I trudged back home, and my parents immediately guessed I must have had a breakup.
They both tacitly avoided mentioning anything about inheriting the family business.
But I didn't expect the aftermath of the breakup to hit me so hard.
I don't know why, but my appetite suddenly dropped.
Just seeing greasy food made me nauseous, and I could feel myself losing weight. My mom was heartbroken.
She personally went and bought me cake from Royal Pastry Shop.
Oh no, they had been bought out and changed their name.
Now, it's called "E & Co. Bakery."
What a tacky name.
At least I could still eat cake.
My mom gently patted my head, speaking softly, "Old things must go for new things to come. That jerk didn't appreciate you, but there are plenty of people who would."
A lump formed in my throat, and tears quickly welled up in my eyes.
I tried to hold back the tears, not wanting my mom to worry.
I forced a smile and said, "Mom, I'm fine. He's just a man! There are so many of them out there. With how amazing I am, why wouldn't I find someone who truly cares for me?"
My mom nodded repeatedly and seized the moment to recommend, "I mentioned that guy from the Hamilton family before—the one who bought the cake shop. I heard he's single now, maybe you two…"
She was clearly thinking about setting me up with someone.
Finally, she added, "Just do it for your parents' sake."
Since my mom said so, I had no choice but to nod. "Mom, you go ahead and arrange it."
My mom was overjoyed, repeatedly saying, "Good, good, darling, I'm so glad you've come to your senses!"
Maybe I had eaten too much cake; my lower abdomen ached slightly that evening.
I rubbed my belly for a while and then suddenly realized: I hadn't had my period for two months!
An unsettling feeling surged in my chest.
Half an hour later, sitting on the toilet, I stared at the two lines on the test.
I went numb.
For a moment, I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad.
I was so angry that I almost wanted to find Josh right then and there, bite him, and kick him a few times.
By morning, I was still in a daze.
My mom barged in early, pulling me this way and that, picking out skirts and drawing on my eyebrows.
I vaguely remembered her saying last night, just before bed, that she had an arranged date for me today.
What's the point of a blind date when I'm pregnant?
I looked up and saw my mom's long-lost smile, and suddenly, I didn't have the heart to speak up.
Since I got home, however long I've been sad, my mom has been just as sad.
Now that I finally saw her happy, why would I spoil it?
It's just a blind date, after all. I'll ruin it if I need to.
I rubbed my flat belly, thinking to myself: "Little one, today, it's all on you!"
We arrived at an upscale restaurant with extravagant décor.
Before we even entered the private room, I kept my head down and followed my mom, determined to leave a bad impression on the guy.
Not for any reason, but because, like Josh, his last name was Hamilton.
He's gotta be trouble!
"Eleanor, come here. This is Mr. Hamilton."
Mr. Hamilton?
Instinctively, I looked up, and the man in front of me was none other than Josh.
At that moment, my mind went blank, and my ears buzzed.
He's Josh?
It really was him!
So, the guy who bought the Royal Pastry Shop was also him.
I wasn't the only one staring dumbfounded.
The others were too.
But Josh reacted faster than me, quickly regaining his composure.
As expected, men are heartless.
I couldn't help but sneer, "Oh, Mr. Hamilton, shouldn't you be moving bricks on a construction site?"
Josh calmly stared at me, asking, "Miss Jensen, shouldn't you be serving plates at a restaurant?"
Both my mom and his mom froze.
After glancing at the elders' faces, Josh smiled and said, "Just kidding."
