Chapter 351 Clarify Things for You
Dalton tilted his chin, refusing to meet her gaze. He took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke that obscured his expression.
Lydia had anticipated this kind of reaction from him.
Although they had shared a table during lunch, not a single word passed between them. With so many people around, she didn’t want to draw attention by discussing her issues with Dalton in public.
She placed a hand on her belly and stepped closer to the car.
“Dalton.”
“Don’t touch me.”
Dalton rolled down the window, resting his arm on the ledge. He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone dismissive. “Dirty.”
Lydia stood outside the window, caught in a limbo of confusion.
She thought, “Should I grasp his outstretched hand or pull away? Dirty? Is he talking about the ash, or is he saying… I’m dirty?”
Her head drooped slightly, and an inexplicable heaviness settled in her chest.
Dalton smirked, as if he could read her thoughts.
Chapter 351 Clarify Things for You
Lydia swayed slightly, nearly losing her balance.
“Dalton…” She bit her lip, disbelief etched on her face. “Is it because my status as a love child has been exposed? Do you think I’m not worthy of you?”
Recently, rumors had been swirling around Kingsdom about her being the illegitimate daughter.
She even received anonymous texts cursing her out.
It seemed her phone number had leaked online, and people were relentless in their insults.
They called her a homewrecker, shamelessly taking what wasn’t hers.
Lydia thought, “What did I do wrong? I was just a baby back then. I had no say in any of this.”
Once, Lydia couldn’t hold back and snapped back at one of the haters, but they responded with a lengthy tirade, accusing her of playing the victim while enjoying the benefits of her situation.
Lydia even wondered if Meryl had hired trolls to provoke her, trying to push her into a miscarriage.
Dalton’s comment about her being dirty felt tied to her identity as a love child.
After all, the scandal had blown up, and he must have been affected by it, too.
But then, Dalton’s face suddenly took on a more nonchalant expression.
Chapter 351 Clarify Things for You
“I’ve met Rocky,” Dalton said casually.
Lydia froze, her face stiffening for a few seconds.
“Rocky? Why on earth would you meet that good-for-nothing gambler?”
Dalton scoffed, extinguishing his cigarette.
He raised his hand and lightly patted her cheek.
“Didn’t expect you to be so cold-hearted. You can insult your first man without a second thought?”
His words sent a chill down Lydia’s spine.
She felt a cold sweat break out on her back and the soles of her feet.
“Dalton, what are you talking about? I… I don’t understand.”
Dalton locked eyes with her, and for a moment, it felt like he was observing a performance rather than participating in it.
“Alright, if you’re confused, let me clarify things for you.”
He crushed the cigarette butt to the ground, his gaze foreboding.
“Lydia, three years ago, you orchestrated Meryl’s kidnapping, didn’t you? Rocky admitted it, and I heard it with my own ears.
“You two were intimate, and that was your first time, wasn’t it?
Chapter 351 Clarify Things for You
“Turns out you were already tainted, and you were worried I’d catch on.”