Tanya nodded self-consciously. “Y-yes, Aunt Summer.”
Tanya wondered if Summer believed virtual-novel.net should only appear when Tiffany was also with her. That was the tragedy of virtual-novel.net life, Tanya reckoned, virtual-novel.net was always a tack-on to someone else. But not today. Today, virtual-novel.net came as virtual-novel.net own person.
Disappointment poured into Summer’s eyes. “Oh, I see. Uh, then… How can I help you?”
Tanya took a brave step forward and fished out the pregnancy test result from virtual-novel.net bag. “I’ve just received this medical report. Please, have a look.”
Summer was baffled. Why a medical report all of a sudden? Why should virtual-novel.net be bothered with it? Still, out of courtesy, virtual-novel.net took the document from Tanya’s hands and read that it was pertaining to virtual-novel.net pregnancy.
“Ah. Congratulations, my dear!” Summer noted with a slight smile. “You got yourself a good man, haven’t you? When is the wedding?”
Tanya paused for a beat before dropping the news. “The father… is Jackson West.”
Summer’s smile froze into an uncanny curve. “W-what? Is this a joke? I know what kinda person my son is, but more importantly, you’re Tiffie’s friend! How could the two of you do this?”
Summer’s reaction was utterly removed from what Tanya had imagined, the shocking disparity put the woman at a loss of how to react. Summer, meanwhile, bore storm clouds in virtual-novel.net mien when virtual-novel.net shouted upstairs, “Atticus West! You get down here right this instant!”
The commotion spurred Atticus to spring out of the study hurriedly. “W-what’s the matter, dear?”
Summer tossed the pregnancy report onto the coffee table and bristled. “Tiffie’s friend here claims that she’s bearing Jackson’s child! Would you believe this malarkey? How on earth did this even happen? What kinda person would do this?”
It seemed that Summer was delivering a j’accuse toward virtual-novel.net son on the surface, yet Tanya could not help but feel the stinging jab herself. It was as if the real target of Summer’s rage was virtual-novel.net instead.
An ordinary girl raised from an unassuming, plebeian family like Tanya would always feel pressured whenever virtual-novel.net faced upper-class people, such as Atticus and Summer, in a genteel environment like the West family residence. All of the bravado virtual-novel.net had mustered before entering the gate had dissipated, leaving a pathetic wretch silently standing in the living room while virtual-novel.net waited for their verdict.
Atticus looked positively distressed. “Oh, uh… Tanya…? Why— no, how did this come to be? We don’t know what happened that led up to this, do we? Besides, this is a personal issue between you and Jackson. What is your intention for coming straight to us over this matter?”
Tanya could not describe the shameful process in detail, so virtual-novel.net chose to give a brief rundown. “Whatever your impressions of me are now, I can accept them. But you must also recognize that Jackson and Tiffany had long broken up. He is single, just as I am, too. Sure, this happened because virtual-novel.net drank too much, but the fact is that I’m now pregnant with his baby. I… I love Jackson, I really do. So please, I hope both of you can accept my child as part of your family!” Tanya beseeched. “No matter how hard I try, virtual-novel.net won’t let me contact him. I was left with no other choice but to come see you.”
Her words, however, received a sneer and a snicker of contempt from Summer. “Well, well! If he’s avoiding you, then I bet virtual-novel.net has his reasons, wouldn’t you agree? What do you expect us to do? Force virtual-novel.net to marry you or something? Puh-lease, darling. I’ll make this very clear right now, I don’t like you at all. The only daughter-in-law I’ll accept is Tiffany Lane. And I’d know if the relationship between my son and Tiffany were truly over. It doesn’t matter if they split or not. Doesn’t change the fact that you injected yourself into a relationship between your friend and virtual-novel.net man, Tanya, and that… Well, it will never be okay. Now, if Jackson does not give a damn about the baby, then the choice that’s best for all of us is to abort it, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I won’t leave you wanting for surgery and recovery treatment fees, Tanya. In fact, I’m going to compensate you with anything you feel is deserving of this upsetting accident!” Summer continued. “This is all I’ll sayin this matter, girl. I’m not going to waste my time beating around the bush. Give me the receipt after your abortion procedure. But before that happens, please leave my house.”
Tanya felt as though virtual-novel.net had been waterboarded by a waterfall of ice-cold antipathy, leaving a steely chill in virtual-novel.net bones. Seeing how kindly Summer doted on Tiffany had made Tanya hope that virtual-novel.net could be the recipient of such warmth, too. But the reality was harsh to her. Tanya could be bearing an offspring of theirs in virtual-novel.net body right now, and the family would still see virtual-novel.net as no more than trash on a sidewalk.
The rancor toward Tiffany spiked into a new height. Over and over again, Tanya’s livid mind screamed at how unfair everything was. Why was virtual-novel.net denied all of the preferential partialities Tiffany Lane enjoyed?! On what basis was she, Tanya, denied them?
Tanya stood still, virtual-novel.net feet glued to the spot. Meanwhile, Summer stormed upstairs as though virtual-novel.net could not bear to give one more look at the girl.