Walking Away While Pregnant: Dear Ex-Husband, I Don't Love You Anymore

Chapter 131: Chapter 131

"It’s Josh Patterson!!!"

"Ah—oh my god! It really is Josh Patterson! What is he doing in Rainport?!"

"Josh, I love you! I’m your biggest fan! Josh, marry me—!"

The piercing screams of ecstatic girls echoed through the entire arrivals gate.

It took Elise a moment to register what was happening. The male celebrity who had been sitting right next to her on the plane had just been spotted by fans. She had always heard about how wild fandom culture could be, but today, she was seeing it firsthand.

Weighing her options between "retrieving her dropped phone" and "personal safety," Elise decisively chose the latter. She quickly retreated to the sidelines, pulling as far away from the frenzied crowd as possible.

Despite being a tall, long-legged man, Josh was so tightly mobbed by the swarm of fans that he could barely take a step. His manager, Dona Smith, threw herself in front of him, trying desperately to shield him, but she was no match for the hysteria. Since they hadn’t expected to run into fans in a smaller city like Rainport, they had been caught completely off guard.

Fortunately, airport security quickly stepped in to help restore order. With their assistance, Josh and Dona finally managed to squeeze their way out of the terminal.

Elise stayed put until the chaotic crowd finally dispersed. Only then did she let out a quiet sigh of relief, instinctively placing a hand over her stomach. Fortunately, she was in her second trimester and her pregnancy was stable; otherwise, a sudden shock like this could have been dangerous.

Calming her nerves, Elise looked around to search for her phone.

Just then, an airport staff member approached and handed it to her. "Excuse me, ma’am, is this your phone?"

Elise took it and checked it over. Aside from a shattered tempered-glass screen protector, it was perfectly fine. She offered a warm smile. "Yes, it’s mine. Thank you so much."

"You’re welcome. A gentleman picked it up during the commotion. He said he saw you drop it and asked me to hand it back to you."

Elise frowned. She vaguely recalled someone steadying her arm amidst the chaos. A hunch began to form in her mind, and she scanned the area, but saw no one suspicious.

Right then, her phone rang. It was Mrs. Shaw.

Answering the call, Elise pulled her suitcase toward the exit. "Mrs. Shaw, I just made it out of the arrivals gate..."

It wasn’t until she sank into the passenger seat of Mrs. Shaw’s car that Elise truly relaxed, letting out a long breath.

Mrs. Shaw glanced at her. "Why the heavy sigh? Did you not have a good time in Rivergate?"

Elise gave a helpless smile. "Rivergate was lovely."

"Then why the gloomy face?"

Elise just smiled and stayed silent. Seeing that she had things on her mind, Mrs. Shaw didn’t press further. She knew that if Elise wanted to share, she would. Often, a little distance was exactly what kept a relationship comfortable.

Mrs. Shaw started the engine and drove toward the guesthouse.

"By the way, do you follow celebrities?" Mrs. Shaw asked out of the blue.

Elise turned to look at her. "Not really, I’ve never been interested in them. Why do you ask?"

"What a pity," Mrs. Shaw said with a playful grin, arching an eyebrow. "A male celebrity just checked into our guesthouse. And he’s a big spender—he booked the entire place for a whole week!"

Elise’s heart skipped a beat. "Don’t tell me he arrived today too?"

Mrs. Shaw looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"Is his name Josh Patterson?"

"Wow, it actually is!"

Just ahead was an intersection, and the traffic light turned red. Mrs. Shaw gently pressed the brakes. As the car came to a stop, she immediately turned to face Elise. "How on earth did you know it was him?"

Seeing how excited Mrs. Shaw was, Elise explained that she had been on the same flight as Josh, and how she had nearly lost her phone because of him.

Mrs. Shaw didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "For someone who doesn’t care about celebrities to memorize his name instantly, that must have been quite the experience. It must have been exhausting for a pregnant woman like you to escape unscathed from a mob of crazy fans."

With that, Mrs. Shaw gently patted Elise’s stomach. "The poor baby must have been startled."

Amused, Elise felt her mood lighten considerably. "It wasn’t that bad. I’m a little over three months along now, so it’s actually the most comfortable and stable phase of the pregnancy."

"True. Your bump isn’t showing much yet, and the early morning sickness has probably faded," Mrs. Shaw said, releasing the brake and gently stepping on the gas. "That’s all the more reason to enjoy yourself and unwind during this time."

Looking out at the passing scenery, Elise’s lips curved into a soft smile. "Yeah, that’s exactly what I intend to do."

By the time they arrived at the guesthouse, Josh and Dona had already checked in.

Elise returned to her usual room. Mrs. Shaw had already had the housekeeper clean it that morning, so she could settle right back in. Although Dona had booked the entire guesthouse, Mrs. Shaw had cleared things with her beforehand, explaining that Elise was her cousin who was visiting to rest and nurse her pregnancy.

Faced with a pregnant woman, Dona couldn’t say much. She simply reiterated that Josh’s whereabouts must not be leaked, and that they were not to be disturbed during their stay. Mrs. Shaw had readily agreed to everything.

On her first day back in Rainport, Elise focused entirely on resting. Except for mealtimes, she mostly stayed in her room. As night fell, she curled up in bed early to read, turning off the lights and falling asleep as soon as she felt drowsy.

Without Dylan around to badger her, she enjoyed another night of uninterrupted, peaceful sleep.

***

The next morning, Elise was vaguely roused from her sleep by the sound of voices drifting in from outside.

"Wow, what an adorable little thing! Hey there, little girl, can big sister give you a hug?"

"No!"

"Just one hug! I’m not a bad person, I promise..."

"No, no!"

Elise frowned and slowly opened her eyes. Why did it sound like she was hearing Lily’s voice?

Suddenly, the phone on her nightstand rang. She reached out and picked it up. When she saw the caller ID, she froze.

It was Robin.

She had been away for nearly ten days now, and she hadn’t contacted him once. Mainly, it was because Robin hadn’t reached out to her either, making her assume he was getting along wonderfully with Fleur.

She thought that was for the best; Fleur was his biological mother, after all, and would never mistreat him. Robin ought to be closer to Fleur anyway. As for her, the godmother, she was ultimately expendable.

Besides, she had her own child to think about now. Once her baby was born, she wouldn’t have the time or energy to fret over someone else’s child. Keeping her distance from Robin was a necessary boundary.

Her mind wandered for a moment before she snapped back to reality. Pressing her lips together, she finally answered the call.

Robin’s bright, childish voice echoed from the receiver. "Godmother!"

Elise replied softly, "Robin? Shouldn’t you be at kindergarten right now? Why are you calling me?"

"I didn’t go to school today," Robin said, his voice dropping slightly. "I have a bit of a cold, so Mommy requested a day off for me."

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes." Robin’s tone grew increasingly aggrieved. "Godmother, where have you been all this time? I asked Daddy so many times, and he always said you’d be home in a few days. But it’s been so many ’few days’ already. Why aren’t you back yet?"

Elise’s brow furrowed. Why was Dylan lying to the child again? Hadn’t she made herself perfectly clear the other day?

A wave of irritation washed over her, but she reminded herself that Robin was just a child. He couldn’t possibly understand the complicated messes of the adult world.

With a soft sigh, she chose her words carefully to deflect the issue. "Robin, Godmother is away for work. I’ll be living in another city for a very long time from now on. You need to be a good boy for your mommy and listen to her. Your mommy is the person closest to you."

"Godmother, what do you mean by that?" Robin’s voice grew faint and timid. "Are you... never coming back?"

That was exactly what Elise intended. She had no plans to ever return to the Bennett Residence. As for her jewelry company, it was currently being managed by professional executives, and most decisions could be handled through online meetings. And as for the Harper family, there was no love lost there.

Right now, Elise had absolutely no reason to stay in North City.

As for Robin, she believed his attachment to her was only temporary. Even if his memories hadn’t fully returned, he would gradually adapt to life without her under the care of his biological mother.

Dylan always wanted to have his cake and eat it too, failing to realize that his wishy-washy attitude would only confuse the boy’s values. Elise was under no obligation to constantly cater to Robin’s feelings.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a firm, serious tone. "Robin, your daddy and I have separated. I won’t be returning to the mansion anymore. So, please don’t wait for me."

"Why?" Robin’s voice instantly cracked with tears. "Godmother, why aren’t you coming home?"

"Because that place stopped being my home a long time ago. Now, I’ve found a city that I really love, and I want to live here for the rest of my life."

"You don’t want Daddy anymore..." Robin sniffled. "And you don’t want me either... right?"

"Robin, you never belonged to me. You have your own mother."

"Godmother, is it because you don’t like my mommy that you don’t like me anymore?"

"Robin, grown-up problems have nothing to do with children. You are very smart and well-behaved, and I care about you a lot," Elise said gently. "Before, your daddy and I were married, which made us family, so we lived together. But now we are separated and no longer family, so I won’t be living with you anymore. You and your daddy share the same last name; you are a Bennett, and you will always be family."

"I don’t understand... you grown-ups are so complicated. All I know is that I want to live with Godmother. Godmother, please come back, okay?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Robin burst into a loud, sobbing wail on the other end of the line.

"Mommy said she wants to take me abroad, but I don’t want to go... Daddy won’t be there, and Godmother definitely won’t be there. I don’t want to go..."