After deciding to terminate the pregnancy, I searched for nearby hospitals. Since the beginning of my pregnancy, Lorenzo had arranged prenatal checkups at an international hospital affiliated with Gonzaga Corporation.
Seeing the staggering price list at the first appointment, I pulled Lorenzo’s arm and tried to leave.
He fondly ruffled my hair. “Honey, I work hard to earn money for you and the baby. As long as the child is healthy, spending a little money is nothing.”
Though he joined the company a few years before me and became Gonzaga Corporation’s youngest general manager, I knew he had worked a hundred times harder than others, without the support of a family.
Looking back now, everything he showed me was a meticulously woven deception. He claimed he chose the best hospital for my prenatal care.
But he was also to keep a constant eye on me, the vessel carrying the heart that would keep Marcello alive.
I just booked an induced abortion for tonight. The locked bedroom door was forcefully pushed open.
Natalie’s furious voice echoed through the house.
“Patricia, why did you lock the door?”
“Patricia, if you don’t answer me, I’m calling the police.”
After unlocking the safety latch, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Natalie let out a long sigh of relief, seeing I was unharmed.
“Mom, why are you so anxious?”
Meeting my questioning gaze, she replied guiltily, “Of course I’m anxious when you don’t answer me. Why did you lock the door?”
Hearing her words’ accusation, I coldly retorted, “I didn’t lock the door. I guess there was a programming error that locked it automatically.”
“Impossible! This is the smartest door lock on the market. There’s no way the program could have been wrong. You must have locked it on purpose!” She carefully examined the lock
“This is my bedroom. It’s okay for me to lock the door to change clothes. Mom, what are you so tense about? Did Lorenzo send you specifically to spy on me?”
Hearing the accusation hidden in my playful tone, she looked up guiltily. Her eyes darted nervously at me.
“Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about? I quit my job to take care of you and the baby. How could that be called spying?”
Fearing my questions, she hurried outside to test the lock. The door slammed shut with a click. I immediately activated the interference program. The lock engaged automatically. No matter how hard she rattled it, she couldn’t open it.