Chapter 151 Unforgivable
At this moment, Lauren's emotions had completely collapsed. She was terrified of hearing about something negative happening to Quentin, yet she couldn't help but want to know.
Lauren shivered as she conveyed her worries, but she fought to speak.
"Ethan, tell me the truth, Quentin, he..." Lauren asked.
Seeing Lauren so worried about Quentin, Ethan was furious. "Don't cry. He's not worth your tears. In this situation, you're still worried about him. Do you know why he hasn't contacted you?" he said, impatiently.
Lauren looked at Ethan in confusion. "Ethan, what do you mean? Be clear, what happened to Quentin?" she said, bewildered.
Ethan took out his phone, opened the photo album, and showed Lauren pictures of Quentin and Sophia entering a hotel.
"Quentin is a hypocritical man. He deceived you. While you were giving birth, he was with his first love, Sophia! Can't you see it? In Quentin's heart, there's only Sophia, not you, not even the child!" Ethan roared.
Lauren stared blankly at the photos, unable to believe it. She widened her eyes, trying to take in the images that seemed to mock her.
'What does it matter that I have given birth to Quentin's child? What does it matter that the whole world knows about my deep love for Quentin? In the end, I have lost to his first love,' she thought.
"So that's how it is. Only I took it seriously all throughout," Lauren murmured, her smile filled with sorrow.
Ethan felt heartbroken. He knew he shouldn't have brought this up while Lauren was still physically weak. But if he didn't, Lauren would foolishly wait for Quentin, who would never return, and she would suffer even more.
He said, regretfully, "Lauren, if you want to cry, just cry. Could you not hold it in? Think about the child. You can't fall apart." Ethan wanted to embrace Lauren, but seeing her look of despair, he refrained.
Lauren sat down. She calmly replied, "Cry? Why should I cry? Don't you think I'm ridiculous? Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm no longer that foolish girl who would die for love. Ethan, thank you for telling me it. I know what to do now."
Lauren's calmness worried Ethan even more. She didn't scream hysterically or cry. Instead, this calm Lauren gave him a deeper sense of despair.
He said, desperately, "Lauren, don't be like this. You deserve a better man and unconditional love. Quentin is not someone you can conquer. Look at it clearly. I'll always be by your side." Ethan patted Lauren's shoulder, hoping she could hold on.
Lauren smiled. She calmly remarked, "Ethan, Don't pity me. I'm really fine. I have Matthew and all of you who love me. I don't fear. Don't worry, I'm fine. I want to calm down and think about my future."
"Alright, I believe you can handle it. No matter what decision you make, I'll support you unconditionally," Ethan said.
Lauren urged, "Okay, Ethan, you've been busy lately. It would help if you went back. It's getting late, and I need to rest."
The fatigue in Lauren's eyes was unmistakable.
Ethan was concerned but had no reason to stay. He could not meddle with Lauren and Quentin's marriage. He would wait for Lauren to make her own decision before taking any action.
After Ethan left, Lauren could no longer hide her vulnerability. She returned to her room and cried her heart out.
It was laughable that even at this point, she didn't dare to cry out loud. She was afraid of disturbing the ailing Jessica and scaring the newborn Matthew. She had too many concerns, which made her life so burdensome.
Lauren felt that she lived too grievously. Although she considered herself a good person, the saying 'good things happen to good people' had never applied to her.
Why was her marriage so troubled? Was it because she got Quentin selfishly and had to accept this punishment?
'Quentin, in your heart, what am I to you?' she thought.
What about Quentin's vows? Were those months of affection all a lie? She couldn't believe it! She didn't want to believe it!
Lauren sat at the dressing table, looking at her tear-streaked, messy self, and found it utterly ridiculous.
She now looked exactly like an abandoned woman—so pathetic, yet so hateful. Wasn't all of this her own doing?
Lauren wiped her tears away haphazardly. Suddenly, she thought of death.
'Would death end all of this?' she thought.
She snapped herself out of her daze, thinking, 'How could I have such thoughts? I can't do that. I have too many things left undone. How could I choose death?'
On the day of delivery, in the operating room, Lauren had been close to death. The taste of death was a negative experience. She wasn't afraid of death, but she feared dying without any value.
Lauren walked out of her room and went to Matthew's room. Inside, Matthew was sleeping in his crib.
Looking at Matthew, her heart softened and strengthened.
But she feared she would disappoint Matthew. When she decided to give birth to him, she had promised to give him a complete family. Now, she feared that she couldn't fulfill that promise.
Unaware of anything, Matthew slept soundly, his mouth occasionally moving as if savoring delicious food.
Lauren gradually calmed down. Although the evidence was right in front of her, she still wanted to hear Quentin's explanation. When Quentin returned, how would he explain his disappearance for so many days?
Lauren asked Ethan for those photos and printed them out herself. She looked at the two people in the pictures. They were so well-matched, like figures stepping out of a painting, perfectly harmonious.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. Lauren sat on the bed until dawn. She didn't know when Quentin would return, so she just waited, neither sad nor tearful, like a puppet that had lost its expression.
At this moment, clear footsteps sounded at the door—the sound of leather shoes on the floor.
Lauren's eyes blinked. For some reason, she was certain these were Quentin's footsteps.
With the footsteps closer, louder, and more hurried, Quentin finally stopped at her door.
After the door opened, Quentin walked in cautiously. He thought Lauren was still asleep and didn't want to disturb her, hoping to surprise her.
But Quentin didn't expect to see Lauren sitting on the bed with a cold expression as if waiting for him to return.
Seeing Lauren, Quentin rushed over to hug her without thinking, but she pushed him away.
Quentin wasn't angry because he knew he was in the wrong this time.
"Lauren, I'm sorry I'm late. Don't be mad. I didn't expect things to take so long to get resolved, so I missed the day you gave birth. Lauren, whatever punishment you want to give me, I'll accept as long as you're not angry," Quentin said.
Lauren sneered and continued to look at Quentin coldly. "Then tell me, what exactly is more important than the child and me? More important than Grandma's health?" she patiently questioned him,
