Chapter 3

"Why is she pregnant with someone else's baby? When I came closer and heard more, I learned she said she won't break up with you, that the wedding is just postponed until after she gives birth."

"What kind of situation is this?"

"Our Richard family may not be wealthy and powerful, but we're decent people. How can we allow this kind of nonsense?"

Before I could speak, Charles stood in front of Clara, using his body to shield her from everyone's judgmental stares.

"What are you implying?"

"Are you saying we're indecent?"

"No, young man, but aren't you being indecent?"

Someone pointed at Charles with moral outrage.

"That woman is someone else's fiancée, yet she's pregnant with your child. That's not just indecent, it's morally corrupt."

There were many onlookers. They weren't helping my mother and me—they were just bored and looking for drama.

The accusations grew louder. Charles and Clara were encountering this situation for the first time.

I looked at the handprint on Aunt Sarah's face and asked Charles with a dark expression:

"Did you hit her?"

"Yes. She had a foul mouth and insulted Clara."

"Bam!" I hit him back with equal force. Clara screamed.

"What are you doing? Charles didn't hit the wrong person."

"You should control your aunt's mouth instead of hitting Charles."

As she spoke, she angrily took off her engagement ring and threw it at me.

"Everyone, please quiet down. We're not the kind of people you think we are."

The surrounding noise died down. Once it was quiet, Clara helped Charles face the crowd.

"He and I are the real couple. As for him—"

Clara pointed at me. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke:

"We broke up a long time ago. He's been shamelessly stalking me, saying his mother is seriously ill and dying soon. He's using moral guilt to make me feel too bad to hurt him."

"Tell me, what should I do?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the criticism that had been directed at them turned toward my mother and me.

My face was full of anger.

"Clara, you're talking nonsense."

"First, the day I found out you were going to have someone else's baby, we broke up."

"Second, I never stalked you. Third, my mother's health really isn't good, and she didn't know anything about..."

"Not stalking? Then what was that just now?"

"You humiliated me and attacked Charles."

"You almost made us look like the indecent ones."

I stared hard at Clara. After meeting my eyes for a few seconds, she guiltily looked away.

Charles gripped her hand tightly, giving her courage.

My mother cried and tugged at my hand.

"Son! Did you two really break up?"

"Were you really the one shamelessly stalking her?"

"Mom, I didn't..."

"Tsk, you say you didn't, but then why would your mother attack that young man?"

"Exactly. If you two hadn't broken up and she had wronged you, we could understand you hitting him. But that's not the case!"

"Right, make her apologize."

Aunt Sarah believed me, but everyone else insisted I was shamelessly stalking her.

Finally, my mother slapped me and then knelt down before Clara and Charles.

I couldn't stop her in time and could only watch as she apologized to Charles.

"I apologize on behalf of my son. He was immature and caused you trouble."

"From now on, please rest assured, Steve Richard won't stalk you anymore."