Chapter 4

And Damien was gently holding the baby, softly humming a lullaby.

Mr. Thorne, for once, was smiling.

"Damien is an airline captain. Let's call this child 'Skye' then, to inherit the aviation career!"

"What nonsense!"

Mrs. Thorne chided him.

"A girl can't be named something like that!"

She eagerly reached out to hold the baby.

But Damien turned away.

"Mom, you don't know how to hold her properly. Don't hurt her."

Catching sight of me in his peripheral vision, his eyes lit up.

"Scarlett, come look at her. Aren't her tiny hands and feet just adorable?"

He leaned in to kiss the baby, then stopped abruptly, looking flustered like a naughty child.

"No, no, Dad can't pass on any germs to you."

I had never seen this childish side of him before.

So this was what he was like, clumsy yet tender, as a new father.

He was eager to show off his joy to the world, but I was the one person who shouldn't have been included.

I forced a stiff smile and turned to leave.

But Damien quickly followed, carefully holding the baby out to me.

"Scarlett, look, don't her nose and mouth look exactly like mine?"

I lowered my eyes. The tiny face did indeed resemble him, as if molded from the same clay.

The resemblance stung my eyes, and my throat suddenly constricted with pain.

I coldly pushed the swaddled infant away, looking into Damien's expectant eyes, suddenly unwilling to give him what he wanted.

"Take her away. She's so annoying to look at, I can't stand it."

The baby let out a wail.

Damien's eyes instantly turned cold. He gently patted the baby, comforting her with a pained expression.

Mrs. Thorne's gaze cut at me like a knife.

"You're the most annoying one here!"

Mr. Thorne pointed directly at the door.

"You're not welcome here. Get out!"

Willow, in the hospital bed, suddenly woke up.

"Scarlett..."

She pleaded with the Thorne family. "I'd like to talk to Scarlett alone for a moment."

Once the hospital room door closed, Willow's face wore an apologetic expression.

"Scarlett, I don't want to break you and Damien up. He really loves you. Actually, that night, Damien was drunk, and we just..."

My mind buzzed.

"It wasn't sperm donation?"

She turned her face away.

"Damien said he wanted to keep it from you, afraid you'd be sad."

"By the time I found out I was pregnant, it was already three months. He was very angry then, saying he'd give me a lump sum to keep quiet once the baby was born, and that I should never mention it again."

"Then why are you telling me now?"

I stared at her coldly.

"Why did you deliberately show up pregnant? Why didn't you keep it from me forever?"

She clearly hadn't expected me to call her out so directly. Her face changed color several times, then she just pressed her lips together, silent.

I laughed sarcastically.

"Now that he and I have broken up, and your baby is born, you two can live happily ever after as a family of three. What else are you worried about?"

She suddenly glared at me, an eerie smile curving on her lips.

The next second, right in front of me, she deliberately rolled straight off the hospital bed, hitting the floor with a thud.

Then she shrieked in terror.

"Scarlett, I know I was wrong! Please, please don't hit me!"

I was utterly dumbfounded.

Before I could react, a strong force pulled me away.

"Slap!"

My cheek burned, and I instantly tasted blood in my mouth.

Mr. Thorne's face was livid as he pointed at me. "You insolent brat! Is the hospital a place for your tantrums?"

He raised his hand to strike again, but Damien quickly blocked him.

"Dad, she's my fiancée. I'll handle this."