Chapter 283

Filip anticipated Cynthia's words, perhaps prompted by his mother. He eagerly awaited them.

"Lilian, go to your room," Filip said.

Lilian resisted. "What the hell are you talking about? Why can't I stay?"

Filip's patience wore thin. "Behave. Go to your room."

Lilian retorted angrily, "Filip, you're my husband now. Are you trying to rekindle an old flame?"

"Lilian, stop the nonsense!" Filip roared.

Seeing Filip's rage, Lilian softened, quickly plastering on a smile. "Okay, honey. Don't keep me and the baby waiting too long." She went inside.

The semidark backyard held a crabapple tree, its petals fallen, leaving bare branches. Filip remembered its former beauty, contrasting it with the ugliness of his relationship with Cynthia.

He asked Cynthia, "What do you want to say?" He hoped she'd beg him to cancel the wedding with Lilian, even to divorce her. He mused, In the past, I'd have considered her unreasonable. Now I see my own inferiority. All I need is a sign that she still cares—a single word.

Cynthia remained silent. "Have you taken these?" she asked, producing a bottle of medicine.

Filip blushed, snatching the bottle. "Cynthia, w-why do you have this?" he stammered.

Cynthia, observing his expression, knew he was aware of the medicine. It wasn't Lilian who'd secretly drugged him; she had no motive, given their child.

"I found it in Lilian's dresser," Cynthia said honestly. "Filip, why are you taking this?" Her question deeply embarrassed him.

He confessed that after getting together with Lilian, he'd experienced erectile dysfunction. Even during their passionate time abroad, he'd been unable to perform, preventing Lilian from conceiving naturally. Lilian, wanting children, had suggested IVF; their child was conceived through IVF.

He'd stopped taking the medicine when it proved ineffective, unaware Lilian had kept it. If Cynthia knew, he felt he'd be utterly humiliated. He snapped, "Cynthia, it's none of your business."

Cynthia retorted, "I couldn't care less. This is heart medication. Don't take it unless you want to become impotent."

Despite their breakup, Cynthia acted on her conscience. Knowing, she felt obligated to warn him; the choice remained his.

Filip's demeanor shifted dramatically. As Cynthia prepared to leave, he grabbed her arm. "What did you say? Heart medication?"

Cynthia nodded. "I found it in Lilian's drawer. I wondered why a pregnant woman would take it, so I asked a doctor friend. It has serious side effects. You you didn't know?"

Filip's shocked expression confirmed his ignorance. Cynthia was stunned. He doesn't have heart disease. Why would he take this? She looked at him sympathetically, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Filip, are you alright?"

Enraged, Filip stormed into the house with the bottle.

Cynthia, though curious about the underlying story, decided against further involvement. It was late, and she drove away, suppressing her curiosity.

Meanwhile, Filip burst into Lilian's room. "Lilian, get out here!"

Lilian, sitting at her dresser, had already noticed the opened drawer and missing bottle. Hearing the commotion, she saw Filip, who threw the bottle at her feet. "Lilian, what is this medicine?"

Lilian recognized the bottle. Suspecting Cynthia's involvement, she picked it up innocently. "Why are you so angry? What did Cynthia say?"

Filip, once swayed by Lilian's innocent facade, now saw through her act.

"Lilian, tell me," Filip demanded, his face grim.

Lilian pressed her luck. "Filip, you know. It's for erectile dysfunction."

"Really? Or will it make it worse?" Filip countered.

Suddenly, Filip realized something. He'd never had such problems, especially with Cynthia. His inability to perform had been attributed to repression, but now he understood. Lilian had been drugging him. Lilian retorted, "Would you rather believe Cynthia than your wife? She's not even your ex-wife!" Filip felt a chill. His perception of Lilian shifted from weak and considerate to selfish, vain, and despicable. If she'd started three years prior, her malice was chilling.

"I have the medicine," Filip said. "I can have it tested. Tell me the truth."