One night stand with my president(chapter 610)

 

Chapter 610: I  Had a Boyfriend Before

Perhaps because she was also a mother, watching Monica now, Gracie Mendoza couldn't help but recall the feeling of holding a tiny bundle, her heart full of joy, when Alberto or Adeline Hensley was first born.

No matter what kind of person Monica was, her love for her child was undoubtedly real.

"The baby should sleep. Let me take him to bed," Gracie said. "During this time, let me stay with him at night. You get some proper rest. You must be exhausted since the child fell ill."

Seeing Gracie's concerned expression, Monica couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt.

She could tell Gracie genuinely doted on this grandson and also cared for her.

Moreover, the joy of suddenly becoming a grandmother was evident on Gracie's face.

But what would happen once she learned that this child wasn't actually Alberto's, wasn't her real grandson at all...?

What would she feel then?

She would surely be very disappointed, very angry.

Although those people had told her the truth would never be discovered by the Mendozas...

But... should she really let this mistake continue?

Just let Pharrell be a Mendoza?

This would not only wrong the Mendoza family but also wrong him...

Thinking of that gentle man who used to love smiling at her, Monica's heart ached as if pierced by needles.

Please forgive me. I'm doing this so our child can live.

He was born ill. If I don't listen to those people, they will kill our child...

"What's wrong?" Gracie asked, noticing Monica's strange expression.

"Huh? I... I'm fine," Monica said hurriedly. "I was just thinking this is too much trouble for you."

"This is my grandson. It's only right for me to put in the effort for him," Gracie said.

"Besides, the nanny helps me. It's nothing. You just rest well."

"Thank you, Madam."

"No need for such formality. From now on, you can call me Auntie," Gracie said mildly. 

"You are Pharrell's mother. Calling me 'Madam' all the time feels awkward."

Monica felt a flicker of happiness. It seemed Gracie was starting to accept her slowly, which would make things easier for her in the future.

But along with it came deeper and deeper guilt.

She tried hard to ignore this guilt.

The door to the hospital room suddenly opened.

The person who walked in was Adeline Hensley.

"You're not resting yet?" Adeline asked softly, unsure if Pharrell was asleep and afraid of waking him.

"About to."

Gracie took Pharrell from Monica's arms,

then asked Adeline, "Aren't you going home to sleep?"

"I'm not sleepy yet. It's fine. I can just stay at the hotel next to the hospital later if needed," Adeline said.

Gracie affectionately pinched her daughter's cheek and left, carrying Pharrell.

Now, only Monica and Adeline remained in the room.

Facing Adeline, Monica wasn't as relaxed as she had been earlier.

She knew very well that Adeline wouldn't be as easily softened as Gracie.

She was terrified that one careless move might make Adeline sense something was wrong.

"Would you like some milk?" Adeline suddenly asked. "I can have someone bring hot milk."

"No need, thank you," Monica quickly replied.

Adeline nodded, then asked, "Do you have time? Let's have a chat."

Hearing this, Monica's heart instantly leaped into her throat.

What did Adeline want to talk about?

She didn't want to talk, afraid she might accidentally say the wrong thing.

But if she refused outright now, it would look even more suspicious.

So, with her heart in her mouth, she said, "O-okay, sure."

Adeline smiled. "Have a seat."

The two sat down facing each other.

Adeline didn't press any serious topics, just chatted about everyday things, asked about Monica's family situation, and talked about when Pharrell was first born.

Monica's heart gradually relaxed.

Especially when talking about Pharrell, she had a lot to say.

"Pharrell... he was weak and sickly from birth and never smiled much. No matter how I tried to tease him, it didn't work. But once, when I teased him with a car model toy, he actually smiled a couple of times. He seemed very interested. It reminded me of when my boyf-"

She suddenly cut herself off, her face changing color.

She had gotten too relaxed.

She had actually mentioned that man in front of Adeline.

"What's wrong?" Adeline's expression showed no change.

"Nothing..." Monica's voice was almost strained with tension. "Just feeling a bit thirsty."

Adeline handed her a bottle of water.

Monica took it, unscrewed the cap, and took a few sips.

As she drank, she remembered what that person had told her before.

"Don't deny that you've had a boyfriend. It would be easy for them to investigate your

past. Denying it would only arouse suspicion. 

We won't erase traces of your boyfriend's existence either, because if they find even a hint of tampering, it would be hard to explain. So, just openly admit you've been in a relationship."

Even though that person had said so... suddenly bringing up her boyfriend in front of Adeline now inevitably made her uneasy.

After Monica finished drinking, Adeline asked, "Were you about to say 'your boyfriend' earlier?"

Monica put down the water bottle, smiled, and said, "Yes. To be honest with you, I had a boyfriend before. But..." She shrugged, a look of helplessness on her face. "Outsiders thought we had a great relationship, but that was just on the surface. He never cared about me, even often subjected me to emotional neglect... So, l stopped liking him long ago and had wanted to break up for a while... Ah, forget it. He's passed away now. We shouldn't speak ill of the dead. I shouldn't say more."

As she spoke, she kept her eyes downcast, not daring to look at Adeline, her fists clenched tightly.

After all, she wasn't a professional actress.

Managing to pretend like this in front of Adeline was already quite an effort.

Looking Adeline in the eye and saying these things was something she simply couldn't do.

Moreover, slandering the man who loved her made her feel uneasy and pained.

But only by saying this could she make her previous claims sound more plausible.

After all, she had said before that she liked Alberto.

If she had a good relationship with her boyfriend, how could she possibly like Alberto?

"I see. You've had a hard time too," Adeline said gently.

"It's nothing," Monica shook her head. "The past is in the past. Now, I only hope Pharrell can grow up healthy and safe. That's all I wish for."

"He will," Adeline said, reaching out to pat the back of Monica's hand.

Monica added, "Thinking about it... I used to believe I could raise him alone. But for him, that would have been very unfair. He would have grown up without a father, watching other children have both parents... Now, he can finally have a father's love, have both parents in his life."