Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 47

Neil mulled it over before saying, "I need some time to think it through."

Better him needing time than straight up rejecting me. I nodded, "Alright."

After we finished our coffee, Neil suggested hitching a ride home with me since his car was gone. Of course, I didn't object.

To my surprise, we actually chatted a bit during the drive. Most of the talk was about my past excessive pursuit of him. I made fun of myself openly and Neil didn't ignore me like before.

At the entrance to Sterling Estates, I exclaimed, "Can't believe there's still a chance for us to patch things up."

"Anything can happen in life," Neil replied nonchalantly.

True that. I mean, I've even experienced a rebirth!

The servants looked surprised and curious when they saw me and him arriving home together. I told Ada to prepare lunch and rested in the living room, pondering about Barbara.

Should I tell Barbara? I was torn. Looking at Neil, I hesitated a bit before asking, "Neil, I want to ask you something."

"Shoot." Neil was reading a financial magazine across me, not bothering to look up.

"If you love me and we have a deep relationship, but we're not married, and one day I found out you cheated on me and I'm pregnant, what do you think I should do? If I forgive you, would you feel guilty and change your ways for the child?" I asked.

I couldn't say "a friend of mine" because Barbara is my friend, it's too easy to guess. I had to ask in my own name. Neil wouldn't think too much of it. After all, I used to throw silly questions at him all the time. He never responded, but I never got tired of it.

Neil frowned and his tone got serious, "Are you pregnant?"

I was startled. He didn't actually believe it, did he? I quickly explained, "No. I just saw a TV show. The plot was impressive so I wanted to know what a man would think."

"Did you take the pill?" Instead of answering my question, Neil asked back.

We had been intimate twice, but we didn't use any protection. Maybe neither of us thought it would happen, so we weren't prepared.

I reassured him, "Don't worry, I did. Plus, if you calculate the timing, I can't possibly be pregnant now."

"Oh." Neil finally relaxed, then answered my question, "He won't change. If he truly loves her, he wouldn't have cheated in the first place."

My heart sank instantly.

Thinking about the damage an abortion would do to Barbara and the pain that Norman's betrayal would cause her, I felt extremely upset.

I had to find a way to tell Barbara about this, and I couldn't delay it any longer. The longer she's pregnant, the riskier the surgery would be.

I took out my phone and texted Stella and Alicia, inviting them over for dinner. They both agreed to come over in the evening.

Just then, Neil's phone rang. Judging by his expression, it seemed like it was Bonnie calling.

"Alright, I'm coming over." As expected, Neil's tone softened instantly when he picked up the call. I don't know what Bonnie said, but he got up hastily and was about to leave.

The knife dropped to the floor. Stella was stunned.

Three minutes later, we three sat back down on the couch, discussing what to do next. Pregnancy was a big deal. We were worried that Barbara might not want to break up for the sake of the child, but we were also afraid that she would decide to abort and risk her health.

What a dilemma!

"We can't delay. The longer this drags on, the more damage it will cause her!" Alicia said with a grave expression.

"Right. Telling her sooner is better. Even if she cuts me off because of this, I can't just sit back and watch her being deceived. If we don't tell her, her child will blame us when they find out the truth." Stella agreed with Alicia.

I actually felt the same way. I just wanted to persuade Barbara with Stella and Alicia.

Suddenly, Stella's expression turned even more bitter. She hesitated a bit before saying, "Even if Norman hadn't cheated, I wouldn't recommend Barbara to be with him. The day they got engaged, I left earlier than you guys and ran into Norman's parents downstairs. What they said was... simply nauseating!"

"What did they say?" I asked.

"They keep bragging about how awesome their son is, how bright his future is, and how he's even snagged a beautiful and wealthy girlfriend. But they won't even shell out the cash for the ceremony. They're just sucking it up for now, hoping to score big from the Sands family in the future. They even had the nerve to say that Barbara's biggest flaw is having a younger brother. They're convinced that most of her parents' inheritance will end up in her brother's hands. If she didn't have a brother, all that dough would be Norman's," Stella spat out through gritted teeth.

I was fuming too. Not only was Norman playing around, but his parents were a pair of greedy vultures. Poor Barbara was so devoted to him, and she always complimented him in front of us.

If I hadn't gotten a second shot at life, if I hadn't run into Oscar Morse, I wouldn't have bumped into Norman at the bar that day and seen the real him hiding behind his two-faced mask. After my past life, Barbara must not have been happy after she married him!