I Don't Need a Love That's Late

With that, I picked Danny up and got into the car.

When Curtis saw him, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Ms. Lloyd, this is…"

"My son," I replied, gently brushing my fingers over Danny's chubby cheek and pulling him a little closer.

Curtis' eyes widened slightly upon hearing that, yet he didn't say anything further.

…

Curtis then drove us to the hotel where Roderick and Francesca had tied the knot six years ago.

Throughout their marriage, Roderick had spoiled her to no end. Whether it was her birthday or their anniversary, he always threw extravagant banquets.

This time, he had asked me to return. I figured it was to show me how successful Francesca had become, and to let me see how happy they were together. It was also an effort to make me give up on him for good.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw Francesca waving at me.

In contrast to my pale, tired face, she looked every bit the pampered rich woman. Her expensive jewelry and clothes spoke volumes about Roderick's affection for her.

The moment Francesca saw Danny in my arms, her smile faltered.

She pointed at him with surprise and asked, "Sav, you had a baby overseas? Rick doesn't even know about it! I can't believe you kept this hidden so well!"

Before I could respond, Francesca started to tease Danny playfully. However, he didn't like strangers touching him and kept pulling away.

Seeing that, I quickly patted his back, trying to calm him.

The truth was, Francesca knew exactly how I felt about Roderick. But this time, I had no intention of engaging with either of them.

Francesca ignored Danny's discomfort and insisted on holding him.

As we approached the private room, Danny couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears.

I immediately reached for him. Francesca, on the other hand, forced a smile as she handed him back to me.

"Rick knows I'm afraid of pain," she stated. "Giving birth is tough, and he didn't want me to go through that. That's why we never had kids. Who would've thought that you had a son?"

As she spoke, she opened the door to the private room. Inside, several people were already seated.

I didn't feel like talking, so I made my way to the farthest corner of the room. But to my surprise, Francesca sat down right next to me.

Then, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and enthusiastically introduced me and Danny to the others.

Unable to bear the awkward tension, I excused myself to go to the restroom.

When I returned, I overheard Francesca saying, "What do you mean she's a burden? Rick has been supporting Savannah for years. At this point, she's family.

"Besides, no one can change the fact that Rick's my husband. She was young and didn't know better. It's normal to have those feelings. But now, with a kid, I don't think there's anything left to worry about."

I stood by the door, listening quietly.

In the eyes of outsiders, I was the woman who had fallen for the man who could have been my uncle. To them, I was nothing but a freak, a woman who had disregarded moral boundaries.

At that moment, Danny tugged at my hand anxiously. I kissed him, and despite everything, walked back into the private room.

Now that those things were behind me, I should just face them calmly.

I didn't know how much time had passed. But suddenly, the door to the private room swung open.