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Vivian had felt uneasy ever since the day she deleted that message from Adrian’s phone. She couldn’t shake the feeling that, since Eva had reached out to Adrian, she probably didn’t have the courage to confront him directly. But that didn’t ease her worries. Vivian planned to meet Adrian that very day to address the matter head-on.
However, Adrian worked late and couldn’t make it. Vivian stayed at his office until he finished, then dragged him to a gathering with friends. He went along, got drunk, and ended up passed out. During that time, Vivian even called Eva, who answered in a state of distress and promptly hung up.
Vivian’s lips curled into a smile of satisfaction. Eva’s reaction told her everything she needed to know—Eva was starting to lose hope. All Vivian had to do was hint that Adrian wanted her to get an abortion, and they would compensate her. But Vivian couldn’t say it herself, afraid Adrian would find out and blame her. So, she mentioned it to her friends and had them confront Eva on her behalf.
As expected, her friends agreed. But Eva never showed up.
“What is she up to? Is she planning to use the child to threaten Adrian?” Vivian wondered aloud, a flicker of uncertainty in her voice.
She didn’t believe the child would change anything, but the unknown lingered, and she couldn’t leave it to chance. With this in mind, Vivian suggested, “If she’s unwilling to come, we could go to her.”
One of her friends responded with scorn, “Go to her? After everything she’s done?”
Vivian forced a smile. “Exactly. She should come to us, but we need to resolve this.”
Seeing her strained smile, her friends relented.
“Alright then, let’s go to her.”
Back at home, Eva locked herself in her room, the silence of the house almost suffocating. Adrian was at work, leaving her alone with her thoughts. After a while, her phone rang.
Eva glanced at the screen. It was the girl who had called her earlier—one of Vivian’s friends.
She stared at the ringing phone for a moment before hanging up and blocking the number. Eva wasn’t interested in dealing with Vivian’s friends. What occupied her mind more was Paula’s fragile form in the clinic—the strength and resolve she had shown in standing up to her mother and declaring her love. Paula had known what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to fight for it. Eva instinctively touched her belly, her fingers resting gently on her flat stomach.
Though the fetus was tiny, she already felt a deep sense of joy and anticipation. She had wanted to share the news with Adrian the moment she first learned of the pregnancy. But why should she abort? She could raise the child on her own.
If it had been two years ago, supporting herself would have been a struggle, but now she was fully capable of taking care of a child. Still, Eva couldn’t ignore the thought that the child would grow up in a single-parent family. A sigh escaped her lips as she considered the reality of her situation.
The phone rang again. This time, it was another unfamiliar number. Vivian’s friends again, she assumed.
As Eva reached to hang up, something stopped her. She answered the call.
There was a brief silence before Vivian’s voice came through the line.
“Eva, it’s Vivian…”
So her friends had failed, and now Vivian had to deal with her directly. Eva smirked, the edge in her voice clear. “Hmm.”
“Can we meet?” Vivian rushed to ask, almost as if she feared Eva would refuse. “Give me your address. I’ll come to you.”
Eva pondered for a moment before replying, “I’m at home.”
Vivian hesitated, then stammered, “W-What do you mean?”
“You can come over,” Eva said with a shrug.
Vivian fell silent on the other end of the line, and Eva could almost picture her confusion. Eva, however, felt sure of her decision now.
“I’m tired. I don’t feel like going out,” Eva added, almost as an afterthought.
After a long pause, Vivian finally agreed, “Alright, I’ll come to you.”
After hanging up, Eva felt a strange sense of calm. She had made her decision—she would keep the child. Vivian’s visit could only mean one thing, and Eva was ready to face her.
Fifteen minutes later, a maid informed Eva that Vivian had arrived. Eva took a shawl and went downstairs, her footsteps steady.
“Ms. Morrison, here’s your coffee,” the maid greeted, offering Vivian a steaming cup.
Vivian took it, muttering her thanks, and looked up just as Eva descended the stairs.
Eva looked thinner than before, but there was a certain quiet strength about her. The pure white shawl over her light blue dress gave her an almost ethereal quality. Without makeup, her face was pale but striking, with her lips a soft shade of pink—fragile, yet undeniably beautiful. Vivian clenched her fingers, fighting back a wave of jealousy. She couldn’t let someone like Eva stay by Adrian’s side.
The maid’s voice brought Vivian back to reality as she handed Eva a cup of hot chocolate. “Madam, the hot chocolate tastes just right, and it’s the perfect temperature.”
Eva smiled as she took a sip. “Really nice.”
“Thank you for the compliment, madam. I’ll be off now.”
The maid left, a smile lingering on her face as she disappeared into the hall. Vivian, meanwhile, observed the surroundings with a quiet bitterness. The servants, most of whom Eva had personally selected, were clearly devoted to her.
Vivian’s smile tightened as she realized the truth—Eva was Mrs. Blackwood now. All of this, the home, the servants, the respect—these were things that should have belonged to her if she hadn’t gone abroad.
She forced another smile. “The servants here seem to respect you a lot.”
Eva glanced at her, her gaze unreadable. “Hmm, they are all very good people.”
Vivian’s smile faltered. “Then I should thank you.”
Eva’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Thank me?”
“Yes, for training the servants so well. It’ll make things easier for me in the future.”
Eva paused, raising an eyebrow subtly. Vivian’s words were laced with hidden meaning, and Eva wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be offended.
