Chapter 4

Back to reality.

Knowing my mom, she wouldn't let things go easily after being outmaneuvered.

Sure enough, during the toast, she spoke to my in-laws, her voice as loud as a bell,

"Oh, I truly have nothing but good things to say about David!"

"Although I don't approve of getting pregnant before marriage, or having to rush a wedding..."

"But for you to accept that Maya contracted syphilis, that truly shows responsibility!"

Whoosh. The surroundings fell silent.

Everyone's ears perked up, their expressions a mix of gossip and surprise as they stared.

My in-laws, who had been smiling warmly, instantly changed their expressions.

My fiancé David stared at my flat stomach in disbelief!

I took a deep breath. " Brenda, the stand-up portion is over. Please stop making such jokes."

David also snapped back to reality, shielding me. "That's right, Brenda. Even if you're trying to rush us to have kids, don't joke like that."

"Maya and I aren't in a hurry to have a baby."

"You didn't know she was pregnant?" My mom didn't take the hint. Instead, realizing David's "ignorance," she brightened, instantly raising her voice excitedly. "Could it be that the child isn't even yours?!"

Seeing David's face stiffen, the buzzing around us growing louder, and my in-laws' expressions becoming increasingly grim, her eyes lit up even more, her mood soaring.

"My goodness! My poor David, aren't you being a naive man taking on someone else's baggage?!"

"That's enough, Brenda Johnson!" I couldn't hold back anymore, sharply shouting, "How can you say such things?!"

"First pregnancy, then syphilis! What kind of mother spreads rumors about her own child?!"

At that, my dad immediately bristled. "Maya, how dare you talk to your mother like that?! Show some respect!"

At this point, many relatives who had watched me grow up began to speak up for me, interjecting with advice.

"Brenda, it's Maya's big day today. Stop talking nonsense."

"That's right, you can eat anything you want, but you can't just spread rumors about someone having a disease!"

This really got my mom riled up.

She yelled at the top of her lungs, stomping her foot, "Look at what you're all saying! I'm her mother; would I ever wrongly accuse her?!"

"Fine, then let me show you all what these are!"

Saying that, she frantically pulled out several photos from her phone!

Everyone craned their necks to see.

She had captured me frequently entering and exiting the hospital's obstetrics department.

She had photographed a stack of appointment slips and a tube of syphilis medication in my drawer.

She had images of my phone, showing my online inquiries about syphilis.

She had even hastily taken pictures of a pregnancy test result and a syphilis diagnosis report on my phone!

At this point, my mom stood with her hands on her hips, looking triumphantly at me.

I stood there, dazed, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me.

I never thought she would secretly follow me, or even go through my drawer and phone!