Chapter 6: New Lies, Old Lovers

Of course I wasn’t foolish enough to show up in front of Jessica on purpose.

After Mark got off work and left with Jessica, I quietly went to retrieve my son’s things from his lounge.

After my family found out I’d given birth to a child with an unknown father, they kicked me out. My dad told everyone he didn’t have a daughter like me. My mom scolded me harshly and disowned me too. Only my brother, who scolded me to my face, still secretly came to take care of me.

My aunt, who’d spent her life working at a matchmaking agency, was worried I’d never get married. While the baby was still young, she quickly set me up on a blind date. She said the man didn’t mind a stepchild.

Thinking of finding a dad for my child, I went to meet him, expecting an average guy, but he turned out to be quite nice. When he found out I was hospitalized, he insisted on visiting me.

In the room, the man sat elegantly at the bedside, his gold-rimmed glasses adding a touch of refinement.

"Rachel, how are you recovering? I heard a blocked milk duct is dangerous. If it gets worse, it could turn into severe mastitis. You need to rest well."

I nodded. "I’m almost better. The doctor said I’ll have one more IV tomorrow, and I can be discharged the day after."

"I happen to be free the day after tomorrow. I’ll come pick you up and take you home when you’re discharged."

"Okay, sorry to trouble you."

Not to brag, but he’s really warm-hearted. When I was young, I didn’t know the value of a good man and mistook a jerk for a treasure. That was me.

Unexpectedly, Mark suddenly appeared in the room, face gloomy, and said quietly, "Rachel Carter, you can’t be discharged the day after tomorrow."

Me: ...

"Why not?" He’d clearly told me I’d be discharged the day after tomorrow.

"The whole hospital system will be updated the day after tomorrow, and discharges can’t be processed."

Seeing his serious expression, I believed him. I could only apologize to Caleb Foster.

"Caleb, sorry, you don’t need to pick me up. I’ll go home myself then."

"Alright, be careful on your way. If you need help, contact me anytime."

Caleb got a call, said goodbye, and left.

"Boyfriend?" Someone who was still in the room suddenly spoke, startling me.

And thinking that he and Jessica were about to get engaged, I couldn’t let him outdo me.

I told a little lie.

"Yeah, he’s great. He’s… steady. The kind of guy who shows up when he says he will."

I forced a confident smile, ignoring the fact that my cheeks were hot and my hands were shaking just a little. Let Mark stew in that for a minute—let him imagine I was moving on, that I had options, that maybe the world didn’t revolve around his approval anymore.

But as soon as he left, my hand shook so badly I almost dropped my phone. Who was I kidding?