Leo intervened, “Did that woman threaten you with the child?”
Garrett smiled bitterly and shook his head, disappointed. “No, of course not. I want to marry her because I love her. I’ve been pursuing her for a long time, and she finally agreed to be with me.”
Leo’s expression changed upon hearing his son’s words. It seemed that none of them were willing to back down. Vera and Leo exchanged a look and sighed.
“Well, we don’t have to rush things. I’ll find some ladies from wealthy and noble families, and you can go on blind dates with them. Maybe then you’ll find the right woman for you,” Leo tried to compromise as much as he could.
If Garrett found someone more attractive and suitable, he might give up the idea of marrying that orphan. “I agree. You don’t have to stick with that woman. Your dad and I are doing this for your own good. You’re going on a blind date tomorrow, and that’s final.”
Although Garrett didn’t want to go on a blind date, he had no choice. He was determined to marry Laney no matter what tricks his parents played.
The next day, Vera took Garrett to a restaurant to meet a lady from one of the wealthiest families in the city. Before they entered, Vera stopped and reminded her son, “Be a gentleman. Your dad and I carefully chose this girl. Her family is our business partner. Treat her nicely.”
Vera knew her son well. If he wanted to resist, he would do everything in his power to do so. “Whatever,” Garrett impatiently replied. “Meeting this girl won’t change anything.”
Without another word, he entered the restaurant and sat at the reserved table. The woman sitting across from him was stunningly beautiful and seemed infatuated with him.
During the meal, he kept coming up with topics to keep the conversation going. “What kind of women do you like?” the girl asked timidly, playfully brushing her hair behind her ear. Garrett smiled, adjusted his glasses, and replied, “I like women who are considerate and capable of caring for others. You see, I have a pregnant girlfriend who can’t take care of herself. I need someone to take care of her and the baby once we get married.”
The girl became furious. She rolled her eyes at him, glared, and stormed off. Laney watched from afar, realizing that Garrett must have intentionally ruined the date.
On subsequent blind dates, Garrett used the same trick over and over again. He believed that if all his blind dates failed, his parents would eventually give in.
At home, Laney was bored to death. She used to go out whenever she felt bored, but now she couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without feeling sick. Laney didn’t have many friends, and Natalie, her only friend, often had to travel between Seacisco and Barnes. Whenever Natalie was in Barnes, Laney would ask her out.
Knowing that Laney had been bored since becoming pregnant, Natalie would spend as much time as possible with her. One day, they went shopping at the mall and then proceeded to a restaurant to rest and have dinner. Natalie had two large bags full of baby clothes.
“We still don’t know if the baby is a boy or a girl. What if we buy the wrong kind of clothes?” Natalie asked worriedly.
Laney, who was also looking at the bags, chuckled. Maybe it was because she was about to become a mother and had developed a maternal tenderness. “Well, I like them. Children won’t notice the difference anyway,” Laney said.
Something caught her attention, causing her to stop in the middle of her sentence. Confused, Natalie followed her friend’s gaze. In the innermost part of the restaurant, Garrett was having dinner with a woman who seemed to be from a noble family. The two of them chatted and laughed as if they were the only ones in the restaurant.
Laney looked at Garrett in disbelief, feeling chills run down her spine. Her blood seemed to turn to ice as she spoke with Natalie, desperately seeking comfort.
“This can’t be true. There’s no way Garrett would cheat on me,” Laney said, her voice trembling.
Natalie wore an uncomfortable expression as she gently grabbed Laney’s wrist. “It must be a misunderstanding. We should talk to him and find out the truth.”
Laney fell silent, her face pale and devoid of any makeup. She dropped the menu and stood up abruptly, losing her appetite. She didn’t want to confront Garrett publicly and cause a scene like those women who caught their partners cheating.
Natalie expressed genuine concern. “Let’s go ask him what’s going on. But remember, you’re pregnant now. Don’t let anger consume you.”
Laney smiled weakly, pointing to a cab nearby. “I know, no matter what happens, I won’t let it harm my baby. You should go home, Natalie. I need some time alone to process everything.”
Natalie understood that Laney needed space to reflect on what she had just witnessed. She believed in Laney’s intelligence and strength to handle the situation on her own.
Vera and Leo had recently moved to Barnes, hoping to introduce their son to eligible daughters of their friends. Garrett had once again managed to ruin a blind date, leaving Vera furious. As he returned home late, he noticed all the lights were still on, unsettling him.
Laney sat on the sofa, surrounded by a knife, a keyboard, and a durian on the tea table. Garrett forced a smile, goosebumps covering his skin. He wanted to embrace her, but Laney’s piercing gaze made him hesitate.
“What’s going on?” Garrett asked, sensing something was wrong. Laney grabbed the durian and threw it on the floor. “Kneel on it!”
Terrified of hurting his knees, Garrett pleaded for mercy. Laney glared at him, demanding an explanation.
“Who was the woman you were with today?” she asked, her anger evident.
Garrett explained that his parents had forced him into blind dates because they didn’t approve of their relationship. He approached Laney, placing a hand on her thigh, hoping for understanding. “Don’t be mad, darling. We’ll find a compromise.”
Laney felt a wave of relief as she heard his explanation and saw sincerity in his eyes. But she couldn’t shake off the pain of seeing him with another woman, especially someone so beautiful.
“I expected something like this to happen, but it still hurts to see you with someone else,” Laney admitted, her voice filled with sadness.
Garrett held her gently, shaking his head. “No, honey. In my eyes, no one surpasses your beauty. You are the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Laney rolled her eyes, pushing him away. “Let go of me. I haven’t given you permission to hug me. I’m still furious.”
Unable to bear seeing Laney upset, Garrett approached her again. “Honey, let me give you a massage.”
Laney sighed and lay back on the bed, resting her head on the pillow. “Don’t worry too much about this. I trust that you can handle your parents. Just be prepared to become my husband,” she said, trying to sound amiable.
Deep down, Laney knew that her future with Garrett wasn’t promising. She couldn’t help but doubt what lay ahead.
Leo and Vera had set up numerous blind dates for Garrett with eligible daughters from wealthy families in Seacisco, but none had been successful.
