I began to pity her. She’d become a bundle of nerves over the appearance of this kid. I scoffed, “Biological relationships are such fascinating things. No one can predict how they’ll play out in the future, so here’s a piece of advice for you—just focus on the baby in your belly and live your life without worrying about every little thing.”
Jared obviously doesn’t love her at all. The only bargaining chip she has is her unborn baby.
I didn’t want to continue debating such meaningless topics with her, so I quickly entered the restroom.
Suddenly Stacey was calling me. I was reluctant to pick up the phone but decided to answer the call after some thought.
“Are you busy? Can we grab a bite together tomorrow?” She worked at Fuller Corporation, and I knew she was busy as she frequently commuted between K City and J City.
After some thought, I replied, “Tomorrow’s the weekend. I may need to bring Summer to the book store. I can’t confirm if I’ve any free time yet.”
“We can just grab a quick dinner. It won’t take long.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “I know you have some misgivings about me, but Scarlett, you need to hear me out. We always have to put ourselves first. Besides, she deserved it.”
Stacey’s accusation against Nancy on the filming set—whether intentional or not—wasn’t a big deal to me. But I do have the right to choose my own friends, and I’d rather spend my time with people who share my values.
“Alright, see you this weekend then.” Phone calls were devoid of visual cues and could often be misleading.
She answered, “See you!”
As I hung up, I exited the restroom and noticed that Summer wasn’t at our table. Only Ashton and Jared were there. I frowned as I asked, “Where’s Summer?”
“She wanted to pick a dessert; she went to pick it out with Kristina,” Jared replied.
I was worried and a little angry, but I couldn’t take it out on Jared. I looked at Ashton and said, “Summer’s a cheeky kid, and Ms. Ludwick’s pregnant. How can you let her follow Kristina?”
Ashton sensed my panic and stood up, holding my hand. “They’re just in the restaurant. Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon.”
I shook off his hand and walked towards the dessert area. It’s not that I don’t trust Kristina. It’s just that her character is unreliable. Summer’s very existence is a threat to her unborn baby. There’s too much risk involved.
The restaurant was huge, and I walked a whole round before seeing Summer. She was busy choosing desserts from the display counter.
I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that she was safe. Then I noticed that Kristina was taking a photo of Summer on her phone. I frowned and strode forward, snatching the phone from her hands to delete the photos.
“Ms. Ludwick, that is my daughter. You can’t take or distribute photos of her without my permission.”
My sudden appearance surprised her. She appeared chagrined as she looked at me. “Scarlett, don’t you think you’re overreacting? I just thought her expression was adorable when she was choosing desserts, so I wanted to take some photos. I don’t have any ulterior motives. You can’t possibly think that of me.”
“I can and I will!” I replied coldly as I walked towards Summer. Pulling Summer towards me, I looked at Kristina. “For your own safety, please stay away from my daughter!”
Her smile was chilling as she kept her phone. “If she was really your child, I’d understand the extent of your concern. She’s not really yours though. And yet, you’re devoted to her. Don’t tell me the rumors are actually true? Is Mr. Fuller barren? And that’s why you’re treating someone else’s child like the apple of your eye?”
My expression darkened. My tone was simmering with anger as I replied, “If you don’t use your mouth for anything else, I’d suggest sewing it up so you can’t spew any more nonsense.”
“So? Are the rumors actually true? Ashton can’t have any children of his own?” she sneered.
She’d come closer to me and whispered this last bit into my ear. No one else around us would’ve been able to hear her.
I lowered my gaze. Raising my hand, I slapped her without a hint of hesitation. It wasn’t a hard slap, but it was good enough to teach her a lesson.
She held her cheek as she glared at me. “What? Is no one else allowed to mention it?”
“Try again if you dare,” I said calmly.
Slapping someone in a restaurant would inevitably invite attention. Ashton and Jared soon showed up.
At the sight of the two men, Kristina immediately switched on the waterworks.
“Jared, I only brought Summer here to pick out desserts, but Ms. Stovall didn’t want me to touch her child. She even slapped me! That’s too much!”
I pursed my lips and stared at her coldly. My anger hadn’t subsided. “Kristina, if you’re going to be this pretentious, I won’t mind sending another slap your way. Don’t think you’re untouchable just because you’re pregnant. If you like to act the victim, I can play along and be the villain.”
Jared frowned as he looked at me. “We can talk things out calmly. There’s no need to get physical.”
He’d uttered these words nonchalantly before turning towards Summer. “Summer, is there anything else you’d like to eat?”
Summer lifted her head to look at me before she turned to stare at a weeping Kristina. She apparently knew what was going on. “She made mommy angry. That’s why mommy hit her.”
Jared was stunned by her answer. He smiled meekly and nodded. “I know. I’m not blaming your mommy.”
