Chapter 7 I Don't Like Him
Yvette jumped when Albert suddenly showed up, her body shaking uncontrollably.
Hugging herself tightly, she stammered, "I... I texted you, but you never got back to me. I thought you didn't want this baby."
Albert pointed to his uniform and said, "Had an emergency flight mission."
Yvette nodded, and Albert went on, "I've thought about it. Since you don't want to end the pregnancy, let's have the baby."
Yvette pressed her lips together and whispered, "That's what I want too."
Albert frowned a bit and said firmly, "We can't let the kid be born out of wedlock. Let's get married so the baby can come into this world properly."
Yvette was stunned, her mind going blank, unable to react. She looked up at Albert, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Albert frowned slightly and, seeing her silence, asked, "What, you don't want to?"
Yvette snapped back to reality and nodded quickly, saying, "I do."
Albert glanced at his watch and said, "Meet me at City Hall tomorrow morning at 9."
With that, he turned and walked away, pulling his suitcase behind him.
Yvette stood under the streetlamp, watching Albert's retreating figure. Her emotions were a mix of joy and confusion. She looked down at her shadow, which stretched longer and longer, as if even her shadow was eager to catch up with Albert.
She touched her cheek, feeling a sense of wonder. Confirming she wasn't dreaming, a wave of happiness surged through her. She wanted to run home, but after taking a few steps, she remembered she was pregnant and stopped abruptly.
Gently placing her hand on her belly, she smiled with happiness and whispered, "Baby, you're a lucky one."
Albert arrived earlier than Yvette had expected.
At the entrance of City Hall, people came and went, their chatter unable to drown out Yvette's nervousness. They hurried inside without hesitation, and the paperwork was processed surprisingly quickly. In less than ten minutes, they each held a marriage certificate.
Sunlight warmed Yvette, but she felt a sense of unreality. Albert handed her the marriage certificate, his expression calm, with a hint of coldness in his voice, "Now you can rest easy."
Yvette carefully took the certificates and put them in her bag. She was about to speak about their future, but Albert spoke first, very seriously, "But I need you to agree to two conditions. First, don't ask about my family. Second, don't mention Violet in front of me."
His eyes were resolute, like a cold barrier keeping Yvette at a distance. Before she could respond, Albert turned and got into his car, saying, "I have a flight mission today. We'll talk when I get back."
The car engine roared to life and sped away, leaving Yvette standing there, staring after it, unable to move.
Her heart felt hollow. She wanted to ask if Albert would move into her apartment after they got married. She remembered their past rendezvous at high-end hotels near the airline base, where they shared brief moments of pleasure. He rarely visited the apartment she had bought, which represented her dream of a home. It seemed Albert had no interest in being tied down by the concept of "home." He preferred the freedom of leaving without a trace, like a traveler passing through.
Yvette took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She planned to go to Central Hospital for another prenatal check-up and get some folic acid for the baby.
Just then, her best friend Sylvia called, breaking her brief peace.
"Have you heard about Violet?" Sylvia's voice was excited.
"What?" Yvette replied weakly, her mind still on Albert.
"How can you be so out of the loop? The whole base is buzzing!"
Sylvia raised her voice, sounding impatient with Yvette's slowness, "Violet is confessing to Albert at the base today. She even said Albert has been waiting for her for years, and she's ready to give him a proper status! Violet is setting up at the unused tarmac, and a lot of people are going to watch. Since you don't have a shift today, let's go check it out."
Yvette, who had intended to refuse, glanced at the marriage certificate in her bag. It seemed to remind her of something. On a whim, she agreed, "Sure, let's go see."
After hanging up, she was surprised by her decision. She wanted to know if Albert, who had just married her that morning, would accept Violet's confession.
If he wanted to play the hidden marriage game, what should she do?
Albert handed her both marriage certificates, which suggested he didn't want anyone to know about their marriage.
Yvette even wondered what Albert's reaction would be if she spread the news of their marriage. Would he be angry or indifferent?
At the hospital, the smell of disinfectant filled the air, and people bustled about, each with their own story. Yvette moved between departments, undergoing various tests.
Finally, with the doctor's report in hand, confirming the baby was healthy, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.
She gently touched her belly, where a new life was growing, a bond between her and Albert.
When she arrived at the airline base, Sylvia was already impatiently pacing. Seeing Yvette, she immediately approached, scrutinizing Yvette's simple dress and flat shoes, frowning.
"Yvette, why have you become so plain lately? Didn't I tell you I wanted to introduce you to Victor? You can't attract a man looking like this!"
