Chapter 282 Torment

Julian spoke at a very slow pace and explained everything very clearly.

It was so meticulous that Susan couldn't deceive herself, and that she only misheard what he had to say.

Susan covered her belly subconsciously, and her eyes were vacant.

If everything Julian said was true…

If she kept the baby, she would be putting her life in great jeopardy.

But if she were to abort the baby…

No, never.

Susan grabbed Julian’s hand and claimed, “But Julian, it is already a tiny life form. You felt it too right? It has already started moving from time to time.”

Despair flashed across Julian’s eyes, but he continued saying, “Susie, it’s only been three months. The baby has not even fully formed yet, and perhaps the movements we felt from before were just our own imagination. They might have only been your bowel movements. You… You don’t have to take it to heart too much.”

Imaginations Bowel movements?

“What are you talking about?! I felt them myself, those were not illusions, those were the interactions between the baby and me.” Susan had gotten a little agitated. “I can feel how much it wants to come into this world. I will not do anything to hurt it, and I definitely won’t let you do so either.”

Susan glared at Julian, jumped off the gynecology operating table, and got herself further away from him.

Susan’s alertness pierced Julian’s heart, but he continued his explanation in his bold, deep voice, “Susie, have you ever thought about it? The chances of inheritance are sky high, and if our baby inherits the disease, is coming to this world truly the best thing for it?”

If the baby were to inherit the disease…

Susan went into a trance once again, and her expression became a little dazed.

An indescribable excruciation gushed into her chest cavity and almost crushed her heart.

The baby… Her baby…

All she ever wanted was to give the best of everything to the child.

Ever since she got pregnant, she had been learning how to knit from Mama Jean, how to cook, and she also familiarized herself with all that parenting knowledge that she found online.

She had worked so hard to try to become a good mum.

However, no matter how hard she tried, still, she would not be able to change her genes.

Susan could not help but recall the time when Jacob developed a sudden heart attack, the desperate times which only an apocalypse was capable of bringing.

Knowing that she might develop the same disease, Susan was not afraid.

Life had been great. She had Jacob and Julian who loved her with all their hearts, she got her dream job, had a few close friends, and all these already made it worthwhile.

But if… her baby were to suffer the exact agony…

While she thought of that, Susan could feel her heart trembling.

“Susie, it doesn’t matter whether it’s for your own good or if it’s for the good of the baby.” Julian uttered with a deep yet profound gaze, “This baby — it is not ours to own.”

Rationally, all her senses told her that what Julian spoke of was reasonable.

However, emotionally, asking her to give up on her baby, to Susan, she would rather take her own life.

“Don’t you force me, Julian.” Susan shook her head vigorously.

Ever since the debate started, the amount of information that she had been getting was too much for her to absorb. Her thoughts were all entangled with all the chaos taking place in her brain impeding her from thinking clearly.

“Susie.” Julian, with his gritted teeth, mentioned, “I know you wouldn’t be able to make up your mind cold-heartedly. So, just leave all the decisions to me. As for you, all you need to do is just to take a nap, and when you wake up again, you won’t know or feel anything, okay?”

“But I know everything now.” Susan’s emotions escalated once again.

Julian tried to move toward Susan.

And Susan backed off immediately and yelled, “Julian Shaw, you better stay away from me! Before I make up my mind, I forbid you from approaching me within a 10-meter radius.”

At that moment, all she could think of was that she had to protect the baby.

As Susan’s emotions spiked again, Julian could only stop moving. “Susan, I can let you be when it comes to anything in life, you name it, but when it comes to this, never. This time, you’ll have to listen to me.”

No matter how rough the means were, even if Susan ended up hating him, he still would not risk Susan’s life.

Julian took another step closer to Susan carefully.

Susan's emotions got all worked up once again, and in that flustered moment, she grabbed a scalpel next to her.

“What are you doing Susie?!” Julian was shocked, “Put the knife down.”

“You stay right where you are now. If you don’t, I will… will hurt myself in front of you.” With her shaky hand, Susan pointed the scalpel at her neck, just next to her carotid.

While staring at Susan, Julian’s heart trembled with fear. All he could do was stand still again. He tried his best to not look flurried, but his voice was not cooperating well.

“Susie, calm down, put the scalpel down, I will stay here, I won’t move another inch,” Julian spoke slowly.

Susan breathed a sigh of relief, and uttered with her dry voice, “Julian, I will need some time to think about it.”

“Susie, the baby will grow, time’s ticking, dragging is not an opt…” Julian responded.

“Three days, I ask only for three days,” Susan declared decisively.

Three days? The requested time seemed to have landed in an acceptable range.

Julian answered with his slightly pursed lips, “Okay, now please put down the knife. I will give you three days, you have my word.”

“You better keep your promise.” The scalpel was shaking next to the neck as Susan’s hand was quivering.

“Of course,” Julian asserted while his heart felt like it was struck by a shuddering terror.

“Okay.” Susan did not move the scalpel away from her neck right away and stared stubbornly at Julian. “I am the mother of the child, I have a call in deciding on whether to keep the child or not. And now, I will need some time to consider it. And I don’t care what my decision is then. You’re not to disregard it. If not… Julian Shaw, if you still insist on aborting the baby, I will commit suicide right in front of you. Remember that. I am a woman of my words.”

Susan stated her terms without any hesitation.

Julian could feel her unyielding determination.

The emergence of this scene was exactly why Julian chose not to reveal the truth to Susan in the first place.

However, he had to do so now, only because of Luke’s break-in.

And as he thought about Luke, a shear instinct flashed by his eyes.

“Tell me, do you agree with my terms?” Susan’s hands were still trembling in agitation.

Looking at the shaky blade, Julian agreed to her conditions immediately. “I promise you.”

“I believe in you.” Susan powerlessly placed the scalpel back on the table.

Susan was a little befuddled after all the emotional turmoil. Her footsteps and stance began to shift and break.

Her body started shaking a little, while Julian rushed forward and hugged her in his arms.

“Julian, I think… I think I am a little weak. Carry me home.” Susan spoke faintly while she scooched over and leaned her head into Julian’s embrace.

“Okay,” Julian replied with his hoarse voice. He knew that at the moment, Susan was enduring an indescribable torment.

He had gone through the same dilemma too. However, it was different for Susan — the baby was already a part of her, and such suffering had to be countless times more excruciating to her.

Susie… His Susie…

The arm he used to carry her tightened without him knowing.