Chapter 958 Extinguish His Delusions
Theodore was quiet for a moment.
Seeing Phoebe didn't react, he was about to say something when she cut him off. "I have a morning meeting. I need to go."
With that, she yanked her wrist free and walked out of the restaurant.
Theodore was left standing there, feeling a chill in his heart.
Was Phoebe refusing to talk because she was completely disappointed in him?
Phoebe stepped outside, and the cold wind stung her cheeks. She walked through the yard and out the gate.
The street was empty; Guadalupe and the car were nowhere to be seen.
She stood at the gate for a few minutes before calling Guadalupe, who sounded like she was still asleep. "Ms. Ziegler, why are you calling so early? Is something wrong?"
"Guadalupe, are you sick? Why didn't you come to pick me up this morning?"
"Ms. Ziegler, last night when I dropped you off, Mr. Reynolds told me to come later today." Guadalupe sat up, suddenly alert.
Phoebe rubbed her temples. "I see. Go back to sleep."
After hanging up, Phoebe stood by the roadside, feeling lost and unsure of what to do or how to ease the frustration in her heart.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Cindy. "Phoebe, are you home? My mom sent me some delicious food, and I want to share it with you. I'll bring it over."
"Are you home? I'll come to you," Phoebe said, feeling like she finally had a purpose. She turned and walked towards the tall building next door.
At Cindy's door, she was about to knock when the door opened from the inside.
Cindy took one look at her haggard appearance and gasped, pulling her inside.
"Your eyes are so swollen! Sit down, I'll get you something cold for them." Cindy pushed her onto the couch, then went to get a fresh towel, soaked it in water, wrung it out, and placed it over Phoebe's eyes.
"Did you not sleep at all? Your eyes are so red and puffy."
Phoebe said, "I slept. I drank too much, that's all. Don't make a big deal out of it."
Cindy smelled the alcohol on her and frowned. "You don't usually drink much, even at social events. Did something happen? Did you and Theodore fight?"
Phoebe pressed her lips together but couldn't hold back her need to talk.
"He secretly took Hubert's hair for a paternity test."
"What?" Cindy's eyes widened, her voice rising. "Does he think Hubert, Boris, and Noomi might be his kids?"
Phoebe shook her head. "I don't know what he's thinking."
"What were the results?" Cindy asked urgently.
"What do you think?" Phoebe gave a bitter smile. "Hubert, Boris, and Noomi aren't his. No matter how many times he tests, the result will always be the same."
Cindy looked at her despondent friend, unsure how to comfort her.
When Phoebe got pregnant with Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, it was a shock to everyone.
But it was Phoebe's only chance to be a mother, and she wouldn't give it up, even if it meant she and Theodore couldn't reconcile.
Now, Theodore had chosen to be with her despite everything, but Hubert, Boris, and Noomi's existence would always be a thorn in his side.
Living with them, it was natural for Theodore to wonder if they might be his biological children.
But now that the test results were out, proving they weren't his, what would he do? What would happen to his relationship with Phoebe?
"He chose to move in with you, knowing about Hubert, Boris, and Noomi's background. Is he regretting it now?" Cindy said, her voice tinged with anger.
Phoebe bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "I don't know what he's thinking. Maybe I was too naive, thinking he didn't care. If he had a child out there, I might not accept it so easily either."
Cindy looked at her worriedly. "What are you going to do now? You two haven't talked about it yet, right?"
Phoebe shook her head. "He said he wants to talk, but I'm scared."
Hearing the tremor in her voice, Cindy held her cold hand. "What are you afraid of? Losing him? Phoebe, if he really can't accept Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, you won't be happy together, no matter how hard you try."
Phoebe's lips trembled. "If he really can't accept it, I won't force it. I just need some time to process."
Seeing her friend in pain, Cindy felt her heart ache.
Theodore, that jerk. If he couldn't accept it, he shouldn't have given Phoebe hope, only to crush it.
"My head hurts. I'm going to lie down in the guest room. Don't worry about me." Phoebe took the towel off her eyes and headed to the guest room.
Cindy watched her go, silently cursing Theodore.
All day, the Reynolds Group was under a dark cloud, especially during the high-level meeting.
No one dared to breathe too loudly in Theodore's presence.
When the meeting finally ended, everyone rushed out, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere.
Once everyone was gone, Lawton nervously approached Theodore, who was standing by the window, smoking.
The sky outside was overcast, making Theodore's hair look dull and lifeless.
Lawton hesitated before speaking. "Mr. Reynolds, I'm sorry. When I saw the test results, I couldn't help but call you."
Theodore's gaze silenced him. He knew no amount of explanation would help. "You can fire me. It's my fault."
Theodore waved a hand. "Leave me alone."
Lawton looked at his desolate figure, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how.
He had watched the test results closely; there was no mistake.
As he turned to leave, Theodore asked, "Does anyone else know you went to the testing center?"
Lawton understood. "I went quietly and told no one. I didn't want any complications. Even the father's name on the form was mine, so no one else knows."
"Did you see anyone familiar while waiting for the report? Like Sandra or Vanessa, or anyone who knows about me and Phoebe?" Theodore needed to rule out every possibility before accepting the report's truth.
Lawton clenched his fists.
The more Theodore tried to find reasons to discredit the results, the more it showed how much he wanted Hubert, Boris, and Noomi to be his.
It made him seem even more pitiful.
Lawton felt a pang of sympathy for Theodore. "No, I didn't see anyone I knew. Paternity tests aren't common, except in major police cases. I was there for 48 hours and didn't see a single familiar face."
That extinguished Theodore's last hope.
Silence filled the room, pressing down on Lawton until he could barely breathe.
Finally, Theodore spoke softly. "I understand."
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