The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 2

That was exactly the vibe that had once drawn Jocelyn in.

Looking back now, she must have been out of her mind.

Adrian took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, a slight furrow in his brow.

"Audrey begged me, and the family was all for it. That's why I decided to do it."

"We didn't tell you beforehand because we were afraid you wouldn't agree and would make a scene."

"You have to understand, Arthur's death hit Audrey hard. She was showing signs of depression and couldn't handle any more stress."

"All she wanted was a child. A reason to live, to help her move on from the pain. For me, it was just a simple favor."

A simple favor?

It was the first time Jocelyn had ever heard someone use the phrase so shamelessly.

Perfect. The reasoning sounded so logical, so complete.

She remained silent for a long time, not because she had nothing to say, but because she couldn't bring herself to say any of it.

She was afraid that if she started flinging all the ugly truths in Adrian's face, she would lose her mind.

Adrian looked at her striking face, her features as perfect as an angel but tinged with a faint sadness.

He was about to speak when his phone rang. It was Audrey.

Adrian answered, his voice impossibly gentle.

"Yes, I'm home."

"I ate on the way."

"I'll take a shower and change, then I'll head back over. I can't let Leo see me looking like a mess."

"Okay, you get some rest too. I'll be there later tonight."

After hanging up, Adrian added casually,

"Grandma chose the name. Leo Lowell. We thought about using Arthur, but it felt wrong, so we went with Leo Lowell instead."

Jocelyn stood up. "You should go. Your sister-in-law and your son are waiting for you."

The words were sharp, and Adrian's anger flared. "Jocelyn, can't you let it go?"

"Using my sperm was better than using a stranger's, wasn't it? At least he's a Lowell by blood."

Thankfully, there was nothing wrong with her.

In truth, her supposed infertility was just an excuse.

The real reason for their disapproval was that the Evans family, her family, had been duped into a couple of disastrous leveraged buyout agreements and were now drowning in debt.

They were no longer the prominent family they once were; their star was falling.

"You should go see Audrey at the hospital tomorrow. Don't let her think you're angry with her and avoiding her. You know how sensitive she is."

With that, Adrian left.

Jocelyn went back to her room and took a photograph out of a drawer.

Someone had mailed it to her anonymously a month ago.

The picture showed a man and a woman in an intimate embrace in front of a five-star hotel.

The two were none other than Adrian and Audrey.

This was how Adrian had really 'donated' his sperm...