Chapter 2 2

Alexander's face was fierce, and his tone turned cold.

Taylor found his behavior confusing. Her face turned pale, and her lips quivered with anger. She replied, "Unless I'm dead, or you suddenly don't want to harm my child."

Alexander paid no attention to her words. He opened the car door and signaled for Taylor to get out. "Since the prenatal checkup is done, you can go back on your own."

Taylor wanted to distance herself from him as quickly as possible. As she stood up, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She held onto the car door for support and asked, "Can you accompany me to the hospital again?"

Alexander glanced at her, noticing the sweat on her forehead. Just as he was about to step out, his phone rang.

"Alexander, have you arrived?" The delicate voice of Raven came from the other end of the line, tinged with worry.

Alexander looked from the pale Taylor to his phone and replied gently, "Raven, sorry, I'm on my way."

Raven Blackwood? Taylor remembered that Raven, who had disappeared two years ago, had returned four months ago.

She gazed bitterly at Alexander's gentle profile, then turned away with a sad smile.

Alexander ended the call and saw Taylor still standing outside the car window. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke softly, "I have something to take care of. Go see the doctor by yourself."

With that, he drove away.

Taylor watched his car disappear in the distance, tears welling up uncontrollably. There was no love left for her in his heart.

What was the physical pain compared to the torment of a wounded heart? Her vision blurred, and dizziness overcame her. The world spun around her, and she eventually lost consciousness.

When she woke up, the scent of disinfectant greeted her nose.

"Are you awake?"

Taylor saw the man in front of her was Benjamin Grant, Alexander's brother. She mustered a polite smile and said, "Benjamin, what brought you here?"

"I was just discharged from the hospital and saw you faint on my way back..."

Upon hearing this, Taylor placed her hand on her stomach and let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the baby was okay!

"Thank you."

Benjamin noticed her gesture and nodded. "You're welcome. If you hadn't fainted near the hospital, the situation could have been worse. Try not to be alone outside from now on."

She had never intended to be alone.

As Taylor thought about Alexander's indifferent gaze when he left, a cold feeling settled in her heart.

"Did Alexander know that I was at the hospital?"

Benjamin saw the hope in Taylor's eyes and smiled faintly. His gaze shifted to the door before returning to her:

"I have a surgery to attend to. I can't stay here with you. Your condition isn't stable right now. Rest well, and I'll visit you later."

After Benjamin left, the room felt emptier. Taylor's loneliness deepened. She wasn't one to fake her emotions, but under these circumstances, she felt the sadness of knowing her husband and the father of her child was with another woman.

After all, he showed no concern for her or her child. What had she expected?

Until she was discharged, Alexander didn't appear, and only the nanny came once a day to provide her with fresh clothes.

On the day Taylor left the hospital, she wandered aimlessly without informing anyone. Passing by a shopping mall, she noticed the display of baby products. A pang of emotion surged within her, prompting her to step inside.

Inside, a wide range of baby items awaited her: baby bottles, toys, tiny clothes, and more. The colors were soft and soothing, mostly pastels that eased her eyes.

As she looked at the delicate garments, Taylor pondered whether her unborn baby would be a boy or a girl.

A couple stood in the baby boy section. The husband tenderly assisted his pregnant wife, his touch drawing a happy smile on her face.

Taylor's lips felt numb, her gaze fixed on the wife. She couldn't look away for a long while.

Her eyes began to reflect a mixture of loss and sorrow. Witnessing such a loving scene of anticipation for a new life, she feared she wouldn't be able to leave a legacy for her own child.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

The sales assistant, sensing her despondency, approached with enthusiasm.

Taylor snapped back to reality and managed a polite smile. "Thank you. I'll let you know if I need assistance."

"Of course."

Just as the assistant stepped away, a delicate voice sounded behind her.

"Alex, this one is adorable!" It was Raven's voice.

Taylor's posture stiffened.

Would he bring another woman along to shop for their baby? Unbelievable!

For a moment, Taylor's emotions churned. She moved further inside, hiding from view behind the counter.

Raven led Alexander into the store, heading straight for the children's section for ages 1 to 3. She picked up a denim jacket, her gaze expectant as she asked Alexander, "Do you think our Henry will look handsome in this?"

Alexander looked down at her tenderly. "I trust your judgment."

Concealed behind the counter, Taylor's face turned ashen.

Henry? They both have a child?

...

TAYLOR'S POV

From the size of the clothes they were looking at, it seemed that "Henry" was over a year old. So, Raven must have become pregnant shortly after I married Alexander?

That realization was a shock to me.

Connecting the dots, I suddenly felt a surge of bitter irony. It was like a sharp knife stabbing through my entire being.

I couldn't stand being in that place any longer. In a state of panic, I rushed towards the exit of the store.

But my hasty exit was blocked by a shop assistant. "Madam, would you like this dress? I can pack it for you if you want."

Looking at the small garment in my hand, I felt an overwhelming sense of distress. "I'm sorry, I don't want it anymore."

However, it was too late. Raven appeared beside me, wearing a puzzled expression. "Taylor? What a coincidence! Actually, I came here hoping to see you."

I stopped in my tracks, biting my lip and mustering a smile. I turned to face Raven and Alexander, saying, "What a coincidence! Unfortunately, I'm not feeling well. I'm heading back to rest. You two carry on."

Alexander frowned slightly upon hearing that. He attempted to hold me back. "Why don't you stay at the hospital and avoid wandering around?"

I wanted to ask him: Do you even remember that I was at the hospital? It's truly an honor to be remembered by you!

Suppressing a bitter snort, I managed to avoid Alexander's touch and offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry, the hospital isn't my home. I can't stay there forever. And I have the freedom to be wherever I want. Plus, my child isn't some fragile creature. If his mother wants to buy something for him, why shouldn't she?"

My words were charged with frustration, and Alexander seemed taken aback by my sudden defiance.

He was caught off guard and struggled to find a response. Eventually, he said casually, "If you're not at the hospital, then go back home and take care of yourself. No one told you not to wander around alone. If something happens and it affects the child's well-being, you know the consequences."

The tension between us was palpable.

Just then, a shop assistant approached from the other side. Unaware of the earlier interaction, he assumed we knew each other and said with a smile, "Mr. and Mrs. Grant, we have some new arrivals in our store today. Would you like to take a look?"

The shop assistant referred to Raven as "Mrs. Grant."

Raven seemed satisfied with being addressed as "Mrs. Grant." She cast a triumphant glance at me and said with a smile, "Actually, she's Mrs. Grant, not me."

The shop assistant appeared flustered, gave an embarrassed smile, and quickly retreated.

Mrs. Grant?

The title made me chuckle to myself. Observing Raven's smug expression, I suddenly felt a strange satisfaction.

In a way, I was the legitimate Mrs. Grant. Raven was just a newcomer, after all.

A desire to assert myself against Raven surged within me. Even though it might ultimately be in vain: "Raven, as long as I'm here, you'll remain in the shadows. You won't see the light!"

Raven's expression soured. She turned to Alexander and called out, "Alex..."

"Taylor, you should know well the manipulative tactics you used in the past. Once the child is born, whatever you have will be meaningless. Raven belongs to me." Alexander gently patted Raven's hand.

Witnessing their closeness, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I refrained from explaining further, "Alexander, all the misunderstandings you have about me were deliberately orchestrated by Raven. How many times do I have to tell you? Why can't you believe me?"

"Don't I know who you are? Don't my eyes see what they see?" Alexander retorted coldly.

Feeling wronged, I wanted to explain, but Raven interjected, taking Alexander's hand. "Alex, let's go back. I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Alright!" Alexander gazed tenderly at Raven, his voice gentle. Then he turned his cold eyes to me. "Taylor, let me make it clear. Don't do anything reckless. Go back and focus on raising the child. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences!"

With that, Alexander put his hand on Raven's shoulder and walked away, a smile on his face.

Left behind, I stood in silence, tears flowing uncontrollably.

"Alexander, are you really that clueless? Can't you see the truth? Are you truly that naive? Haven't you considered it for even a moment? You're letting yourself be manipulated like a pawn! How blind can you be?"

Deep in thought, I returned to the villa. From that day on, I rarely ventured outside. I confined myself there, moving around very little, quietly nurturing my baby.

My actions weren't driven by fear of Alexander. After all, I was my child's biological mother. How could I bring harm to my own child?

The doctor had heard about my close call with losing the baby, so he was genuinely concerned. However, Alexander seldom returned to the villa. Most of his time was spent with Raven. Even when he did come home, he would soon be summoned away by Raven's calls.

According to him, Raven's older child had been unwell recently.

I paid little attention to him. Seeing how he would come and go so quickly, I didn't know what to say to him.

One day, I asked a seemingly casual question.

"Did you want me to have a child just because Raven had one?"