I Was Pregnant, He Chased Another Woman

Chapter 4

At Rayford Capital, Claire stood outside the Managing Director's office and gently knocked on the glass door.

"Come in."

Claire took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Charles's gaze remained fixed on his computer screen; the faint glow from the screen laid bare the coldness deep in his eyes.

"Sit down." His voice was low as he gestured to the seat across from him.

Claire pushed the plan in front of him.

Charles shifted his gaze to her face. "Ms. Jones, in five days, you've gone from Eldoria to Riverport, from being suspended for investigation to sitting here with a new plan. You're very efficient and very courageous."

Claire met his gaze directly. "Time waits for no one—and that goes double for trust. The information leak was a criminal act committed solely by my husband, Steven Lawson. The evidence is conclusive, and the police have already opened a case. This is my fault, and I do not deny it. But precisely because of this, I know better than anyone where the vulnerabilities lie, and I have even greater motivation to build a stronger firewall for Rayford Capital."

Charles flipped slowly through the plan. Around ten minutes later, he closed the folder and leaned back against his chair.

"What is the basis for your 3% damage assessment conclusion?"

Claire pulled up the 3D dynamic model on her tablet. "The leaked deal contact notes mainly include industry public information, our basic background check framework, and the non-core initial contact timeline..."

Charles closed the folder, his expression unreadable.

"The one who leaked it—your husband?"

Claire nodded. "Yes."

Charles tapped his fingertip once lightly on the desk. "After this, do you think you can still stay at your current company?"

Claire answered frankly, "I'm fighting to keep my job. Results speak for themselves."

"Sort out your personal relationships properly." Charles pulled a matte black personal business card out of his cardholder and pushed it to the edge of the desk. "There is a more suitable position for you here."

"Thank you, Mr. Roberts." She took the business card with both hands.

"You have two weeks to sort out your troubles and give me your answer." After saying this, Charles turned his attention back to the document before him.

No sooner had Claire walked out of the building than Steven called her.

"Claire, are you pregnant?"

"I got an abortion." Claire's voice was calm.

There was a two-second pause at the other end of the line, followed by Steven's forced, overly casual laugh. "What the hell are you talking about? That's a terrible thing to joke about."

Claire couldn't be bothered to waste words and hung up on him directly.

Back at her company in Eldoria, her superior said, with a look of difficulty, "Claire, your husband called to explain. He said you're pregnant and haven't been feeling well, that the family needs you to take care of it. He earnestly asked the company to be understanding—to let you return to family first. Besides, Mr. Roberts from Rayford Capital has already contacted us about the leak. We simply cannot keep an employee who has a security leak in their own household, who poses a constant risk of further information disclosure. We will give you compensation, and we wish you the best in your future endeavors."

Claire carried her cardboard box and walked out of the company building. Steven was waiting right at the entrance.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw her, and he hurried over to take the box from her hands.

His gaze on her was cautious and tentative. "Let's get in the car and go home. Mom made soup. You need to rest now."

Claire said nothing, just stared at him coldly.

Steven held the cardboard box, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Don't take the work too hard. What you need to do right now is rest well at home. Your health is what matters most. Once the baby gets bigger, you can do whatever you want. I'll support you."

"There is no baby anymore." Claire looked at him, her voice steady and calm.

Steven's fingers tightened sharply around the box, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Claire, stop joking. I know you're still angry."

Claire looked at the busy, crowded street. "You can go check the hospital records and find out."

Her eyes were clear and bright, holding no tears, only exhaustion and resolution. "Steven, this isn't my revenge against you. I just couldn't let the baby come into this world. I couldn't let a kid grow up one day having to face the ugly scene of parents plotting against each other and tearing each other apart, in a family that's already broken beyond repair, full of lies and betrayal."

Claire watched the bloodshot and stunned agony spread rapidly across his eyes, then closed her eyes wearily. "Steven, can we at least make things easier for both of us, okay?"

With that, she reached out to take her cardboard box back and turned to leave.

In the instant she brushed past Steven, he bent down. Before Claire could do more than cry out in shock, he swept her up over his shoulder in one motion, and the cardboard box tumbled and scattered across the ground.

"Steven, let me go!" Claire struggled, her fists hammering against his solid back.

Steven did not say a word; his lips pressed tight into a pale straight line. He carried her, striding toward the car, wrenched the door open, shoved her almost brutally into the passenger seat, then clicked the door locked.

He quickly walked around to the driver's side, got in, locked the door, everything in one fluid motion.

The engine started, and the car sped off down the road.

Claire pulled out her phone, her fingers quickly dialing 911.

Steven reached out with one large hand, snatched the phone from her in an instant, and flung it out the window without a second thought.

The phone traced a short arc through the air before vanishing into the dust kicked up by the rush of passing traffic.

Steven pulled his hand back, wrapped both hands around the steering wheel again, and his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip.