CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: TIMOTHY XAVIER DISCOVERS MY PREGNANCY

"Okay."

I thought I could take this chance while picking up the report to drop by Victoria Monroe’s place and share this good news with her.

If she continues to publish a few more blockbuster stories like this, her position as director will be even more secure.

On the way, I was feeling quite relaxed.

After all, I thought yesterday’s blood test was just to rule out that one-in-ten-thousand chance, to put my mind at ease.

I never thought I’d be so unlucky to hit that tiny probability.

Until I got the report, and when I returned to the obstetrics and gynecology department, the doctor told me, "Based on the date of your last period, you are five weeks pregnant."

I was taken aback immediately and asked in disbelief, "Are you sure?"

The doctor, holding the test report, said, "I’ve been a gynecologist for decades. Do you think I’d even mistake a pregnancy?"

My heart instantly sank, and even more importantly, I thought of everything that had happened recently, and quickly asked the doctor, "I didn’t know I was pregnant before. I had antibiotics, took medicine, and even drank alcohol a few days ago. Will the child be affected?"

"From the blood test results, the fetus appears normal. If you want to check the development, you can have an ultrasound done at eight weeks."

The doctor seemed to notice my dilemma and said, "Unmarried and pregnant? If so, better take care of it quickly. The bigger the fetus, the more complicated it gets."

The doctor’s words made my head buzz.

Having lost a baby before, it’s harder for me to personally terminate my own second child than to kill myself.

But if I keep this child, with everything I’ve been through that affects a child’s development, can he really survive safely?

When I left the doctor’s office, it was as if my soul wasn’t in my body; I wandered forward aimlessly.

At that moment, a cold voice snapped me back to reality, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Zoe?"

Timothy Xavier looked at me suspiciously and asked, "What are you doing here?"

I looked up sharply and saw him with Serena Sawyer appearing at the obstetrics and gynecology department.

And because Serena, a big star, had arrived, the department was cleared at that moment.

I restrained my slightly chaotic heartbeat, discreetly hiding the lab report behind me, and said casually, "My period is irregular, here for a checkup. How about you?"

Timothy was about to speak when Serena bashfully said, "Timothy, don’t say it. I’m too embarrassed for others to know."

"Okay."

He responded blandly, ultimately not telling me their purpose for being here.

But I guessed they might feel it’s time to give Doris a little brother or sister.

Perhaps Serena is also pregnant.

The very thought left a heavy weight on my chest.

I didn’t want to speak much with them and was about to leave when Timothy called after me, "Go wait in the car park. I have something to say to you."

I looked at him coldly and said, "If you want to talk about Miles Sawyer, then don’t bother. Not only will I not retract the news, but I will dig deeper."

Serena’s lovely face flashed with resentment, her gaze exceptionally cold.

Before Timothy could speak, I left the obstetrics department and headed straight for the wards.

After all, now that this news has blown up, it’s garnering much attention.

I need to discuss the next steps with Victoria Monroe.

But as soon as I reached Victoria’s hospital room door, I heard shouting from inside.

"You bitch! Lucky our Miles didn’t let you in, otherwise, who knows how you’d have ruined our family!"

Mrs. Sawyer finished and slapped Victoria fiercely.

Soon after, Miles Sawyer’s voice also came through, demanding, "Listen to me. Immediately retract the news. Say it’s fake, apologize to the public, and compensate for my reputation damages!"

Victoria’s tone was unprecedentedly firm, "Impossible. Once it’s published, it can’t be retracted. If I’m wrong, go ahead and sue me."

Mrs. Sawyer’s tone grew increasingly vicious, "Victoria Monroe, you think partnering with that idiot Zoe will topple the Sawyer Family? You’re too naive! If you continue opposing the Sawyer Family, I’ll make sure there’s nothing left of you both!"

"From the moment Miles tricked me into taking abortion pills, we became lifelong enemies! It’s either him or me!"

Victoria finished speaking, and Miles laughed, "Ha, you can only blame yourself for being too naive. Did you think getting pregnant would force me to marry you? You refused to abort, so I had to act myself, who’s to blame here?"

I stood quietly outside the door, watching the recording pen flash as it captured the words of the Sawyer mother and son.

What great material!

Once I get back and publish these on the next news release, it’ll be another hit!

I’m sure that Victoria’s current heartbreak and anger are no less than mine.

Even though I wanted to go in and help her, I had to record the entire conversation to let the public see the Sawyers’ true faces.

At that moment, a patrolling nurse suddenly asked loudly, "What are you sneakily doing here?"

I was startled and immediately put away the recorder.

But by then, Mrs. Sawyer and Miles had also heard the noise and stormed out.

"Zoe, you dare record?"

Mrs. Sawyer’s expression was laced with malice as she said, "Hand over the recording pen."

I ignored them and immediately turned to walk in the opposite direction, even breaking into a run.

If this recorder ended up in their hands, everything I captured would be in vain.

But Miles also knew this. If the recording went online, it’d be his complete ruin.

So he chased after me with all his might.

Ultimately, I couldn’t outrun a man.

Miles caught up to me, grabbed my arm, and tried to snatch the recorder from my hand.

At that moment, Serena’s voice came through, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Timothy, following behind Serena, also looked at us in confusion.

Mrs. Sawyer, panting heavily, caught up and said, "Timothy, Zoe had the nerve to sneak into Miles’ girlfriend’s room and record! The recorder is in her hand; she’s trying to ruin Miles!"

I vehemently exposed their lies, "Miles Sawyer, a grown man tricking a woman into taking abortion pills, faking his education, academic fraud, have you no shame!"

Timothy’s handsome features flashed with surprise.

He seemed shocked by my words.

Serena quickly said, "Miss Ellison, I don’t know how my brother offended you for you to slander him like this? Sister Victoria’s miscarriage was accidental. Our whole family came here to see her. I know you don’t like me, but I beg you, please don’t hurt my family, okay?"

Miles Sawyer was still fighting me for that recording pen now, and I was struggling almost with all my might, while Timothy Xavier was watching coldly from the sidelines.

Finally, Miles Sawyer managed to grab the recording pen.

I watched as the hard-earned evidence I recorded was about to be taken away. I gambled everything and ran up to Timothy Xavier, saying, "Make him play the recording! If what I said just now wasn’t true, I’m willing to accept any punishment. I’m willing to retract the news, apologize to them, without any complaints! Timothy Xavier, trust me just this once, make him give me back the recording pen!"

Timothy Xavier fixed his deep gaze on me for a long time, his voice cold and hopeless: "Do you realize that secretly recording someone’s words is an invasion of privacy, it’s illegal. Zoe Ellison, stop this madness, come with me."

With that, he seized my wrist and forcibly took me away.

As I turned around, Serena Sawyer and her family of three were all smiles, their victory hardly concealed.

I was so angry I could almost grind my teeth to pieces!

Just a little bit more, just a little bit!

But Timothy Xavier doesn’t trust me or help me.

Just by Serena Sawyer’s word, he can blindly side with The Sawyers.

"Timothy Xavier, let go of me!"

I was so furious, tears of anger welled up, "Bastard! Let go!"

But he dragged me all the way to the garage, stuffed me directly into the car, and locked it.

Soon, he also got in.

Seeing my eyes red with fury, he was overly calm, "About the divorce you mentioned at noon today, I need to explain. That was my mother’s decision, not mine."

I was still consumed by the rage of having the evidence taken from me, shaking with hatred, I didn’t even want to say a word to him.

Timothy Xavier continued, "I told you, as long as you don’t hurt Serena and Doris, no one can move you from the position of Mrs. Xavier. But Zoe, you’ve crossed the line! Time and time again you target Serena, even resorting to hurting those around her."

I took a deep breath, my voice still trembling slightly, "Let me say it again, I’ve long stopped caring about being Mrs. Xavier!"

"Then why not sign?"

He curled his lips slightly, as if seeing right through me, "My mother said you didn’t sign, but tore up the divorce agreement. Can you really say you don’t care about the title of Mrs. Xavier?"

I said word by word, "It’s because the division of property is unfair! You are at fault, why should I leave with nothing?"

Timothy Xavier said quietly, "We’ve known each other for twenty years, you’re not a person who covets money, I know you too well."

His implication was that I tore up the divorce agreement solely to not divorce him, to continue being his wife.

I was about to tell him that I already signed the divorce agreement and put it in the gift I sent him.

But Timothy Xavier interrupted, "Zoe, pull down this news, don’t make things difficult for Serena and The Sawyers. I can assure you that your position as Mrs. Xavier will remain secure."

I tightly closed my eyes, desperately suppressing the unbearable heartache and grievance.

The Sawyers were utterly vile, and all I did was the right thing, to expose them.

In Timothy Xavier’s eyes, however, it was making life difficult for them.

After working through my emotions for quite some time, I was finally able to communicate with him calmly, "Timothy Xavier, it doesn’t matter to me who gets to be Mrs. Xavier. But I will continue writing the news, and if you threaten me again, I will include your threats in the news as well."

Timothy Xavier furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, "Neither Xavier Group nor I are easily defeated. If you’re thinking of teaming up with Ethan Xavier to provoke me, that would be digging your own grave."

"Then let’s see!"

It hadn’t occurred to me that while he was protecting The Sawyers, he would also throw mud at me, accusing me of teaming up with Ethan Xavier to hurt Xavier Group.

With irony, I curled my lips slightly, "Ethan Xavier now looks more like a real person than you!"

At this moment, a wave of nausea hit me, and I covered my mouth, retching briefly, but quickly held back.

Grasping tightly onto the bag containing the test results, I looked at the man before me. How could I let him be the father of my child?

Afraid he might notice something, I rushed to push open the car door to leave.

But Timothy Xavier suddenly grabbed my hand, his gaze deep and probing, asking, "What’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

I said lightly, but the nausea was unbearable, and he could see I was holding it back.

"I’ll ask you again, why did you go to the obstetrics department today?"

Timothy Xavier’s sharp eyes were full of inquiry and scrutiny.

I gripped my fingertips, pretending to be calm as I said, "Irregular menstruation, went to see a doctor for some treatment. I also want to ask you, why were you and Serena Sawyer at the obstetrics department?"

"It’s her personal business, none of your concern."

With him protecting Serena Sawyer like this, how dare I tell him about the pregnancy?

Who knows if, for the sake of not letting Serena and Doris be wronged, he might make me have an abortion?

Who knows if, because I bear his child, he might forever trap me in the Xavier family’s cage?

When I left, he didn’t forget to remind me, "Miles Sawyer is the chief designer of Xavier Group’s cardiopulmonary support instrument. If something happens to him, the launch of the instrument will be indefinitely delayed. Your mother is also one of the beneficiaries of this device, so you better weigh it carefully!"

I admit, I want nothing more than for this device to be launched as soon as possible.

But, with people like Miles Sawyer muddying the waters in the medical research circle, if no one exposes him, he will only become more arrogant in the future.

The drugs and devices he develops aren’t ordinary items but are intended for use on humans.

How can I stand by and watch such a person become a leader in the research world?

It’s utterly absurd!

So I didn’t agree to any of Timothy Xavier’s demands, nor could I do anything that would go against my conscience.

I’m determined to dig into the dirt on Miles Sawyer thoroughly!

Yet now there’s something else even more troubling, and that’s the unexpected life inside me.

Should I keep it or not?

I originally wanted to discuss this with Jenna Sutton, ask for her opinion.

But she apparently wasn’t even in the country.

On the phone, her voice was sweet, "Dr. Payne is going abroad for a seminar, so I’m tagging along."

I didn’t react for a moment, asking, "He’s going for a conference, why are you tagging along?"

"Because..."

Jenna Sutton’s voice turned coy, "I’m with him now! We just confirmed our relationship yesterday, was planning to tell you once we returned!"

Seeing her so happy lately, I didn’t want to dampen her spirits with this matter.

With Jenna Sutton’s character, if she knew I was pregnant with Timothy Xavier’s child, she might fly back immediately.

That night, after showering, I sat on the bed, gently caressing my abdomen, murmuring to myself, "Baby, is it you returning to mommy’s tummy again? This time, mommy will definitely protect you."