Chapter 348: She Is Not My Mom!

Chapter 348: She Is Not My Mom!
[Sarah]

The coffee shop Nathan had chosen was typical of his shallow preferences—expensive enough to make him feel important, but lacking any real substance. I sat in the private corner booth, my hands resting on my pregnant belly, watching him approach with that practiced charm that used to fool me completely.

"Sarah," Nathan said, sliding across from me with barely concealed eagerness. "I have to admit, I was shocked to get your call. What's this about a business deal?"

I studied his face—handsome in that generic way that had once appealed to me, but now I could see the weakness beneath the surface, the calculating glint in his eyes as they kept drifting to my obvious pregnancy.

"Money is no big deal for me," Nathan continued, trying to sound casual. "Actually, Nora and I don't really have any relationship. I thought she was you when I first approached her, that's the only reason I even talked to her..."

The desperate way he tried to distance himself from Nora made my stomach turn. Still playing all sides, I thought with disgust.

"Nathan," I said, cutting through his rambling, "how much did your startup make last year?"

His confident expression faltered immediately. "A few hundred thousand, I guess," he mumbled, his face flushing with embarrassment. "I know I'm not exactly successful. What I make in a year, my uncle probably makes in a single day."

The pathetic admission hung in the air between us. I let the silence stretch, watching him squirm before leaning forward.

"Nathan, I'm prepared to offer you one million dollars."

His eyes went wide, and I could practically see dollar signs reflecting in them. For a moment, his mask slipped completely, revealing the greedy, desperate man underneath.

"If that price is acceptable to you," I continued smoothly, "we can continue our conversation."

Nathan's whole demeanor shifted. Despite his obvious excitement, he tried to maintain some dignity. "Sarah, given our history together, I'd help you even without payment!"

The lie rolled off his tongue so easily it made me want to laugh—or slap him.

Instead, I smiled coldly. "Would you really? Like you helped me when Wilson was blackmailing me?"

His face went pale. "Sarah, I was in an impossible position back then! I couldn't afford to refuse her demands!"

"How convenient," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You were just another victim of circumstances."

"If you betray me this time—" I started, but Nathan was already scrambling to defend himself.

"Sarah, I really had no choice! Wilson had me backed into a corner. I had to listen to her!"

I leaned back in my chair, studying him with new eyes. The desperation, the excuses, the complete lack of accountability—it was all so predictable.

"Nathan," I said quietly, my voice taking on a dangerous edge, "do you think just because Wilson is dead, all your dirty little secrets died with her?"

The color drained from his face so quickly I thought he might faint.

"Forget about the million dollars," I continued, enjoying the way he flinched at each word. "You're going to help me, and I'm going to keep your secret. Because if I tell Theodore about that the Wilson's baby is actually yours, do you really think he'll let you just exist at all?"

Nathan's hands were visibly shaking now, his breath coming in short gasps. "Sarah, please—"

"Don't look so terrified," I said, softening my tone just enough to give him a glimmer of hope. "If you handle this job well, I might consider some compensation. Mess it up, and you get nothing except my continued silence."

As we prepared to leave, Nathan's expression had turned bitter and resentful. His face was dark with emotion as he looked at me with something approaching fear.

"Sarah," he said, his voice heavy with accusation, "you've changed."

I paused, tilting my head to study him. "Have I?"

"You're not the sweet, innocent MIT student I used to know anymore," he continued, his words laced with disappointment and anger. "You've become just like Victoria—cold, calculating. I feel like a fucking ant standing next to you."

His crude language revealed just how rattled he was. I considered his words for a moment, then smiled—a expression that made him take a step back.

"Nathan," I said softly, "have you ever considered that everything around you has been evolving, while you've been standing still in the same pathetic place?"

I watched the truth of my words hit him like a physical blow. Sweat broke out across his forehead, and his confident posture crumbled completely.

---

Later that afternoon, I was settling into my apartment when William called excitedly from the living room.

"Mom! Come quick! Emma's on TV!"

I hurried over to find my daughter on the screen, sitting confidently across from a talk show host with Jason beside her. The live broadcast banner indicated this was trending as the number one topic on social media.

"Emma," the host was saying with a warm smile, "we collected three questions from our social media followers that everyone's dying to ask you. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready!" Emma replied with the kind of confidence that made my heart swell with pride.

"First question: Do your parents plan to let you continue competing in talent shows?"

"I don't have a dad!" Emma said matter-of-factly, and I watched the Twitter feed explode with comments expressing sympathy for my little girl.

But Emma wasn't finished. "My mom is absolutely amazing though. If I want to keep competing, she'll definitely support me. She spoils me rotten."

The host beamed. "Your mom must be really beautiful, right?"

Emma grinned mischievously. "That's a question for Jason Uncle to answer. It doesn't count if I say it!"

The studio audience burst into laughter, and I found myself smiling despite everything.

Jason's face turned bright red as he leaned toward the microphone. "Emma's mom is... she's absolutely gorgeous. I've always said she's my goddess."

My heart clenched as I watched the chat feed light up with speculation. Some users were connecting Emma to me, and inevitably, someone brought up that damned video.

The host, sensing the shift in atmosphere, pressed on carefully. "Jason, are you publicly declaring your goddess again?"

Jason looked directly into the camera, his expression turning serious and determined. "I only have one goddess, and that's Emma's mom."

Then he did something that took my breath away.

"I know some of you have seen that video that's been circulating," he said, his voice steady and clear. "I want to address that directly. I confessed my feelings to Emma's mom and was gently rejected. If you've seen that footage, you should be able to judge for yourself—the body type doesn't match at all. Emma's mom is an MIT graduate. She has much better judgment than that."

The studio fell silent. I could see the chat exploding with reactions—some of Jason's fans expressing heartbreak for him, others beginning to question the video's authenticity.

"Jason Uncle," Emma piped up innocently, "what are they talking about?"

Jason's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "Emma, you know your mom really well, right?"

"Of course I know my mom!"

He pulled out his phone and showed her a screenshot from the video. "Uncle wants you to look at this person. Can you tell me if this is your mom?"

Emma frowned, studying the image carefully with the serious concentration only children possess. After a moment, she shook her head firmly.

"This woman isn't my mom!"