Cutting My Losses

Eve had watched me grow up and knew my temperament well. She paused to gauge my reaction, and when I didn't interrupt her, she continued, "She also said that all pregnancy expenses should be covered by you.

"After all, since you can't have children, you might as well get involved and experience it for yourself."

My face darkened when I heard this. I straightened my sleeves and asked, "Anything else?"

Eve added, "She also mentioned that since you don't have children, all your assets will eventually belong to this child."

I couldn't help but laugh. What a masterful plan this family had concocted! I kept my composure, despite the anger that bubbled within me. I knew this wasn't the time to act.

When Eve asked how I planned to respond, I simply smiled and told her to carry on as usual.

She then brought me lunch, and I sat by the bedroom window after eating, gazing at the scene below. At the moment, Abel was escorting Cora out of the house.

Memories rushed back to me. It was also an afternoon like this when I returned to my parents in tears five years ago. I had adamantly declared that I would marry no one but Abel.

At the time, my parents already had someone else in mind for me—Andre Schmidt, the only son of the Schmidt family.

Schmidt Corp was one of the top companies in Jonesburg, and Andre and I had been neighbors since childhood. My parents adored him and frequently invited him over for meals.

However, I never saw Andre in that light. My entire heart was set on Abel after meeting him, and I had no interest in marrying into the Schmidt family.

I argued with my parents, saying that our generation should have the freedom to choose our own spouses. Besides, I was sure Andre didn't have feelings for me, either.

But my parents insisted that if Andre didn't like me, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to pick me up and drop me home so many times after my outings. It was just that I didn't care whether Andre liked me or not at the time.

The day I met Abel was during the student council recruitment event on the first day of university. We both reached for the same application form at the exact moment.

He was incredibly polite. He apologized and offered the form to me. I still remembered that he wore a gray tracksuit that day. His eyes were clear as day, and his smile was warm and radiant.

In addition, he was tall, and his hands were strikingly attractive—a detail that captivated me as someone who admired hands.

Later, I got his phone number, and he casually replied as soon as I introduced myself, "Ah, Ms. Larkin, I've heard so much about you."

From that moment on, I found myself hoping to bump into him on campus. I even went out of my way to join the student council just to spend more time with him.

It was love at first sight, and I willingly followed in his shadow ever since.

After we got married, Abel suggested managing my company so I could live a leisurely life as a stay-at-home wife.

I didn't refuse. I believed that as a couple, we should be of one mind. Plus, Abel's family wasn't well-off, and I thought it was only right to support his ambitions.

Both my parents and my close friends had advised me to think it through.

Even before the wedding, my parents had warned me that Abel wasn't marrying me solely out of love but was also drawn to the financial security our family provided. I dismissed their concerns and said it didn't matter as long as Abel truly loved me.

After our marriage, Abel's parents began enjoying a much more comfortable life. They quit their factory jobs and lived contentedly on the monthly allowance Abel sent them.