Chapter 32
"Nancy, why did you suddenly come back?" Ella's eyes showed uncontrollable panic when she saw me come home.
After all, she had just been stirring up trouble, and she couldn't be sure how much I had actually heard.
I looked at her with extremely cold eyes and continued questioning. "Keep going. Weren't you just telling such a vivid story? Why did you stop as soon as I arrived?"
Seeing my attitude was off, Ella quickly put on a smile and tried to smooth things over with an apology. "Nancy, it's my fault for saying the wrong thing. Please don't hold it against me. I was just too worried about you."
Ella wasn't stupid enough to argue with me in front of my mom—after all, she still needed to maintain her image.
I stared at her coldly without saying a word.
Seeing my silence, Ella became even more guilty and didn't even dare to look me in the eye.
Just then, Michael suddenly spoke up, clearly taking my side. "I don't know when I bullied Nancy. Speaking carelessly has consequences. Ms. Garcia, can you take responsibility for what you said?"
Ella couldn't afford to offend Michael. No matter how much she disliked him, she wouldn't go against him.
Ella kept apologizing to us with a forced smile.
When I felt she'd learned her lesson, I pulled out a fake smile. "Ella, I'm doing this for your own good. After all, people outside aren't as easy to talk to as Michael and me."
With that, I pulled Michael to sit down, completely ignoring Ella's pale face.
The atmosphere in the living room felt off, so my mom deliberately changed the subject. "Nancy, I asked you and Michael to come because there's something I need to confirm."
As she spoke, my mom's expression gradually became serious, but she hesitated to continue, as if weighing her words.
I sensed it and asked directly. "Mom, if there's something, just say it."
Hearing my response, my mom sighed but became resolute. "Nancy, are you pregnant?"
As she asked, my mom unconsciously glanced at my belly.
"What? Pregnant?" I was shocked.
My mom had called Michael and me over late at night just to confirm something that didn't even exist.
Seeing my reaction, my mom's expression became even more complicated, but she still tried to persuade me. "Nancy, if you are, just tell me. I'll help you."
I found it utterly absurd.
Michael and I had only been together for such a short time—how could I possibly be pregnant?
Worried my mom would misunderstand further, I quickly denied this ridiculous claim. "Mom, I'm not pregnant. It's way too soon for that."
Even so, my mom's eyes still held doubt as she coaxed me gently. "Nancy, I hope you'll tell me the truth. I'm definitely on your side."
Seeing that my mom still didn't believe me, I made it even more direct. "Michael and I haven't gone that far. There's no way I could be pregnant."
The most intimate thing we'd done was that time at the wedding house, but even then we didn't have sex.
But my mom's expression became even more complicated as she carefully brought up, "But you and John were together for so many years. I saw it all. If..."
That was when I understood why my mom didn't believe me.
I raised my voice and seriously denied it again. "Mom! I'm not pregnant, and John and I never went that far either!"
Seeing how firm I was, my mom finally relaxed. She handed me her phone. "Nancy, see for yourself."
On my mom's phone screen were several chat screenshots sent by her friend.
The content was about an anonymous account deliberately spreading rumors in a socialite group that I was pregnant before marriage.
And that I rushed to marry Michael because I wanted to find a rich father for the child, hoping to use the baby to tie myself to the Johnson family.
My mom never liked listening to gossip, so if it had reached her ears, who knows how wildly it had spread privately.
"This is complete nonsense." Michael grabbed the phone from my hand and gave it back, denying it on my behalf.
I was actually surprised that Michael believed me so completely.
I firmly stated my position to my mom. "Mom, I'm willing to be with Michael for no other reason than because he loves me enough and treats me well enough."
Seeing my attitude, my mom was completely reassured and seriously advised me. "Nancy, I believe you're a sensible child. Since you're going to get engaged to Michael, you don't need to associate with those irrelevant people anymore."
I nodded seriously and intertwined my fingers with Michael's. "Mom, I will."
After handling that, Michael and I left the Smith Villa together.
In the car, Michael controlled his emotions and gently comforted me. "Nancy, don't worry. I'll have someone handle all this gossip."
Hearing this, I firmly refused and stopped him. "No need. I know who did it, and I have a way to handle it."
The moment I saw the chat records on my mom's phone, I had locked onto my target.
The only person who could hate me enough to harm me secretly like this, besides Susan, I couldn't think of anyone else.
"What do you want to do?" Michael asked.
I smiled and spoke mysteriously. "You'll find out when the time comes."
Since Susan was being ruthless, she couldn't blame me for making my move.
I remembered that in my past life, Susan got pregnant around this time.
If I remembered correctly, she was already pregnant now—I just didn't know whose child it was.
In my past life, I was the one who accompanied Susan to a checkup when we accidentally discovered this. Although my relationship with Susan wasn't what it used to be, if I took the initiative to ask, she probably wouldn't refuse.
After all, at this point, she wouldn't choose to have a falling out with me—I still had some use to her.
My rebirth changed the trajectory of my fate with Michael, but things regarding Susan shouldn't have changed, so the pregnancy would definitely happen.
And if I wanted to turn things around, I could use this very situation.
Seeing my determination, Michael chose to trust me and stopped interfering.
After getting home, I put on a helpless appearance and reached out to Susan for help.
The phone only rang for a few seconds before Susan answered.
I told her about being slandered. "Susan, come with me to get a checkup. There are rumors now saying I agreed to get engaged to Michael because I'm pregnant. I don't want John to misunderstand."
Hearing my words, Susan became somewhat wary and deliberately tested me. "Nancy, who do you really love? Aren't you going to marry Michael?"
I knew she was suspicious, so I made up an excuse. "Of course, I love John. Given the current situation, I can only compromise. Otherwise, I have no way to stand against the Johnson family and my mom."
Susan believed my excuse after just a moment and readily agreed to accompany me to the prenatal checkup.
I timed it carefully and invited Susan to go with me to a hospital invested in by the Johnson Group for a public health checkup.
Susan didn't suspect anything and accompanied me, while I used this excuse to coax her into getting checked as well.
The comprehensive checkup took some time, and Susan and I waited together for the results.
Before long, our checkup reports came out.
I grabbed both reports from the doctor's hands, anxiously flipping through Susan's results.
When I got to the last page, my pupils contracted uncontrollably, and my emotions surged with excitement.