Misplaced fatherly love
Chapter 1
Five months pregnant and unmarried, my
fiancé, Chen Yun, was finally about to go
public with his company. I was thrilled,
planning to go home with him and meet his
wealthy parents to set a wedding date.
Instead, he turned around and married his
childhood sweetheart.
“Now that I have money,” he said, “I have to
marry the woman I love most.”
My heart shattered. I planned to get an
abortion. But the doctor said I was naturally
weak; terminating the pregnancy would make
it extremely difficult for me to conceive again.
Then, Chen Yun’s arch–rival, Lu Ming,
contacted me. He looked at my belly and
smirked.
“Let’s get married,” he said. “Let your child
call me ‘Dad,‘ how about that?”
I was silent for two minutes, then looked at
him and said, word for word, “I agree. But are
you willing to be the… uh… the ‘stepdad‘?”
Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief when I
agreed. He laughed. “A hundred times yes!”
I was surprised by his eagerness, but I just
smirked. I knew Lu Ming was in a fierce
business battle with Chen Yun, and his
company was reportedly facing a financial
crisis. Marrying me, a woman carrying
another man’s child, would certainly provide
some compensation.
I paused, then added, “Don’t worry, as
compensation, I’ll invest in your company.”
Lu Ming’s lips curved into a smile. I couldn’t
tell if he believed me. He just nodded, his
eyes serious.
“Deal. We’re getting married.”
After saying goodbye to Lu Ming, I took a
deep breath and went back to the tiny
apartment Chen Yun and I had shared for
three years to pack my things. But when I
opened the door, I saw him.
Chen Yun saw my slightly swollen belly and a
knowing look came over his face.
“I knew you wouldn’t get rid of our child.”
He stood up, pulled out a card from his
wallet, and handed it to me.
“Ten thousand dollars. Consider it
compensation for you and the baby.” He
continued, “Even though I married someone
else, since you’re no longer working for me,
I’ll give you two thousand dollars a month in
child support.”
I almost laughed. From age 22 to 25, I’d
supported Chen Yun through his struggling
startup, sacrificing three years of my life. And
this was his repayment? It was pathetic. It
wouldn’t even buy me a decent handbag.
I waved his card away, cold as ice.
<
“I don’t need it. We’re over. My child and I
have nothing more to do with you.”
His face flushed with anger.
“Su Qianqian, don’t be ungrateful!” he sneered. “My company is about to go public.
I’ll be worth millions! Even if you won’t be my
wife, you could still be my mistress. I’ll take
care of you both. Our child, even if he’s
illegitimate, will still live a life of luxury! Don’t
regret this!”
A wave of nausea washed over me at his
arrogance. The man I’d loved for five years
had completely changed after he tasted
success.
I clenched my fists.
“I won’t regret it.”
His anger reached its peak. He slammed the
card in my face.
“Ungrateful bitch! One day, you’ll crawl back
to me like a dog!”
He stormed out. I watched him go, a cold
smile playing on my lips. He needs my
approval for his company to go public.
My relationship with Chen Yun began in
college. After graduation, he started his
business with nothing, and I supported him
completely. My father disapproved, and I cut
ties with my family for a while. After three
years of hardship, his company finally took
off. My father softened, and agreed to invest
a significant amount of money to help Chen
Yun’s company go public. Then, even better
news – I was pregnant.
I told Chen Yun; he was ecstatic, proposed
immediately, and painted a picture of our
future together. But the next day, his
childhood sweetheart, Han Xiaoxiao, called
and invited him to dinner. He came back cold
and asked for a breakup.
“I’ve known for years that she’s the one I
L
love,” he said. “Seeing Xiaoxiao again made
it even clearer. We’re over. I have money now,
so I’ll marry the woman I really love.”
