Chapter 314 Confrontation
When Chicago spoke of her mother's unwillingness, she did so with emphatic clarity, as if worried Darwin might misunderstand.
All this confused Darwin.
"Then, who is your father?" he inquired, persistent yet gentle.
Chicago blinked rapidly, caught in a dilemma and remained silent.
"Your mom won't let you tell?" prodded Darwin gently.
Chicago shook her head, "Darwin, we're taught not to discuss family matters with outsiders.""
Darwin pondered for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"But Darwin, you're not just anyone to me," Chicago said earnestly. "There are things about my dad... Can I tell you in confidence?"
Darwin's hands clenched involuntarily.
He leaned in close to Chicago.
Chicago whispered in his ear: "Mom says Dad's off on a distant mission in space."
Darwin was silent.
"But I'm not some gullible three-year-old. Charles and I both know Dad left because he didn't want us. Mom's just trying to spare our feelings with this space mission story."
Chicago finished, sitting up straight. Hurt and anger were clearly etched on his face.
Darwin felt his emotions peak, as if on the verge of explosion.
That's when Chicago, sounding utterly dejected, added, "Mom can lie to us, but not to herself. She’s always been sad. I know it."
"Sad?" Darwin questioned, his eyes reddening at the corners.
He felt like someone drowning, desperate to grasp at anything, something to serve as a lifeline.
"Yeah," Chicago looked at Darwin. "Mom has plenty of admirers, but she doesn't want anyone, not even someone as great as Dagmar."
"Your mom isn't married?" Darwin asked, surprised.
Chicago shook his head vigorously. "Where did you hear such lies? Mom's never been married!"
Darwin was stunned.
He thought of his own recent willingness to be the other man, feeling utterly absurd.
"Fiona!" Darwin exclaimed internally.
"Someone needs to be punished severely," Darwin withdrew his gaze.
Right, lying and slandering Mom, that's what a bad person does!" Chicago affirmed with a vigorous nod.
If Darwin really misunderstood, how could Chicago continue with the plan to get Darwin to marry his mom?
That's terrible!!!
After eating the cake.
Chicago was sketching while talking to Darwin.
Time slipped away.
At nine o'clock, Fiona's dinner with the experts concluded.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I'm not at ease leaving the kid alone at the hospital. Let Dagmar entertain you for the rest of the evening," Fiona said apologetically.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of everyone," Dagmar assured softly.
Fiona nodded, and Dagmar then led the group away.
Fiona turned to Janna, "You should head back and rest tonight too. Come over after you've had a good sleep tomorrow."
Janna wasn't feeling her best..
Considering my role as an English native speaker specialized in translating Chinese to English, a successful American novelist, and a researcher of American TV shows and screenwriting, here is the translated and adapted version of the provided text:
I decided to see our family doctor without informing Fiona—I didn't want to add to her worries. So I agreed to her request.
After Janna left, Fiona headed back to the hospital. Her feet barely touched the ground all day; in the elevator, she leaned against the wall, almost dozing off.
Stepping out of the elevator, she patted her cheeks lightly. She didn't want her child to see her looking so worn out.
She made her way to the outside of the hospital room.
The door was ajar, and Fiona could hear the gentle, happy cadence of a Chicago accent coming from Thalassa within the room. The weariness she felt seemed to vanish at the sound.
With a smile on her face, Fiona asked, "Whose little one has such a sweet, soothing voice?"
She pushed the door open.
As her gaze drifted to the drawing area, it unexpectedly met Darwin's. “Mommy!”
From his little stool, Chicago sprang up and dashed over to Fiona, throwing his arms around her legs.
For a brief moment, Fiona paused, puzzled.
Usually, when he ran to her like this, she'd immediately crouch down for a warm embrace.
But today, she remained standing. Why?
“Mommy, does your knee hurt?”
Chicago looked up with concern.
But as he did, he noticed she was staring blankly at Darwin.
“Mommy, let me introduce myself – this is Chicago’s new friend, Darwin,” the youngster declared, scampering back to Darwin's side. He grasped Darwin’s hand and turned to him, saying, “Darwin, this is my mommy. Isn’t she gorgeous?!”
Darwin took Chicago's hand.
He looked at Fiona, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "Yeah, she's beautiful, very, very beautiful."
In that instant, Fiona felt a chill.
She knew Darwin was angry, very, very angry.
"Chicago, go to the room and stay with your brother,” Fiona said firmly.
Chicago glanced between Darwin and his mom. “Okay,” he responded, retreating to the room, looking back with each step, sensing his mother's anger.
His intent of leaving the door slightly ajar was thwarted when she closed it firmly.
“You…” Fiona started to speak.
Darwin, however, lowered his gaze with a wry smile. “Fiona, you’re not about to say that you’re just realizing I’m the Darwin Chicago has been talking about, are you?”
Fiona's hands involuntarily clenched into fists. "Darwin, my son is ill right now. I can’t waste time arguing with you about this. Whatever you want to discuss, can it wait until Charles is better?”
"Your son?"
Darwin's expression darkened ominously as storm clouds gathering overhead.
Marching over to Fiona, she instinctively shrank back, not wanting to be so close to him. But he grasped her wrist firmly, yanking her toward him.
"Fiona, isn't it time to come clean?" Darwin demanded, his eyes bloodshot, worsening his already pale complexion.
"What do you want me to say?" Fiona shot back defiantly.
"The child, he was never aborted, was he? He's alive, Charles and living in Chicago, right?" Darwin's voice was low and intense.
Fiona burst into laughter. "Darwin, don't you see how ridiculous you sound? Even if that were true, what does it have to do with you? You're the one who wanted to end their lives. Have you forgotten? Let me spell it out for you one more time. The moment you decided to get rid of them, you lost any connection to them!"
Darwin felt a headache splitting his skull.
Seizing Fiona's chin, tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. "Fiona, I know I messed up, and I've been repentant. I realized my mistake, and I've been desperately trying to make amends. But what did you do? Faked your own death, lied about our child being gone. Do you have any idea how I've lived these past five years? Loathing myself every day. If I hadn't held onto the slightest hope that you might still be alive, believing I couldn't find any trace of you, I would've ended my own life long ago!"
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