5
On the way back, Jack drove me home with a gloomy face, as if someone owed him money.
“Lily, do you really not understand what I wanted you to persuade my mom about?” He finally broke the silence.
“I don’t,” I replied.
This time, he didn’t bother to pretend anymore and spoke his true thoughts: “I don’t agree with my mom’s pregnancy. They’re both getting on in years, living on just a few thousand dollars of retirement money each month, barely making ends meet. How can they afford another child?
“They’re old and think raising a child now is the same as when they raised me, just needing to provide food. But we young people know how expensive kids are these days, from clothes to gadgets. Not to mention all the tutoring and extracurricular classes when they start school. Looking even further ahead, what about when the kid gets married? It’s all money. But my parents don’t have much savings, so it’ll all fall on us. I’ve checked, and in my parents‘ situation, we’d have legal responsibility to support the child.
“When we get married, we’ll have our own family to worry about. With mortgage and car payments, the pressure is already high enough
without having to raise this child. Moreover…
Jack suddenly took my hand, looking at me with apparent deep affection: “We’ll have our own baby too, and we’ll want to give them the best we can afford. So I have to be ruthless about other children.”
His analysis of pros and cons and apparent consideration for our future was quite deceptive. If I didn’t know his true nature, I would have surely been fooled by his manipulation.
Suppressing the urge to pull my hand away in disgust, I sighed lightly: “Ah, what you say makes some sense, but what can we do about it?”
“I’ve thought of a solution, but it might inconvenience you a bit, Jack said, his eyes gleaming.
“Oh?” I was curious to see what devious plan he had come up with this time.
“My parents won’t want to get rid of the baby directly, so we need a reason that forces them to do it. We could say your parents think having another child would be too much of a burden in the future, and they’re forcing you to break off our engagement unless the baby is gone. What do you think?
“My mom likes you so much, she definitely wouldn’t want us to break up.”
Looking at Jack’s hypocritical, disgusting face, I really wanted to spit in it.
Not content with using me as a pawn, he was now targeting my parents.
I frowned, my tone unfriendly: “Jack, what are you implying? Making my parents the bad guys to take the blame? You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you!”
“No, it’s not scheming. I’m just thinking about our future,” Jack hurried to explain.
I snorted, “Hah! Our future? If we really used your method to force your mom to abort the baby, wouldn’t she hate me? The relationship between a mother–in–law and daughter–in–law is already difficult to maintain. If she resents me before I even join the family, how could I have a good life?
“My parents have worked hard all their lives to build a good reputation. For your family’s mess, they’d have to bear the infamy of forcing someone to abort a child. You really know how to come up with ideas.
“Jack, if you’re a real man, go talk to your mom yourself. Don’t act like you want to have your cake and eat it too. You say it’s for our future, but you’re only thinking about yourself. I can’t believe how two–faced you are. Disgusting!”
With that, I got out of the car. I couldn’t risk upsetting the old woman with a baby in her belly.
But there was no need to be polite with this scumbag of a man. He deserved to be scolded and confronted.
