81 81. I am Not For You
Lea could only stare at Clara with guilt. It reminded her of when William betrayed her. However, this was even worse because it was she who made Clara suffer like that. She felt she had made a big mistake.
“I still really love Dave. I’d be lying if I said I could forget him quickly,” Clara continued, she turned to Lea and looked at her with disdain, as if Lea was a disease. “However, are you stupid or pretending to be stupid? Can you accept if your fiancé knocked another woman up?”
Lea opened her mouth, about to say something, but no words left her lips. Clara’s gaze was sharp and piercing. If looks could kill, Lea would be dead by now because of the sharp hateful glare Clara threw at her.
“It’s not just a month or two that I’ve known and been in a relationship with Dave. However, you just ruined it. I should have known that the woman Dave worked with was a slut!” Clara couldn’t take it anymore. She expressed her annoyance as if it was all Lea’s fault.
Clara got up from her seat. She was about to walk away from Lea. However, Lea hastily grabbed Clara’s hand, preventing her from leaving. This was a rare opportunity to meet Clara, she couldn’t miss it.
“Clara, I have been in your position, whether you believe it or not. I felt hurt when my boyfriend chose another woman. I even tried to get them separate. Maybe, you could say it’s karma. However, I’m determined not to take Dave away from you,” said Lea. “And I’ll never be able to because there is only you in Dave’s heart.”
“It’s rich coming from you,” said Clara, laughing sarcastically.
“I intended to leave, hiding the baby from all of you. However, a lot of things happened that made the three of us like this,” Lea explained further, hoping that Clara would understand that she was trying her best to stay out of trouble.
“It’s okay, Lea. Dave and I already know that you are pregnant with his child. There’s nothing you can change,” Clara brushed Lea’s hand away from her slender wrist, making a rattling sound from the bracelet Lea was wearing.
.....
Thinking that Clara no longer wanted to listen to excuses, Lea said without thinking, “What should I do to get you to accept Dave again?”
Clara stopped when she heard Lea’s tantalizing words. She wanted to say: give your child to me then go away from my life. However, she was not that cruel. How could Lea happily give up her child?
“Come on, Lea. It’s not as easy as you think,” Clara said and didn’t want to prolong the argument. Remembering the test papers she had in her pocket, she thought that perhaps this was what was best for her and Dave.
Before Lea said something in reply, Lea’s smartphone rang. She immediately picked it up.
“Yes, this is Lea Kane,” Lea replied with a panicked face. “What? I’ll be right there.”
Lea stood up, facing Clara guiltily. “I would have liked to have talked more, but my mother was in a bad state. I hope we can meet again some other time.”
Without waiting any longer, Lea ran away to go to her mother’s room. At the same time, Clara received a phone call from her parents. She had to go home early tonight because Dave’s family was coming to her parents’ house for dinner.
“Shit!” cursed Clara.
She had to face Lea and Dave in one day. It was too much for her. On top of it, there’s a family gathering. She wanted to be alone in her apartment. Couldn’t she take a rest for a while?
***
Later that night, Dave and Clara’s family had dinner together. They met at Clara’s house, to discuss the relationship between the two families.
Dave came with his parents, Marissa and Jack. Her younger sister didn’t come because she was traveling to Europe with her fiancé.
Clara and her parents, Linda and Patrick, warmly welcomed the Johnsons. They hadn’t been to the Deckers for a long time because they were loaded with work.
As they exchanged greetings, Linda said, “I’m glad you guys visited. It has been a long time.”
“Right, Dave has been forcing us these past few days,” Marissa answered honestly, making everyone laugh but Clara.
She threw a sharp glare at Dave, criticizing her fiancé’s behavior. After failing to convince her, it turned out that Dave asked his parents for help.
“Loser,” Clara whispered. However, Dave could hear it.
He just gulped, staring at the scary grin on Clara’s face. However, he did not need to bear it for long because everyone immediately headed for the dining room.
“So when should Clara and Dave’s wedding take place? It’s been two years since they officially got engaged. Don’t take too long because I want to have a grandchild from Clara soon,” Jack said hopefully, causing Clara to cough immediately from choking. She hurriedly drank water to soothe the pain.
“Are you all right, Clara?” Linda asked worriedly. Clara shook her head as she sipped the water from her glass again.
Clara just couldn’t swallow food because of the results of her fertility test. Moreover, Jack openly said that he wanted a grandchild from her. Something she would never be able to give.
The two old-money families then talked about the company merger. They wanted their company to be one of the biggest companies in the state. Because of that, the marriage of these two families was arranged. They were lucky because Clara and Dave loved each other. Everyone was satisfied that their plan was going smoothly.
“By the way, Noah still hasn’t come back from England?” Marissa asked curiously, mentioning the Deckers’ first child.
Patrick nodded, looking regretful at his son’s constant busyness. “He never gives himself a day off, even if it’s just to find a wife.”
“He even said he wouldn’t want to get married if he couldn’t make his first 100 billion dollars,” Linda added.
Everyone laughed at Patrick and Linda’s joke. Clara’s father was not a hard worker who wanted to do new things for his business. He just kept the business going well.
Unlike his dad, Noah was not that kind of person at all. He liked new things and wanted to build his own start-up.
“Then, what is a good date for Clara and Dave’s wedding ceremony?” Marissa asked, returning to the original question.
Clara’s hands suddenly went cold. Her face was now the same color as the white knee-length dress she was wearing.
“Ah, I think I have to go to the bathroom,” Clara said in a trembling voice. She hastily left the table.
Her suspicious movements made Dave worried. “Dad, mom, Clara probably doesn’t feel well. I’ll have a private talk with her and I’ll let you know later.”
Dave rushed after Clara. As expected, Clara didn’t go to the bathroom but to her own room. Before Clara managed to close the door, Dave quickly caught up and held back.
“Clara, we need to talk!” Dave whispered in a low but deep voice. He pushed Clara into the room and restrained her from leaving.
“Seriously, Dave! Be honest with your parents and tell them that you and your ex-secretary are expecting a baby,” Clara snapped curtly. “They want a grandchild as soon as possible.”
Dave hugged Clara, by force, and led her to sit on the side of the king-size bed with golden satin sheets. His gray eyes stared intently into Clara’s hazel eyes through his glasses.
“Clara, we’ve been together for a long time. Our families bless us,” Dave said. “Do you have the heart to throw it all away for just a mistake?”
Clara could only stare blankly into Dave’s sharp eyes. If only that cursed night had never existed, was it true that Dave wouldn’t have betrayed her?
“I thought, if Lea never met you, was there another woman who would make you betray me?” Clara asked doubtfully. Her whisper sounded full of pain. “Or vice versa, will I not betray you?”
She smiled bitterly. “You know, a few days ago I even kissed a stranger on the street without feeling guilty. Maybe we weren’t meant to be together, Dave.”
Dave’s heart clenched. He did do bad things, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be jealous if Clara was touched by another man.
Without even knowing it, Dave, burning with jealousy, pulled Clara’s slender body towards him. He quickly claimed Clara’s lips and bite them roughly. “Where did he touch you?”
“Stop it, Dave!” Clara snapped. She hit Dave in the chest with all her might, making Dave realize that he had hurt Clara.
Clara’s tears then dripped slowly, making Dave feel guilty. “You don’t know anything, Dave! You don’t feel my pain at all.”
“Then tell me,” Dave said desperately. “Please ....”
Clara got up from the side of the bed and bent down to open a small drawer on the bedside table. She then took the fertility test paper and gave it to Dave.
“What’s this?” Dave asked, confused.
Clara turned on the light to make her room brighter. She then said, “Read it and you will know that we are not meant to be together!”
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