Chapter 545

Susan's heart kinda dropped, but she didn't freak out.

Maybe 'cause she already had a hunch she was pregnant and just hadn't faced it yet.

Now she was like, "So, it's true. I'm really pregnant."

The reality was staring her in the face.

But things with Caleb were solid now, so it wasn't gonna be as messy and painful as last time.

She thought, 'Since I'm pregnant, I'm definitely keeping the baby. I'll welcome my third kid. It might not be a daughter; maybe another son. By then, Candy would have an older brother and a younger brother, which wouldn't be bad, right?'

Of course, as a mom, Susan kinda wanted a daughter.

But if she did have a daughter, could she promise to treat them all the same?

She had that little worry too.

This surprise baby threw a wrench in her plans, so she felt a bit torn.

Susan wasn't sure if she should tell Caleb the news right now. If he knew, he'd probably be happy, right?

"Susan? Susan? Why didn't you answer when I called you?" May barged into the bathroom.

Susan instinctively hid the pregnancy test behind her back.

"What's up with you? You look all jumpy. What are you hiding back there?" May asked.

"I-I'm not hiding anything."

Because Susan was so nervous, the pregnancy test slipped from her hand and landed right at May's feet.

May quickly picked it up and looked at it, her eyes wide. "You're pregnant?"

Susan bit her lip.

"Is it Mr. Eilish's?"

"Of course it's his." How could May even ask that?

A flicker of jealousy flashed through May's eyes.

Susan already had a genius son, and now she was knocked up again. Caleb was definitely gonna spoil her even more.

Why did Susan's life always seem so perfect, like she was cruising through it?

May secretly bit her lip.

But every time she felt that way, she'd try to squash the jealousy, reminding herself to stick with Tyler and get out of the Wilson family. Then, no matter how great Susan's life was, it wouldn't matter to her.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just surprised, 'cause you always said having Candy, one boy and one girl, was enough. I thought you were done having kids."

"Yeah, that was the plan. This was a surprise. I didn't expect to get pregnant again, but since I am, I'm keeping the baby."

"If it's a girl, can you promise to treat them all the same?"

May's question hit a nerve with Susan.

"I don't know. I'll try my best. At least I'll make sure Candy has everything she needs and grows up well."

May sighed, "That's just what you think. Being a stepmom isn't easy. It might be a thankless job. She might feel left out and always see herself as an outsider."

May thought of herself. She knew that feeling of being an outsider all too well. It was painful. Comparing, feeling jealous, wondering why she wasn't the biological child, feeling unbalanced and inferior.

She couldn't help but start to feel sorry for Candy.

What a poor kid.

"I'm worried about that too, and afraid that even if she seems okay, she'll have some inner discomfort."

"Susan, you really love Mr. Eilish, don't you?"

"Yes." Susan nodded without a second thought.

"Have you ever thought about..."

Susan frowned, "Are you saying I should get rid of the baby? No way! Caleb wouldn't let me do that either."

"I'm just saying. Didn't you say Caleb loves Candy a lot? I'm worried he'll be in a tough spot."

"I'll do my best to balance everything. Asking me to abort the baby is out of the question."

May quickly backpedaled, "Whoa, how did it turn into me asking you to abort the baby? It sounds like I'm the bad guy here. I was just asking what your plans were."

"I know. Anyway, I'm definitely keeping the baby," Susan said firmly. "But Candy hasn't warmed up to me yet, and Caleb's worried about that. So, I don't plan to tell him now. I'll wait until Candy's more accepting of me."

"Okay, as long as you have a plan."

"May, don't tell mom and dad either. Keep it on the down-low for me."

"Got it."

"I'll head to work now."

After Susan left, May couldn't chill. She was restless and irritable, finding everything annoying.

May knew she had a knot in her heart, but she'd been able to keep her emotions in check recently and had planned her future. But Susan's pregnancy felt like a bomb dropped into her once calm heart, making her unsettled again.

May was so upset that she didn't even want to go to work. She stayed home, bored and increasingly irritated, and called Tyler.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"At this time, of course, I'm at work," Tyler answered gently.

"Are you free tonight? Let's hang out."

"Working late tonight."

May frowned, feeling even more annoyed, "Working late again? You've been working late for three days straight."

"Yeah, there's a backlog of work, so business has been crazy busy lately. Can't help it."

"Really? You don't have another woman, do you?" May couldn't help but ask.

Although Tyler wasn't as good as Caleb, he was still a catch and had plenty of women eyeing him. She always felt a bit insecure.

Working late for three days in a row, is it really that busy?

She realized she had been the one reaching out to Tyler lately. He was less attentive than before, rarely asking her out. But May wasn't sure if she was just being paranoid. She had always been a bit insecure.

"One woman is enough for me. Where would I find the time for another?" Tyler laughed. "If you don't trust me, do you want to come to the bank and check on me?"

"Sure, I'll come over now." May stood up. She hadn't been to his workplace yet.

"Don't be silly. This is a bank, not like your own company. It's inconvenient and would cause gossip."

"Is it that serious? Do you think I'd embarrass you?"

"If I thought that, I wouldn't have introduced you to my parents. Isn't that enough to reassure you?"

May thought about it. If Tyler was just playing around, he wouldn't have had his parents come all the way from Libertonia.

Thinking of this, May felt more at ease.

Maybe she was just in a bad mood and overthinking things.

"I was joking. I just miss you. Can't you make time tonight?"

"No, I have to work until at least midnight."

"Should I bring you a late-night snack?"

"No need. You should rest early. Staying up late isn't good for you. How about this weekend? I'll make time to be with you, okay?"

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

May hung up the phone. The thought of staying at home irritated her even more. She still wanted to go out.

After hesitating, she called her bestie, "Are you free tonight?"