Gabriel nodded.
Callie's body shivered, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, chilling her from head to toe.
Didn't Shane say he didn't like Belinda Ayers? If he didn't like her, why would he get her pregnant? "Callie, are you okay?" Gabriel asked, noticing her pale face and looking concerned.
Callie snapped back to reality and quickly shook her head. "I'm fine."
The moment she heard that Belinda was pregnant, a tiny pang of disappointment hit her heart.
But she quickly brushed it off.
Who Shane was with had nothing to do with her.
She had no right to be upset about it.
"Callie, you're acting strange. Could it be that you like Shane?" Gabriel asked, his eyes filled with suspicion.
After all, her reaction had been quite intense.
Callie looked up at Gabriel and asked, "Do I?"
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, you do."
"My reaction isn't because I like Shane; it's because I'm worried," she said, walking over to a bench in the hallway and sitting down. "I know my place. I would never have feelings for Shane."
She touched her belly gently. With these two kids, it was unlikely that any man would want to take on the responsibility of raising someone else's children, right?
Shane was so proud and arrogant. How could he possibly be interested in a woman like her?
She knew her place.
"What are you worried about?" Gabriel asked.
"Belinda knows I'm Shane's wife. She has a deep hostility towards me and always tries to make things difficult for me. Now that she's pregnant with Shane's child, she can use his power to oppress me even more. I can already imagine how hard my life will be from now on."
As soon as Callie finished speaking, Gabriel eagerly said, "That's why I think you should get a divorce. This way, Belinda won't trouble you anymore. Besides, you're pregnant..."
"I know," Callie thought. She could visit the old mansion after work tonight. If Old Master Robinson knew Shane Robinson had a child, he would be very happy.
And she could finally free herself.
"Senior, you should get back to work. I need to report in as well," she said, standing up.
Gabriel wanted to say something more, but seeing her unwillingness to continue the conversation, he swallowed his words.
...
Outside the hospital.
Belinda got into Shane's car.
With a bright smile and slightly parted red lips, she said, "Shane, you looked into it, didn't you?"
This time, she didn't call him President Robinson.
She deliberately used his first name.
Shane, with his tall and lean figure, leaned back casually, slowly lifting his eyelids.
He stared at her.
Belinda maintained her graceful smile, but her hands were tightly clasped together, palms sweating profusely.
Shane's calm demeanor made it impossible for her to gauge his thoughts and emotions.
He didn't seem angry that she called him by his first name.
Did that mean he accepted her?
Feeling somewhat relieved, she asked, "So, will you keep the baby?"
"Are you sure you're pregnant?" Shane's gaze drifted down to her high heels.
Belinda glanced down at herself, realizing she had been so focused on maintaining a good image in front of Shane that she had forgotten she was supposed to be 'pregnant.'
In a hurry, she explained, "It's fine to wear high heels, even if I'm just pregnant."
Shane's face darkened slightly, but he didn't comment. Instead, he instructed Henry, "Drive."
"Where are we going?" Belinda asked.
Shane's silence made her uneasy, a sense of panic creeping in.
Carefully, she inquired, "Will you want the baby?"
He looked at her silently, making Belinda Ayers to feel a chill down her spine. After all, she wasn't actually pregnant, and her heart was pounding with guilt.
After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly, "If you really have my child, I will want it."
Belinda was overjoyed. If it weren't for Shane's presence, she might have burst out laughing. Even so, she couldn't hide the excitement and joy on her face.
"Then will you marry me for the child's sake?" she asked, still elated.
Shane's tone was flat, cold, and emotionless. "No."
Belinda's smile froze on her face at those words.
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple. I only want the child," Shane said, his patience wearing thin.
Belinda was losing her composure. "Where are you taking me now?"
"The hospital," Henry replied.
He turned to look at Belinda. "You can have a child, but the mother of that child will never be you."
If she was merely unsettled before, now she was terrified. "W-why are we going to the hospital?"
"To get a check-up, of course," Henry answered.
Belinda's face turned pale. She thought that once Shane confirmed the baby was his, he would take responsibility, divorce Callie, and marry her for the sake of the child.
After the wedding, she planned to find an opportunity to miscarry.
That way, she would become Shane's wife, and getting pregnant with his child later wouldn't be difficult since they would already be married.
But now, going for a check-up? What was she going to do?
There was no baby in her belly!
"Shane..."
"I don't like you calling my name," Shane interrupted coldly, his gaze capturing her panicked expression. Even without the test, he knew he had only been with Belinda. If anyone was pregnant, it had to be her. Logically, he had no reason to doubt it!
But he just didn't believe it!
He didn't believe that Belinda was really carrying his child.
He needed to find a doctor he trusted and personally watch her undergo the examination before he would believe it.
Looking at her expression now, it seemed like there was something fishy going on.
Belinda's eyes were filled with nervousness and unease. She didn't dare to look at Shane and tried to hold her ground. "I have work to do; I can't go today."
"You don't have a choice," Shane leaned back, crossing his legs, his expression cold. "The way you're acting makes me think you're lying."
If she was really playing tricks, then she shouldn't blame him for being ruthless!
Belinda was nearly scared to death.
At that moment, she desperately wished for a car accident to happen, one that would make her 'baby' disappear!
Just as she was anxiously thinking about how to escape this situation, she felt a wet, sticky sensation between her legs. Perhaps even the heavens were helping her—she had gotten her period.
She clutched her abdomen, "My stomach hurts."
She deliberately acted as if she were about to have a miscarriage.
Blood began to trickle down her legs.
Shane's brow furrowed deeply. Could she really be pregnant? Had the pressure he put on her caused this...?
He didn't like this woman, but he wasn't so heartless as to abandon his own child. He said in a deep voice, "Henry, drive faster."
Henry slammed on the gas pedal.
Just then, a white SUV came speeding towards them, its engine roaring like thunder.
As it crossed the intersection, it changed direction over the solid line, heading straight for their car!
Henry was terrified and tried to swerve, but it was too late.
The violent crash instantly mangled their car.
The other vehicle was pushed back several yards from the impact.
Their car was no better off, severely damaged, with the airbag deployed. Blood trickled down Henry's head as he lay unconscious.
Shane's head throbbed with pain. Before losing consciousness, he caught a glimpse of the people inside the other car.
Shane woke up to the strong smell of disinfectant filling his nostrils. Slowly, he sat up.
"President Robinson," his secretary approached, reaching out to help.
Shane waved his hand dismissively. "No need."
After taking a moment to steady himself, he asked, "How is Henry?"
"He's not in any life-threatening danger. He had a minor surgery and is currently unconscious but stable," the secretary replied.
"You have a mild concussion. The doctor said you need rest. Maybe you should sleep a bit more?"
Shane's thoughts drifted to Belinda , recalling the blood on her leg. He pressed his lips together and, after a moment of silence, asked, "How is Belinda?"
"The doctor said she had a miscarriage. She has some minor scrapes but nothing serious. She woke up just before I came in. She's in the room next door," the secretary hesitated before adding, "Do you want me to call her over?"
Shane raised his hand, signaling that it wasn't necessary.
His feelings were complicated. He had always felt a strong aversion towards Belinda Ayers and didn't want her to be the mother of his child.
But he had never considered giving up his own child.
Now the child was gone.
As a father, he felt a pang of sadness. He needed to do something to release the suffocating feeling inside him.
"Have the police gotten involved?" he asked.
The secretary replied, "Yes, they have, but they haven't identified the person yet."
Shane remembered it was a boy, looking quite young, and he wasn't seriously hurt. He had clearly seen the boy crawl out of the car and run away, probably scared out of his wits. Whether the boy even had a driver's license was unknown. Shane said, "Get someone to investigate. We must find out before the police do. Don't kill him, but make sure he gets a serious lesson. Also, bring me the doctor who performed surgery on Belinda."
He had seen blood on Belinda, which made him almost certain that she was carrying his child. However, Belinda's previous behavior had been too suspicious.
Therefore, he needed to get to the bottom of this!
He would not allow anyone to play games with him over such matters!
The secretary said, "Understood, I'll get right on it."
Shane closed his eyes. "Go ahead."
As the door to the hospital room closed, Shane remained seated by the bed, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief. He wouldn't have to deal with the complicated ties that a child with Belinda would bring.
He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
...
Hospital.
Callie got off work early because her supervising doctor had a seminar to attend and left the hospital early, allowing her to leave as well.
As she stepped out of the hospital and was about to hail a cab, a car pulled up in front of her.
"You're still here?" Callie asked in surprise.
The driver got out and opened the car door for her. "Sir instructed me to be responsible for your transportation to and from work. I'll be here from now on."
Callie pursed her lips, puzzled by Shane's actions.
Belinda was already pregnant with his child, so why was he still bothering with other women?
She bent down and got into the car, thanking the driver with a soft "Thank you."
The driver closed the door and jogged to the driver's seat, starting the car. "Ma'am, are we heading home?"
Hearing the word "home," Callie lowered her gaze. Was that mansion really a home?
She shook her head. "Take me to the old residence."
The driver acknowledged and drove towards the old residence.
After about twenty minutes, they arrived, but Old Master Robinson was not there.
Butler Imani had also gone out with the old master.
Callie had come to inform Old Master Robinson about Belinda's pregnancy.
Surely, once the old man knew that Shane was going to have a child and had a woman he liked, he would make her leave.
That way, she wouldn't have broken her promise. But with the Old Man gone, she had no choice but to go back.
On the way back, she asked the driver to stop the car. "It's not far from the villa. You can go back first. I want to take a walk alone."
"But..."
"But what?" Callie asked.
The driver replied, "Mr. Robinson asked me to take you home. We're not there yet."
Callie smiled. "You're quite stubborn, aren't you?"
The driver stopped the car, and she stepped out.
Walking alone by the roadside, there weren't many cars at this hour. Plus, the road to the villa was always rather quiet.
She touched her belly. Gabriel's words had sunk deep into her heart. The pregnancy was still early, so she could hide it for now. But as time went on, it would be impossible to conceal.
Divorcing Shane as soon as possible was the wise choice.
After all, Shane had his own child and woman. If she continued to hold onto the title of Mrs. Robinson, it would be too much.
The breeze rustled the leaves.
Summer had given way to autumn, and the sun was no longer scorching. The wind blew, bringing with it a slight chill.
She pulled her coat tighter and quickened her pace, planning to go home and cook dinner herself before telling Shane she wanted a divorce that evening.
Suddenly, a car swerved in front of her, blocking her path.
Several people got out, and without a word, they threw a black bag over her head, covered her mouth, dragged her into the car, and sped away.
"Mmph—"
Callie was completely restrained, unable to move.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she was finally dragged out of the car. She couldn't see anything in the the pitch-black darkness.
But no one was covering her mouth anymore. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?"
"Cloud B, 778VQ, that's your car, right?"
Callie responded with a nod. It was the car her mother had bought for her with all her savings after she started working, to make commuting easier. She had driven it until she married into the Robinson Family, after which the car stayed with the Norris Family.
"What about it..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she was kicked hard. She curled up, trembling in pain. "You... ah..."
Blows rained down on her back, legs, and waist.
She was being beaten up. She hunched over, trying to protect her stomach.
Painful whimpers escaped her lips.
"Who are you..." Her palms were sweating, and she was trembling uncontrollably. She could barely muster the strength to speak, her voice weak and frail. "Why did you capture me..."
"Who told you to drive recklessly and commit a hit-and-run?"
Callie was utterly confused. "My car... I haven't driven it in over two months..."
"Don't lie. We've already checked; the car is registered under your name."
As the words fell, they kicked her in the stomach twice more.
"Ugh—"
Even though Callie tried her best to protect her belly, she couldn't shield her child. A dull pain spread through her abdomen.
"Do you even know who you hit? Who gave you the guts? You dared to crash into President Robinson's car? You must be tired of living!"
Beads of sweat formed and dripped down her face. Her hands clenched tightly, nails digging into her skin without feeling the pain. Her eyes were filled with despair and hatred. Her lips were pale and trembling. "Was it Shane?"
"Shane? You think you have the right to say his name?"
Seeing blood between her legs, the men stopped. Their orders were to teach her a lesson, not to kill her. They left her there and walked away.
Callie was unable to move for a moment, pain radiating through every part of her body. With great difficulty, she fumbled for her phone and dialed Gabriel's number.
The call connected quickly, and Callie was crying, "Gabriel, help me, please save my baby..."
"Where are you?" Gabriel asked urgently.
Callie weakly pulled off the black hood over her head. The place was deserted, and she had no idea where she was.
"Send me your location," Gabriel said anxiously.
Callie quickly sent him her location.
While waiting for Gabriel, she tried to save herself, but blood was already flowing between her legs.
She knew it was too late.
A tear fell, disappearing into the dust on the ground.
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
When Gabriel arrived and saw Callie lying in the ruins, he felt a wave of despair. He picked her up and, while striding quickly, tried to comfort her, "It'll be okay. I will save you."
Callie spoke hoarsely, "Can you save me? Can you save my baby?"
Gabriel glanced at her blood-stained pants.
He fell silent.
The sight of blood meant the baby was likely lost.
Still, he reassured her, "I'll do my best."
He carefully placed her in the car and quickly drove away.
….…..
In the Norris Family Residence.
Caitlin hadn't told her daughter, Callie, that she had been discharged from the hospital. She believed that her problems were hers to solve and that she had already burdened her daughter enough. She couldn't continue to hold Callie back.
Caitlin returned home for two reasons: to pack up her and her daughter's belongings and to discuss the divorce with Rafael face-to-face.
As she was about to unlock the door with her house key, she heard terrified voices coming from inside.
"Dad, Mom, you have to save me! If you don't, I'll definitely end up in jail," Myron pleaded desperately, clutching onto Gianna.
Rafael looked at his son with disappointment and asked coldly, "What did you do this time?"
The word "this time" made it clear that this wasn't his first mistake.
"I... I was just practicing for my driver's license. I thought I'd take my sister's car for a spin to learn, but I crashed it..."
"What?!" Rafael nearly exploded with anger. "Last time, you almost blinded someone with a barbecue skewer. I had to spend money and apologize to resolve it. And now, just a few days later, you've caused trouble again. You don't even have your license yet, and you dared to drive? Are you tired of living?"
"Rafael, please don't get so angry. He's your only son. You have to find a way to save him. He hasn't even finished his studies yet; he can't go to jail. If he does, what future will he have? The car belongs to Callie, right? Just say it was Callie driving..."
"Gianna, don't you dare!" Caitlin, who had never been so assertive, stood her ground firmly. This was undoubtedly the strongest moment of her life. "Don't you dare blame my daughter for what your son did."
Rafael was taken aback by her sudden appearance and stammered, "You... your illness is cured?"
Caitlin looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and determination. "Rafael, we've been married for twenty-six years. I've never asked anything of you. I couldn't give you a son, and you had another family outside, but I never questioned it. You used our only daughter to forge ties with the Robinson family, and I stayed silent. But if you dare to frame my daughter for this hit-and-run, I will fight you to the end!"
"What are you talking about? I would never do that. The situation is still unclear. Myron is young and scared; he doesn't even know how the person he hit is doing. I will investigate. Rest assured, I won't let Callie take the fall for this."
Rafael felt a pang of sympathy for his son but didn't want to turn against Caitlin and their daughter.
After all, Callie was now Shane's wife.
The Young Mistress of the Robinson family!
All his efforts in raising Callie had been for this moment.
He wouldn't ruin everything now.
"You still have some conscience left. You better keep your word. And one more thing, I want a divorce." Caitlin said as she walked upstairs. Passing by Gianna, she gave her a glance before turning her gaze back to Rafael. "I'll make room for you. You three can finally be together."
Rafael immediately objected, "Who said I want a divorce? I'm not divorcing you. If you want a divorce, forget it!"
"Do you think this is fun for either of us?" Caitlin retorted.
"Fun or not, that's for me to decide. Either way, I'm not getting a divorce!" His tone was firm and unyielding.
Gianna was desperate; she had been hoping for Caitlin and Rafael to divorce. "Rafael, our child is grown up now. He needs a proper status..."
"What status? As long as I know he's my son, that's enough. Stop meddling here and go check if your son really hit someone with his car. If someone died, your son just turned eighteen; he'll be going to jail!" Rafael snapped angrily.
He was furious because of Myron.
"Look at how you've raised him. Besides causing trouble, what else can he do?" Already fuming because of his son's misdeeds, Caitlin's mention of divorce was like adding fuel to the fire.
Rafael was livid, and his words were extremely harsh.
Gianna was also angry. Her son's incompetence made her lose face in front of Rafael. She glared at her son and pulled him away. "Let's go. This isn't our place. The trouble you caused, you deal with it. Whether you end up in jail or worse, it's your own fault."
She was deliberately saying it out of spite.
Rafael glanced at her. "Alright, saying spiteful things now is useless. We need to quickly find out who you hit. If necessary, you should take responsibility. If you still want your son to have a future, that is."
With that, he went upstairs.
Gianna was fuming. She couldn't just ignore her own son, so she had to follow Rafael's advice for now.
"Let's go, tell me what happened at the scene," Gianna said, pulling her son along.
"Dad, he..."
Myron tried to speak, but Gianna cut him off. "Stop talking about your dad. Handle your own mess first, because of you, I can't even hold my head up in front of him!"
...
Rafael went upstairs and saw Caitlin packing her luggage.
He walked over and yanked the clothes out of her hands. "We've been married for most of our lives. Do you really think a divorce is necessary?"
Caitlin sneered. "Not getting a divorce means letting you continue to use me and ruin my daughter?"
"How have I ruined your daughter? Do you have any idea how much money I've spent on her, how many things she's learned?"
"You know very well why you made her learn those things. Ever since you used my illness to force Callie into marriage, I've been done with you. I used to think you kept women outside because I couldn't give you a son. But now I see clearly, you never loved me or Callie. I'm definitely divorcing you!"
Caitlin yanked his hand away and continued stuffing clothes into the suitcase.
Rafael tried to calm himself down and explained, "I made her learn all those things for her own good. Even if I had some other motives, is it wrong for her to learn more? Saying it like that is just unreasonable!"
Caitlin didn't argue with him. "There's no point in discussing this. I'm not arguing with you. Either way, I'm determined to get this divorce!"
Seeing her resolve, Rafael got angry too. He swung the suitcase and threw it to the ground, scattering clothes and items everywhere.
Caitlin was startled and froze for a few seconds. When she came to her senses, she said, "I don't need these things anyway. They're not worth much."
She deliberately provoked Rafael, "Besides, my daughter is now the Young Mistress of the Robinson Family. What can't I get?"
With that, she decided to leave everything behind and headed downstairs. Rafael grabbed her arm, "What are you doing? Let's talk this out."
Caitlin shook off his hand. "There's nothing to talk about. There's only one way—divorce."
"You want a divorce? not a chance. Get that idea out of your head!"
Rafael was adamant about not getting a divorce. "I'm telling you, Caitlin, in this life, you're mine, and in death, you're still mine. Divorce is not an option!"
Caitlin glanced at him but chose not to argue further. She was determined to get a divorce. If he refused to discuss it properly, she would just hire a lawyer and take it to court.
After all, he was the one who had cheated.
She strode downstairs and left the Norris residence.
Thinking about how Myron had taken their daughter's car and even hit someone, she decided she needed to inform her daughter right away. She called Callie.
But a man answered the phone.
"Who are you? Where's my daughter?" Caitlin held her breath, her heart racing. Could this be Shane?
Thankuu