Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After P... 1/7
Chapter 720 He Got Sucker Punched
Over here, Lydia was basking in the joy of successfully switching the baby. Ever since she had given birth a week ago, not a single member of the Aniston family had come to visit her at the hospital.
When Lydia was pregnant, Dalton's mother had been over the moon about the baby. But maybe because Sandra was Morton's mistress, Charlotte's attitude did completely change-she didn't
even bother to have someone check in on the child.
Then again, their indifference saved Lydia a lot of trouble. At least, this way, the baby swap had gone off without a hitch. She figured that once she was discharged and brought her perfectly healthy son back to the Aniston Villa, they were bound to love
him.
Lydia was confident. But even if they didn't, it didn't matter because this was Meryl's son. And watching Meryl's son suffer in the Aniston Villa? Now that was something Lydia would find deeply satisfying.
*****
Chandler had been wandering around outside the hospital for a long time, unable to calm down. No man could just brush off the fact that his wife had cheated on him.
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It wasn't just about the betrayal-Meryl had crossed a line, a fundamental one. And what made it worse was that Chandler had asked her, time and time again, whether things were truly over between her and Dalton. Every single time, she had sworn to him that they were.
Chandler had chosen to believe her because he wanted to.
Because he had hoped that the three of them could live together as a real family. And now? Not only had she lied to him, but the child he had been waiting so long to meet wasn't even his-it was Dalton's. And she had planned to fool him for the rest of his life?
Chandler's heart twisted painfully as he mused, "Meryl could have just been honest with me. We could've talked it out. But she didn't. Is it because she doesn't love me? Because she never cared in the first
place?
Yeah, it makes sense. This whole relationship was my idea from the start. Maybe I was the only one who ever wanted it. Maybe she was just going along with it. Otherwise, why would she have kept trying to divorce me?"
No matter how much Chandler tried to deny it, the truth was painfully clear-Meryl didn't love him. The weight of it crushed him, a searing pain stabbing through his chest as if someone was slicing into his heart, piece by piece.
He had been lingering outside the hospital for over an hour before finally heading back to the NICU when he got a call from the hospital.
Chapter 720 He Got Sucker Punched
The baby had a heart condition and needed surgery as soon as possible. By now, the little one had already been taken into the operating room.
Chandler stood outside the OR, sending Walter to handle the payment while a nurse pulled him aside into another office to sign the paperwork.
She handed Chandler a stack of documents, nearly all of them liability waivers-proof enough of how risky this surgery was.noveldrama
"Mr. Aniston, please go through these first. If everything looks good, sign here," the nurse said. Chandler barely glanced at them before scribbling his name down, letter by letter.
The nurse could tell he was out of it and assumed he was just anxious about the surgery. Trying to reassure him, she said, "Don't worry, one of our most experienced doctors is performing the operation. Your son is in good hands."
Chandler's gaze dropped slightly, his expression unreadable. "Mm." Seeing that he had signed everything, the nurse took the paperwork and left.
The surgery lasted a full five hours. By the time the doctor finally emerged, night had already fallen. "The first operation was a success," the lead surgeon said, taking off his glasses as he approached Chandler. "Make sure he gets proper post-op care and regular check-ups. When he turns three, he'll need a second procedure.
Chapter 720 He Got Sucker Punched Chandler silently nodded in response. Maybe it was the cool breeze from the window, but for the first time all day, reality settled back in.
"Thank you, doctor," he said.
The doctor politely replied, "Just doing my job."
It was a standard conversation between a doctor and a patient's family, nothing out of the ordinary. But no one knew how much courage Chandler had to muster just to say those words.
This was Meryl and Dalton's child. Any other man, upon learning that his wife had given birth to another man's baby, might have wished for the child to die right there on the operating table. But that thought never crossed Chandler's mind.
Chandler was heartbroken and disappointed that Meryl had lied to him, but he knew the child had nothing to do with it. He couldn't take out his pain on an innocent baby. No matter what had happened, this child was still a part of Meryl-and he loved her.
"Keep this from the child's mother," Chandler said solemnly to the doctor. "My wife is still recovering from childbirth. She was in a car accident before giving birth, and I'm afraid if she finds out about the baby's heart condition, she won't be able to handle it."
He knew Meryl cared about the child, so he didn't want her overthinking during her recovery. Naturally, he didn't want the
Chapter 720 He Got Sucker Punched
doctor telling her about the baby's condition.
The doctor nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, Mr.
Aniston. We'll discuss everything with you first before informing your wife."
Before long, the baby was wheeled out of the operating room. But due to the emergency, Chandler didn't even get a chance to see the baby before they were rushed straight to NICU.
Stepping out of the hospital, Chandler lit a cigarette. He didn't head home right away. Instead, he went to his usual bar, ordered a drink, and settled into a booth, slowly sipping his liquor.
He felt suffocated, weighed down. He didn't even want to go home as he still hadn't figured out how to face Meryl.
Chandler struggled with the thought-was he really supposed to act like nothing had happened and continue his life with Meryl as if everything were normal? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the unease weighing on him. His wife had betrayed him, and now he was expected to raise another man's child. As time passed, the boy would only look more and more like Dalton. How could he possibly not mind?
Halfway through his drink, Chandler turned his head and caught sight of Dalton, also drinking at the bar. Chandler's eyes instantly darkened with danger. Setting down his glass, he stood up, swung his fist, and punched Dalton square in the face.
Dalton had been minding his own business, drinking, when-out
Chapter 720 He Got Sucker Punched
of nowhere he got sucker-punched. He was about to curse, but when he saw it was Chandler, he froze. He then wondered in confusion, "What the hell is Uncle Chandler flipping out about?"
Dalton could tell Chandler had been drinking even more than he had. He reeked of alcohol, looking completely hammered, and Dalton found the whole situation bizarre.
Dalton thought, "Uncle Chandler has everything-a wife, a kid, a smooth-sailing career. Shouldn't he be celebrating? So why is he here drinking himself stupid? If anything, I should be the one drowning my sorrows. My marriage is a disaster, and my career is barely scraping by."
But Chandler wasn't done. After landing the first punch, he cocked his fist back, ready to land another one straight to Dalton's face. Dalton quickly raised his arms to shield himself. "Hey, hey! At least tell me why you're beating me up, Uncle Chandler!"
Dalton wracked his brain, but he genuinely couldn't understand why Chandler had punched him. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like it had to be about Meryl-maybe Chandler believed he had been getting too close to her.
Ever since that day in the hospital when Meryl had drawn a clear line between them, Dalton had already given up on her. He hadn't even seen her these past few days. "This is ridiculous. He's just looking for someone to take out his anger on," Dalton thought. "Ugh, Uncle Chandler must be completely wasted." "Why?" Chandler let out a sneer, the corners of his lips curling
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with ridicule. "You really don't know?" How the hell was he supposed to say it out loud? How could he put this kind of humiliation into words?