Chapter 83 Seeking an Explanation
Violet rolled her eyes at Adeline, "Me, a perpetual singleton? You think I'd have that sort of thing lying around?"
Adeline chuckled. "But haven't I heard from Bennett that a handsome guy has been wooing you lately?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Violet blushed brigt red.
"It's just...we just started seeing each other; it's definitely not pregnancy test territory yet!"
Adeline's mood brightened instantly at the sight of Violet's flushed cheeks.
Grinning, she grabbed the remote to turn on the TV, ready to tease Violet some more when the doorbell chimed.
"Delivery!"
Delivery?
Adeline shot a glance at Violet. "Did you order takeout?"
Violet shrugged, "It's for you."
Suspicious, Adeline opened the front door.
The delivery person handed her a paper bag.
Back in her room, Adeline unfolded the bag.
Out tumbled the very thing she had just mentioned—pregnancy tests!
Staring at the scattered tests on the floor, Adeline was stunned speechless. In contrast, Violet was far more composed.
"You mentioned on the phone you and Jasper had an incident last night, so I figured," Violet said.
"I might not have them at home, but I can always buy them for you."
Adeline couldn't help but laugh and sigh.
She picked up the receipt, saw Violet's name on it, and sighed, "You bought them under your own name? Aren't you worried your new boyfriend might find out and you'll have a hard time explaining?"
Violet was about to retort when Adeline's phone rang.
It was Bennett.
"Mommy."
The voice of the little guy on the other end was sly, "I'm pretending to be in the bathroom to make this call."
"That was close today; the preschool teacher almost found my cell phone!"
Adeline took a deep breath, "Bennett, you need to listen to your teachers at preschool."
"It's not allowed to bring a phone, so don't."
"But Mommy, I bring my phone to be in touch with you guys!"
"You know how smart your Bennett is; if it weren't for the teacher saying I'd seem more like a regular kid if I went to preschool, I wouldn't even bother!"
Violet listened, silent. In her heart, she just wished for Bennett to have a normal and happy preschool experience, just like any other kid.
Adeline's three kids were undeniably bright, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were growing up too fast, possibly missing out on the simple joys of childhood.
"You know, your aunt's not wrong," she told them.
"You really should be enjoying being a kid."
"Pssh," Bennett muttered, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "They're all too childish!"
"That's right."
Suddenly, the boy lowered his voice, "Mommy, are you okay? Lauren told me you got kicked out this morning…"
Adeline massaged her forehead in resignation.
Lauren, the little tattletale, always running to tell her brother everything.
"Lauren's upset; you need to look out for her since you're the big brother, okay?"
"I got it!" he sighed, a touch of exasperation in his voice. "I knew you'd say that, you always do."
"Just make sure you get along with your aunt and don't worry us, alright?"
Before Adeline could respond, he whispered, "My aunt's looking for me."
"Mommy, gotta go!"
With that, he ended the call.
Adeline gripped her phone, listening to the busy tone with a weary rub of her temples.
Violet, who had overheard the entire exchange, was utterly gobsmacked.
Adeline gave her a helpless look. "These kids… I swear, it's like they're the adults and I'm the child."
After a pause, Violet offered a hesitant smile. "Adeline, I don't think it's about how you're raising them. It's normal to guide children from immaturity to maturity."
"It seems like your three were just born mature… No matter how you try, them being childish again might not be in the cards."
Adeline fell silent, thinking there was some truth to it.
Must be Jasper's strong genes at work!
These youngsters, merely six years old, already knew so much more than their peers.
Setting aside her phone, Adeline took the pregnancy test back to her room, neatly arranged it in her drawer, and slipped on her eye mask to sleep.
Last night's festivities left her fuzzy-headed—she couldn't recall how long Jasper had kept her awake.
But judging by how groggy she felt…
He probably hadn't let her sleep much.
Thinking about the events of the previous night, Adeline clasped her hands over her heart, "Fingers crossed for a pregnancy, fingers crossed…"
After her silent prayer, she drifted into a deep slumber.
Her next awakening was to the sound of an argument outside her door.
"Ethan, please let me explain!"
Through her drowsiness, Adeline heard Violet's tearful voice, "I didn't betray you, I swear!"
"No betrayal? Seriously?"
Then came an enraged male voice, "Violet, haven't we only been together a week?"
"I haven't even kissed you, and yet I find this in your place? How can you say you haven't betrayed me!?"
"Violet, let's break up. I don't want to be your rebound guy, nor do I want to get tangled with someone who can't keep her personal life in check!"
As the man's words trailed off, a slamming door echoed from outside.
Adeline jolted awake.
She opened her eyes, thinking she had had a nightmare.
But then, Violet's stifled sobs outside the door pulled her back to reality.
It wasn't a dream!
She hurried to her feet, flung open the door, and rushed out.
The living room was in disarray.
Violet sat on the carpet, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees, her eyes red from crying.
In front of her on the floor lay the receipt for a bulk purchase of pregnancy tests.
Adeline was at a loss for words.
She had a good idea of what had happened.
The receipt must have fallen to the floor and led Violet's boyfriend to the wrong conclusion.
She knelt down and gently embraced Violet's shoulders. "Why didn't you just explain things? I was right in my room. You could’ve called me out, and I could have explained it to him."
Violet shook her head. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess with him..."
"I thought I could make him understand... I didn’t expect him to distrust me so much!"
Adeline exhaled deeply. "So... should I go and talk to him?"
She felt responsible. She couldn't just stand by and watch as Violet lost her first love over a misunderstanding.
Violet bit her lip. "But Adeline, you're single too. It won't look good if word gets out, right?"
"I don't care about that."
Adeline gave her a helpless glance. "I’m a mom to three kids. Do you really think I'm worried about gossip? It's more important that you two are just starting out and barely know each other. It’s such a pity to split over a misunderstanding."
Violet sobbed. "But I don't know how to reach out to him..."
"I'll do it."
Adeline patted her shoulder. "Tell me where he might be, and I’ll clear things up, okay?"
Violet looked up, her eyes swollen. "I don't know where he is right now, but I do know he has drinks with friends at Cold Baron Bar at eight tonight."
...
Eight o'clock in the evening.
The taxi stopped in front of Cold Baron Bar, and Adeline stepped out of the car.
Before she could walk inside, a Maserati pulled up beside her.
The car door opened, revealing the expensive hem of a man's pants.
Adeline rolled her eyes and turned to enter the bar without giving it another glance.
Talk about a small world—running into Jasper in a place like this.
When did he start going to noisy bars like this?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
