Rejection

Olivia's firmness left Aaron speechless. He felt his approach was completely wrong as she flatly rejected him.

Aaron desperately wanted to argue with Olivia. 'Just because the baby is in her belly, does Olivia think the baby is only hers? Didn't they both, albeit accidentally, create this baby together? Is he the only one who cares about the baby? Where did Olivia get the idea that he didn't want the baby?' Aaron thought, swallowing his pride in silence.

Olivia was right; if he cared about what went into Olivia's body, he should also care about the mother's mental health. Finally, with all his hurt feelings and humility, Aaron said, "Will you at least accept financial support for daily living?"

"Aaron, are you deaf?"

"Olive, whatever you feel about me, however much you hate me, please set it aside this time," Aaron said softly, looking at Olivia with his signature puppy eyes, making her believe he was sincere. "The baby comes first."

After a long silence, though Olivia said nothing, Aaron finally said, "Give me your bank account number."

Reluctantly, Olivia complied with Aaron's request. She hated to admit it, but her poverty should not be forced upon the unborn baby. Especially when the baby's father was a billionaire.

Tears again flooded Olivia's cheeks, mourning her helplessness. Not because she wanted to curse her situation or wish her parents were the first to support her instead of throwing her out as they did.

She was just sad. She forgot she was with Aaron until a hand gently wiped away her tears.

"Don't cry," the man whispered weakly, "you said you're strong and can handle all this, right?"

Olivia handed Aaron her bank account number without a word, trying to stop crying.

"Olivia, I don't mean to pity you," Aaron continued, hoping to push his luck as Olivia seemed calm. "But by living together, I can help—"

Aaron's phone rang, interrupting the moment that could have worked in his favor as Olivia was in 'the baby comes first' mode. He quickly answered because it was his parents calling.

"Aaron, where are you? You should have arrived half an hour ago!" a woman's voice on the other end was angry and worried. "Margaux and her family have been waiting for you, and you didn't even inform us you'd be late."

"Mom, I had an important matter that—"

"Don't lie! Your secretary said you left the office early, not for work reasons."

Aaron gave up. His mother would always win the argument.

"Don't tell me you forgot we have dinner with Margaux's parents tonight to discuss our family business!" his mother added sharply. "Don't embarrass your father, Aaron!"

"Mom, I actually—"

"I expect you here in thirty minutes," his mother concluded. "I'll make an excuse."

The call ended. Aaron stood there, confused and frustrated. Not only did he have unfinished business with Olivia, but now he also had to deal with another equally unpleasant issue.

Reluctantly, Aaron said goodbye to Olivia. Fortunately, by then, Olivia's tears had dried. If not, he might have struggled to concentrate on driving.

"Go on, you've got a lot to do," Olivia said, seeing Aaron hesitate. "And don't send too much money. I just need nutritious food."

Aaron nodded and promised to visit Olivia again. She didn't reply, just watched him leave with an empty stare. On one hand, she was relieved she didn't have to worry about food, but on the other, she was trying to figure out how to become independent and not rely on Aaron.

***

Aaron's black Rolls Royce pulled up to "Le Ciel Brillant," a five-star French restaurant that Margaux and her parents loved for its authenticity. The handsome man wiped his face to hide his tiredness.

Inside, his parents were chatting with a beautiful brunette woman and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Spotting Aaron, the blue-eyed woman waved and smiled brightly.

"You finally made it," Margaux said, standing up and gracefully walking over to hug Aaron warmly. "I thought you wouldn't come tonight. I forgot to remind you because I was busy all day dress shopping with my mom."

Margaux showed off her tight red dress, perfectly hugging her slim figure, making her look like a model from a fashion magazine.

Dinner was filled with boring business talk for Margaux, as the men discussed business. Being an artist, she didn't understand any of it. Thankfully, Aaron's mom was understanding and cleverly steered the conversation towards Margaux's upcoming art exhibition next month.

"You're lucky, right? Your future in-law is very supportive of your career," Mrs. Miller teased her daughter, making Margaux blush.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Miller's comment caught Aaron's attention. He looked around at everyone. "Sorry, Mrs. Miller, but I see Margaux as a sister—"

"Ah, perhaps we should get to the main point of tonight's meeting," Mr. Chen, Aaron's father interrupted, clearing his throat and looking at everyone. He then looked at Aaron intently. "Aaron, we've decided to merge our families' companies by marrying you to Margaux."