Your First Love is Pregnant? I'm Done Being Mrs. Hawthorne!

###Chapter 53: They’re in the Little Grove

Having gotten what he wanted, Zachary Hawthorne didn’t make things difficult for her anymore, but he also didn’t explain what had happened with Adrian Pemberton.

The two of them tacitly avoided the subject, as if it had just blown over.

As it grew dark, Nina Wainwright was watching a dance performance in her room when she suddenly heard voices outside, occasionally punctuated by a laugh or two.

The voices sounded somewhat familiar, so she walked to the window.

Under the dim yellow streetlight, she saw Luna Sterling, Caleb Ford, and the short-haired woman.

Sensing Nina watching them, the three of them turned to look up at her.

Luna Sterling was the first to smile and greet her. "Nina, Zach told me this place is lovely. I also heard it belongs to Dr. Pemberton’s grandparents, so we came over to show some support."

’This should have been a good thing.’

But the sight of them made Nina feel uneasy all over.

"Oh. Well, you all have fun," she said, preparing to close the window.

"If you hate us, just say it. Why pull a long face?!" the short-haired woman sneered, her tone dripping with contempt.

"Talia, she didn’t do anything to you. Why are you being so hostile to her?!" Luna Sterling immediately put on a stern face and chided her.

"She already stole the man you like, and I’m not allowed to be hostile? She just took advantage of you being too prim and proper. That’s why I always say women can’t be too concerned with saving face. Otherwise, all the good men get snatched up and slept with by the shameless ones first." Talia Talbot deliberately raised her voice, making sure Nina could hear every word.

Unable to listen any longer, Nina shut the window.

Unfortunately, the windows weren’t very soundproof.

Outside, Caleb Ford’s voice carried through. "Hiding away here to ’recuperate’... is it a physical problem, or a mental one?"

Nina had intended to ignore him, but his words made her think of Adrian Pemberton’s injury. She grew calm and began to wonder if he had anything to do with it.

She clutched her phone, her thoughts consumed by Adrian Pemberton.

’His career was ruined because he helped me hide my pregnancy. It’s a debt I can never repay in this lifetime.’

’So I have to find out who was really behind this, and whether or not it’s connected to Zachary Hawthorne.’

Just then, the door opened.

Zachary Hawthorne walked in. Seeing her troubled expression, he asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Luna Sterling is out for a walk. Aren’t you going to join her?" Nina said, then walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

Zachary Hawthorne looked down at her, studying her expression. "Are you being jealous, or are you sincere?"

"I’m a little tired. I’m going to rest now. If you go out, please be quiet." Nina didn’t answer him, simply lying down on the bed.

Zachary, having gotten his way earlier, was in a good mood and decided not to bicker with her.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached out and squeezed her waist. "This resort is so boring. Come out for a walk with me."

"I want to sleep. Find someone else to go with you." ’Right now, all she could think about was how to investigate Adrian Pemberton’s injury; she really didn’t have the energy to deal with him.’

The words had barely left her mouth when Zachary grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him. "Find someone else?!"

Sensing he was about to get angry again, Nina quickly said, "I’m really tired. I misspoke, okay?"

She always took a yielding stance with him.

Before, it had been to coax him, but now, Zachary felt it was just impatience.

Zachary scoffed. "Nina, what on earth do you want? Or is it that as soon as Luna Sterling arrives, you decide to target her and deliberately say things to piss me off?"

’Even now, he still thinks I have a problem with Luna Sterling?’

"I told you, I came here to clear my head. If you insist on making things this difficult, I can just go back now. Why argue on someone else’s property?" Nina said calmly.

It wasn’t in her nature to argue. Even when Luna Sterling’s two companions were bullying her, she hadn’t thought to talk back.

Besides, she was pregnant.

Zachary knew she was in a bad mood, which was why she’d come here. Not wanting to argue, he simply pulled back the covers and lay down.

Nina was drifting in and out of sleep when she was startled awake by his phone on the nightstand. It was that special ringtone again.

Zachary immediately picked up his phone and answered, but not before glancing over at Nina.

Seeing Nina staring at him, he spoke into the phone to Luna Sterling. "We’re resting. Why are you calling so late? Shouldn’t you be asleep?"

"There’s a bug in my room... Caleb Ford and Talia Talbot went out to get something, and I can’t deal with it alone. Can you please come over and help?" Luna Sterling’s voice was tinged with the sound of crying.

Nina saw the hesitation on Zachary’s face.

She rolled over, ignoring him.

Still, Zachary got up and left.

Nina gripped the bedsheets, a self-mocking smile on her lips. She had been sleeping perfectly fine, but Zachary’s presence hadn’t helped her mood. In fact, it had only made things worse. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Sleep eluded her again. Her chest felt tight, as if a heavy weight was pressing down on it, making it difficult to breathe.

’Sometimes I just want to cause a huge scene,’ she thought. ’But I’ve learned that whether I scream, cry, or beg, Zachary shows me no pity. I know that whatever I do, it’s all pointless.’

’If there’s no love, there’s no love...’

Nina sat up, opened the window, and listened to the chirping of insects.

The night was deep.

After a while, Nina saw Zachary and Luna Sterling emerge from a small grove. They were strolling under the dim lights, looking perfectly matched.

They stood at a crossroads for a moment, then turned back the way they came.

’If they were really so innocent,’ Nina thought, ’they would have walked right past my window openly, not been so furtive.’

’He was supposedly just helping her with a bug in her room, but they ended up going for a walk.’

When Zachary returned, he saw her sitting by the window, staring blankly outside. His hand paused on the door. "Why aren’t you asleep yet?"

Nina turned to look at him. "I can’t sleep."

"She and I were just discussing a private matter. Nothing else happened." Guessing she had seen him with Luna Sterling, Zachary offered an explanation.

"Oh," Nina replied flatly.

Zachary sat on the edge of the bed, his brow deeply furrowed. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You go ahead and sleep. I can’t. I’m going to sit here for a while longer." In truth, Nina was exhausted, but the thought of him and Luna Sterling agitated her too much to sleep. It felt like a stone was lodged in her heart, leaving her miserable and dejected.

"I’ll mute my phone at night from now on. For now, just come rest," Zachary said, walking over to the window seat and taking her hand.

Since he had made a concession, Nina didn’t press the issue.

’It’s not like I can sleep anyway, whether I’m sitting up or lying down.’

Zachary carried her to the bed, wrapped an arm around her waist, and said softly, "There was a spider in her room. She’s been afraid of them since she was a kid..."

He trailed off, suddenly feeling the explanation was superfluous.

Nina said nothing. Her gaze fell on a spider that had already spun a web in a corner of their own room.

’Zachary couldn’t see the bugs in this room, too.’

’He only ever cared about other people.’

"Nina, are you in a bad mood again?" Zachary asked, his tone souring when she remained silent.