165 165. Who’s the Man?


    Linda panicked and worried. She was afraid that her daughter would do something out of line. If it was like this, ra wouldn’t hear what she said.


    In the past, if ra lost control, Dave would calm her down. However, now, was it possible that her daughter would hear what he said? Hadn’t they broken up?


    No choice. Linda no longer knew who to turn to for help. She then called Dave.


    Because it sounded very urgent, Dave asked, “What’s wrong with her?”


    “I’ll exinter. Can I see you now?” asked Linda frantically. “I don’t know who to ask for help anymore.”


    Dave was a bit dubious. “I’m in the hospital. I’ll be at your house in thirty minutes.”


    Linda’s throat constricted. Dave must be waiting for Lea. No wonder ra chose to back down. Maintaining a rtionship with Dave will only make her married life full of suspicion.


    “Am I interrupting your important time?” she asked again. “If you’re busy—”


    “No, Linda! I’ll be at your house in thirty minutes.” Dave was about to hang up before he asked, “Is Patrick home?”


    .....


    “Dave, I don’t live with Patrick anymore,” Linda answered in a low voice.


    Dave paused, realizing that ra’s family was not well. His heart felt like it was squeezed. He yed a part in the destruction of the Decker family.


    “Okay, just give me your current address. I’ll see you soon,” Dave said tly.


    Dave realized how important his presence was at this time. He also told Theresa to clear her schedule for this afternoon. He had to get to Linda no matter what.


    Shortly after, Dave arrived at the Frederick family’s residence. Seeing Linda’s panicked and confused condition, the man immediately hugged the woman who was supposed to be his future mom-inw.


    “Linda, you have to calm down first,” Dave said while stroking Linda’s back. “What’s the matter?”


    Linda then sat down on the couch. She told him what was going on. Linda said that ra was pregnant when Dave and Linda’s engagement had not been formalized. However, she miscarried, ording to Patrick’s exnation.


    “The doctor said, it was her first andst pregnancy,” Linda exined while shedding tears.


    Dave was stunned. ra was no longer a virgin the first time they had sex. However, he didn’t expect ra was pregnant ... and miscarried.


    “It happened exactly one week before your engagement was formalized,” Linda added, looking confused at Dave. “Patrick med ra over and over again, thinking it was her fault that she was pregnant with the wrong person at the wrong time.”


    Linda wiped the tears. She was trying hard not to get too emotional. Dave was still silent, he did not know what was in his heart at this time. All feelings mixed, betweenpassion and jealousy.


    Now, Dave understands what ra felt when he cheated on her with Lea and was forced to have children from that one night mistake. Even though ra loved him, can he ept the existence of ra’s child with another man without the slightest feeling of hatred?


    However, Dave realized that ra’s current problem was far more serious. She was indeed barren. However, the cause of infertility was so painful.


    “Where is ra right now? Has she still not epted the reality?” asked Dave worriedly.”


    Linda shook her head. “The thing is, ra, insists that it was Patrick who aborted her baby. She is sure of that. Right now, she is going somewhere, to prove that her father is guilty of that incident.


    Dave was wide-eyed. “How could Patrick do that?” he asked in disbelief. “The baby is his flesh and blood, right?”


    Too bad, Dave realized that Patrick might just do it in no time. ra was found pregnant before their official engagement. If his family found out about this, they would call off the engagement. So did he, he would have done the same thing because he was burning with jealousy, even though he had liked ra at the first sight.


    “I’m sure she will try to fight her father with whatever she has at the moment,” said Linda again. “I beg Dave, please let ra know that her revenge will not change anything that has happened. I’m afraid her anger will harm her.”


    Dave could only stare at the woman in front of him in bewilderment. From everything that Linda had told, it seems that ra did not tell her family about what happened that made her decide to cancel the wedding.


    “Linda, I know that I shouldn’t tell anyone about this because this is my business with ra. However, I will say it out of necessity,” exined Dave, sighing. “There were two things that triggered the cancetion of our marriage. One because Lea’s condition was severe. The second ….”


    Dave’s eyes reddened. He rubbed his face because he couldn’t say it. Every time he thought about it, a fire of jealousy red up in his chest, shattering hisposure.


    “What’s the second one?” asked Linda, very curious.


    “ra is sleeping with another man,” Dave replied hoarsely, his teeth grinding together.


    Linda’s eyes widened, not believing Dave’s words. So, her daughter wasn’t as innocent as she thought?


    “ra can’t be cheating! If she hadn’t engaged with you, it probably is. But she wouldn’t cheat on her fiance,” Linda protested, shaking her head in disbelief. Her eyes stared at Dave unblinkingly, searching for the lies on the man’s face. s, she found only real sadness there.


    “ra told me by herself, Linda!” Dave’s voice rose slightly. “I don’t even want to believe it. However, that’s what I got to be the truth. ra did sleep with another man the night before she broke up with me.”


    Linda still couldn’t believe what Dave said. He thought Dave was making it up.


    “No wonder ra left you! You are the one at fault, yet you use my daughter of cheating!” snapped Linda angrily. “Get you out of here! If you don’t want to help me, don’t use my daughter of frivolous usations!”


    Dave gave a wryugh. Of course, no one would believe ra would do that with another man. Especially her mother.


    “At first I didn’t believe it either. I thought ra was making up stories to cancel our wedding,” Dave said calmly. “That night, I was confused because I didn’t find ra at the hospital. I’ve been trying to reach you and Patrick but you guys are out of reach. Worried, I asked people to look for her that night. However, he had a traffic ident at the same time. Yesterday, he came out of the hospital and reported to me what he wanted.”


    Dave reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He showed Linda several pictures of raing out of the bakery, arguing with a man. Another photo shows ra tailing the man.


    “To be sure, my man was looking for information on this man. From the housekeeper, he confirmed that ra had indeed stayed overnight at this man’s ce,” exined Dave with a haggard and haggard face.


    Linda’s face was pale. She stared at Dave nkly.


    “I’m sure it was this man who made ra leave me, Linda,” Dave said again. His eyes filled with tears. “Before, ra and I had promised to forget everything and start from the beginning again.”


    Dave and Linda fell silent, preupied with their own thoughts. Dave then rose from his seat and said, “Linda, this matter is different. This is between ra and Patrick. I’m sorry, I can’t help you, Linda.”


    ***


    Meanwhile, at Samuel’s house, he was taking care of his mother who was not feeling well. His father was very busy at the office. Can’t apany Larissa at home.


    “Mom, we’d better go to the doctor,” said Samuel, while drinking warm mint tea for his mother.


    “I just need a break, Sam!” answered Larissa, smiling with a pale face.


    “I suspect you are pregnant again,” said Samuel. He felt himself to be a man who knew the signs of pregnancy very well because his mother was pregnant very often.


    Larisa smiled. “No way, we use contraception,” answered Larissa with a weak smile. “We don’t n to have any more children. My life is already busy enough with you guys.”


    “I’m surprised. Father and Mother seem very easy to have children. Does every time you make love, always produce children?” asked Samuel idly. “Even I am the result of your one-night stand.”


    Larissaughed at Samuel’s words which were too blunt. What Samuel said didn’t seem too wrong.


    “We’ll see how many children you haveter,” said Larissa, amused. The conversation with Samuelforted her greatly.


    “Ah, that again,” said Samuel annoyed.


    “I want to have many grandchildren from you,” said Larissa again.


    “Hmm, how much? Five? Ten?” asked Samuel,ughing.


    “Get married soon,” said Larissa while stroking Samuel’s head. “You y around too much.”


    Samuel just smiled while ying with his cell phone. “I’ll take you to the clinic now.”


    “Hey, I didn’t ask you to do it, did I?” protested Larissa.


    “There is no objection,” said Samuel confidently. He then carried his mother to the car and drove to the obstetrician’s clinic that Larissa usually visits.


    ***


    At a doctor’s private obstetric clinic, ra stood in line impatiently. She waited too long because she did not make an appointment with the doctor beforehand. Her name was finally called after two hours of waiting.


    “Miss ra Frederick,” said one of the nurses, ushering ra into the room.


    ra got up from the waiting bench. She then walked quickly into the room. The doctor seemed busy with her files and arranging schedules with patients.


    When she realized that a patient had entered the room, that’s when the doctor looked up, facing her new patient. However, this time the surprise was too much.


    “How are you, doctor Evans!” said ra, showing her devilish smile.