GoodRead"Hmm." The news hit Jeffrey like a ton of bricks - he was completely gobsmacked.
Paige was still murmuring, her voice barely above a whisper, "Back then you said you didn't want to get hitched and you'd never want kids, so | didn't dare tell you. | was scared you'd drag me to get an abortion. This is your child; | can't bear to part with it." "Hold up, just wait a sec.” Jeffrey's eyes darted upstairs before he grabbed Paige, practically shoving her into his car. "Let's not talk about this here." He floored the accelerator, zooming away before he could even glance at his phone.
Upstairs, Karen had been glued to her window, watching the scene unfold below.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTo say she didn't care would be a lie.
At first, she expected Jeffrey's words to be harsh - the guy was notorious for never sugarcoating anything, and his reputation as a scoundrel was well-deserved. The girl's face was getting paler by the second, tears starting to cascade down her cheeks.
As a woman, Karen's heart went out to Paige. She considered calling Jeffrey to tell him not to be too harsh and to break it off gently. But just as she got through, she saw Jeffrey yanking Paige by the arm and pulling her into his car before speeding off.
Where on earth was he taking her? Was he dropping her off somewhere? Karen watched his car disappear into the neighborhood before she finally moved away from the window.
Her hunch was tingling. Something was off.
But she couldn't quite put her finger on it since Jeffrey hadn't shown any affection. He just whisked Paige away.
Karen remembered Jeffrey mentioning that Paige was his buddy's cousin. Perhaps it was out of obligation that he had to personally see his ex off.
Knock, knock Outside, Derek knocked on the door.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Your mom's starting to make pies. You coming to join?" "Oh, sure," Karen snapped back to reality and opened the door, "Is the filling ready?" "Yep." Derek grinned, "Do you know if Jeffrey prefers his food savory or mild? Your mom and | tend to go light on the salt, but if he likes it flavorful. | can add a bit more." "He's not picky." Karen pulled up a chair, washed her hands, and sat down at the table.
Serena glanced at her daughter, sensing something was amiss. "Hey, where's Jeffrey?" She had been busy in the kitchen and hadn't noticed who had come and gone.
"He's got some work stuff to handle,” Karen didn't want to tarnish the image of Jeffrey she'd carefully curated for her parents, "He's been really buckling down at work lately. Barely has time for me." Derek joined at the table, his tone serious, "A man should focus on his career and take on more responsibility. You're not to throw a tantrum, got it? You two are in it for the long haul. Jeffrey's been bending over backwards for you." "Dad, switching sides so soon?" Karen pouted, "You were totally against us at first. Now everything you say takes his side." "Your dad was just worried ‘cause Jeffrey's a catch; thought he might not be serious about you." Serena spilled her thoughts, "But then we saw how good he is to you. A guy like Jeffrey could have his pick of girls, but he chooses to orbit around you - that's proof enough of his sincerity." Karen felt a wave of reassurance listening to her parents sing Jeffrey's praises.
Despite the annoyance of dealing with his ex, Jeffrey's response had left her quite satisfied.
He had a past, and so did she - no point dwelling on that.
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