Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“I’m telling you. Tim, if you’ve developed feelings for Mia, and considering you two haven’t finalized the divorce yet, it’ll be quite easy for you to keep her around.
“After all Mia used to idolize you, sticking to you like a devoted wife. If you just show her a bit of attention, won’t she just return to you?” Caleb expressed.
Upon hearing these words, Timothy’s mind quickly recalled what Mia had said before: “If you replace your boyfriend quickly enough, you won’t have time to feel sad.
“As long as your new boyfriend is up to par, you’ll be able to forget your ex.”
Timothy pressed his lips together. “She’s not as easily persuaded now.”
Since Timothy proposed divorce. Mia seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, making it challenging for Timothy to approach her.
Clicking his tongue. Caleb voiced out, “Are you seriously considering coaxing Mia? Why won’t you admit that you’ve developed feelings for her?”
After all it was obvious.
Timothy cleared his throat. “I just feel like whether we divorce or not doesn’t matter much.
“Since Grandma Laura really likes her, and I don’t have many expectations when it comes to marriage. it’s really not a big deal” Timothy said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly.
“You’re just being stubborn, aren’t you? If you genuinely feel that way, why did you initiate the divorce in the first place?” Caleb asked.
Timothy fell silent for a moment. “At the time, I thought that keeping Mia at the Barrett residence for three years was too much for a young woman like her.
“Staying there would only waste her life. She could have easily started fresh elsewhere,” Timothy said.
Caleb countered immediately, “So why are you stopping Mia from leaving?”
He couldn’t understand why Timothy was still putting on an act.
Setting down the wine bottle he held, Timothy disclosed, “It’s because Mia is pregnant.”
Caleb couldn’t help but spit out the wine in his mouth, staring incredulously at Timothy beside him. “Is the baby yours?”
Timothy’s expression grew somber. “Probably not.”
“What do you mean by probably not? Hold on, based on what you’ve said earlier, does this mean the child is Connor’s?
“Considering all of this, shouldn’t you be expediting your divorce process? Do you really want to deal with this mess?
Timothy replied nonchalantly, “I don’t have any specific expectations regarding the child.
“Previously, I lied about Mia being pregnant to deceive Grandma Laura into having surgery.
“Now that she is gradually recovering, the truth about the fake pregnancy is bound to come out. It just so happens that Mia is genuinely pregnant this time.
“Even though the child might not be mine, I can overlook the paternity for the sake of Grandma Laura’s recovery.”
Caleb swallowed hard, staring at Timothy incredulously. “Timothy, are you out of your mind?”
Signing a clean break divorce agreement was one matter, but being open to raising another man’s child was a whole different ball game.
It was clear that Timothy still cared for Mia.
If it weren’t for his feelings for her, enduring such a situation would be challenging for any man.
Disregarding Caleb’s question, Timothy casually checked his phone and saw a missed call from Mia, which he chose not to return.
Squinting slightly, Timothy guessed that Mia’s call was probably regarding their divorce agreement from earlier that afternoon.
Caleb leaned over and asked, “Whose call did you miss? Was it Mia?”
“Yeah, I didn’t answer.”
Looking at his phone, Timothy’s voice was deep as he asked hesitantly, “Do you think I should call her back?”
As Timothy stared at the missed call, he could almost guess the reason Mia was calling.
Caleb was unsure of how to reply and simply said, “It’s up to you!”
With a puzzled expression, Timothy asked, “If she asks about the divorce settlement, how should I respond?”
Caleb covered his face, sounding somewhat helpless. “Just say whatever feels right.”
At this point. Timothy seemed to be facing a grim situation.
Glancing at his phone. Timothy ultimately decided not to call back, simply setting his phone aside.
Caleb stared at Timothy in surprise. “Aren’t you going to return her call?”
Timothy replied with an air of arrogance, “I’m just waiting for her to contact me first.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Given all that money she has now, she won’t find it easy to sleep tonight. She’s bound to come looking for me,” Timothy said confidently, although he knew deep down that Mia wasn’t materialistic.
Observing Timothy’s aloof demeanor, Caleb couldn’t help but sigh.
Just moments ago, Caleb assumed Timothy’s feelings for Mia were nothing more than a passing crush.
However, judging by Timothy’s current behavior, it appeared that his feelings for Mia were much more profound than Caleb had initially thought.
The following day. Mia woke up and immediately checked her phone, but there were no missed calls or messages from Timothy.
Despite attempting to reach him the previous night, she received no response from Timothy. Assuming he was tied up in a meeting, she refrained from calling again and chose to wait for his return call.
However, she ended up drifting off to sleep while waiting, and upon waking up, she found herself still without any response from Timothy.
What could Timothy possibly be thinking?
Surely, Timothy was aware that the divorce agreement had granted Mia all the shares of the Barrett Group, essentially reducing him to a mere figurehead.
Nevertheless, it appeared that Timothy wasn’t bothered in the least.
On the contrary, Mia couldn’t shake off her anxiety. After all, these were not assets she could rightfully claim.
Moreover, the division of shares was no small matter; if news of this were to spread, it could potentially impact the stock price of the Barrett Group.
Additionally, if Laura were to discover this, it might inadvertently expose Mia and Timothy’s divorce.
Nevertheless, Mia was determined to handle this situation discreetly
Mia went straight to campus that morning.
With numerous arrangements to be made in the hall, Mia felt it necessary to oversee them herself for peace of mind.
To prevent any unexpected issues, Mia needed to stay alert in case Maya, the devious troublemaker, tried to tamper with anything behind her back.
Due to the university’s high regard for this music show, the preparations were executed with remarkable efficiency.
As Mia observed the nearly completed setup in the hall, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Most of the decorations had already been arranged, and there was still enough time for her to attend to the remaining minor details.
At noon, Mia made her way to the Music School to practice her piano piece.
I
As she approached the entrance of the building, she ran into Maya unexpectedly.
Mia couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Why did it seem like she always bumped into Maya wherever she went?
Maya suddenly spoke up. “Mia, are you here to practice in secret again? I suggest you abandon this dream of yours.
“No matter how diligently you practice, you can’t match the outstanding students of the music team. Why put yourself through the embarrassment?”
Standing beside Maya, a friend of hers¨CCharlotte Tillman¨Cchimed in, attempting to appease Maya, “Ms. Lane, why bother arguing with someone like her? She’s just a dropout: how can she compare to us?”
Mia raised an eyebrow and glanced at them. “Do you know why Edwin Girod’s grandfather lived such a long life?”
Maya appeared puzzled. “What does that have to do with our conversation?”
Charlotte added, “Yeah, how is Edwin’s grandfather relevant to us?”
“Indeed, it has nothing to do with you, and it’s certainly none of your business!” Mia retorted before making her way toward the academic building.
As Maya caught on, she watched Mia’s departing figure with frustration. “Mia, you’d better hold on and explain yourself!”
Mia glanced back. “Edwin’s grandfather lived a long life because he minded his own business! Whether I learn plano or not is none of your concern!”
With those words, Mia continued on her way, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she dismissed Maya’s earlier derogatory remarks.
Playing the piano was merely a hobby for Mia.
She had no intentions of competing or joining the music team for the upcoming show. Her goal was simply to fulfill the unmet desires from her early years.