"Mom, please stop saying these things. He doesn''t love me!" Rosalie''s emotions were getting out of control. "If he loved me, he wouldn''t have divorced me for Cynthia, and he wouldn''t have repeatedly chosen Cynthia over me and caused me so much pain! He doesn''t love me at all!"


    "Because Theo is a fool!" Sydney said. "He wasn''t loved as a child, so he doesn''t know what love is. He himself is confused! The purpose of meeting him today is so that you two can meet and talk it out, and for you to ask him whom he truly loves!"


    "Did you arrange this meeting just so we can talk?" Rosalie took a few steps back. "No, I can''t meet him. I''ve already said we''re done with each other. I can''t..."


    "You stop right there!" Sydney grabbed her arm. "Rosalie, why are you so cowardly? What''s wrong with meeting him?"


    "He doesn''t love me! Meeting him would just be humiliating! He divorced me for Cynthia. No matter what, I can''t possibly salvage the rtionship!" Though Rosalie''s heart was in pain, and though she loved Theodore, she knew she couldn''t go back to him.


    "If he dares to humiliate you, I''ll beat him! Can you give yourself another chance? I know you''re suffering too. Seeing both of you in pain reminds me of my rtionship with his father. But I still believe that you and Theodore are different from us back then. You have feelings for each other, so it''s different!"


    Sydney''s words were usually icy, but this time her eyes held tears. She seemed to be recalling something, something that she had also suffered through. She could empathize with Rosalie.


    "Feelings for each other?" Rosalie shook her head desperately. "So what? If that made a difference, Cynthia wouldn''t be in the picture. Mom, I''m sorry. Since you''re not the one talking to Theo today, I don''t want to go."


    "Rosalie!" Sydney called after her from behind. "Give him onest chance! At least listen to what he has to say. Think carefully. Has he ever explicitly said that he doesn''t love you?"


    "It doesn''t matter what he says. What matters is what he''s done. I only care about actions," Rosalie said weakly. "So, I don''t want to hear what he has to say anymore."


    "Rosalie, you coward!" SydneyN?velDrama.Org content rights.


    stepped forward angrily. "Even if he doesn''t love you, so what? Look at yourself! You''re hiding! Just because a man doesn''t love you, you can''t face him? Why can''t you stand confidently in front of him, and let him know that even if he doesn''t love you, you can still live well? By avoiding things, Cynthia will onlyugh at you!"


    "Mom, please don''t use these tactics on me!"


    "I''m just stating the facts. The ce we''re going today was originally your home. Theo already gave you that house. If you''re afraid to live there, ~ fine, but now you don''t even want to go there. Do you really want your child to be as cowardly as you? The house is clearly yours, but you dare not have it, and you''re even going to give it to Cynthia? Like mother, like child. Do you want your child to be like you in the future, just running away from things?"


    Sydney''s words pierced Rosalie''s heart.


    Rosalie lowered her head, and touched her belly with her hand. She closed her eyes, thought deeply for a moment, then turned around and walked slowly toward Sydney.


    "I''m not running away, Mom. Since you''ve put it like that, I''ll go face him. But I believe the oue won''t change."


    "No matter if it changes or not, at least you faced your problems and didn''t avoid it. He''s the father of your child. Do you n to keep this from your child for the rest of your life? Or not telt him at all? Do you think what you''re doing is a disy of strength? In reality, you''re letting down your child. Since you''ve chosen to have him, then he has the right to know some things," Sydney said.


    Sydney patted her chest. "And I... I helped you hide this from everyone. I''m betraying my own conscience."


    Rosalie suddenly realized that Sydney had helped her keep this secret, and had taken on a lot of pressure. She was the grandmother of the child, but had to hide it from her own son. She had done everything she could.


    "Let''s go."


    Sydney stepped forward, grabbed Rosalie''s wrist, and led her into the car.