Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After P…
Chapter 712 Leave
Malcolm had caught every word of their exchange. In that moment, understanding finally dawned on him. He stared at Sandra, a mix of confusion and disbelief clouding his eyes, then his gaze shifted to rest on Morton.
Something that could make Charlotte so angry…
Meeting Malcolm’s gaze, Morton was overcome with embarrassment.
The situation was nothing short of excruciatingly awkward.
Morton seethed inwardly, thinking, “This is Sandra’s fault! She took the money and promised to disappear. How on earth is she not only still in Kingsdom but has also ensnared Malcolm?”
“Charlotte, what are you talking about?” Morton was quick to deny it. “Lydia couldn’t possibly be my daughter. You’re well aware that I’ve had no contact with Sandra for ages!”
Charlotte’s expression remained stony, and she held her tongue.
Malcolm, observing the peculiar scene, seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. He looked at Sandra with incredulity and demanded, “Sandra, you dated him?”
Chapter 712 Leave
Sandra was quick to defend herself. “Malcolm, you’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t…”
Before she could finish her plea, Malcolm slapped her.
Morton had already all but admitted it, yet Sandra still dared to prevaricate.
Malcolm’s eyes blazed with hatred, and he said with anger, “You’re shameless! How are our two families supposed to coexist? What about Lydia?”
Undoubtedly, Lydia would bear the brunt of this revelation.
Lydia’s standing within the Aniston family had always been tenuous. Now, this incident had thrown a further wrench in the works.
Malcolm was at a loss as to how Lydia would navigate her relationship with the Aniston family from this point forward.
Charlotte was bound to despise Lydia even more. Malcolm felt a deep sense of shame wash over him.
Malcolm bellowed at Sandra. “Get out of here! Don’t ever show your face in front of us again! It’s all your fault!”
Sandra was rendered speechless. Remorse consumed her.
Tears welling in her eyes, she looked towards the operating room and pleaded, “But Lydia is still in there, giving birth. I have to be here to ensure she comes out safely…”
Chapter 712 Leave
Her words brought everyone back to the present.
After all, Sandra was Lydia’s biological mother. It was only natural for her to remain and await her daughter’s emergence.
However, Sandra’s presence cast an eerie pall over the area outside the operating room.
The mere sight of Sandra was enough to incense Charlotte. Without waiting for Lydia to be wheeled out of the operating room, she rose to leave.
Noticing that Morton remained rooted to the spot, Charlotte shot him a venomous glare and snapped, “Why are you still lingering here?”
Fearful of further inciting Charlotte’s suspicion, and desperate to distance himself from any association with Sandra, Morton also made his exit.
It suddenly dawned on him that over the years, he had been thoroughly deceived by Sandra. He had once believed that she was a virgin prior to their relationship.
It turned out that she was nothing more than a conniving gold-digger. She was constantly devising schemes to sleep with wealthy men, hoping to amass wealth through such despicable means.
She had been involved with numerous men aside from Morton.
Chapter 712 Leave
No man could stomach such behavior, and Malcolm was no exception.
The mere thought that Lydia was the offspring of such a woman filled Malcolm with revulsion. He found himself unable to even look at Lydia without feeling a wave of disgust.
He felt physically sick.
Malcolm frowned. With a final, hateful glance at Sandra, he too prepared to leave.
The moment Sandra saw him on the verge of departure, she reached out to stop him and said, “Malcolm, Lydia is your daughter too. She’s just entered the operating room. How can you…”
Malcolm’s expression was frosty. He retorted, “Daughter? Lydia isn’t my only daughter!”
“Malcolm!”
But Malcolm didn’t glance back.
In no time, the corridor fell into a hushed silence. Only Sandra and Dalton remained.
The previous night, Dalton had been plagued by insomnia. The realization that Meryl was irrevocably lost to him had left his heart feeling as if it had been rent asunder. It was as though the object of his every longing was slipping further and further from his grasp.
Chapter 712 Leave
Dalton had spent the entire night attempting to come to terms with this harsh reality.
He was on the cusp of becoming a father. Although he held no affection for Lydia, at least the baby growing in her womb was his.
But then, this morning, this fiasco had erupted.
Observing that Dalton hadn’t left, Sandra said, “Mr. Dalton Aniston, this is all my fault. Please don’t take it out on Lydia. She’s innocent.”
As Dalton was Lydia’s husband, Sandra hoped that he would treat Lydia kindly.
Dalton’s eyes regarded Sandra with a cold indifference. “Innocent? How innocent could she possibly be?”
Sandra persisted. “You must know that Lydia has had eyes only for you all these years. It’s not every day that one meets someone who loves them wholeheartedly. You should cherish her. Don’t you think?”
Dalton frowned and said, “So what?”
He showed no inclination to treat Sandra any differently merely because she was Lydia’s mother.
Dalton’s sense of superiority, nurtured by a life of privilege, made him inherently haughty.
Chapter 712 Leave
At that moment, his look toward Sandra was one of pure contempt. “You’re being overly presumptuous,” he said. “Do you really think that just because you gave birth to Lydia, you’ll be part of my family?
“You don’t deserve to be!”
Dalton had never harbored any affection for Lydia. Her past actions had only served to intensify his disgust.
If it hadn’t been for Charlotte’s strenuous objections, he would have divorced Lydia long ago. This baby would never have come into existence.
The instant Sandra saw Dalton making to leave, she lunged forward to stop him.
It didn’t matter if the others had left, but Dalton was Lydia’s husband!
Lydia was in the throes of childbirth. He couldn’t abandon her.
She would be devastated.
But two strong bodyguards stepped in front of Sandra, barring her path.
Sandra could only watch helplessly as Dalton walked away.
Before long, the once-bustling area outside the operating room was deserted, save for Sandra.
Chapter 712 Leave
She stared in the direction of the operating room. Her heart was heavy with sorrow, and she was on the verge of breaking down in tears.
Two hours later, the operation finally concluded.
Lydia emerged from the operating room. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the empty corridor.
“Where is everyone? Where’s Dalton?” she asked.
“They left,” Sandra replied. Her head was bowed in shame.
“Why? I was giving birth, but they all deserted me. Weren’t they all eagerly anticipating this baby?”
Lydia felt a profound sense of injustice welling up inside her. The tears she had been holding back threatened to spill over.