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Chapter 99: Mae, You’ve Really Changed
“There’s nothing else between us.”
“Mae!”
Mark raised his voice, but seeing Mae’s indifferent expression, he softened his tone, his pride giving way to compromise. “Consider me begging you, I have something very important to talk to you about.”
Mae raised an eyebrow; it was unusual to witness Mark lowering his stature like this just to converse with her. She found it unexpected, even intriguing. Curiosity bubbled within her. “Okay.” She agreed.
Seeing Mae’s agreement, Mark’s expression lightened a bit. Just as he was about to open the passenger door, Mae stepped toward her car, turned back, and instructed, “Just go to that cafe ahead.”
Without waiting for Mark to respond, she got into her car, revved the engine, and sped away. Mark was both frustrated and amused, and he finally gave in, opening the car door and heading towards the cafe Mae had mentioned.
After ordering coffee, Mae sat across from Mark, her demeanor casual. “What important thing do you want to talk to me about?”
Mark glanced at her, then took a moment to contemplate before handing his cell phone to Mae. “Is this you?”
Mae looked at the screen – it displayed the viral video that had taken the internet by storm. She was now known as the enigmatic “Divine Doctor.” This newfound popularity had inadvertently overshadowed her acting career, leading to a barrage of online criticism.
“It’s me, why?” Mae’s response was direct, and she didn’t deny it. Since Mark had managed to track her down, there was little point in denying her identity. Still, she was puzzled about why he needed to discuss this with her.
Mark’s pupils seemed to tighten briefly. It was uncertain whether he was shocked by the revelation. or struggling with another unknown emotion. He pursed his lips and stared at her wordlessly.
As Mark’s gaze intensified, Mae grew increasingly uneasy. Her expression cooled, revealing a hint of annoyance. At last, Mark made a move.
“Mae.”
Mark’s call held a weight of seriousness, and his dark eyes brimmed with cold intensity. Yet, beneath the icy exterior lay emotions that eluded Mae’s understanding.
Suddenly, Mark leaned in, his handsome face growing larger in her vision. Startled, Mae instinctively leaned back, only to have her movement halted as his hand firmly grasped her head. Her protest formed his name, “Mark…”
“Just how many other secrets are you hiding from me?” Mark’s voice carried an unusual hoarseness, his question penetrating the air.
Mae was taken aback by his question, her gaze meeting his deep black pupils. A tinge of sarcasm swirled within her as she contemplated his inquiry.
She felt the urge to convey that she hadn’t concealed anything from him during their year of
marriage and that she had made numerous efforts to engage with him during that time. However, he had chosen to abandon her.
Yet here he was, insinuating that she had deceived him with hidden secrets.
He wanted her to spell out that she had acquired these skills after he compelled her into an abortion and divorce, and that she had fought through hardships to attain them. No, there was no need for that. He, Mark, didn’t deserve to know.
Suppressing the turbulent emotions within her, Mae’s lips curved as she pushed Mark’s arm away, her hand brushing his skin. She tidied her slightly disheveled hair and nonchalantly stated, “Mr. Smith, How many secrets I have is not something that you need to know..”
Meeting Mark’s intense gaze, she continued, “Let’s focus on the important matter you wish to discuss.” She casually rested her chin on her palms, a faint sense of amusement in her expression. “The fact that something important enough has prompted Mr. Smith to approach me for a conversation is quite intriguing.”
Mark stared at her for a prolonged silence, his narrowed eyes hiding the hint of sadness that had inadvertently welled up within them. Finally, he reclined in his seat.
With his gaze cast downward, his lowered eyelids concealed the fleeting sorrow beneath them. “I want you to care for Jennifer Bleak’s child,” he stated, unveiling his purpose.
Mae experienced a moment of astonishment, a barely noticeable flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. She hadn’t expected Mark to seek her assistance in safeguarding the unborn child of Jennifer.
However, her surprise gave way to a soft chuckle. In retrospect, she felt a bit foolish for not immediately deducing that Jennifer’s child was the only conceivable reason for Mark to approach her in such a humble manner. She had overestimated her importance and underestimated the significance of Jennifer’s impending motherhood in Mark’s life.
Gazing at Mark once again, Mae echoed his words, “You want me to take care of Jennifer’s child?”
Mark nodded, his silence speaks volumes.
Mae added, a trace of wry amusement in her tone, “Aren’t you looking down on me too much?”
Recalling Jennifer’s tragic fall on television, Mae admitted that even if she were to treat Jennifer, she couldn’t guarantee to save the unborn child. Her sympathy for the nascent life was genuine, but she wasn’t so altruistic as to invite trouble upon herself solely out of compassion. Furthermore, it was Jennifer on the other end, accompanied by her ex–mother–in–law Rebecca, who loathed Mae deeply. Even if she could ensure the child’s safety, Mae doubted that Jennifer and Rebecca would cause turmoil throughout the process.
So why would she bother?
Returning for Sandra’s ailment was her primary focus, and other people’s problems weren’t her
concern.
Mark seemed to have anticipated Mae’s response, his cold brows furrowing slightly. However, his demeanor lacked aggression. He simply posed a counter–question, “Isn’t the pregnant woman you’ve saved more critical than Jennifer?”
Caught off guard by his question, Mae lifted her eyes and found herself locking gazes with Mark’s meaningful stare. She pondered for a couple of seconds before admitting, “Then, to be frank with Mr. Smith, I have no intention of helping Jennifer’s child.”
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Chapter 29 Mae. You’ve Really Changed
With no inclination to offer excuses for her refusal, Mae’s response was concise.
“If this is the only important matter that has brought you to meet and talk with me, then I assume our conversation is over?” Mae remarked, her tone carrying a sense of finality. She rose from her seat, intending to depart. Yet, as she moved past Mark, he grasped her wrist, halting her progress.
She cast a sidelong glance, her eyes meeting Mark’s dark, yet cold, gaze. The disappointment in his eyes wasn’t concealed. “Are you really so indifferent to life and death?” he asked, his tone tinged with reproach.
The phrase “indifferent to life and death” triggered a mixture of emotions in Mae. Simultaneously amused and irked, a wave of nameless anger surged within her. “That child has no relation to me. I don’t believe I hold any obligation to save it,” she responded, her words devoid of sentiment and strikingly pragmatic.
Mark’s lips thinned, his gaze unwavering as he studied the cold smile that graced Mae’s lips. For a protracted moment, he remained silent. Eventually, his voice emerged in a subdued murmur, carrying a hint of resignation, “Mae, you’ve truly changed.”
Changed…
Two succinct words, yet they landed like a heavy blow in Mae’s heart. Mark likely knew how gentle, considerate, and obedient she had been before him. However, he had selectively turned a blind eye to those qualities. Thus, at this moment, as she embraced a resolute demeanor and dared to rebuff him, he could aptly observe that she had transformed.
It was as if he understood that her change wasn’t just a surface transformation; it was a shift in her core. This realization, starkly highlighted by his words, hit Mae deeply.
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