Chapter 13
98.6°F was a totally normal body temperature.
As Eugene thought about how Penelope was just chatting with Rebecca like nothing had happened, his face darkened. “Stop making trouble for no reason. Just stay home and rest. I’ll transfer money to you on time.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait!” Rebecca rushed over and blocked his path.
Seeing Eugene’s gaze grow darker and more menacing, she quickly said, “Penelope’s carrying the future heir of your family. Nothing can go wrong. As the father, you should be here making sure he’s safe.”
Eugene rolled his eyes. He hadn’t had kids before, but he wasn’t an idiot.
As long as Penelope stayed home, what could possibly happen to the baby?
He was about to brush her off when Penelope suddenly cried out in pain.
Eugene turned instantly. “What happened?”
Penelope clutched his hand tightly. “Gene, my whole body Hurts. I feel awful.”
She added with a soft whimper, “What if something really happens, and I’m here all alone? Gene, please stay.”
With a baby involved, Eugene was practically helpless.
“Alright. I’ll stay.”
“I knew you were the best.” Penelope leaned against his hand, smiling sweetly.
Seeing that, Rebecca quickly brought over a small bowl. “This is herbal medicine to help stabilize the pregnancy. It’s good for the baby.”
She placed it down and left the two alone.
“Gene, can you feed me?” Penelope looked up at Eugene, her eyes wide and pitiful.
But Eugene didn’t move.
“Drink it yourself.”
His hands only ever fed Jacklyn medicine. No one else was worth the effort. Not even if they were carrying his
child.
Penelope felt a flicker of irritation but kept calm. She reached for the bowl like she was drained of all strength.
With trembling hands, she said, “Gene, I really don’t have the energy.”
She pouted like she’d been wronged.
Thinking of the baby, Eugene sighed. “Give it to me.”
He gave in, scooping the concoction up spoon by spoon, and fed her silently.
A little while later, he left the room with the empty bowl. Before walking out, he even tucked her blanket in.
As soon as the door closed, Penelope picked up the phone that had been propped up nearby. The camera was on and still recording.
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She smirked and sent the video to Jacklyn, along with a message. “Jackie, Gene just fed me medicine. What are your doing?”
Jacklyn was lying in her hospital bed, about to close her eyes for a nap. A video from Penelope lit up her phone along with a taunting message.
She’d braced herself for this and accepted the truth that Eugene had cheated.
But watching that video still made her entire body shake with rage. Her stomach cramped in protest.
That was the man she had loved for three whole years. To the world, they were deeply in love and the perfect couple. But behind closed doors, he wore a different face.
Jacklyn clenched her jaw. Her face turned ghostly pale, and sweat beaded across her forehead.
But she knew she couldn’t afford to lose. Even if it was just for the little life growing inside her, she had to live
well.
At this thought, she forced herself to breathe deeply to steady her spiraling emotions.
In her mind, she repeated like a mantra, “I have to protect myself. It’s the only way to keep my baby safe.”
She set her phone aside and put it on silent.
Meanwhile, Penelope stared at the chat screen. There was still no reply.
Was Jacklyn dead or something? Why hadn’t she answered?
The silence left her feeling oddly powerless. After all, provoking someone wasn’t any fun if there was no reaction.
She started typing again.
“Jackie, guess what? I just learned medicine can taste sweet when someone else feeds it to you.
Ever had that happen to you?”
Penelope barely hit send when Eugene walked in and asked her sharply, “What are you doing?”
Startled, she nearly dropped her phone.
He stormed over and snatched it from her hands, placing it far out of reach.
“You’re pregnant. You’re supposed to be resting. Staring at your phone all day is bad for the baby. If you don’t care about your own health, how’s the baby supposed to be healthy?”
He was here all for the baby. Of course her reckless behavior infuriated him.
Penelope stared at her now–empty hands, feeling utterly wronged. With tears brimming in her eyes, she looked at Eugene. Lies slipped from her lips without hesitation.
“I wasn’t just scrolling. I was talking to a fortune teller. He said I’ve got bad luck this year, and it might be bad for
my pregnancy.
No matter how angry Eugene was, as soon as the topic turned to the baby, he instantly became serious.
“What did you say?” His voice turned flat and distant.
Penelope added, “I’m scared, Gene. What if something really happens to the baby?”
She wiped at her tears. “If I lose this baby, I don’t want to live, either!”
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All Eugene cared about was that child. Whether she lived or lied didn’t matter to him. “What did the fortune teller say? Is there a way to fix it?”
He wasn’t a superstitious person, but when it came to the Baby, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. After all, this was the child he had dreamed of for three years.
“Well…” Penelope hesitated.
Her silence made Eugene visibly nervous. “What are we supposed to do?”
Noticing that he had taken the bait, Penelope feigned reluctance and said, “He said I need to go for a visit.”
That caught Eugene’s attention. His eyes lit up like someone had dangled hope in front of him. “Go where? What for?”
“To find a way to fix it. But he said it had to be done sincerely. Like, if your heart’s in it, the universe will listen or something.”
Then, Penelope carefully asked, “Gene, would you come with me?”
Eugene hesitated. He didn’t believe in this kind of thing. He never had.
But his mind went straight back to the child Penelope was carrying.
Better safe than sorry.
If something happened to the baby because of this, who knew how many more years he’d have to wait for another chance?
