My back stiffened and I slowly turned around. I tried my best to keep my voice steady as I said, "I have a follow-up appointment."
August's gaze was piercing, making sweat almost bead on my forehead. "Troublesome," he urged impatiently, "Hurry up, the show's about to start."
Wanda was just an unknown model, yet tonight she was the center of attention. Thanks to August's devotion, the cross-sea bridge was closed for her and the industry's elite gathered in her honor.
That girl made her grand entrance in a haute couture gown, her smile radiant and dazzling. Then, August stepped onto the stage and tenderly placed a priceless necklace around her neck.
Whispered discussions rustled from behind me.
"Mr. Carter is really devoted to Miss Yates!"
"Shh! Mrs. Carter is here!"
"Why is she here, too? Isn't she embarrassed?"
"I heard she just had a baby. Isn't this a slap in the face?"
"So what if she had a baby? She's still not favored!"
If this were the past, those words would have cut me to the bone, but now I listened indifferently, just hoping the event would end quickly.
"Dr. Yager, you really have plenty of free time!" someone called me out.
Soon, Wanda appeared behind me. Her voice dripped with triumphant smugness. "August never threw a show like this for you, did he?"
I gave a faint nod, but she scorned at me instead, "Don't pretend it doesn't matter. August couldn't care less."
Afterward, she instantly lowered her voice. "He doesn't care about you or your child."
My hand clenched the railing so hard my knuckles turned white. I no longer cared about August, but my child was my bottom line.
"Don't you dare mention him," I warned coldly.
Too bad, Wanda only grew more aggressive. "Not only will I mention him, but in the future I will also …
She then laughed maliciously, "Care to guess?"
Slap!
A resounding slap landed across her face.
So many cameras flash at once to capture the moment and the surroundings fall abruptly silent.
In the next second, August rushed over to shield Wanda. "Eleanor! Have you lost your mind?"
"I warned her not to mention my child," I replied coldly.
He frowned, lowering his voice. "Apologize to her immediately. She's not like you; she's a public figure. Her reputation matters."
I stared straight at him. "So, for the sake of a reputation everyone knows belongs to a mistress, you can sacrifice me?"
The crowd erupted in an uproar, whispers rising around us.
Wanda gritted her teeth in hatred. Her eyes shifted and she suddenly clutched her chest. "August, my heart … it hurts so much."
August immediately panicked. "Don't worry, I'll take you to the hospital right away!"
He turned and ordered his assistant, "Go bring the child!"
After the car drove for a while, he suddenly felt something was wrong. When he told them to bring the child, I only looked at him quietly and didn't try to stop them.
A sense of unease, stronger than ever, gripped him. He couldn't help but yell, "Turn around!"
The driver froze, hesitating, "Mr. Carter, aren't we taking Miss Yates to the hospital?"
"August, what's wrong?" Wanda asked in a weak voice.
That man gritted his teeth. "Stop the car. Take her to the hospital first."
With that, he leaped out of the car and sprinted toward the cross-sea bridge. But when he returned, breathless and panting, I was nowhere to be seen on the bridge.
Just then, his phone rang.
"August, the person you sent to pick up the child has arrived."
"Grandma?" He grabbed onto the call like it was his lifeline. "Do you know where Eleanor is?"
"I don't know," Julie's voice sounded weary. "What I need to tell you is … that child ... was gone from the moment it was born."
In the south parking lot, a black car had been waiting for a long time.
I looked back once at the brilliantly lit cross-sea bridge, then got into the car without a second thought.
The engine roared to life, carrying me away as I completely said goodbye to the past.
