Chapter 210

Sarah's POV

I quietly closed the door to my apartment, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over me. The almost hysterical confrontation with Betty at the caféhad drained me emotionally, yet now I felt unusually composed.Perhaps it was because I'd grown accustomed to crises like this one. The rule of survival isn't about getting knocked down-it's about adapting and evolving.

My hand unconsciously moved to my abdomen. This child-Robert's child,not Philip's-had become both my bargaining chip and my burden.But that was fine. Sarah Johnson would never allow life to defeat her.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up my phone and dialed Robert's number.In the few seconds waiting for him to answer, I quickly organized my thoughts and emotions. With Robert, I needed to appear vulnerable and helpless-that was the most effective way to trigger his protective instincts.

"Hello?" Robert's confused voice came through the phone. He certainly hadn't expected to hear from me.

"Do you have time to talk?" I deliberately made my voice sound shaky and fragile. Robert could never resist this tone; his compassion was his greatest weakness, and I needed to exploit it.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Sure enough, his tone immediately softened. Men are such easily manipulated creatures.

"Philip wants me to terminate the pregnancy," I said softly, pressing my lips together to create a sense of suppressed pain. "He says he doesn't want the child anymore."

This was, of course, a lie-an exaggeration of Philip's angry words.He had only cut off financial support, never mentioning anything about terminating the pregnancy. But lies were my weapons, and I wielded them with practiced skill.

The brief silence on the other end made me secretly pleased. Robert was surely shocked by my words, his emotions fluctuating exactly as I had anticipated. He had always yearned for this child, desired a complete family. I knew this was his most vulnerable spot.

"What do you want to do?" he finally spoke, his voice filled with the concern I had expected.

"I want to keep the baby, of course," I made my voice sound as if I might burst into tears at any moment. "This is our child." As I said this, I almost laughed at how excellent my performance was.

Another silence followed as I knew he was weighing his options. Robert's greatest weakness was being too easily controlled by emotions-one of the main reasons his family business had gone bankrupt. He valued feelings too much and wasn't rational enough.

"If you don't mind living a modest life with me, then tell Philip the truth.Move in with me. I'll work hard to support you and the baby," he said finally.

Perfect. He took the bait. I laughed inwardly but outwardly showed hesitation.Reunite with Robert? That was absolutely not my plan. If I did that, I would completely lose any chance with Howard. Howard was the real target-he had everything I wanted: wealth, status, influence, and that special sympathy for single mothers.

"Robert, I..." I drew a small breath, thinking about how to reject him

without hurting his pride. "You know how high my living standards are."

"Sarah," his tone became firmer, with a naive sort of optimism,"If this project I'm working on succeeds, I can make a lot of money afterward.Howard thinks highly of my abilities, and if I perform well this time,there will definitely be more opportunities in the future."

Howard's name made my heart race. The fact that he mentioned Howard thought highly of his abilities might provide another avenue for me to approach Howard. But for now, I needed to continue my performance.

"Then I'll keep stalling Philip for a while longer. Once your project succeeds, I'll come straight to you. That would be better for you and for the baby," I bit my lip, making it sound like I was considering his best interests.

"You can't come now?" His voice noticeably cooled. I could sense his suspicion and needed a more convincing reason.

"Robert, darling," I switched to a caring tone, as if genuinely concerned for him, "My situation right now is very delicate. I need to be especially careful during pregnancy. If I moved in with you, who would take care of me?"

I continued in 'a gentle voice tinged with worry: "And then there's Max.You know how well-adjusted he is at that school, how much psychological damage a transfer would cause him. And the tuition at that school..."I deliberately left the sentence unfinished, letting him imagine the figure, "T'm just worried this would put too much pressure on you."

The silence on the other end told me my words had hit their mark. Robert had always harbored deep insecurities, especially regarding his financial capabilities. He knew he couldn't provide the lifestyle Philip could offer.

"Although Philip is angry right now, I believe..." I carefully chose my words, "If I persist, he'll eventually calm down and continue supporting our living expenses. That's the best arrangement for Max and for the baby in my womb."

Robert remained silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, I could hear the defeat in his voice: "So you called me just to tell me your decision?

You never considered coming back to me?"

I smirked coldly to myself, but over the phone, I responded softly: "That's right. At least not now." I needed to keep a backup plan in case my strategy to approach Howard failed-Robert would still be a viable option.

"I understand," Robert's tone carried a hint of resignation that surprised me. He was more rational than I had anticipated.

"Maybe Philip is just temporarily angry. Don't take it too hard," hewas actually comforting me,which was both ridiculous and pathetic.

"Thank you for understanding," I pretended to be grateful, "I want to fight back, but I have to be realistic. Philip is still immersed in his feelings for Annie."

"I can only wait for his anger to subside. Then he can continue supporting me and the baby," I continued, deliberately injecting a carefully calculated resignation into my voice. "That's what's best for everyone."

"But isn't that very difficult for you?" Robert asked, his concern sounding so sincere it almost made me feel a twinge of guilt-almost.

"Of course it's difficult," I admitted, "but for the baby, it's all worth it."This line always worked, especially with fathers.

"Robert..." I softened my voice, as if returning to the past, "Do you

remember when we first got together?"

"I do." His voice softened as well, and I knew he was sinking into memories.

"Those days with you were beautiful," I said in a nostalgic tone,while mentally calculating my next move. "You always loved me so much,spoiled me. You never forced me to do things I didn't like."

"You were always so attentive to me," I continued, deliberately making my voice sound sincere. "It's because I know how much you care about me that I was willing to have a child with you."

I glanced at my nails, waiting for his response. This emotional appeal always worked on him.

"How much better things would be if my family was still wealthy,"he sighed,his voice full of regret.

"Then you would be by my side right now, and we'd be expecting our second child," I softly replied. This hypothetical scenario comforted him but held absolutely no attraction for me.

The phone fell silent, and I knew the conversation had served its purpose.

I had ensured Robert wouldn't do anything rash while also leaving myself plenty of room to maneuver.

"I need to go," I said, "Someone's at the door." Another small lie, but sufficient to end this call.

"All right, take care," Robert said, his voice still full of concern,′′Ifyou need any help, call me anytime."

"Thank you," I said, and quickly hung up.

I walked to my vanity table and looked at myself in the mirror, a slight smile playing on my lips. How amusing that men alwaysthink themselves clever, yet are so easily manipulated. Philip, Robert-they were merely pawns in my life, replaceable at any time.

I gently stroked my abdomen, calmly calculating my next move. Philip was no longer useful, Robert too incompetent, but Howard was different.He had money, status, and sympathy for single mothers. Whatever Annie had obtained, I could get too-and more.