Chapter 1710 An Engagement Ring (Part One)


    "Annie,e on. Please don''t be so hard on yourself. You''re beautiful, unique, really one of a kind."


    Fred looked at Annie straight in the eye. He held her hands in between his own. His hands even


    trembled a bit from all the emotion he was feeling. Without a doubt, Fred loved Annie with all his heart.


    He had also grown to love the twins. He''d treat them as if they were his own children -- if only Annie


    could find it in her heart to let him inside her life.


    "Fred, please stop. I''m already in love with somebody else. I''m so sorry." Annie lowered her eyes,


    feeling embarrassed. She couldn''t bare to look at Fred as he confessed.


    "Is it because of Mr. Xia?" Fred asked, his voice sad and low. ''If only I had met Annie before that


    bastard Rain did, '' Fred thought to himself.


    Annie flushed, her face got hotter. "I''m so sorry. I should have told you," Annie looked up at Fred


    through hershes. She gave him a weak smile as somefort at the very least. But right after she


    had finally told him the truth, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief. The weight of the burden she


    carried was finally lifted from her entirely.


    "But how can you even be sure that he''ll love you back! What if he bes unfaithful to you, Annie?


    Have you ever thought of that? That maybe he doesn''t love you as much as you love him?" he cried.


    He let go of Annie''s hands, and ruffled his hair in his frustration. ''Come on, Annie. Think! If he really


    loved you, he wouldn''t have left you and the kids!''


    "I-I..." Annie stammered. Fred''s questions had her stumped. She herself did not know why she was still


    so drawn towards Rain.


    "See! You can''t even back him up. But you can count on me." Fred held on to her hands once again. "I


    can assure you that you will be the only woman I will ever need and want in my life. Please..." Fred was


    not about to give up. This was the first time he had been so vocal about his feelings; this, to him, was


    his chance to take the next step with Annie.


    "Fred, I don''t want to talk about it anymore," Annie said, drawing back her hands from Fred''s hold. She


    was getting much too overwhelmed from Fred''s confession. Her head spun, and right now, the best


    solution she could think of was to avoid the conversation altogether -- even though it didn''t really solve


    her problem.


    Fred looked at her, looking defeated but still hopeful. "I understand. But I hope you''ll consider


    everything I have said." He stood up and walked over to the twins, leaving her behind. He thought that


    at least he was able to let his feelings be known to her. All that he could do now was to give her some


    space and time to think it over.


    Later that evening, Joyceined that she wasn''t feeling so good. Perhaps it was because of the


    cold weather, or maybe because of exhaustion. For whatever reason, she was starting to get a high


    fever. Annie panicked; they had just moved to S City, and did not know which hospital she should bring


    her daughter to. She had already spent hours washing Joyce''s body with a sponge dipped in cold


    water.


    "Mommy, why don''t we call daddy? Maybe he''ll know what to do," Huey suggested anxiously. He didn''t


    sleep -- instead, he stayed beside his sickly sister as he held her hand. Although their personalities


    were different and they didn''t get along as well as they should, Huey loved and cared deeply for Joyce.


    "I''m sorry. Daddy''s on a business trip right now, sweetie." It was true, though. Belinda had informed


    Annie before that Rain would be out of town for a whole week.


    "Well, maybe he came back early?" Huey pressed.


    "I don''t think so. If he came back early, he would have visited you and Joyce." Annie bit her lower lip,


    trying to figure out what the best thing to do was. She dipped the sponge in the basin of cold water


    beside her, wrung it, and ran it up and down Joyce''s body once more.


    "I can call daddy to check if he''s back," Huey said as he ran to get his mother''s phone.


    Annie was about to stop Huey, but thought otherwise right after. There was nothing she could do -- not


    on her own at least. She had thought of calling up Fred instead. But he, too, was a stranger in this city.


    On top of that, given theirtest conversation and surprising confession, Annie really didn''t want to


    bother him again.


    Huey looked for Rain''s number on Annie''s phone. He dialed, waiting intently as the phone rang. After


    only a couple of rings, Rain picked up the call.


    "Yes, hello? What is it Annie?" Rain asked. He wondered why Annie would call at such ate hour.


    ''What is she going to say?'' he thought to himself. He was really anxious. He had gone away in such a


    rush without even telling her, and had been busy during his entire trip. Now, he wondered if she called


    because she missed him... or maybe it was theplete opposite. His heart beat loud and quick in his


    chest.


    "Daddy, where are you? Joyce has a high fever. Mommy''s been crying because she''s so worried for


    her, and so am I," Huey said over the receiver.


    Then, Rain felt as if his heart hade to a sudden stop. He didn''t expect to hear Huey''s voice, and he


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    certainly didn''t expect what he heard. "What? Where are you now? In the hospital?" he said, his voice


    suddenly stern and urgent. He was already putting on his coat and had grabbed his car keys in one


    swift movement. In just seconds, he was already running out his apartment.


    "We''re at home. We don''t know what to do," Huey exined. Just like Justin, Huey was ahead of his


    years, a lot more mature than he should be for his age.


    "I''ll be right there soon. Wait for me." Rain hung up and got in his car. He started the engine, and in no


    time, was on his way to Annie''s house. He drove as fast as the traffic would allow him, intent on getting


    there as soon as possible.


    ''Daddy said he''ll be right here soon. Does it mean he''s in S City now?'' Huey thought as he ran towards


    his mother.


    "Mommy, Mommy! Daddy said he''ll be right here soon and asked us to wait for him," Huey eximed in


    a cheerful voice.


    "Really? He''s back?" Annie said, surprised. She let out a long sigh of relief. Although she wasn''t so


    sure why, she trusted Rain. She was confident that he would know what to do.


    "Yeah. I told him Joyce has a fever, and he said he is on his way." Huey was ted. From their short


    phone conversation, Huey could tell that Rain loved him and Joyce very much.


    Annie said nothing more, and continued to give Joyce the cool sponge bath. Although she didn''t want


    to bother Rain, she felt happy that he seemed to still care for them.