Chapter 7

Leon took the paper. His gaze narrowed slightly when he saw the words “early intrauterine prepucy” written on it. Kelly had been watching closely, nervously gauging his reaction. When he kept staring at the paper without saying a word, she began to pant.

“The baby is yours, Professor Butler! I—I’ve never been with anyone else!” Her face flushed the moment the words left her mouth.

Leon finally shifted his attention from the paper to Kelly. No wonder she was so nervous. She was just a nineteen-year-old college student who had never gone through anything like this before; she probably felt helpless and terrified.

If she had any other choice, she probably wouldn’t have come to him at all. Leon cursed himself internally. He had lost control and messed this up. He set the test results down on the table and asked gently, “What do you want to do?”

Kelly was thrown by how calm he was and couldn’t quite figure out what he meant. But she still shook her head and answered truthfully, “I don’t know. I’m scared.”

He noticed the way her hands kept nervously twisting in her lap, and his heart softened. “That’s normal. Anyone would feel the same way in this situation.”

Kelly kept her head down and stared.

Leon started, “You’re only nineteen years old. You’re still in college, so your studies should be your top priority. The best choice is probably to abort the baby.”

That was exactly what she had expected to hear, yet it still made her heart miss a beat. “I can’t tell my parents. The hospital would need my family member’s signature for the procedure.”

Leon noticed her lashes were fluttering slightly. “First off, I owe you an apology. That night… I drank too much and lost control.” He found it hard to describe what had happened after that and chose to skip over it instead. He said, “I’m older than you. I should’ve been more careful.” Kelly’s face flushed crimson, and she hurriedly waved her hands. “It wasn’t just your fault…”

He said, “If you decide to go through with the procedure, I’ll be with you the whole time. I’ll take care of the medical costs, and I’ll make sure you recover properly.” His firm tone miraculously eased her anxious demeanor. At the very least, she wasn’t completely alone in this.

Kelly bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”

That was the best option. He had addressed her concerns about the signature and the cost. Then, he added, “I’m not done. There’s another option.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Huh?”

There was another option?

Leon looked her in the eye and dropped the bomb. “The other option would be for us to get married.”

Kelly stared at him in disbelief, wondering if she’d misheard him. However, he looked like he was completely serious, as if what he’d just said wasn’t earth-shattering.

“An abortion can take a real toll on your body. But if we get married, the baby can be born without any complications. I’ll take responsibility as a husband and…”

“As for your studies, you can take a break when you’re in the later stages of pregnancy. Once you’ve given birth and recovered, you can go back to school. I’ll take care of the baby.”

“While you’re on leave, I can tutor you. I’m confident it won’t affect your studies.”

He met her stunned gaze. “I know I’m older than you, and you might think that’s a problem. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been through things you haven’t to help you avoid mistakes.”

“Plus, I’ll get my retirement benefits before you do,”

Was this supposed to be a joke? Kelly couldn’t believe that in just a few minutes, Leon had not only accepted the fact that he was about to be a father but also come up with an option, which was marriage. He had even thought about her studies and the baby. Only a professor could process life changes this efficiently.

Her emotions shifted from shock to fear. “Professor Butler, you can’t be serious…”

“But I am,” he responded, his solemn expression catching her off guard.

“Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Leon Butler. I’m 29 years old, and I was born and raised in Celine City. I have a PhD and currently work at Crillon Gly School of Medicine.”

“My salary is decent, enough to support a family. I recently returned to the country, so I’m renting for now, but I can buy a place whenever I want. I love my family’s cat, don’t smoke or drink, and I’m not violent.”

“My hobbies include reading and playing chess. My parents own a small business and won’t need our support later on. We won’t have to live with them either after we…”

“I just started my job, so I might be a little busy for a while. But once I settle in, things will be fine. I get weekends off and have winter and summer breaks, so I’ll have plenty of time for you and the baby.”

What a down-to-earth introduction. Anyone who didn’t know better might think they were on a blind date.

Kelly felt as though she had been hit by a bolt of lightning. For a while, she was at a loss for words.

Leon noticed she was still reeling from the shock and added patiently, “Based on what I just said, do I meet your expectations for a life partner?”

To be honest, he more than met them. It felt like she had hit the jackpot. Kelly couldn’t believe that someone as amazing as Leon wanted to marry her. Beneath the table, she pinched her thigh. And it hurt. So, it wasn’t a dream.

Kelly looked at Leon again and realized he wasn’t joking. He was being completely serious. He meant every word he said.

But marriage… still felt impossibly distant to Kelly. She’d never even considered it before. This was far more life-changing than an abortion.

“Professor Butler, can I think about it?” she asked hesitantly.

“How long do you need?”

“I’ll give you an answer by Monday.”

“Alright,” he nodded.

In the end, she didn’t need that much time. When she arrived home and opened the door, she immediately heard Helena’s and Jackson’s voices coming from inside.

“I want a pair of new shoes.” Jackson’s voice sounded…

Helena inquired, “Didn’t you just buy a new pair?”

“They tore while I was playing basketball yesterday.”

“How much are they?”

“Two hundred dollars.”

Helena raised her voice. “That’s expensive, Jackson! We really don’t need to spend that much on a pair of shoes.”

Jackson sounded annoyed. “My classmates wear shoes way pricier than that. I can’t even hold my head up at school! Never mind, forget it. I’m used to being made fun of by my classmates anyway.”

Helena hummed. “Alright, alright. We’ll get them! I’ll buy them for you, okay?”

Kelly stood rooted to the spot. Their family wasn’t well off. Helena was a stay-at-home mom who made a bit of money selling handmade crafts; William worked as a low-level government employee, and his salary wasn’t high.

From a young age, she had always been told by her parents that their family was struggling financially, that earning money was hard, and that she shouldn’t spend recklessly. Because of this, she barely had any allowance while in school. When she went to high school and stayed in the dorms, she was given just enough to scrape by and only after she asked for it. She had to be very frugal, and she would only go home to ask for more when she had absolutely no money left. Every time, it came with a lecture.

Later, when she went to college, she stopped asking them for anything beyond tuition.

Two hundred dollars was what she lived on for several months during high school. Kelly had to work up the courage for a long time to ask for it, but now, her younger brother got the same amount so easily.

The suffocating unfairness of it all washed over her. For the first time, she felt an overwhelming urge to break free from her family. And Leon felt like a lifeline she had to reach.

Kelly bolted out of her parents’ place, pulled out her phone, and soon found Leon’s number.

“Hello.” His voice was calm and clear as ever.

“Professor Butler.” For some reason, tears welled up in her eyes the moment she heard his voice. Kelly tightened her grip on her phone, her voice shaking as she said, “Let’s get married.”