Her Precious Baby

He expected Angeline to blame and scold him instead of opening up like this. It was as if she had numbed herself to her fate.

The only thing more dangerous than a fight in a relationship was a cold shoulder, which was proof of her increasing disregard for him.

Evander felt empty in the stomach at that thought. He reached out and grabbed Angeline’s arm.

“Why did we have to break up?” he asked, gritting his teeth in dismay.

“Was I not clear enough?”

“I want the real reason.” Evander gazed down at her, his voice husky. “Why did you react that way when you saw the Heart of the Ocean I gifted you? What are you hiding from me?”

He only realized the shift in Angeline’s emotional state after he calmed down. Though he was unclear of the reason, he surmised upon further thought that it must have been due to the necklace.

“Is that important?”

Angeline’s heart skipped a beat at Evander’s words. She turned around to face him while feigning a calm she did not feel.

“Everybody has their secrets, Mr. Golding. That must be why you won’t tell me who Floretta’s real mother is.”

Initially prodding Evander to see if she could discover something, she did not expect such a hostile reaction from him.

“You are becoming bold, Angeline!”

“Forget I ever asked.”

Angeline scoffed and again struggled to free herself of Evander before turning around to leave abruptly.

in her heart gnawed at

did Evander react so strongly to the mention of Floretta’s birth mother? What is he hiding from me? Could he, instead of the traffickers, have stolen the newborn baby? If that’s the case, Evander must have been planning this charade and knew that I would only hate him all the more

she opted instead to

to play when the bell in the kindergarten rang a long time ago, but Floretta

for every child to produce an artwork to be presented to their

in the parent-teacher conference, Floretta honored the occasion by applying herself

the classroom door swung open to admit a group of boys who came barging

of the boys, chubbier than the rest, arrived before Floretta

by his gesture, her

Mark? Give my

Floretta away and perused the

fancy artwork in here. Instead, all you have is a drawing of

“You’re lying!”

her feet angrily. Her features contorted with

is the one who insists on being my mother and must have said those things in a fit of embarrassed anger because

he pushed her again and jabbed a menacing finger. “Your mother threw you away as soon as you were born. Besides, Aunt Olivine said she’ll put you in the orphanage when she marries

was so frightened at

gulped. “No, Daddy will never do that,” she exclaimed indignantly while rubbing her eyes. “I have a

Look at how good at lying Floretta

around and, along with his friends, began to

laughing about? My mother is Angeline

but despite her earnestness, none of them believed

the harder

star! How could she be your

Journey,’ and she