His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 234: No Way Back

"Ask her out. Let me talk to her," Beatrice said after a moment. "Maybe I can help."

Julian shook his head, his voice low and drained. "No point. She blocked me everywhere."

Beatrice smacked his shoulder lightly, frustration clear. "You really don't make things easy for yourself."

She stood and walked out, closing the door behind her.

The room fell silent again.

Julian let himself drop back onto the bed, one arm thrown over his eyes, completely still, like everything inside him had finally burned out.

It had been raining for days.

A steady, quiet rain that turned everything gray and muted, washing the streets clean and leaving the air damp and heavy.

Iris stepped out of the hospital, report in hand, stopping under the awning as she looked out at the rain.

Brandon's voice replayed in her mind, word for word.

"The baby's sixteen weeks. Development looks good. But you've got mild anemia, so I ran a thalassemia screen. You're a carrier."

"I've never felt anything off," she had said.

"That's normal. It's mild. But the father needs to be tested too. If he's also a carrier, there's a one-in-four chance the baby could have a more serious form."

"And if he's not?"

"Then the baby's fine. Either completely healthy or just like you, a carrier."

She had hesitated. "Is there another option without involving him?"

"There is," Brandon had said carefully. "We can do a prenatal test, but it involves drawing blood from the umbilical cord. There's a miscarriage risk. You'd have to decide if that's worth it."

Standing there now, Iris slowly came back to herself, her hand resting unconsciously on her lower abdomen.

She didn't want anyone to know about the pregnancy.

The safest way, in her mind, was to keep it quiet and raise the child on her own.

But if the baby were born with a serious condition... That wasn't protection.

That was harm.

She opened her umbrella and stepped into the rain.

Her pace was steady, unhurried.

On the subway, she pulled out her phone and stared at the number she had blocked.

Two weeks. Julian hadn't come looking for her.

He was probably busy, work, Lily, everything else. If that was the case, there was no reason for her to reach out either.

Still, the thought didn't settle cleanly.

By the time she got off and walked toward the research institute, the rain was still falling.

As she approached the entrance, she saw someone waiting.

Grace.

Iris stopped.

The tension hit instantly, sharp and familiar.

After a moment, she walked over. "Mom."

Grace let out a cold scoff. "I don't care how much debt you're in. I don't have a job, your father's sick. You owe us support, and you need to pay it."

Iris didn't argue. She pulled out her phone. "Send the code."

Grace held up her QR code. "Add me back. Set up monthly payments."

Iris hesitated briefly, then added her and transferred two thousand.

Grace's expression darkened immediately. "Two thousand? You think I'm a beggar?"

Iris's tone stayed calm. "You have a son and another daughter. If each of us contributes two thousand, that's six thousand. That's enough."

"That's not the same."

"I'm not negotiating," Iris said flatly. "If you're not satisfied, take it to court."

Grace's face tightened, anger flashing in her eyes.

"I'm going back to work," Iris said, stepping past her and swiping her badge.

"Iris, wait."

She stopped but didn't turn.

Grace's voice came again, firm and controlling. "Selena knows someone. Recently divorced. Runs a construction company, worth millions. You're free tomorrow, right? Go have dinner with him."

Iris's hands clenched at her sides, nails pressing into her palms.

She grew up in a remote, backwater town where opportunities were scarce and expectations were even smaller. Education had changed her, it had sharpened her thinking, reshaped her values, and opened her world in ways she once couldn't imagine. But no matter how far she'd come, there was still something she couldn't outrun.

Her parents' way of thinking clung to her like vines, wrapping tighter the more she tried to pull away, holding her back, blocking out the light, draining whatever strength she had left.

It left her feeling like she couldn't breathe.

"I'm not going," she said.

She tapped her badge again.

Before she could step through, Grace rushed forward and grabbed her arm, yanking her back hard.

Iris stumbled, her hand flying instinctively to her abdomen.