My "Goddaughter" Is His Secret Child

Chapter 4 A Difficult Deal

"Claire, I need you to stay calm and hear me out," Mark insisted, his arm creating a barrier as he leaned against the car, effectively trapping me between him and the door.

He started listing my faults. "You grew up without a steady family. You've got personality challenges. You know that as well as I do. You're too independent, too focused on your career. What man could handle that? And then there's the fact that you can't have children. Don't you think that affects me? My parents might not voice it, but they're really concerned. The fact that I've stuck with you as your boyfriend for seven years is the best commitment I can make."

Mark came from a stable family, both parents well-educated and without a hint of prejudice toward me. They had treated me like a daughter over the years. I felt I had reciprocated through Mark.

Right then, Yvonne gripped my sleeve, tears spilling onto my hand. "Claire, Mark's put up with so much! He had a major fallout with his family to stay with you and was even kicked out. Since you can't have children, let me do it! I'll take on the shame to give birth to Vivi for both of you. She's such a sweet girl. She can be there for you in your old age."

Mark nodded approvingly at Yvonne and turned sincere eyes toward me.

"Think of the 60,000 dollars as my way of making things right. Accept Vivi and the three of us can make it work."

He even reached out to tidy my windblown hair. "Since you can't have children, Yvonne has done this for you. You have no idea how hard childbirth is. You should be grateful to her."

As I gazed at his familiar face in front of me, I couldn't help but chuckle at its ridiculousness. It was strangely liberating. It kept me from feeling any anger.

Seven years had slipped by as I waited for his proposal, yet he always seemed swamped, with urgent matters that couldn't wait.

Somehow, though, he managed to juggle a mistress, whip up meals for another woman, and play the doting guardian to someone else's child.

My parents had turned their backs on me, and now it seemed children of my own would never be in the cards. I realized I was a solitary thread in this tapestry of life, destined to weave in and out alone.

With a deep breath, I willed a single tear down my cheek, an emotional relic of seven tearless years, meant just for his benefit.

"I'm sorry. Right now, it's too much for me to handle," I murmured, my voice artfully shaky with emotion. "I need some time to come to terms with it."

Mark's face visibly softened, a smile creeping onto his lips. He bent down, his breath warm against my forehead, and kissed it. "I knew you'd see sense."

I didn't flinch, kept my composure, and even mustered a smile, "I should be going. You should get some rest."

With that, I eased the car out of the villa's driveway. In the rearview mirror, the scene was like a postcard of contentment, a picture-perfect couple bathed in warm light at the entrance.

At home, I punched in a number. "Mr. White, is the overseas position at the Brinton branch still on offer?"

His voice, tinged with surprise, crackled down the line. "Yes, we've been waiting on you! The salary is double. How soon can you depart?"

"Right tomorrow," I replied confidently.