The man accurately found his way to the sofa and sat down before speaking.
"Get ready to leave in three days."
His voice was cold, devoid of anger but still chilling.
Lydia tiptoed to where the man was sitting. She was already familiar with the layout and could find him even in the dark.
"Just say what you want. Are you here to negotiate terms with me?"
Lydia believed that the man wouldn't come here without a reason.
"State your terms first. You wouldn't go through all this trouble just for the remaining payment."
The man's mocking tone made Lydia uncomfortable.
"We signed a contract at the beginning. You gave me half a million dollars then. Just give me another two and a half million, and that's it. I'm not asking for more."
Lydia needed money, but she wasn't going to raise the price on the spot.
The man was silent for a moment.
"Excluding that half a million, I'll give you four million more."
"I don't need the extra."
Although four million could solve many of her problems, Lydia refused decisively.
"Don't interrupt me. You'll want it when I'm done."
The man growled a warning and continued.
"Two and a half million is as per the contract. Five hundred thousand is for your prenatal care, and another five hundred thousand is for the child's first month of expenses."
The man paused.
"What about the remaining five hundred thousand?"
Lydia had no patience left. "Come with me one more time."
As soon as he finished speaking, his hands were already in motion.
He grabbed Lydia's arm forcefully and pushed her down onto the couch.
By the time Lydia realized what was happening, she was already pinned beneath him.
"Hmph..." Lydia let out a mocking snort. "I didn't know I was worth so much."
Her heart was beating irregularly, but her mouth remained stubborn.
"If it's too much, we can do it a few more times."
As soon as the man finished speaking, he suddenly kissed Lydia's warm lips. It seemed like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Mm... let go... I refuse."
Lydia's fragmented words of refusal were drowned out by the man's overpowering advances.
On the third day, the man returned with the test results.
"The results are in. It's my child."
"Are you going to take him away now?"
Lydia had known the result all along, but hearing it from the man's mouth made her feel incredibly reluctant. She held the child tightly in her arms, afraid that the man would take him away immediately.
"You can't take him now. I'll keep him with me."
The man's voice was cold, but to Lydia, it was an unexpected relief.
"No problem! But… could you pay me first?"
No matter what, Lydia still had to face the harsh reality.
"The lawyer will come to talk to you. Once the contract is signed, you'll get your money."
The man finished speaking and fumbled in the dark to pick up the child. Maybe it was his first time holding a child, as he felt stiff all over.
After handling everything with the lawyer, Lydia quickly called Ashley.
"Auntie, I got the money. I've already transferred it to your account. Please pay the four hundred thousand dollars to the family of the deceased. I'll figure out something for the injured."
Once the compensation for the deceased was settled, Lydia could finally catch her breath. But the remaining burden still felt as heavy as a mountain.
"Are you really giving the child to them just like that? Lydia, maybe you should bring the child back."
Ashley's voice was filled with sadness.
"Auntie, we don't have any other choice."
Lydia was the child's mother and she desperately wanted to keep her child with her.
"Auntie, just do as I said. I'll find a way to get the rest of the money. I'll talk to the injured party."
Lydia hung up the phone, feeling troubled once again.
The injured party's attitude was even tougher than the victim's family, and her phone calls did nothing to resolve the issue.
Lydia found herself in a quandary once more. She needed to find a solution, but she had no idea where the money would come from.
She was taking care of the child, and the man came by every day.
Lydia didn't refuse the man's advances, hoping to strengthen their relationship and see if she could borrow some money from him.
Lately, the man would linger for a short while after each visit, but it was always because of the child.
Lydia fumbled to put on her clothes and then sat beside the man.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.
"I... can you lend me some money? I—"
"So that's why you've been acting so submissive these past few days? That's why you bring the child back so late?"
The man didn't even let Lydia finish her sentence before he exploded in anger.
"No, it's not like that. I'm asking to borrow money, not to scam you. I'll write you an IOU, and I'll pay you interest. I absolutely have no—"
"No what? Your ambition is clear as day. What's next, you want to marry me and use the child as leverage?"
The man's roar was so loud it seemed like it would lift the roof off the house. The baby in the crib nearby was startled and began to cry loudly.
"No... it's not like that..." Lydia tried to explain as she hurriedly got out of bed and cradled the child in her arms.
"Stop acting. From day one, your ambitions were clear. You couldn't fool other men, so you tried to fool me. If I didn't need this child, do you think you'd have a chance to get close to me?"
"Don't push your luck, woman. You're not qualified."
Lydia froze, Kellan's mocking words echoing in her ears once more. The same ambition, the same act, the same limited skills that exposed her true self.
To these two men, she was nothing but a disgrace.
The man dressed quickly and stormed over to Lydia, snatching the child from her arms with unexpected force.
"I'm taking the child. You, get out."
"Wait, just give me a little more time."
Desperately, Lydia blocked his path, her heart breaking as she looked at the terrified, crying child.
"Baby, I'm so sorry. Mommy is so sorry. You must live a happy life. You must grow up healthy."
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
The man beside her frowned deeply, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Lydia quickly grabbed a folder from the bedside and handed it to the man.
"Here are the details of the child's birth and some important notes. And this is a small gift from me to him."
"Make sure you raise him well. Find him a good stepmother, and don't let her mistreat him."
"You're overthinking it. He doesn't have a stepmother—only his real mother."
The man spoke decisively, holding the child tightly as he strode away. He stopped at the door.
"Stick to the contract. Keep yourself in check. Don't cause trouble for the child, and don't go around lying and bringing shame to him."
His words were cold and heartless, making Lydia's pain even more unbearable.
As the door closed, Lydia could no longer hold herself up. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
For money, she had sold her most precious thing. For money, she had lost everything— even her basic dignity was trampled upon.
"I'm sorry... baby, I'm so sorry... Mommy is so sorry..."
Her heart-wrenching cries revealed her helplessness and resentment.
Outside the door, the man's steps halted once more at the sound of her gut-wrenching sobs. He looked down at the crying child in his arms, furrowed his brow, and quickly walked away.