On Children’s Day, My Future Daughter Called—He Got Exposed Chapter 01

On Children’s Day, My Future Daughter Called—He Got Exposed Chapter 01

On Kids’ Day, I unexpectedly got a phone call from my future daughter.

Smiling, I asked her, “Sweetheart, are your mom and dad still happy and in love?”

The little girl said proudly, “Of course! Mommy and Daddy love each other so much. They never fight.”

“Daddy says Mommy is the person he loves most in the whole world!”

My face warmed, and I thought, How could Gavin say something like that in front of a child?

Still wrapped in that happiness, I kept asking, “So do you have your mom’s last name, Winters, or your dad’s last name, Grant?”

The girl fell silent for two seconds, as if she was confused.

“I have Daddy’s last name, Grant, but my mommy’s last name is Hayes. Her name is Hailey Hayes.”

I froze where I stood.

Hailey Hayes was my childhood best friend.

Just yesterday, because of a fight between Gavin and me, she had gone after him on my behalf, and the two of them had ended up in the hospital.

***

My throat tightened, and the hand holding my phone would not stop trembling.

How could this be?

Hailey and I had known each other for more than ten years. She had always been openhearted, blunt, and impulsive.

The person she disliked most was Gavin. She thought he was a pretentious snob and that he did not treat me all that well.

Furious that I would not stand up for myself, she got into it with Gavin every time they crossed paths.

Gavin had even bad-mouthed her before, and because of that, he and I had nearly broken up a few times.

The child’s voice on the phone pulled me back to the present.

“Ma’am, you still haven’t told me when Daddy is coming back to spend Kids’ Day with me.”

I forced down the sharp pain in my chest and asked patiently, “Sweetheart, how old are you this year?”

“I’m six!”

She was six.

If all of this was true, then Hailey was already carrying her right now.

My phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor as goose bumps broke out all over my body.

When Hailey and I went shopping yesterday, her clothing size had gone from a medium to a large.

I had even laughed and teased her about putting on a little weight lately, never once paying attention to the flash of panic in her eyes.

No.

That could not be possible.

“Sweetheart—”

Just as I was about to ask more, an adult voice came from the other end of the line.

“Annie, who are you talking to?”

I knew that voice better than anyone.

It belonged to the man who had slept beside me for four years.

Annie.

That was the name I had picked two days ago.

That night, I had caught Gavin scrolling through baby-name websites.

He said he was trying to choose a name for our future child.

I had teased him, asking why he was already thinking about children when we were not even married yet.

He had lowered his head and smiled, saying there was no rush.

There was no rush.

So that was why: the child was never going to be ours.

“Ma’am, I sent you a friend request. Let’s talk again next time.”

“I’m going to celebrate Kids’ Day now.”

The call ended, and I took a cab to the hospital.

As I passed the nurses’ station, I saw Gavin in the hallway outside the patient rooms.

Yesterday, Gavin and I had fought, and Hailey had stood up for me.

She and Gavin had clashed again and ended up in the hospital.

Gavin’s assistant had told me he flew to Savannah that night.

After Gavin entered the room, I walked to the door.

Gavin pulled Hailey into his arms with obvious tenderness.

“You’ve been through so much, Hailey. You even had to put on this whole act just to protect the pregnancy.”

“Once I secure the Winters family’s new project, I’ll break up with Wendy.”

“I’ll treat you and the baby like the most precious people in my life.”

I stood outside the door, my fingertips digging into my palms as I fought back tears.

Hailey sighed.

“I don’t want to do this either, but Wendy is my childhood best friend. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Haven’t you recently gotten close to a few big-shot executives? Remember to introduce some of them to Wendy when the time comes.”

“Think of it as our way of making it up to her.”

It felt as if shards of glass were lodged in my throat. I was too choked up to speak.

None of the executives Gavin had recently befriended were under fifty.

Some had even been divorced three times.

I stepped into the stairwell and wiped away my tears.

Then I called my dad.

“Dad, cancel every project the Winters family planned to give Grant Ventures.”

“As for taking over the Vancouver branch, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go next week.”