Chapter 3
After a few intimate moments. Damien let out a deep growl.
“Norah is too conservative. She’s nothing like you, who’s been so wild living overseas.”
Norah’s fingers clenched tightly, leaving marks on her palm.
She had never seen Damien, usually proud and reserved, who always. looked down on every woman who tried to get close except for her, actually like this.
Now, he seemed wild and out of control.
As new sounds filled the air, Norah slowly left, steadying herself against the wall as she walked.
Inside the office, the director was already waiting.
“Norah, can you confirm if you and Mr. Harvick still want to adopt. Tessa?”
Norah didn’t answer right away. Instead, she asked to see Tessa’s records.
The document showed that Tessa was born in the spring five years ago.
That was six months after Norah and Damien had gotten married.
It was around the time Damien had asked her to marry him. And around then, Dakota had become pregnant.
Norah’s heart burned with anger and frustration.
She gave the document back to the director.
“I’m not adopting Tessa. You can find another home for her.”
The director gave a slight nod, showing he understood.
“Norah!”
Just then, Damien burst into the room and grabbed the document.
“When did I ever say I didn’t want to adopt her? Why are you deciding for
me?”
Norah stared at him, her voice cold. “You wanted to adopt her, but you never talked to me about it first, did you?”
Damien couldn’t find anything to say.
Dakota stepped out from behind him, greeting, “Hey, Norah, it’s been at while.”
Damien’s forehead was sweaty as he pointed to Dakota and said, “Dakota is a shareholder of this Child Welfare Center. I just ran into her when I came here today.”
Norah asked, “What does that have to do with adopting Tessa?”
Damien’s expression grew dark. “Norah, I never knew you could be so cold and heartless. Tessa is so sweet and helpless. Don’t you feel any pity?”
Was she really cold and heartless?
She had been tricked, betrayed, and ended up being blamed.
Dakota stepped closer with a warm smile and gently held Norah’s hand.
“Norah, I heard from Damien that you’re planning to adopt Tessa. That makes me so happy. Tessa is the best–behaved kid in the Child Welfare
Center.”
Norah couldn’t help but ask, “If Tessa is that great, why don’t you adopt her yourself“?”
Dakota looked caught off guard and gave a nervous smile.
Damien quickly stood in front of Dakota, shielding her. “What are you saying? Dakota isn’t married, so adopting a child wouldn’t make sense for her.”
Norah felt a sharp ache in her chest, like tiny needles stabbing at her.
Damien thought about Dakota, but he hadn’t considered how people might judge Norah if they adopted Tessa.
For five years, Damien always used his “career was on the rise” as an excuse to stop her from getting pregnant.
Because of this, people outside kept making all kinds of wild guesses.
Some say that Norah had a messy personal life when she was younger and had several abortions, which made it hard for her to get pregnant.
Others claimed that she couldn’t have children at all.
Even her mother–in–law made cruel jokes, calling her a barren hen who couldn’t lay eggs.
Whenever Norah shared her frustrations, Damien would only buy expensive gifts to calm her down and never defend her with words.
If he truly loved her, why did he stay quiet while rumors surrounded her?
If she adopted an orphan, wouldn’t that show she was infertile?
Norah held on to a small hope and quietly asked, “Damien, don’t you
want a child with me?”
Damien looked down and said, “Let’s wait a few years to have a baby. You know the company is expanding right now…
“Alright, I’ll follow your plan,” she interrupted him.
She felt nothing anymore, so she decided to let him have his way.
Damien happily hugged her and said, “Norah, I know you’re the kindest and most loving person.”
As Norah gently brushed the stray hairs near his ear, she noticed the jealousy in Dakota’s eyes.
At that moment, she realized Dakota no longer wanted to be just the wife
on the marriage certificate but wanted to be Mrs. Harvic Just the wife
everyone.
Suddenly, a line from a song popped into Norah’s mind.
in front of
“Love, to put it bluntly, when one person lets go, someone else steps in to take their place.”
She wanted to end this broken relationship and didn’t care who would deal with the mess afterward.
Damien went with the director to finish the paperwork, leaving Norah and Dakota alone on the stairs.
“Norah, don’t you think Tessa and Damien look alike? If you didn’t know, you might guess they were father and daughter.”
Norah caught the hidden meaning in her tone and replied, “Is that so? Then maybe it’s destiny after all.”
Chapter
