Chapter 96: Desi insists the pregnancy is Ansel’s
Ansel believed that Desi intended to do something that would make people misunderstand him even more. Therefore, to prevent that from happening, Ansel spoke up to gain an advantage for himself.
“I don’t know what your purpose is behind this blatant lie, but I have to admit, Desi, you’re a great actor. I have praise for you,” Ansel remarked with pure contempt for Desi.
“Ansel, please don’t think of me in such a negative way.” Desi used her teary eyes to evoke sympathy from everyone. “The baby in my womb is indeed yours. Have you forgotten the sweet time we spent together? I can swear that, besides you, I have no intimacy with any other man.”
Confronted with Desi’s audacious and shameless behavior, Ansel felt an irresistible urge to burst into laughter and mock her. And that’s exactly what he did. Ansel’s laughter visibly displeased the older individuals present, who believed that Ansel was displaying a lack of respect towards them.
“Ansel, I don’t understand why you’re laughing.” Desi stood in front of Ansel and continued with the lines she had prepared beforehand. “But please, stop. You’re scaring me. I know that my pregnancy is an unintended consequence for you. But I don’t know what to do. So…”
“Are you finished?” Ansel coldly interrupted, his expression now appearing rather menacing. Desi could only remain silent, waiting to see what Ansel intended to do.
“You claim you’re pregnant, so where’s the evidence?” Ansel calmly asked.
Anticipating that Ansel would request evidence, Erica promptly responded, “I went to the hospital for a check-up; here are the results; you can see for yourself.” Desi excitedly spoke, returning to her seat to retrieve the test results. She then approached and handed them to Ansel.
Ansel rudely snatched the documents from Desi’s hand; he opened them to review them with Erica.
“The pregnancy has been two weeks now,” Desi added. “The timing perfectly aligns with the period when we were together.”
Ansel paid no attention to what Desi was saying. After examining Desi’s medical records, he turned to Erica and asked, “Erica, take a look; are these results accurate?”
Everyone was taken aback when Ansel asked for Erica’s opinion. Why was he seeking Erica’s input on this matter? No one truly understood Ansel’s motive behind his action. They were so surprised that they didn’t know how to respond or intervene. They simply watched attentively, momentarily forgetting to express their own opinions.
“All the indicators mentioned here point to her being pregnant,” Erica said after examining the documents closely. “This paperwork appears to be genuine as it bears the official red seal of the hospital.”
Upon hearing Erica’s statement, a sense of relief swept over Mrs. Hani, Mrs. Emily, and even Desi.
“You heard it, Ansel,” Desi began, but her words trailed off.
“You heard it, Ansel. I…”
“However, this could also be forged,” Erica said, interrupting Desi’s statement with an assumption. Ansel nodded in agreement with Erica’s conclusion, as he had a similar suspicion.
Immediately, Erica’s comment faced opposition and denial from Mrs. Emily.
“Who do you think you are to make such arrogant statements?” Mrs. Emily lashed out at Erica. “As an outsider, you have no right to speak here. You should keep your mouth shut. Or do you have malicious intentions, trying to ruin someone else’s story?”
Faced with the heavy attack from Desi’s mother, Erica simply maintained her composure and responded gently:
“I am Erica Watson; I am pleased to meet you,” Erica replied with a friendly smile. “I am nobody significant; I’m just expressing my thoughts. Is there anything wrong with that, Madam?”
“What did you say?” Mrs. Emily exclaimed, feeling slighted by Erica’s professional demeanor.
“I understand your concerns, Mrs. Emily,” Erica replied calmly, “but I assure you that my intention is not to cause harm or disrupt anyone’s situation. I’m here to provide an objective analysis based on the information presented. If there are doubts about the authenticity of the documents, perhaps we can explore additional means of verification to reach a clearer understanding.”
“You…” Mrs. Emily intended to say something but failed to capture Erica’s attention.
“Ansel, if you want to be certain whether the pregnancy is real or fake, I have a way to help you verify.” Erica deliberately disregarded Desi’s mother and spoke directly to Ansel.
“I was actually about to ask if there’s a way to verify this without going to the hospital,” Ansel responded immediately. “If you have a method, please proceed. I want to see the true face of the audacious individual who dared to fabricate lies about the Brown family.”
“I’m more than willing to help you,” Erica said with a gentle smile.
Ansel turned to Desi and said, “I hope you will cooperate with Erica obediently. It’s all to prove your innocence.”
Ansel’s words carried a terrifying undertone of threat.
“Of course. I have nothing to fear or worry about,” Desi confidently declared, then looked at Erica and eagerly asked, “So, what should I do now?”
“It’s simple; just show me your left hand,” Erica calmly requested.
Desi didn’t hesitate and willingly extended her hand to Erica. She had no fear of this examination because the truth was that she was pregnant, just not with Ansel’s child. If Erica had a method to verify whether Desi was pregnant or not, Desi was willing to cooperate and awaited Ansel’s reaction upon hearing the news of her pregnancy directly from Erica. Unless Erica intentionally distorted the truth by saying something that wasn’t true, Desi would have a different approach to resolving the situation.
Mrs. Emily wanted to object to Ansel’s suspicious actions. However, Mrs. Hani intervened in time to prevent it. Desi’s pregnancy was real, as Mrs. Hani herself had visited Desi at the hospital and requested the doctor reconfirm it. Therefore, Mrs. Hanni wanted to see if Erica had any ulterior motives or not.
Erica gently took hold of Desi’s left hand and proceeded to take her pulse. This was a traditional Chinese technique that Erica had learned from a Chinese doctor. To be honest, this method was not truly effective in determining whether a woman was pregnant or not. Erica intentionally employed this method just to test her suspicions. However, Desi appeared very confident and showed no signs of worry when Ansel requested the examination. This indicated that Desi’s pregnancy was indeed real.
A moment of silence enveloped the room as everyone anxiously waited. After a while, Erica’s face lit up with a friendly smile as she said, “Congratulations; you will become a mother.”
Desi, despite being slightly surprised by Erica’s honesty instead of lying as she had suspected, had no intention of questioning why Erica chose to tell the truth. The joy completely filled Desi’s mind at this moment. Mrs. Hanni and Desi’s mother also expressed their happiness and forgot to ponder Erica’s motives. Why did Erica choose to tell the truth?
“See, Ansel? Doctor Erica here has personally confirmed it,” Desi said with pride as she turned to look at Ansel. She seemed to want to laugh out loud at her victory.
“Is it true, Erica?” Ansel asked calmly.
“Yes, it is.” Erica nodded.
Ansel, upon hearing this, suddenly sighed and appeared thoughtful. Seeing Ansel’s demeanor, everyone assumed that he was facing a disadvantage and that sooner or later he would have to admit defeat. Sensing the advantage on her side, Mrs. Emily immediately spoke up to add more pressure to Ansel:
“Now, what are you going to do, Ansel? You have to take responsibility and marry my daughter, right?”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
“What does Desi’s pregnancy have to do with me? Why should I be held responsible?” Ansel calmly asked Mrs. Emily once again.
“What are you saying? Everything has been confirmed, and you dare to deny it?” Emily responded in disbelief.
Ansel felt a headache from Mrs. Emily’s stubborn and irrational behavior. Instead of dealing with her, he turned to Desi and asked:
“Tell me the truth, Desi. Whose baby is it inside your womb?” Ansel was giving Desi a chance to turn around and confess.
“It’s yours,” Desi lied without wavering under the invisible pressure that Ansel created. “How many times do I have to tell you for you to believe me, Ansel? I have no one else but you.”
Ansel clenched his jaw and shook his head in denial, wearing a deeply uncomfortable expression as Desi persisted in her misguided attempt to harm him. He had given her the opportunity to come clean, to show remorse, and to seek forgiveness, but she chose to continue with her deceitful words.
Despite the swirling emotions within him, Ansel made a conscious effort to maintain his calmness. He took a deep breath, seeking to steady his racing heart and focus his thoughts. He knew that reacting impulsively would only escalate the situation further, and he was determined to handle it with maturity and clarity. Above all, he aimed to ensure that Desi could no longer deceive him.
It seemed that everyone understood that Ansel needed a little time for introspection, so they remained silent, waiting for him to complete his thoughts.