully called out, "Madeline!"

A few girls who were relatively close to Madeline dragged her into the courtyard to chat about the latest fashion trends.

The entire estate was buzzing with life.

York was chatting with his best friend, Caleb Sterling, but his eyes kept drifting toward the courtyard.

Caleb noticed and said cryptically, "I heard from my uncle that you caught a blade half a month ago and nearly lost your life. Did this brush with death suddenly make you see the light?"