Chapter 22
Steven slowly lifted his head, glanced at her, then handed her a stack of and two million dollars in cash. Get rid of the baby.”
Sharon’s eyes widened in disbelief, “W–What did you just say?”
documents beside him. “You can have this house, the car you always drive,
Steven’s expression remained indifferent. “I never loved you. You were always just a shadow of Yvonne to me. This child shouldn’t exist either. Take the money and get an abortion. After that, I never want to see you again.”
His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Tears streamed down Sharon’s face. “Steven, you
can’t do
this
I love
you! I’m willing to have this baby for you!”
and
don’t want this child. This is your only option–otherwise, you get nothing He
Steven mercilessly shook off her hand. “I don’t need your love, stood up, turning his back to her, refusing to look at her again.
Sharon collapsed onto the floor, the documents slipping from her hands and scattering around her. She shouted at him, “No way! You can’t just get rid of me like this. I won’t abort this baby!”
Steven turned back and said coldly, “By tomorrow
I expect an answer. Otherwise, I won’t mind taking you there myself.”
With that, he pulled open the door and walked out.
In the middle of the night, Yvonne received a call from Steven.
It was his assistant on the line. The background noise was chaotic, and the assistant spoke cautiously, “Mrs. Chapin, Mr. Chapin has had too much to drink. He keeps calling your name. Could you come see him?”
Woken from sleep, Yvonne was mildly annoyed. Her voice, still drowsy, carried a lazy tone. “No. Find someone else.”
“Mrs. Chapin “The assistant tried to say more.
Just as Yvonne was about to hang up, Steven’s voice, thick with alcohol and emotion, came through, choked with suppressed sobs.
“Yvonne, I’m sorry. I told her to get rid of the baby,” he said. “I never expected her to be pregnant, and I don’t want any child other than Riley. Can you come back to me?”
Yvonne replied, “Steven, no one is going to take responsibility for your mistakes. And-”
She paused for a moment. Then her cold voice drifted through the phone like a ghostly whisper. “What makes you think I would want a filthy man like you?”
On the other end, Steven froze. His entire body went rigid, and in that instant, it felt as though the alcohol clouding his mind had cleared just a
little.
His lips trembled slightly, desperate to explain, but the words got tangled in his throat, turning into an incoherent mess.
“Yvonne, it’s not what you think. I–I always-” Steven stammered, his voice thick with emotion, laced with panic.
His grip on the phone, tightened, his knuckles turning white, as if holding on like this could somehow keep Yvonne from slipping away.
“I don’t want to hear the details of you and her. If you don’t sign the papers in three days, I’ll take legal action,” Yvonne said. “Steven, by then, your company’s plans to go public will be nothing but a dream.”
“Yvonne, do you really have to be this ruthless?” Steven said, his voice hoarse. “You once said the company was yours, too. If it doesn’t go public, it won’t do you any good either.”
Yvonne chuckled softly. “I’ve fallen from the sky before–what could possibly be worse than that? I can support myself now, and if I have to, I’ll just
start over.
“But Steven, you’ve fought so hard to reach where you are today. Are you really willing to gamble it all?”
“yonne, just give me another chance, please?” Steven pleaded, his voice growing louder, almost a desperate roar. “We’ve been through so much together. You can’t just give up on me, on us, so easily!”
His body trembled slightly, and for the first time, the alcohol seemed powerless against the sheer terror and anxiety surging through him.
But all he heard in response was the sound of the call being disconnected.
Steven stared blankly at his phone, listening to the beeping sound, as if the entire world had gone silent.
His hand dropped powerlessly to his side. His eyes, hollow and un
focused, stared ahead, his face etched with despair and helplessness.
