Chapter 157

Chapter 157

TIMOTHY POT

The atmosphere in the car remained tense as Timothy drove toward the hospital. They had a cake tasting appointment soon, but

Timothy had promised his mother that he would visit her at the hospital that day. It was a routine he had never

wanted to mi

Of course, this stop along the way displeased Stella. As they settled into the car. Stella couldn’t help but voice her irritation.

Timothy, do we really have to go to the hospital today? We have so much to do.”

Timothy sighed, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. ‘Stella, you know how important it is for me to check on my mother. It won't

take long, I promise. Besides, I have to bring her fresh flowers

Stella squinted, her voice sharp with impatience. “Timothy, we’ve been planning this wedding for months, and there’s still so

much to do. We don’t have time for these constant detours.”

Timothy's jaw denched, his temper flaring as he fought to keep his frustration in check. “Stella, my mother is sick. She needs me,

and I won't abandon her. This won't take more than an hour”

She didn’t answer him, instead turning to scowl out the window. Timothy sighed, shifting the car into reverse.

As they arrived at the hospital. Timothy steeled himself for the confrontation that was bound to follow. Stella didn’t understand the

depth of his and his mother’s bond, and her impatience only served to widen the rift between them.

They made their way to his mother’s room, and Timothy’s heart ached at the sight of her frail form lying in the hospital bed. She

looked up, her eyes lighting up with a faint smile as she saw her son.

“You're here,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek gently, placing the bouquet of fresh flowers he had brought on the windowsill. “Of course,

Mom. How are you feeling today?”

His mother’s eyes brimmed with affection as she looked at him. “I’m hanging on.

111

0

thanks to you.”

Stella, who had been standing by impatiently, couldn’t help but voice her annoyance. “Timothy, can we at least make this quick?”

Timothy's jaw clenched as he fought to contain his irritation. “Stella, show somet respect. This is my mother.”

His mother intervened, her voice soft but tinged with sadness. “It’s alright. I’m a bit boring when I’m ill.”

Timothy shot Stella a glare before tugging the silver bangs out of Lydia’s eyes. “No, Mom. You're the life of the party.”

T

Stella’s impatience grew, her voice sharp. “This is ridiculous. We have things to do.”

His mother smiled at Stella, her tone gentle. “Dear, don’t be so hard on him. Family comes first, you know?”

Stella, however, seemed uninterested in making conversation with Lydia. She looked away and folded her arms.

“Stella, how long have you and Timothy been together?” Lydia asked anyway.

Stella’s response was short and uninterested. “Not long.”

Lydia tried to keep the conversation going, her tone polite. “So, how did Timothy propose?”

Stella’s irritation with the questions was apparent, and she answered tersely. “Romantically. We're having a baby, and he wanted

to do the right thing by marrying sooner rather than later.”

Lydia’s expression turned thoughtful as she considered Stella’s response. She leaned in closer, her voice filled with a hint of

sarcasm. “Ah, a baby. How wonderful. It’s always good to have a reason to rush into things.”

Stella’s patience was wearing thin, and she responded sharply. “We love each other, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Lydia couldn’t resist pushing further, the sarcasm more abundant now. “Of course, dear. Every act of love should be rushed into,

especially when there's a baby involved.”

A

Stella’s eyes narrowed as she retorted, her tone biting. “Are you suggesting something?”

Lydia’s sarcasm only deepened as she continued to probe. “Well. I’m just wondering how many of these ‘acts of love’ were

actually Timothy’s doing. I mean, are you even sure it’s Timothy's seed?”

Timothy winced at the implication, and it seemed to shock Stella as well. Unfortunately, the accusation was off the mark.

“Actually,” he chimed in before Stella could start, “the paternity test confirmed that I’m the father.”

Lydia was visibly distraught, her voice filled with disappointment. “Timothy. I expected better of you. You're really following in your

father’s footsteps.”

Stella, stung by Lydia’s words, defended their relationship with a riote of anger. “How dare you suggest that there’s no love

between us?”

Lydia’s judgment was unwavering. “I just hoped that you wouldn’t make the same mistakes your father and I did, bringing

children into a marriage without love.”

Before he could respond, Lydia went on. “And you’re condemning that child to a life with that dreaded woman you've brought in

here.”

Timothy's stalled at his mother’s words. “I’m doing the right thing,” he said slowly. hoping he’d convince himself. “You would've

wanted me to take responsibility before.”

Lydia’s tears continued to flow, her voice filled with sorrow. “I want what's best for you, Timothy, above all else.”

Suddenly, she reached over, grabbing his wrist and tugging him closer with a surprising amount of strength. “You have to tell me.

There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

Timothy shut his eyes. “Mom...”

“You couldn't stop talking about her,” she continued anyway. “It was always about finding Evie again, making things right with

her.

Her words echoed in Timothy’s mind and he couldn’t help but recall those desperate days. When Evie had told him that she’d

used him for fun, it had

A

actually affected him. He had yet to meet someone that would grip his heart like that again.

He doubted he ever would.

Stella’s impatience reached its peak, and she abruptly turned to Timothy, her voice laced with irritation. “We should leave,

Timothy. There’s nothing more to be said

here.”

Timothy kept still, feeling a profound sense of disquiet. Somehow, he couldn't. move beneath his mother’s mournful gaze.

Stella’s anger flared, and she marched over to Timothy. “I said, let’s go!”

She grabbed Timothy’s arm and pulled at him, but he didn’t give. Instead, he pulled himself free from her grasp and placed a

hand over his mother’s.

“I'll be back later this week,” he told her gently, though she was still in tears. When it didn’t seem like she would give hima

response, he decided to leave her alone.

As they walked back to the car, Stella’s anger was fierce. She mumbled something about never visiting there again, and hoping

he’d toss his mother in a nursing home if she recovered. Once they had buckled in, Stella’s anger had reached a fever pitch, and

she continued mercilessly.

“She has no idea what love is,” Stella hissed, her voice dripping with scorn. “Her own marriage didn’t work out, I mean, look at

your father. She’d probably have him caring for her instead of her able-bodied son if she knew how to keep a man!”

Timothy's heart ached as he listened to Stella’s cruel words. His mother lay in that hospital bed, frail and vulnerable, and Stella

had no sympathy whatsoever. The amount of cruelty in just one person still astounded him.

“God, I hope she drops off soon,” Stella grumbled. “We'll both be better off.”

Suddenly, as if snapped back into reality, Timothy felt a surge of anger rising within him. He came to a halt, turning to face her

with determination in his eyes.

“Stella, enough!” Timothy’s voice was firm, commanding her attention. “Don’t you ever talk about my mother like that.”

Stella’s eyes blazed with defiance, her anger undiminished. “She’s the one who started this, Timothy, with her judgment and

criticism.”

Timothy couldn’t deny that his mother had played a part in the argument, but he couldn't let Stella’s behavior go unchecked.

“That may be true, but you've taken it to a whole other disgusting level.”

Before Stella could retort, Timothy seized the opportunity to address a painful truth that had lingered between them, unspoken

for far too long. “And let's not forget, Stella, that you had to bribe me into marrying you in the first place.”

Stella’s anger faltered, her words caught in her throat as the weight of Timothy’s. accusation sank in. Her face paled, and for the

first time in their heated exchange, she was left speechless.

Timothy pressed on, his voice unwavering. “You drugged me, pulled me in bed, and we made a baby. Now you're using that

baby as leverage to get me to marry you. That’s not love. That's manipulation.”

The truth hung in the air for a long minute, and for once, Stella had been stunned into silence.

He turned away, his resolve firm. He couldn't bear to look at Stella in that moment.

“I still love her, you know,” he said, keeping his eyes forward. “It probably pisses you off just knowing that, but Evie is special.”

He didn’t spare Stella a glance, but he could see her shifting uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye.

“And she’s the woman I would marry,” he added softly, his jaw clenched. “In a heartbeat.”

Without another word, Timothy peeled out of the hospital parking lot. Even after lashing out, Timothy couldn’t help but feel empty

inside. The choices he had made, the responsibilities he couldn’t shirk, were driving a wedge between him and his mother now.

She could be dying in that bed as he was walking away, and the last thing she would have seen was how much he had become

like his father.

Ww