Penelope raised her eyes, squinting against the bright sunshine. She asked, “Have you ever been to New York in October?”
Warren paused, wondering if she was starting to recall something.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I was just thinking. You seem familiar,” Penelope replied, squinting her eyes as if trying to remember.
“It’s been almost two months. Have I finally become familiar to you?” Warren chuckled, not providing a definitive response.
Penelope lowered her head, her eyelashes fluttering. “I’m feeling a bit tired. I want to rest now.”
Bypassing him, she lifted her heavy feet and began to climb the stairs.
“I’ve been there,” he admitted, still facing away from her.
His voice remained calm.
Penelope halted and turned back, her expression filled with surprise.
He continued, “I’ve been debating whether I should tell you, given your memory condition. You’d probably never remember me.”
Penelope felt like her entire being was torn between two conflicting forces. One urged her to accept that the father of her child was indeed him, while the other reminded her of the possibility that he had spent a night with another strange man.
Slowly, he turned around, locking his sharp and clear eyes on her. “I initially suspected that you were faking not to recognize me until I learned about your face blindness. Then I realized it’s not an act, and you really can’t remember me.”
“We…” Penelope’s voice trembled as she struggled to find the words to respond.
The memory of that night rushed back into her mind like a relentless tide, and she attempted to superimpose his face onto the hazy image from that time. The overlapping was almost natural.
Penelope felt her strength gradually shrinking, forcing her to grasp the railing for support as she struggled to compose herself.
He continued, “I don’t regret that night with you. I just feel sorry for Asher.” While he said that, he closely observed her reaction.
He was a cunning businessman, willing to test whether her feelings for Asher were genuine or if she held expectations for him. However, his plan seemed destined for failure.
She bent forward and began to ascend the stairs slowly, denying him the opportunity to notice her true thoughts. Her silence was her response.
A lump formed in his throat, and a wry smile appeared on his face.
Without uttering a word, she had conveyed everything to him.
****
She had finally found the baby’s father, but Penelope’s happiness didn’t match her expectations. Even though she had suspected him and even prayed for that man to be him, it was all based on impossibilities, a delusion, as some would call it.
After all, he was so decent; how could he have had a one-night stand?
He was so tall and majestic; how could he have had a one-night stand?
He had been so… loved by her; how could he have had a one-night stand?
She was a person who had survived through despair, and he was the best man in the world. How could they have ended up together?
The most ridiculous thing was that they were going to have a baby.
How could she tell Asher? “Thanks to you, I found my baby’s father. Oh, he’s your uncle.”
How could she tell Warren? “Oh, I’m sorry, the contraceptive measures failed that night. I am pregnant. It’s yours. And I am cooperating with your nephew to lie to your family and pretend that the baby is his.”
She was ashamed to face the truth.
Mrs. Brown knocked on the door from outside. It was nine o’clock in the morning, and she knew she should get up and have breakfast.
Penelope’s eyes were sore, and she didn’t want to open them, not even for a second.
Warren stood in the corridor, watching Mrs. Brown as she went downstairs. Then he reached out and pushed the door open.
Penelope was exhausted and agitated. She had been in a state of extreme turmoil, but her body was actually very tired after a long night of restlessness. “Didn’t you sleep last night?”
Penelope opened her eyes instantly and looked at the man in front of her. “How did you come in?”
“If you’re worried about Asher finding out, I won’t say a word.” He stood in front of her bed, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot.
“Asher and I…” Penelope hesitated for a moment and then chuckled, “Never mind, thank you for keeping it a secret.”
Warren’s expression turned icy, as cold as frost.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t usually engage in such activities with strangers.” Penelope felt like he was judging her, so she instinctively defended herself.
“Oh, I must be the fortunate one.” He replied sarcastically.
Penelope retorted, “Don’t you remember that you pulled me in?”
“You don’t even remember who you slept with. Should I remember that part?” Warren shot back.
Penelope blushed, feeling like their conversation had taken an unexpectedly erotic turn.
“I won’t talk nonsense. You can rest assured,” Penelope retorted, curling her lips.
“That’s good,” he replied through gritted teeth.
Penelope looked at him strangely. She had promised not to talk nonsense, so why did he seem even more annoyed?
Warren abruptly closed the door behind him and left. It was clear that he wasn’t feeling relieved at all; it seemed more like Penelope had irritated him.
Penelope lay back down, her mind wandering as she stared at the ceiling.
It was a surreal thought that she had actually slept with him.
If only she had known she would fall for him, she would have cherished that moment more.
Now, it seemed like her chance was slipping away, and she might not have another opportunity like that again.
****
In the following days, Penelope would reflexively lower her head every time she saw Warren as if there were piles of dollars waiting for her on the ground.
However, in the following week, he didn’t appear before her as if he were deliberately avoiding her.
In fact, by the third day, Penelope realized that her behavior might have been too unnatural, making him feel uncomfortable. So he, in turn, began avoiding her.
Grace patted her head with a brush and asked, “I heard you had a big argument with my Uncle Warren. What happened?”
“Nothing serious, I made a small mistake,” Penelope replied absentmindedly.
“Hey, it’s not easy living with the elders. You never know their taboos. It’s definitely a generation gap!” Grace empathized with her.