My smile faltered as I subconsciously turned toward John and said, “John, even Summer could understand the theory. Stop living in a world of your own.”
He pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.
As a normally quiet person, Hannah never spoke much either.
After the meal, when we moved to have tea in the yard, Summer pestered Hannah to look at the flowers at the rear of the house.
As I sat across John, I decided not to beat around the bush. “When do you plan to hold the wedding?” I asked.
He furrowed his brows. “What wedding?”
“Your wedding with Ms. Anne, of course. Are you planning to get a marriage certificate after she has given birth?”
He shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “I don’t plan to get married. I do want the child since it’s mine, but I have no plans to marry her. After the delivery, I’ll give her a sum of money and transfer the guardianship of the child under you. It’s the same thing as when Summer was transferred to you.”
Listening to him, I was momentarily speechless from the wave of anger. Had it not been because the tea in my hands was scalding hot, I would have splashed it right in his face.
“John Stovall! Do you have any idea how irresponsible you are? I already feel sorry for Summer, yet you’re planning to let your child be born into a single-parent family? Moreover, what’s so bad about Hannah? She’s elegant and magnanimous. The only reason you could degrade her this way is because she loves you. Don’t wait for the day when she has given up that you realize what exactly you did wrong!”
Indifferent, he sipped his tea and leaned against the chair, speaking in a leisure tone, “She wants money—I’ll give her money. She gives birth to my child, and I give her money in return—is that not taking responsibility? Besides, I’m sure you’ll dote on the child the same way you love Summer.”
I—
Unable to hold back, I splashed the cup of tea in my hand in his direction and yelled, “Stop dreaming! I won’t raise your child. Since you’ve decided to keep it, as a man, you have the obligation to make her your wife!”
I was infuriated beyond reason. In an attempt to suppress my anger, I whirled around and headed toward the rear of the house.
It had been a long time since I last got that agitated. Bumping into Ashton, who had just come down from the second floor, he questioned, “What happened?”
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