SWNOVELS Chapter 270
The car pulled to the side of the road.
Harrison's hands clenched the steering wheel. It was a long moment before he turned to look at the woman beside him.
Tears glistened in the corners of Ursula's eyes as she bit her lip.
After speaking her truth, a weight lifted from her chest, but anxiety quickly filled the void.
She didn't know if he truly wanted this child.
"Have you been to the doctor?" Harrison asked. His voice was calm, though his eyes behind his glasses grew darker with some unreadable emotion. Ursula nodded, "Yes. Six weeks."
His gaze dropped to her belly. He had always been careful, though sometimes, things happened in the heat of passion.
The odds were slim, but possible.
Withdrawing his gaze, Harrison leaned back, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Seeing him like this made Ursula's heart sink.
He showed no joy. So, he had never wanted this child.
She felt a heavy weight in her chest. Ursula's fingers clenched and unclenched in her lap, until finally, she mustered the courage to ask, "Do you want it?"
Harrison turned to her with surprise flickering in his eyes.
Clearly, he hadn't expected her to ask that question.
"If you don't want it..." Ursula took a deep breath, "I'll still have the baby."
He turned to face her, frowning. "What makes you think I wouldn't want it?"
"You've said it before." Ursula avoided his gaze, knowing if she looked into his eyes, she'd feel like a burglar who'd tried to steal his heart and ended up losing hers instead. Harrison sighed and put his glasses back on. "I've said it too. I married you, Ursula. You're Mrs. Whitman."
At his words, Ursula felt an unexpected sting in her nose. She had the urge to cry.
She stared out the car window, tilting her head to keep the tears at bay.
At least, she didn't want him to see her cry.
Harrison glanced at her and restarted the car.
They drove into the underground parking lot of their community. He got out and walked around to open the door for her.
And then, he extended his hand to her.
Ursula, taken aback, looked up at him, forgetting what to do.
"It's getting late." Harrison took her hand, shielding her head from the car roof as she stepped out.
Ursula had to admit, these small gestures moved her.
When they were dating, he had been caring, which was the envy of her friends. He was the perfect boyfriend.
And in the two years of their marriage, he had been good to her. It was so good that she fell hard, mistaking his care for love.
Upon reflection, his kindness carried a hint of obligation, like a lesson learned by rote.
"Thank you," she said, oddly formal.
After locking the car, Harrison walked beside her. He was a half-step behind, with an air of quiet protectiveness.
Entering the elevator, Ursula now felt a peculiar discomfort.
His earlier tenderness could be explained by his duty as her husband.
But this cautious care seemed to transform her role from wife to the mother of his child. He was protecting the baby more than her. His gentleness had never stemmed from love for her.
This realization left Ursula feeling hollow. She felt she was empty inside.
The next day, at the school's opening ceremony, Melvin dropped off Jocelyn.
Having donated a building to the school, Melvin was also invited to the event.
They arrived early to see the schoolyard still being decorated, which was nearly finished.
School leaders greeted Melvin as another car arrived.
Jocelyn turned to see Harrison's car; he was dropping off Ursula.
She watched as Harrison assisted Ursula out of the car. His careful manner clearly indicated he knew of her pregnancy.
And his attentiveness proved their worries unfounded; of course, he would want the child.
It was Ursula who had overthought things.
To avoid any awkwardness and out of consideration for Ursula's feelings, Jocelyn did not approach but waited for them to come over.
Harrison just helped Ursula out and then walked around to the driver's side.
Standing there, he glanced at Jocelyn.
Their eyes met unexpectedly, and before she could decide to ignore it or greet him openly, Harrison got back into his car and drove away without lingering. Jocelyn sighed inwardly; she had not expected things to turn out this way.
She turned to Ursula, who was approaching them.
Not wanting to seem unwelcome, Jocelyn didn't greet Ursula first.
"You're here early," Ursula said, initiating the conversation.
Jocelyn nodded, "Are you... okay?"
Ursula smiled, "I'm fine."
Seeing her smile, Jocelyn felt somewhat reassured.
"I told him, and he wants the baby." Ursula added, "He's very concerned about the child."
Jocelyn sensed Ursula's smile was merely a polite facade.
"He seems quite concerned about you too. After all, you and the baby are his most important people," Jocelyn ventured, cautious with her words to avoid upsetting Ursula. Ursula looked at Jocelyn and asked, "Do you want to be Melvin's important person or the one he loves?"
Jocelyn was taken aback. Perhaps Jocelyn was overthinking. She felt that this question was offensive.
"She is both my most important person and the one I love most," Melvin interjected. Although he had been speaking with school officials, he'd kept an ear on their conversation. Ursula knew Melvin loved Jocelyn with an intense passion.
If he knew Harrison still had feelings for Jocelyn, it would undoubtedly infuriate him.
Clearly, he was unaware of Harrison's lingering feelings. Jocelyn was being considerate of Harrison, too.
"Oh, I'm seriously envious of you two. That kind of head-over-heels romance you've got going on - it's just so pieture-perfect." Ursula wasn't about to stir the pot,
especially since Harrison was net
hubby.
If people knew that her man was still having feelings for someone else's wife, the shame would fall squarely on her shoulders.
"You two already have your own
baby, so what's there to envy?" Melvin wrapped his arm around Jocelyn's waist and leaned in, whispering, "How come we're always one step behind them?"
Jocelyn wanted to sew Melvin's mouth shut with a needle right there in the middle of everyone. Didn't the man have any sense of modesty? "Why don't you ask yourself that?" Jocelyn shot back, feeling annoyed.
Melvin frowned, "We've thrown caution to the wind, no safety measures. I just don't get it. Could it be I'm not putting enough oomph into it?"
Jocelyn felt her cheeks flame. If anyone else caught wind of this conversation, she'd never be able to show her face at this school again. The couple whispered sweet nothings, causing a few onlookers to blush, yet everyone understood.
They were a match made in heaven, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Showing a little love in public was no big deal.
After all, the lady was a teacher at
their own school, and by all
accounts, this dashing guy was practically family. If the school ever faced hard times, it was only natural for family to lend a hand, right?