Chapter 5

Zoey’s hand was shaking uncontrollably. Her tears fell onto the paper and smudged the ink. She lifted her hand and wiped away her tears. Lips pressed tightly together, she tore up the note and threw it into the trash can. Zoey knew Laurence well. She knew he didn’t like to be disobeyed.

Anyone who crossed him would see retribution tenfold. Zoey picked up the check, gripping it so hard that it crumpled in her hand. When she finally calmed down, she shoved it into her bag. She had no reason to refuse this. She needed the money more than anyone else did.

Zoey went downstairs and ate her breakfast. Right on time, Matthew, Laurence’s assistant, called her to remind her about the checkup at the hospital. Zoey hung up the phone and took a taxi to the hospital. At the hospital, she paid someone to do the checkup in her place.

Once the woman she hired came up, she took a taxi to another hospital and did a check. It would take a few days for them to generate a report, but the doctor told her that there was a 90% chance she was pregnant. There was no avoiding it.

Right after she exited the hospital, Laurence called her. “Have you gone for the checkup?”

“Yes, I did,” Zoey replied.

Laurence did not ask her anything. She knew that her medical report would be given to him when it came out.

After some chatting, Laurence was about to hang up when Zoey stopped him. “Mr. Scott.”

Laurence raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Anything else, Miss Jenner?”

Zoey knew that she shouldn’t ask this, but she couldn’t help herself. “What did you mean by the check?” she asked hesitantly.

Laurence’s voice was impassive as if he were just dealing with a business partner. “Was the note not clear enough?” He stopped playing with his pen. “It’s your compensation.”

Zoey clenched her fists silently.

Laurence continued, “I am very satisfied with your service last night, Miss Jenner.”

Even that was impassive. There was no hint of humiliation in his tone, but his words were like needles stabbing into Zoey’s heart. All she was to Laurence was a person of service. She was no different than a prostitute. Sometimes, Zoey wanted to ask Laurence if he could spare her a little affection.

But Laurence was an unfeeling man. He would never bear affection for a stranger, just like he would never take an unprofitable deal.

Zoey took a deep breath. “Bye, Mr. Scott.”

Laurence stared at his phone for a while. In the afternoon, he told his assistant to bring him Zoey’s medical report. Matthew did so quickly.

“There’s nothing unusual with Miss Jenner’s medical report. She’s perfectly healthy.”

Laurence flipped through her report placidly, only stopping for a moment at the obstetrics and gynecology section. Once he was done, he told Matthew to leave.

On her second day of vacation, Zoey received her medical report. Her pregnancy was confirmed. There was also an ultrasound photo of the fetus in the report. It was so tiny that she couldn’t even see its shape. Zoey folded up the report and placed it in her bag, her emotions in turmoil. All she could do now was go with the flow.

After a short vacation, Zoey went back to work. Anne had a lot of complaints about work while she was gone. “Mr. Scott has been on the warpath these couple of days. He’s told off everyone in the office. I think we’re going to die.”

Zoey was surprised. “He’s not in a good mood?”