CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 41: Pregnancy and Marriage (Part 1)

True, she had once said she would never leave him. She had even believed she could do it. She had thought that even if he rekindled his old flame with Juliet Jennings, as long as he still needed her, she wouldn’t leave. But when it all actually happened, she realized she wasn’t nearly as calm as she’d imagined.

For instance, agreeing to her father’s suggestion today was partly to ensure Ian Shaw would have no regrets, and partly to spite him.

Her words and calm reaction fanned the flames of rage in Julian Donovan’s chest. He rose to his feet, walked over to her, and bent down, hooking a finger under her chin. He smiled, a wicked and cold expression on his face.

"Fine. Go ahead and get married. But until you do, you’re going to stay right by my side and make good on your word!"

She cried the moment he started, saying nothing, no longer resisting, just letting the tears fall. This only fueled his anger, and the force of his thrusts grew heavier. Afterward, long after he had gone upstairs to shower, she remained curled up on the sofa, crying silently.

He was furious and ignored her. She stayed curled up on the sofa all night.

After that, they remained at a stalemate. She no longer called him "Julian" in that endearing way, chattering on as she used to. Instead, she silently prepared his breakfast and dinner each day. She didn’t speak to him, and he certainly wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence.

What infuriated Julian Donovan the most was that she actually started going out to meet the men Ian Shaw had arranged for her. However, every time she did, Julian would take his anger out on her that night, tormenting her in increasingly vicious ways.

The two of them continued in this cold, silent, and violent cold war for over a month. During this month, Ian Shaw grew thinner and his complexion worsened. Coupled with Julian Donovan’s demands, Naomi Shaw felt like she was in a daze every day, utterly exhausted in both mind and body.

If it weren’t for Ian Shaw’s grave illness, Naomi Shaw thought she and Julian Donovan would have stayed locked in this stalemate forever.

That day, after Ian Shaw collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, his attending physician—perhaps feeling that Ian Shaw was truly beyond saving this time and that there was no need to hide it from Naomi Shaw any longer—told her the direct truth.

When the four words "late-stage stomach cancer" registered in her ears, the already exhausted Naomi couldn’t bear the blow. Her vision went black, and she fainted.

"Miss Shaw is a month pregnant. It’s crucial that she avoid any major emotional distress. Please make sure she stays calm!"

After the doctor finished examining Naomi Shaw, he said this to Julian Donovan, Tyson, and Mrs. Sommers, who were waiting outside.

Everyone was shocked by the doctor’s words, especially Julian Donovan. After a moment of stunned silence, he strode forward and grabbed the doctor by the collar, his eyes glinting with a cold light.

"What did you say? Say that again."

The doctor, unaware of the tangled relationship between Julian Donovan and Naomi Shaw, simply looked at Julian calmly and stated the truth.

"She’s been pregnant for over a month!"

The doctor’s firm words brought a complex expression to Julian Donovan’s face. He finally shoved the doctor away and strode out.

’How is that possible? He had demanded she use birth control from the very beginning, and for the past two years, she had done a good job of it, never making a mistake. For her to get pregnant now, of all times... He couldn’t help but suspect her motives. Could it be that she didn’t want to marry someone else, so she was using a baby to force him to marry her?’

After Julian Donovan left, Tyson and Mrs. Sommers exchanged a silent glance. Tyson’s eyes were filled with pain. Mrs. Sommers shook her head, patted his arm, and then turned to go in and check on Naomi Shaw. Ian Shaw was still in the emergency room; it went without saying that his situation was dire.

The first thing Naomi Shaw did when she woke up was bolt upright in bed, grabbing Mrs. Sommers’s hand and asking anxiously,

"How’s my father?"

Mrs. Sommers held her hand, comforting her in a soft voice.

"Naomi, don’t be anxious. First, let me tell you about your own condition!"

’Ian Shaw’s condition was already what it was; being sad wouldn’t change anything. But Naomi really needed to do as the doctor said and avoid extreme emotional swings. She was carrying a small life inside her now, even if the child’s father didn’t seem to be looking forward to its arrival.’

"My condition?"

Naomi Shaw looked at Mrs. Sommers in a daze and mumbled the question. Mrs. Sommers looked back at her and told her cautiously,

"The doctor just examined you. He said... you’ve been pregnant for over a month!"

Naomi Shaw was stunned. Her pale hand instinctively went to her lower abdomen. ’A child? She was having his child?’

A flicker of joy she herself didn’t even notice appeared on her pale face. Seeing this, Mrs. Sommers took the opportunity to persuade her,

"So you need to control your emotions. The baby is the most important thing now. Your father’s condition is what it is. We all have to face it calmly."

To be honest, Naomi Shaw was very much looking forward to this little life. It was his child, and she cherished anything related to him. But the moment she thought of Julian Donovan, all her joy and hope vanished. She lowered her gaze, her expression dimming.

"Does he know? I think... he won’t want this child..."

’From the very beginning of their relationship, he had warned her to use birth control if she didn’t want to "have an accident" and end up on a hospital operating table. This "accident" must have happened because she’d been so distracted lately, forgetting to track her safe days, forgetting to take her pills. Ever since he went to Port Sterling to see Juliet Jennings, her mind hadn’t been at peace. On top of that, with Ian Shaw’s poor health, she had completely forgotten about contraception.’

Mrs. Sommers comforted her.

"Yes, Julian knows. But he hasn’t made a decision yet. Don’t be so pessimistic. The only thing you need to do right now is keep your spirits up!"

Ian Shaw also knew about her pregnancy. If it weren’t for this, he really would have married her off to someone else. But now that this had happened, Ian Shaw decided to fight for her one last time. He would use the mentorship and kindness he had shown Julian Donovan over the years, use the final request of a dying man, to make Julian marry her.

A bitter smile crossed Naomi Shaw’s face as she heard Mrs. Sommers’s words. ’Is there any point in waiting for his decision? He’s definitely not going to want it!’

She threw back the covers and got out of bed.

"I should go see my father first."

Mrs. Sommers looked at her, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself. In the end, she followed her to Ian Shaw’s hospital room. When they arrived, Julian Donovan was just coming out. The expression on his face was terrifyingly grim. When he saw her, he shot her a harsh glare filled with both anger and scorn. She flinched, assuming he was furious about her accidental pregnancy.

She went in to see Ian Shaw. He was leaning weakly against the headboard. The tip of her nose tingled, and tears began to stream down her face.

"Dad..."

Ian Shaw raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face, feigning a complaint to Mrs. Sommers.

"Sommers, didn’t you tell her about the baby? Why isn’t she being more careful? I don’t want my grandchild to be born a crybaby!"

Naomi Shaw only cried harder. ’This child will never be born, so how could there be a grandchild?’ Ian Shaw frowned.

"Alright, alright, stop crying, or Dad’s going to get angry!"

Naomi Shaw wiped away her tears, sobbing softly.

"Dad, seeing me like this... you must be so disappointed, right?"

’He must have never imagined she would be with a man for two years without any official status, and even get pregnant out of wedlock. If word got out, she would bring utter shame to the Shaw name in all of Qindale.’

Ian Shaw suppressed his own heartache and stroked her soft hair.

"Disappointed? Why would I be? No matter what, you’ll always be my precious girl."

’Just now, Julian Donovan had already agreed to his request. He would marry her, and he would allow her to have the child. Although forcing Julian’s hand like this was dishonorable, it was the only thing he could do for her as a father. He could only hope that after they were married, their relationship would slowly improve. Besides, from what he and Mrs. Sommers had observed, Julian wasn’t completely devoid of feelings for her. If he truly felt nothing at all, he wouldn’t have kept her by his side for two years, would he?’