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

###Chapter 62: How Did You Two Sleep Together?

Nina Wainwright found it laughable.

After standing there for a long moment, she turned and went back inside.

As soon as a maid saw her return, she hurried over to greet her. "Mrs. Hawthorne, why are you back so early? Isn’t Mr. Hawthorne with you?"

Nina just hummed in response.

’Why would he come back? After embarrassing Luna Sterling, of course he has to go and placate her.’

Nina went back to her room, sat down, and rubbed her belly. She whispered, "It’s okay, baby. Mommy will find a way to get you out of this cage."

’Talia Talbot and her friends had hurt her time and again, but she wasn’t one to be bullied.’

She sat for a while before Zachary Hawthorne returned.

The moment he entered the room, he saw the red mark still on her cheek. He came over, sat beside her, and asked, "Why didn’t you have a maid put some ointment on that for you?"

Nina looked up at him. "If I told you I was the one who slapped myself, would you hate me?"

"I suspected as much. Talia Talbot wouldn’t have the nerve. Why did you do it?" Zachary Hawthorne’s fingers gently touched her cheek.

"She was blocking my way and wouldn’t let me leave. I slapped myself, and she was so startled that I managed to escape." As Nina spoke, she leaned into his embrace. "I won’t go again, okay? She was yelling at me, and it made me feel terrible."

"There won’t be a next time," Zachary Hawthorne promised her.

This was the first time she had willingly nestled into his arms since their fight.

"Will Luna be angry that I made such a scene? Did you talk to her? She mentioned asking me out sometime. I can apologize to her then," Nina said in a soft, gentle voice.

’She wanted to see Luna Sterling more often, to learn more about her past with him.’

’If she could get evidence... something to force him into a divorce, that would be for the best.’

Zachary Hawthorne patted her on the back. "She was just talking. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to."

’He had been so agreeable at the dinner table, only to change his tune the moment he got home. It seemed he was just trying to placate both sides... afraid that if I spent time with her, I would learn the details of their past.’

But Nina didn’t care anymore.

’There would be other opportunities to meet.’

"I’m a little tired. I want to sleep," Nina said, pulling away from him.

It was already getting late.

Zachary Hawthorne hummed in agreement. "I’ll go take a shower and join you."

That night, Zachary Hawthorne was uncharacteristically well-behaved. It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time.

The next morning, Nina Wainwright was at home watching a recording of a stage play when Zachary Hawthorne sent her a video.

She opened the video and saw Talia Talbot apologizing while slapping herself across the face. She watched for only a few seconds before quickly closing it.

Just then, Zachary Hawthorne’s call came through. She answered, her voice laced with confusion. "What was that video about?"

"Are you satisfied with her apology?" Zachary Hawthorne asked gently.

Nina Wainwright bit her lip and frowned. "I wasn’t angry anymore. It’s fine."

"I am," Zachary Hawthorne said calmly.

Nina just said, "Oh."

’So that was it. When Talia yelled at her yesterday, she had offended him too. That was why he was angry.’

"If you’re not satisfied, I can have her apologize a different way," Zachary Hawthorne said.

"That’s not necessary. I want to ask you, if Miss Sterling invites me to go out, should I go?" Nina Wainwright didn’t want to dwell on the issue with Talia Talbot.

As far as she was concerned, the incident was over the moment she left yesterday.

"Go if you want to," Zachary Hawthorne said nonchalantly.

Nina Wainwright made a bit more small talk with him, and after hanging up, she began to anticipate Luna Sterling’s call.

That afternoon, she was on the sofa watching the play, growing drowsy, when her phone suddenly rang.

Nina saw it was a call from Luna Sterling and immediately answered. "Miss Sterling, I saw the video. I didn’t expect Zachary Hawthorne to be so hard on Talia Talbot."

"It was Talia Talbot’s fault... it has nothing to do with you. Are you free right now? I was thinking of inviting you to browse some jewelry stores," Luna Sterling said, her tone gentle.

"I am. I get so bored sitting at home every day. But I have to call Zachary Hawthorne first. I can only go if he gives me permission," Nina Wainwright said.

Luna Sterling was silent for a moment, then said with a laugh, "Alright then. I’ll wait for your call."

Nina hung up and sent a message to Zachary Hawthorne.

After Zachary Hawthorne replied, she got ready and left the house in a simple outfit.

Luna Sterling had driven over to pick her up.

She tilted her head back to look at the architecture of Avelon Residence. Such a massive estate... such a luxurious home.

And yet, the woman walking out of it was of common birth, dressed just as ordinarily.

"Miss Sterling." Nina Wainwright knocked on the car window.

Luna Sterling immediately unlocked the doors.

Once Nina was settled in the car, Luna Sterling immediately said, "Do you like night markets? I was thinking after we’re done shopping, we could go check one out."

"You don’t have to go to a place like that just for my sake," Nina said. ’Someone with Luna Sterling’s status would surely avoid night markets at all costs.’

"No, it’s not that. I want to go myself. My family background might be good, but I’m not so different from you. When I was a student, my favorite thing to do was eat grilled skewers from street stalls. Every time Zach saw me, he’d get so angry and forbid me from eating them, saying they were dirty. What’s so dirty about them?" she said, smiling as she reminisced.

Nina silently filed that away and followed her lead. "You and he were childhood sweethearts, weren’t you?"

Luna Sterling paused for a second before quickly changing the subject. "That’s all in the past. I wasn’t trying to show off. I just thought I’d share some amusing stories about him since we both know him."

"It’s fine. I’m not so petty as to get jealous over everything," Nina said flatly.

’In the past, she would have felt a pang of bitterness... but now, she felt nothing.’

"Nina, about the baby... I am so sorry. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about it for a while now. He doesn’t know I’m pregnant... and I hope you won’t tell him," Luna Sterling said, her face a mask of self-reproach.

Nina Wainwright didn’t understand her.

’If Zachary doesn’t know, why tell me?’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Then why are you telling me? You could have just kept it a secret," Nina said coolly.

"I had thought about trying to have him for myself, but then I saw how well he treats you, and I realized you’re a good person. I feel like I was wrong, and I really regret what I said to you back then..." Luna Sterling’s voice was filled with guilt. "I’m truly sorry... and it’s because of all this that Talia Talbot has been targeting you."

An uncomfortable feeling settled in Nina’s stomach. "How did you two end up sleeping together?"

She knew she shouldn’t have asked. Yet, not asking felt unbearable. Now that the words were out, she felt like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.

Luna Sterling bit her lip and was silent for a long time before finally speaking. "The day I came back, he was so happy. He drank too much, and... we slept together. I was scared the next morning, so I left early. He probably doesn’t remember."

A chill went straight to Nina’s core.

She clenched her fists, her chest tight with a bitter ache. "I see..."

"Nina, I know I’ve wronged you. Please, pick out whatever you want today. I don’t know how else to make it up to you... I’m also so sorry about what happened at the resort. I was furious when Talia said those things yesterday. I truly feel so guilty," Luna Sterling apologized, her eyes red.

All Nina felt was a crushing sense of powerlessness.