Yu Shuchang felt his chest tighten.
"…Are you sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded.
He stared at her for a long time, then slowly reached into his drawer, pulled out a checkbook, and began writing.
"I'll take care of the expenses," he said, not looking up. "You won't have to worry."
Susan's eyes filled with tears. She took a shaky breath.
"You really think this is about money?" she whispered, voice cracking.
"I never wanted it to end like this. I won't contact you again. I won't let you near my child."
Yu Shuchang frowned deeply, standing now. "I was drunk that night. But you weren't. You knew what you were doing. Why did you sleep with me?"
Her jaw clenched.
Then, finally, she spoke, her words falling out like knives.
"Because I've loved you since I was seventeen."
Yu Shuchang flinched.
"I entered this industry not for fame, not for dreams," Susan said through clenched teeth.
