CHAPTER 130: CHAPTER 130: THE MISSED PHONE CALL

Sienna Johnson’s heart was in turmoil.

If it doesn’t work out, I’ll find Curly a stepfather... she thought.

No "well-intentioned lie" could compare to finding Curly a father.

No, Curly is so beautiful...

Sienna headed towards the Department Store. After a few steps, she thought about how stepmothers might abuse children, and stepfathers... Curly really looked too easy to "bully."

A tall man walked out of the green public phone booth. Sienna, separated by glass, stared at the public phone, unable to move.

Although she had deleted Adrian Desmond’s phone number long ago, she still remembered it. She hadn’t called him many times. However, her damn good memory allowed her to memorize Adrian Desmond’s number so well that she could recite it backward.

As if bewitched, Sienna entered the public phone booth. By the time she realized what she was doing, she had already picked up the receiver.

Yes, I want to call Adrian Desmond, she thought. Ever since she saw the divorce statement, she had been wanting to know if Adrian Desmond was sincere. If he was, she was willing to give them a chance for their daughter’s sake.

One last chance!

Just make the call and clear your head,

she told herself.

Sienna was never one to beat around the bush; when she had an idea, she acted on it. She wanted to know if the divorce statement was true or false. If it was true, Sienna was willing to forgive him, just once, for Curly’s sake.

She took out a coin, inserted it, and dialed Adrian Desmond’s private number. Only a very few people knew that number.

RING. RING. RING...

Sienna was very nervous. After being gone for so long, how would Adrian Desmond react to her call? Adrian Desmond has a bad temper, she thought. He’ll probably yell at me, then question my whereabouts. He’ll probably come looking for me as soon as he hangs up.

Thinking of this, Sienna couldn’t help but smile.

The phone rang many times without an answer. What’s going on? Did he change his number?

Sienna hung up and redialed. This time, it also rang many times with no answer. Just as Sienna was about to hang up, someone picked up.

"Adrian Desmond?" Sienna’s voice was somewhat ethereal and trembling. She was nervous, her palms sweating as she held the receiver.

"Mai?"

It wasn’t Adrian Desmond; it was a woman’s voice, and it was Melanie Carpenter. Sienna felt as if a bucket of cold water had been doused over her, extinguishing the fire in her heart.

"Where is Adrian Desmond?" Sienna asked.

"What do you want with my Sixth Brother?" Melanie Carpenter’s tone was full of hostility.

"Naturally, I have my reasons."

They were rivals in love, and neither had anything nice to say to the other. Sienna’s tone was icy; she didn’t want to waste a single word on Melanie Carpenter.

"Let Adrian Desmond answer the phone!"

"Sixth Brother went to bed late last night and hasn’t woken up yet," Melanie Carpenter said. "If you have something to say, just tell me."

Her words contained too much information, making Sienna’s mind race. "I saw your divorce statement," Sienna said. "I want to ask Adrian Desmond if you two are really divorced or just pretending."

Jealousy, like a poisonous snake, crawled into Melanie Carpenter’s heart. She clenched her phone tightly, gritting her teeth in anger. "Fake!"

Sienna still clung to a glimmer of hope. "I don’t believe you. Let Adrian Desmond answer the phone!"

"Mai, I’m pregnant."

Sienna’s mind went blank. Melanie Carpenter was Adrian Desmond’s wife. If Melanie Carpenter was pregnant, the child would naturally be Adrian Desmond’s.

If this is true... Sienna’s eyes darkened like the deep sea. "Are you really pregnant?"

"Can something like this be faked?"

Standing in the nursery, Melanie Carpenter had already made up her mind: she would never allow Sienna to return.

She knew Sienna’s pride. Women like her are easy to deal with, Melanie thought. Just crush their ridiculous self-esteem.

"Mai, I’ll tell you the truth," Melanie Carpenter continued. "That divorce statement was meant for you to see. I think you know the purpose—it’s just to trick you into coming back. Sixth Brother will never divorce me! Not in this lifetime, so give up on that idea."

Sienna was silent.

"Mai, aren’t you very proud? Unwilling to let Sixth Brother have other women? Then since you’ve left, don’t come back. Do you know what you look like right now? You were the one who was unappreciative and insisted on leaving, and now you’re the one shamelessly trying to come back. Did you suffer hardships outside and now want to return? Just how thick-skinned are you?"

Sienna remained silent.

"I’m carrying his son. Sixth Brother is very happy, and we’re living well now. Please don’t disturb our lives anymore!"

Sienna, usually quick-witted, was rendered speechless by Melanie Carpenter’s aggressive words.

In Melanie Carpenter’s eyes, I’ve become such a despicable person, she thought.

"Mai, since you left, don’t come back. Don’t disturb Sixth Brother’s life and mine again."

Sienna felt like a complete joke. Every word from Melanie Carpenter cut into her heart like a knife. How could I have been so foolish as to believe Adrian Desmond?

Sienna was half-believing, half-doubting Melanie Carpenter’s words. Suddenly, the sound of a woman dry-heaving came through the phone. Having been pregnant herself, Sienna could tell if the nausea was real or feigned.

She listened to the retching sounds. After a long while, Melanie Carpenter, having regained her composure, said, "I didn’t lie to you. I’m really pregnant. If you don’t believe me, you can come back and see for yourself. But I must tell you, if you really come back, Sixth Brother won’t let you go again. I don’t mind if Sixth Brother has more women to serve him, but Mai, you’re so jealous. Could you tolerate my presence, carrying Sixth Brother’s son?"

Of course, I can’t tolerate it, Sienna thought. That’s why I left in the first place.

Any thought of forgiving Adrian Desmond was completely extinguished.

Melanie Carpenter is pregnant. Adrian Desmond not only has other women but now also other children. His love has to be shared among many women, and now even his fatherly love must be shared with the son born to him and Melanie Carpenter. Adrian Desmond always wanted a son. Since Curly is a girl, she naturally wouldn’t be his favorite. Why should I let my daughter pick up Adrian Desmond’s leftover paternal love? My Curly doesn’t need that fragmented affection. It’s all or nothing!

"Melanie Carpenter," Sienna said, her voice firm, "tell Adrian Desmond that I will never believe a single word he says ever again!"

Melanie Carpenter laughed, her scheme succeeding. "Are you really not coming back?"

"No!"

Sienna was silent for a moment, then declared, "I will forget Adrian Desmond. Completely forget him!"

Sienna hung up, unwilling to speak further with the woman who disgusted her. The turmoil that had plagued her for days vanished, and her heart hardened once more.

I was truly foolish to believe a man’s lies! Adrian Desmond, I will forget you, completely forget you!

Sienna didn’t expect her words to become an ominous prophecy.