Chapter 14 He's Not Your Child's Father!

I had very little money left after taking a taxi to the emergency room.

I called He Cong. He was the reason I ended up like this. Although I hated him, I wasn't too proud to use him.

He immediately drove to the hospital entrance to pick me up.

My left cheek still bore the handprint I'd slapped onto it at noon, now turning a bit blue.

He Cong wasn't exactly handsome, just okay-looking.

Neither smart nor from a well-off family, yet having married a woman like me, he still wasn't satisfied and continued his antics.

He got out of the car diligently to open the door for me, but I stopped him from leaning over to fasten my seatbelt: "Get out of my way."

Resigned, he sat back in the driver's seat. He didn't rush to start the car, but instead looked at me with a miserable expression. "Xiao Zhi, why put yourself through this! I provided you with food and a good life so you could take care of the baby, yet you insist on getting involved with Sang Qi. What kind of man is he? A playboy!"

From the way he spoke, you'd never guess He Cong was the one who sent me to Sang Qi's bed. And it seemed like He Cong didn't like Sang Qi much.

"Don't you want me to give birth to the child? Building a relationship with the father is also good for the baby," I said, looking at him.

His expression was strangely perplexing.

It was the most straightforward expression someone could have, unlikely to be feigned.

"What are you talking about?"

I didn't want to play guessing games with him anymore. Plus, I hadn't had dinner yet, and with low blood sugar on top of my injuries, I was feeling utterly despondent. So, I sat in his car and screamed at him hysterically, "I'm asking you! Is Sang Qi the father of my child?"

He Cong's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets: "What are you talking about? Why would Sang Qi be the father of your child?"

I didn't have the cufflink with me to show him.

And suddenly, I realized that the evidence based solely on the cufflink to conclude that Sang Qi was the father of my child seemed somewhat weak.

I was rendered speechless for a moment.

But He Cong became excited: "Oh, I get it now. No wonder you wanted to get close to Sang Qi. You thought he was the father of your child!"

I slumped back into the seat, feeling as though the backbone within me was being gradually pulled out.

I was too lazy to ask if it was him. Judging by He Cong's expression, the answer he would give was bound to be no.

After leaning against the seat for a while, I opened my eyes and said to He Cong, "Aren't you going to drive?"

Only then did he start the car, prattling on as he did so: "Xiao Zhi, you've been stubborn for half your life. Just listen to me this time. I admit, I wronged you, but I had no choice. We're just ordinary people, and someone took a fancy to you. If I hadn't done what I did, we would be meeting Lord Yama by now. But don't worry, they said as long as you give birth to the child, they won't let us suffer. And as for this ordeal, let's pretend it never happened. I still love you just like before."

As he spoke, he reached over to take my hand.

I immediately shook off his hand; his touch made me feel sick.

He talked as if it were easy, as if nothing had happened.

Of course, he could pretend nothing had happened, but what about me? I was going to give birth to a child, a piece of flesh falling live from my body. How could I act as if nothing had occurred?

When I shook off his hand, he wasn't upset. He Cong was known for his good temper, and it seemed nothing would make him angry.

Back then, I thought his good temper meant he could tolerate me.

Now, however, I realize that temper doesn't matter, what counts is the heart.

I still haven't seen through the color that wraps his apparently gentle heart.

No matter whether it's black or not, at least he's a coward.

Another man showed interest in his wife, and he readily sent me off to that man's bed.

I'm not an object; what gave him the right to do that?

Yet, he didn't even have the courage to clarify things in front of his own mother.

Truly, my heart is utterly cold towards him now.

"Stop the car," I said coldly, unbuckling my seatbelt.

"We haven't arrived yet!" He panicked when he saw me reaching for the car door and quickly stopped on the side of the road: "What are you doing?"

"I don't want you to take me, starting today, I never want to see you again, disgusting," I said as I stepped out of the car and slammed the door with force.

Wearing high heels, I moved forward unsteadily, one step deep and the next shallow.

He Cong actually drove up behind me, poking his head out of the car window to shout, "Xiao Zhi, are you saying 'disgusting' because of your pregnancy reaction?"

I stopped, turned around, and then calmly shouted one word: "Scram!"

There are plenty of wicked people in the world, but some are bad in a way that still carries a sense of grandeur.

But He Cong isn't like that; he's not just bad, he's revolting.

It makes me sick.

It took me forever to finally get back to the villa, and my feet were nearly broken.

The first thing I did upon returning was to have Little Jin prepare me a foot bath to soak my feet properly.

I don't usually wear high heels, and today I walked a particularly long distance in them.

The second thing was to eat.

Little Jin and Sister Cai helped me move the foot bath to the dining room, where I soaked my feet while eating.

Playing with my phone during meals would make me forget all my troubles.

I forgot to chew, the chunk of braised pork idling in my mouth.

Tonight, the news headlines were about Yao Keyi and me vying for Sang Qi's attention, jealous and dressed in identical clothes with matching accessories—such an event involving a man.

Three years as a journalist and I never made headlines, but on the first day after losing my job, becoming Sang Qi's secretary, I did.

I looked at the comments online, and they were filled with malice, cursing me left and right.

Did I eat their rice or wear their family's clothes? What business of theirs is it if I'm after a man or not?

Seeing such news, I still managed to finish a table full of food—I really admired my own thick skin.

After eating and taking a bath, I lay on the sofa watching TV.

Little Jin sat by my side, slicing fruit for me, and filled a white plate with colorful slices, feeding me with a delicate fruit fork.

I lay there, watching TV while eating fruit.

In truth, I understood that I wasn't receiving VIP treatment; I was simply a surrogate mother, similar to a caged pet with my own value.

Once my value was used up, I would be discarded.

So, while I was still useful, I intended to thoroughly enjoy whatever I could.

"I want to eat durian," I said to Little Jin.

"We don't have any at home, I'll go buy some tomorrow," Little Jin immediately responded.

"Hm." Being able to eat whatever I wanted, I was still quite satisfied.

But, I didn't plan to continue living this good life any longer.

On the way back, I had made a decision.

That was to get an abortion.

No matter who that person was, I wouldn't let him have his way.

He imagines I, Xia Zhi, would bear a child for him? That's wishful thinking on his part.

Even if it killed me, I would not be a birthing machine.

But, I had no money.

I asked Little Jin, "Did Secretary Dong leave any pocket money for me?"

Little Jin and Sister Cai exchanged glances, then shook their heads: "Secretary Dong only leaves us money for groceries each day, not a penny more."

Such stinginess, I'm even worse off than a canary.