Template placeholder with Chapter 128
Chapter 128:
As soon as Laura finished speaking, Janessa asked, “Why wait? Dayna’s carrying his child already. What’s the point in delaying the wedding p>
“I thought it would be better if they announced an engagement first, mostly for your daughter’s sake. Look, Jaxton and Amelia just ended things. If he marries your daughter right after that, what do you think people will whisper about her? They might call Jaxton fickle, but your daughter… they will…” Laura’s words trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken. Janessa could already feel the sting of public judgment before it even began.
Society always judged women more harshly. The Morrison family had publicly announced the engagement cancellation, and Amelia was labeled as the one abandoned by Jaxton. In Dayna’s case, she was pregnant out of wedlock—the criticism against her would be even harsher.
“Let them get engaged first,” Ricky broke the silence, his voice steady.
Once Ricky spoke up, Laura’s expression shifted, hope flickering in her eyes. “It’s just an engagement. We don’t need to pick a special date. Both families can share a simple meal together, and we’ll consider the engagement done p>
𝘋on’𝘵 𝗆𝘪𝘴ѕ 𝗻𝖾w 𝗋𝖾𝗅е𝗮𝘀es 𝗼ո
“When Jaxton and Amelia got engaged, your family threw a grand banquet, inviting countless friends and relatives. But now you won’t even hold a party for the engagement. You’re clearly trying to humiliate the Flynn family!” Janessa understood that Laura’s scorn was directed at her and Dayna, yet she made it sound as if the entire Flynn family was being slighted.
Unbothered by the accusation, Laura said with disdain, “You really want to go there? Katrina’s family has standing. And what about yours? Amelia is Katrina’s daughter, which makes her the only rightful heiress of the Flynn family. Meanwhile, you climbed your way up as Ricky’s mistress, and that makes your child illegitimate p>
Thinking about the future, Laura shuddered at the prospect of her son marrying a woman forever labeled as a mistress’s daughter. Still, circumstances forced her to let her son marry Dayna. The constant reminders of her past stung Janessa, though she had no words to push back.
She glanced at Ricky, hoping for some reassurance, but he only knit his brows and stayed silent. Helplessness crept over Janessa in that moment.
Laura and Santos arranged for the two families to meet for a meal in three days, then left the Flynn residence without so much as a glance at Dayna. After watching them leave, Janessa finally turned to Ricky. “You just let Laura humiliate me and did nothing p>
“Didn’t you bring this on yourself?” Ricky said.
Janessa stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“You were the one who pursued me, and you knew I had a wife at that time,” Ricky continued. “I kept telling you to take precautions, yet you still ended up pregnant with Dayna. You can’t pretend any of this happened by accident p>
None of his accusations were softened by Dayna’s presence. Each word struck Janessa like a blow, leaving her face pale.
The truth lingered bitterly in her mind. She had indeed pursued Ricky—but because he had led her on. She had become pregnant with Dayna because Katrina had refused to have a second child, and Ricky had desperately wanted a son. But now he acted as though she alone had orchestrated the whole thing. Frustration nearly made her lose control, but Janessa bit her tongue. Her silence made Ricky’s mood slightly better.
The Morrison Group had been plagued with issues lately, and the Flynn Group wasn’t faring much better, either. Looking back, Ricky couldn’t help but yearn for the days when Katrina had still been alive. If she were here, he believed she’d have fixed everything with ease. He regretted marrying Janessa—a woman he now saw as lacking both influence and resourcefulness.
Ricky left the Flynn residence with a gloomy expression. After he departed, Dayna couldn’t help reaching for Janessa’s hand. “Mom p>
Janessa jerked her hand away, her gaze full of anger and disappointment. “Is this really what you wanted? I warned you that Jaxton was nothing but trouble, but you didn’t listen. Now you’re even carrying his child p>
Suddenly, she grabbed Dayna’s arm and added, “We’re going to the hospital now. We’ll put an end to this pregnancy. After that, I’ll find you someone better than Jaxton p>
“Given what’s happened, do you actually believe I can marry someone from a more respectable family than the Morrisons?” Dayna said.
The question left Janessa speechless. It was painfully clear—no respectable family in all of Kretol would accept Dayna with her current reputation.
Janessa’s silence prompted Dayna to push further. “If I don’t marry Jaxton, I have no other options. The Morrison family can look down on me all they want, but I’ll make sure I become Jaxton’s wife p>
By the time she finished, Dayna’s eyes glinted with deep-seated resentment.