Chapter 24%
For a long moment, she was silent. Then, suddenly–she burst into laughter
Her laughter unsettled Wendel, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
When she finally stopped, her voice was calm, almost indifferent. “Do you know? Wanting to see money–what matters most is fate. And once fate runs out, you’ll never see them again.”
Wendel shook his head. I don’t believe in that. As long as I’m alive, our fate will never be severed.”% Iris was about to respond when, from a distance, she saw a familiar figure 8
It was Esther–running toward them like a madwoman, clutching a baby in her arms.
Wendel’s expression changed in an instant. His anger flared. “What the hell are you doing here?“%
Esther hurriedly held the swaddled infant up to him, her eyes filled with desperate hope.8
someone isn’t just about
time or
“Wendel, you always said you didn’t want me because we couldn’t have a child together, right?” she said, breathless with excitement. “Look! I found a baby! Now we have a child! So let’s not get a divorce, okay?”
Wendel was dumbfounded. For a moment, he even forgot to be angry.
He stared at the infant as if looking at a plague.X
“You… Where did you get this baby?!” His voice trembled. “Where the hell did this child come from?”
“I thought you didn’t have any money left?”
Esther gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Wendel. I gave all my money to you, but I found a way. Now that we have a baby, we don’t have to get divorced, right?”
Iris finally snapped out of her shock⠀⠀
It hit her–Esther had given all her money to pay off Wendel’s debt. But this baby… It was as if it had appeared out of thin air. Wendel let out a deep sigh, frustration written all over his face.X
y own child, not
“You really are out of your damn mind,” he spat. Tm a grown man–why would I raise someone else’s kid?! I want my some bastard!” His voice turned ice–cold. Take that kid and get the hell away from me. I never want to see you again!”
Esther froze¦
The baby in her arms, as if sensing something, began to wail loudly.
“This isn’t how it’s supposed to be..
Still unwilling to give up, Esther clung desperately to Wendel’s sleeve, her cries raw and anguished
“Why are you so heartless? I gave up everything for you! Even when you wanted a child, I found a way! Why… Why won’t you come back to me?”
The more she wept, the colder Wendel’s expression became.
“I’m not raising another man’s child,” he said flatly. 1 don’t care what you do with it–give it away, throw it away, whatever. Just don’t involve me.”
Iris suddenly understood.
Wendel could accept that Esther was infertile. But he could never accept raising a child that wasn’t his own.
No wonder, in her past life, he had insisted on taking her child instead.
Iris was still reeling from the realization when Wendel, mistaking her shock for fear, quickly stepped toward her in an comfort her
“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “Esther’s gone completely insane. But you don’t have to be afraid–I’m here.”
Iris instinctively took several steps back, avoiding his outstretched hand.
In her eyes, Wendel was even more terrifying than Esther.X
Surrounded by these two lunatics, she only wanted to get away.
Without another word, she turned and ran to her bicycle, pedaling as fast as she could toward home.
When she arrived. Margaret had already finished preparing dinner.
Seeing her daughter looking so shaken, she frowned in concem.
“What happened? Why are you home so late? Did something happen?”
Ins took a long moment to steady her breathing
Then, in a quiet voice, she said, “Mom, I don’t want to go to school anymore.” “But I still want to take the college entrance exam.“”
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