After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 93: He Said: Give Birth to It, I’ll Raise It
Mindy Vaughn asked with a displeased look, "What happy occasion?"
"Dr. York’s boyfriend has come over a few times now. I even ran into him this morning when I went out for groceries..."
As she spoke, Mrs. Yates noticed Mindy Vaughn’s expression darken. Realizing she might have overstepped, she quickly turned to leave. "I have to get home and make breakfast. We’ll chat some other time, some other time."
With that, Mrs. Yates grabbed her groceries and left.
Mindy Vaughn’s expression was thunderous. ’What boyfriend? Alice has a boyfriend she’s been hiding from me? How could she...’
Seeing the woman hurrying toward her own door, Mindy Vaughn quickly stepped forward to block her path. "Wait. You’re not going anywhere until you tell me everything."
Mrs. Yates jumped. ’I really shouldn’t have been so nosy,’ she thought. ’Judging by Mrs. York’s reaction, she had no idea Dr. York was dating someone. If I say any more, won’t I just be causing trouble for Dr. York?’
With that thought, Mrs. Yates quickly shook her head. "Tell you what? I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything at all."
Mindy Vaughn narrowed her eyes, her interrogating expression softening into a gentle, soft-spoken tone. "Did my Alice bring that man home?"
Mrs. Yates kept her lips sealed, refusing to say a word.
Mindy Vaughn’s brow furrowed, her face a mask of anguish. "That man is nothing but scum. He’s toying with my Alice’s feelings. Before he even got with her, he’d already made three other girls get abortions for him. When I found out, I told Alice she had to break up with him. I can’t believe she’d defy me and bring him home behind my back..."
As she spoke, Mindy Vaughn even managed to squeeze out a few tears, perfectly playing the part of a heartbroken and helpless mother.
Mrs. Yates was dumbfounded. "No, that can’t be right. I saw that man the other day, and he seemed quite distinguished. Not like the kind of person you’re describing."
Mindy Vaughn seized on the key phrase. "What other day did she bring him home?"
Seeing how convincing Mindy Vaughn’s tears were, Mrs. Yates told her the truth. "I ran into him about a month or so ago, and then again this morning when I was out shopping. He was coming out of Dr. York’s apartment."
Mindy Vaughn’s expression twisted into a savage scowl.
She looked ready to explode with rage.
’Alice, oh, Alice, how dare you date someone behind my back! You’ve gotten completely out of control!’
"What did the man look like?" Mindy Vaughn pressed for more details.
’I have to get a clear idea, then lie in wait. I have to catch them in the act.’
Mrs. Yates chuckled. "Oh, he’s very distinguished. I couldn’t tell his age, but he’s definitely several years older than Dr. York. He seems so respectable... could he really be that kind of person?"
"He is!"
Mindy Vaughn’s face was ashen.
Mrs. Yates covered her mouth. "Oh my goodness. You really can’t judge a book by its cover."
Just then, Mindy Vaughn looked up and noticed a security camera in the hallway. She pointed at it and asked, "This camera isn’t broken, is it?"
Mrs. Yates replied, "Not at all. It works just fine."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, ma’am. I’ll be going now."
Mindy Vaughn now had a plan. To find out what the man looked like right away, all she had to do was check the security footage.
As Mrs. Yates watched Mindy Vaughn walk away, she offered a well-intentioned piece of advice. "Don’t let things get too heated between you and your daughter. Dr. York seems like a sensible, kind girl. Don’t get too worked up. Just talk to her nicely."
Mindy Vaughn ignored her. Once she was downstairs, she headed straight for the property management office.
Meanwhile, Alice was still oblivious to what had happened after she left her apartment.
On her way, she stopped at a pharmacy to buy an emergency contraceptive pill. Although Wyatt Sterling had used protection later on last night, he hadn’t in the entryway. Just in case, she had to take the pill, despite its significant side effects. The consequences of not doing so were more than she could bear.
But no sooner had she bought the pill than a call came from Wyatt Sterling. "What medicine did you buy?"
’He really did have someone watching me!’
A cold sweat broke out over Alice’s body. Before answering, she swallowed the pill.
Taking a pill without water makes it easy for it to get stuck in your throat. Since she’d swallowed it in such a hurry, she began to cough violently.
The call was still connected.
On the other end, Wyatt Sterling could clearly hear her violent coughing. His expression darkened, but he waited in strained silence. After about a minute, the coughing stopped. Alice pressed the phone to her ear again. "I bought the morning-after pill. I’ve already taken it. Don’t worry, Third Uncle. I know what’s expected of me."
There was no sound from the other end.
Alice rubbed her neck to ease the discomfort. ’Taking this pill means my period will probably be irregular again next month...’
"Alice York."
This was the second time today that Wyatt Sterling had called her by her full name.
He said, "If this happens again, don’t take the pill."
Alice calmly watched the cars pass by one after another. "And if I have it," she said, as if joking, "will you raise it, Third Uncle?"
Wyatt Sterling enunciated each word clearly: "Have the baby. I’ll raise it."
The call fell silent. All the sounds around her seemed to fade away. She couldn’t hear a thing; the only thing in her mind was what Wyatt Sterling had said—*Have the baby. I’ll raise it.*
She looked up at the sky, forcing back the strange emotion welling up inside her. "As an illegitimate child? Hidden from the world, never to be acknowledged? Is that how you’d raise it?"
’Good thing I snapped out of it. I was almost moved for a second there.’
Wyatt Sterling threw down his pen. When he spoke again, his voice was heavy. "You always know exactly how to piss me off."
Alice replied meekly, "I call it being practical."
He hung up first. Alice stared at the screen for a few seconds, then quickly put her phone away, composed herself, and headed to the hospital.
For the rest of the day, her phone was quiet. Melody Lancaster didn’t send any more messages, either. Alice didn’t know if Wyatt Sterling had said something to her, but whatever the reason, it was a good thing that Melody wasn’t bothering her.
She got off work early today, so Alice planned to go home, pack a few things, and take them to Shorecrest. Since she’d already agreed to Wyatt Sterling’s demand to move in there, there was no backing out. If she packed and went over early, she could even play with Yael.
As she opened the door in high spirits, she found Mindy Vaughn already sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.
She didn’t know how long she’d been there.
Or how long she’d been waiting.
Her mother’s expression was unreadable, but Alice’s intuition told her that Mindy Vaughn waiting for her like this could only mean trouble.
"So you’re back."
Mindy Vaughn’s tone was chillingly quiet.
Alice hummed in acknowledgment and slipped on her slippers as she came inside. "When did you get here? Why didn’t you send me a message?"
’Luckily, I had the foresight to tidy up my room before I left this morning.’
’Otherwise, who knows what Mindy Vaughn might have found.’
"I had to come unannounced to give you a surprise. What, are you not happy to see your mother?" Mindy Vaughn stood up and walked toward Alice.
Alice frowned. Just as she was about to speak, Mindy Vaughn slapped her across the face.
SMACK!
The blow was so sudden that Alice had no time to dodge. Her head whipped to the side.
Her cheek stung with a fiery pain, and she could faintly taste blood. The slap had been heavy, delivered with vicious force.
Before Alice could even turn her head back, Mindy Vaughn raised her hand to strike her again.
But this time, Alice didn’t let her. She caught her mother’s wrist, her eyes filled with an icy chill. "Wasn’t one slap enough?"
"Not even close! I could kill you."
Mindy Vaughn shook off Alice’s hand, her chest heaving with rage.
Alice didn’t touch her face, but she knew it must be bright red.
She swallowed the blood in her mouth. "Go on. What is it this time?"
"Hah! And you have the nerve to act so self-righteous!" Mindy Vaughn snarled.
Alice’s brows drew together.
Mindy Vaughn turned, sat back down, and said coldly, "Tell me right now. How long have you been with him?"
