Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Nerves made Hadley’s mouth dry.

“It’s me.”

“What do you want?” Eric asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Surprised by his harsh tone, Hadley stuttered,

“I tried to reach Nyla, but her number seems to be disconnected.”

Eric responded coldly,

“Why do you need Grandma? You just left, and you’re already trying to pull her back into your problems?”

Hadley quickly clarified,

“That’s not it…”

Eric didn’t let her finish.

“Don’t bother trying to contact Grandma. I’ve changed her number to keep you from disturbing her.”

Hadley stood speechless, tears starting to form in her eyes.

She knew Eric couldn’t stand her, but wasn’t her leaving the country enough?

Did he really have to cut her off from Nyla too?

Nyla had always shown her kindness, and she cherished their bond.

“Anything else?” Eric’s voice was losing patience. “We sent you abroad to become more self-reliant, not to continue relying on us like you’ve done all your life. I’m going to hang up now!”

“Wait, please!” Hadley interjected quickly, desperation clear in her voice. “It’s regarding the living expenses… they haven’t been sent yet.”

“Really?”

Eric’s smile was cold, dripping with scorn.

“So, this is about money, isn’t it? Not even a month has passed. What’s the hurry? Rest assured, you’ll receive your due. Just be patient. Surely, you don’t think we’d let you go hungry?”

𝒇𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓱𝒆𝓭 𝒕𝓱𝓮𝓷𝒏𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓿𝒆𝓼 𝑔𝓪𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝓈.𝓬𝓸𝓂

He paused briefly, his tone becoming terse.

“Avoid calling me unless it’s urgent. I’ll get in touch if there’s any need.”

With those final words, the conversation abruptly ended.

Clasping the phone tightly, Hadley’s shock was evident.

To such an extent, Eric despised her.

“Absurd.”

With a frail chuckle, Hadley’s face turned ashen. Requesting money from him had left her feeling profoundly demeaned.

In silence, she lifted her hand to her unchanged stomach, closed her eyes, and allowed tears to escape quietly.

Eight months had passed.

Hadley was sleeping peacefully in her modest room, her pregnant belly prominently displayed.

The arrival of her child was approaching. Despite the doctor’s recommendation for early hospitalization due to the baby’s breech position, Hadley merely smiled and remained silent.

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