30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 184: A Painful Reality

"Being a single mother is not easy," the doctor said gently, her tone softening as she spoke earnestly across from Lily. "You’ll have to work and raise a child alone. Do you realize what a massive responsibility that is? Young people tend to be too optimistic, thinking everything will go smoothly. Still, the reality is that life can be very harsh."

"I can’t bring myself to give up this child," Lily nodded.

"I understand the feelings of a mother. Take your time and think it over carefully." The doctor gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "Alright, go have dinner at the hospital cafeteria, then return to your room and rest. Don’t keep getting out of bed. Although your condition is stable, you must still care for yourself."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, doctor." Lily forced a smile.

When she returned to her hospital room, the other patients sat in their beds, eating dinner. Their families surrounded them, chatting happily, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.

However, her empty hospital bed had two little kids playing a game called Go on it, and their laughter filled the room.

Lily glanced around, changed into her hospital gown in the bathroom, and headed to the hospital cafeteria alone for dinner. The cafeteria was filled with groups of people sitting together, talking, and laughing.

But there she was, all alone, suddenly struck by the realization of how truly lonely she was.

The doctor had asked her about not having a boyfriend, but what about her family? She was in the hospital, and her family should be there to support her... She needed to be on bed rest, not handling everything on her own...

Family.

She didn’t have any family left.

The only family she had was the one growing inside her belly. For the sake of this little life, she had to eat well.

She ordered a meal and sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria. She had two photos with her: one was the black-and-white ultrasound of the baby, still no more significant than an apple seed. She had planned to show it to Ethan after he agreed to her three conditions.

She had thought she had everything planned out, imagining how they would face the arrival of this little life together after she told Ethan.

But it turned out it was all just her imagination.

Ethan had a right to know, but only once she had sorted out their relationship.

The other photo was taken today at KFC, the "happy family" picture the server had taken.

Lily picked up her chopsticks and started eating. Pregnant women needed to stay cheerful, sleep well, and eat nutritious meals.

The warm lights of the cafeteria illuminated every corner, and a shadow suddenly loomed over her, refusing to go away.

Lily paused, still holding her chopsticks, but didn’t look up.

Was it Ethan?

Had he followed her to the hospital?

Lily instinctively reached out to gather the two photos on the table, but a long, pale hand gently covered hers. Though not particularly warm, a soft voice said, "No need to hide them. I’ve already seen."

Surprised, Lily looked up to see Alex Carter’s weary face. "Alex..."

Alex stood beside her, wearing a white, elegant V-neck sweater that made his pale, tired face look even more gaunt.

He seemed... more exhausted with each passing day.

"I saw you sitting there, laughing and eating happily," Alex said, picking up the KFC photo and letting out a bitter laugh. He sat across from her, his fingers brushing over the three faces in the picture.

Lily hadn’t even realized that Alex had followed them into the KFC.

He had stayed as long as they had stayed.

While they joked and laughed, he had just quietly watched.

Lily frowned slightly, looking at him in silence. Had Alex been following her and Ethan?

"Do you know how I felt?" Alex suddenly looked up, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Lily’s heart clenched painfully. "Alex..."

How could this have happened?

Alex pointed to his chest, just over his heart, and said slowly, his voice breaking, "It felt like someone was stabbing me over and over again."

Lily’s hands tightened around the table, her voice trembling, "I’m sorry."

She knew none of this was Alex’s fault. She knew how kind he had been to her, how much he cared for her... But now, she just couldn’t face him anymore.

"Lily, we’ve only been apart for two days, not two years... just two days, and yet you’re already sitting with Ethan, laughing and joking." Alex threw the photo onto the table, his brown eyes fixed on her, tears slipping down his cheeks.

Lily could barely bring herself to look at him.

His tears were accusing her of being heartless, selfish, and cold...

"I don’t blame you. Really, you’re just like I was back then," Alex said with a bitter smile, not bothering to wipe away his tears. "I immediately thought about breaking up with Alice when I found you. The moment we split, I was ready to come to you... I didn’t need time to process anything."

Lily remained silent, though her eyes stung with the threat of tears.

The man sitting in front of her had once been her dream from childhood, the man she had wanted to marry to become the happiest bride in the world...

He had done nothing wrong—he was always kind, considerate, and caring...

But she had fallen out of love.

She had once believed that her love for Alex was unshakable, that loving someone meant it couldn’t be easily transferred...

But now? She had hurt the man she had once loved so deeply.

"So, to you, I’m like what Alice was to me. You never really loved me."

Alex forced a smile, his eyes filled with sorrow as if he were saying goodbye. "It doesn’t matter whether we do the DNA test anymore. You don’t love me, so there’s no future for us. There’s no point in me holding on."

"Alex, I..." Lily wanted to say something but realized that aside from the words "I’m sorry," there was nothing else she could say to him...

And those three words... would only hurt him more.

"But I still love you," Alex added, his voice tinged with stubbornness. "I won’t keep chasing after you, though. I just hope we can forget the grudges of the previous generation and still be friends."

The grudges of the previous generation?

Her mother had had an affair with his father... That was something that could never be erased.

Seeing the way Lily lowered her head, Alex let out another bitter laugh. "Can we not even be friends, Lily? Is it that hard for you to face me?"

What had he done wrong?

Was it fair to blame him for his father’s sins?

He had spent nine years searching for her, thinking that everything would be perfect once he found her, only to realize he was losing everything...

He had gained nothing—neither her love nor her heart.

"Give me some time," Lily said quietly, her head bowed.

Maybe one day, she could untangle the knot in her heart.

"Alright, I’ll wait as long as you need," Alex replied softly. He glanced at the ultrasound photo on the table. "So, you’ve decided to have Ethan’s child?"

Lily’s eyelashes fluttered, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, "You knew?"

"Yes, I was afraid you wouldn’t marry me because of the baby, so I didn’t tell you," Alex admitted, wiping away his tears with a bitter smile. "Do you blame me?"

Lily stared at Alex in silence, then slowly shook her head. "It doesn’t matter anymore."

Their marriage hadn’t fallen apart because of the baby... It had fallen apart because of the previous generation’s mistakes.

Whether Alex had told her or not didn’t matter now.

"Lily, you’ve always been the kind of person who can’t tolerate any dishonesty," Alex said gently, his eyes on the photo. "I think you should reconsider whether you want to be with Ethan."

Lily looked at him, startled.

There was something deeper in his words...

"Your father..." Alex began, his voice calm as he explained, "He’s been buying up shares of Carter Group, and with the support of several major board members, he’s now the second-largest shareholder. He has a lot of influence over the company now. Soon, Carter Group will be completely different."

Second-largest shareholder?!

Her father had been buying up shares of the Carter Group? Where did he get the money?

"That’s not possible..." Lily shook her head, unable to believe it.

When the Anderson family went bankrupt, her father had no money left. The amount of money required to become the second-largest shareholder of the Carter Group was enormous.

"It’s true..." Alex said, his gaze steady as he looked at her. "Haven’t you ever wondered? We got off that gambling ship far too easily... And then, not long after, your father was released from prison."

Lily’s eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying...?"

Her voice trembled, filled with disbelief.

"Lily, you know what I’m saying, right?" Alex asked with a bitter smile.

"No... that’s impossible..." Lily shook her head, repeating the words.

Of course, she understood what Alex was implying. He suggested that Ethan had deliberately let them go from the gambling ship, that he had wanted her to be with Alex, to help her father’s secret plan unfold...

He was suggesting that the money her father used to buy shares came from Ethan.

But it couldn’t be... Maybe her father had hidden some money all along or had found investors. After all, her father was a business genius—he could have found other ways.

"Do you really think that’s impossible?" Alex asked softly.

"Ethan doesn’t know my father," Lily bit her lip.

"He just pretends not to know him in front of you. Think about it—doesn’t everything seem too coincidental?" Alex stood up from the table. "I’m leaving. Take care of yourself. I’ll arrange for two housekeepers to help you."

"No, that’s not necessary." Lily didn’t want to trouble anyone.

"If you’re showing signs of miscarriage, you need to rest in bed. Don’t refuse my help." Alex smiled at her before turning to leave.

Lily watched as Alex walked away, her body trembling uncontrollably...

Ethan and her father... How could they be connected?

No sooner had Alex left than two housekeepers arrived at the hospital to take care of her, moving her into a private room.

"Miss Anderson, we’ll be here to help you. Just call us if you need anything," the two housekeepers said, standing by her bed.

"Okay, you can go rest for now."

Lily lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion, but she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was spinning with everything Alex had just told her.

How could her father have had the money to buy shares of the Carter Group?

After leaving the gambling ship, she had assumed Ethan would keep attacking the Carter Group, but he hadn’t. That alone didn’t fit with Ethan’s usual behavior...

She turned on her phone, which had been off for a while, and dialed her father’s number.

When he answered, Lily hesitated. What was there left to say between them?

After a long silence, her father’s voice came through the phone, "Lily, is that you? Have you come to your senses? Come back to me, and we’ll pretend none of this ever happened."

Why did men always say, "Let’s pretend nothing ever happened"?

Could they really pretend it hadn’t?

If they could, her father wouldn’t have spent nine years in prison, still unable to let go of his desire for revenge... because letting go wasn’t possible. You couldn’t just pretend nothing had happened.