Chapter 3

Apparently, my parents had gone to the clinic and confirmed that the baby belonged to Ryan. Gloria really had delivered the baby for Ryan’s girlfriend.

But I still couldn’t understand why they insisted on dragging me into it.

“Mom, what does this baby have to do with me? He isn’t mine!”

“The most important thing is finding his parents. I have to work. I’m hanging up.”

I ended the call and went to work as usual.

A little later, Claire from the office quietly came over.

“Alex, do you have a girlfriend? I could introduce you to someone.”

I had planned to refuse, but then I changed my mind.

“Sure. Who do you have in mind?”

“My niece. She’s three years older than you, used to serve in the military’s performing arts division, and now runs a small restaurant.”

“Want to have lunch together?”

I agreed immediately.

Claire was thrilled and called her niece right away.

In my previous life, she had watched me struggle to raise the child and introduced me to several side jobs. She had also urged me to find a woman and start a family.

I had refused because I was afraid the child would be mistreated.

Looking back, I had been painfully stupid.

I met Claire’s niece, Lily, for lunch. We got along surprisingly well.

We exchanged numbers and agreed to take things slowly.

When Claire came back and asked how it went, I nodded.

“She’s nice. I’d like to get to know her better.”

Claire was ecstatic.

“I’m telling you, if this works out, she’ll treat you well. I watched her grow up. She’s hardworking and can handle anything!”

I blushed, which only made Claire more excited.

That was how Lily and I started dating.

Half a month passed. My parents never came looking for me, and I never went back.

Then, unexpectedly, my mother came to my workplace.

I was in the middle of work when the security guard suddenly called.

“Alex, come outside! Your mother dumped your son at the front gate. Come take the kid away. He’s been screaming nonstop!”

My mind went blank.

“What baby? I’m not married! Where would I get a son? Don’t make things up!”

I deliberately raised my voice so the entire office could hear.

The guard sounded helpless.

“How would I know? Get down here and see for yourself!”

After I hung up, everyone stared at me.

“What happened, Alex?”

“I don’t know. The guard said someone claiming to be my mother brought my son here.”

Claire gasped.

“You have a son? That’s unbelievable. Come on, let’s go take a look!”

“Yeah, is someone trying to extort him?”

“Alex has a son? Doesn’t he live alone?”

“Who knows? Young people have complicated private lives these days.”

Claire looked at me suspiciously.

I acted completely confused, and she couldn’t read anything from my expression.

When we reached the security gate and saw the baby, everyone was stunned.

“He doesn’t even look a month old!”

“Who could be this cruel? If the baby were a few years old, Alex might never be able to clear his name!”

“Exactly. No matter what kind of person Alex is, he wouldn’t abandon a newborn, would he?”

I laughed coldly inside.

The security guard looked miserable.

“The person claimed to be Alex’s mother. I had no idea what else to do!”

I asked him to pull up the security footage.

The person who had left the baby was someone I didn’t recognize.

I immediately made up my mind.

“Call the police. That woman isn’t my mother, and I don’t know her!”

Everyone hesitated.

I spread my hands.

“This is an abandoned infant. I work in sales and have handed out countless business cards. Who knows who’s pretending to be my mother? I’m not raising someone else’s child.”

Everyone agreed that it made sense.

The police arrived and took the baby away.

I deliberately asked where they would take him.

“Where else? If we can’t find his parents, he’ll be sent to foster care.”

After hearing the answer, I finally relaxed.

In this life, I would never raise that ungrateful child again.