Chapter 8 Embarrassment

Yvette always knew when to stop and what language and attitude to employ to make someone not want to continue the conversation.

As expected, as soon as she fell silent, Albert didn't continue either.

The two of them awkwardly fell into silence, reverting to their usual false harmony.

Albert shrugged slightly, then put his hands in his pockets and said, "I'll take you back."

Because Yvette was pregnant, Albert was considerate enough to offer her a ride home despite any tension between them. The evening breeze was a bit strong, and he took a detour, consuming more time than usual. Yvette didn't think about anything along the way; she simply looked quietly out the window. Occasionally, as the car entered a tunnel, she would suddenly catch a glimpse of Albert's profile through the window, causing her to stiffen involuntarily.

Finally, they arrived home. As she was about to get out of the car, she suddenly heard Albert's deep voice.

"Wait."

She turned to find him unexpectedly close, leaving her stunned and tense. He gestured towards the seatbelt; it turned out the strap of her bag had gotten caught in the seatbelt buckle. He made a gesture, and she silently complied by sitting back, bringing the two of them very close.

The windows were tightly shut, and no music was playing inside the car, creating a serene atmosphere. She could even hear the sound of both of their breathing.

He focused on unfastening the buckle that was stuck together, his breath falling on her left earlobe and a bit of skin exposed by her sweater collar, giving her a sense of helplessness.

After he undid the buckle, she breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out her bag strap.

"Take it slow," he said.

Yvette, too avoidant to look at him any longer, turned and opened the car door, walking away without a backward glance.

She had to admit that she couldn't resist his careful attention, but she knew deep down that it was just his basic manners, nothing special.

After walking a few steps, her mood was still complicated. When she turned back again, Albert's car had already merged into traffic and soon disappeared, just like his occasional tenderness towards her.

Walking on the road, she saw many self-built houses and dormitory buildings on both sides. She turned left into an old community. The six-story building's exterior was dilapidated, the light from the motion sensor lights was dim, and the sound insulation was poor. Voices could be heard from each household, and the pungent smell of cooking oil wafted out, making the house look particularly rundown in the bustling city area.

Yvette hadn't reached her home when she spotted Sylvia sitting on a bench downstairs.

Yvette hadn't considered evading the situation; it's just that she hadn't quite figured out how to broach the topic with Sylvia at this moment.

Approaching Sylvia, Yvette fell silent for a moment before carefully asking, "Have you been waiting long?"

"I was about to head home, but I grew concerned and decided to stay. I haven't been here long," Sylvia replied, lifting her head to look at Yvette. She inquired, "And you? Who did you come back with?"

Sylvia was astute, and Yvette understood that concealing the truth was no longer an option. She didn't want to resort to more lies; lying was exhausting, and once you started, you had to keep at it.

"Albert."

Sylvia stared at her, her voice trembling, obviously hesitating. "Yvette, can you tell me what's going on?"

She took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Sadness in Sylvia's eyes was immediately replaced by shock. She said, "What are you talking about, Yvette?"

"I'm pregnant, and the child is Albert's, so we got married."

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday."

Sylvia was outraged, her voice raised. "I'm asking when did you sleep with Albert!"

Yvette lowered her head, looking at her toes. The white shoes had been dirtied at some point, and they looked unsightly.

She moved her foot, hiding the dirty shoe behind, then, in a low voice, said, "Two years ago, when I just started working at the Aviation Hospital, a colleague took me out for drinks, and I met him. At that time, you were still at Central Hospital."

Sylvia frowned, asking, "And then? It's been two years from then until now. Why didn't you ever mention it? Do you not consider me a friend? I even tried to create opportunities for you and Victor to be together. Are you playing me?"

As Sylvia became more and more agitated, Yvette immediately shook her head in denial. "No. I really didn't mean to hide it from you."

"I just didn't know how to say it." Yvette raised her head, looked into Sylvia's eyes, and tried to smile. Her smile seemed to express her disgust with herself. "We weren't in a relationship; we were just sex partners," she paused for a moment and said, "Maybe because I'm getting older, I felt a bit lonely, so our relationship has been like this for two years."

Sylvia's expression remained unpleasant as she listened. She became angrier as she listened. "Then how did you get pregnant? Are you out of your mind? Do you think he'll love you just because you're pregnant? We went to the same high school, and you should know very well that Albert has someone he likes!"

Sylvia's words made Yvette feel extremely embarrassed. Yvette knew more than anyone else about these things, but she still let herself fall into this situation.

From childhood to adulthood, she was seen as a well-behaved, sensible, rule-abiding girl by everyone.

In her lifetime, she had only done two impulsive things: maintaining a secret relationship with Albert for two years, and marrying him.

This was a mistake right from the start, but she was unwilling to admit it. She averted her gaze and insisted, "He has a high income, his family is wealthy, and I married him because he's well-off."

Sylvia gazed at her in silence, aware of her unease and feigned strength. After a while, she spoke, "Stop lying to me. You've liked Albert since high school, haven't you?"

Sylvia's words instantly exposed the secret Yvette had hidden for years.

Avoiding eye contact with Sylvia, Yvette instinctively denied, "No."

Sylvia frowned, looking at Yvette with a somewhat pitying gaze.

"That year we made those bracelets together, I saw Albert wearing one. Although the whole class made bracelets at the time, yours was a bit burnt; I accidentally burned it for you. There wouldn't be a second one exactly like that bracelet."

After a few seconds of silence, Sylvia continued, "I even thought he might like you too, but a few days later, he got together with Violet."

"I often talk to you about Albert; it's just because Albert has nothing to do with us," Sylvia said, her voice choked up, "I never expected that the 'cheap girl' everyone gossiped about was you."

"Albert will never fall in love with you, Yvette. Don't let yourself get so miserable."