You're Out of My Life

There's a month to Angela Thompson's wedding, but she's no longer sure whether to proceed with it.

The reason for her doubts? Her fiancé, Carl Swain, wants to have a child with his good friend's widow, Lucy Hogg.

Carl says, "Keith was my best friend. He died so suddenly, leaving Lucy alone in this world. She tried to take her life a few times, you know. Maybe having a child will help her get past this."

Angela can't understand it. She says, "Lucy can adopt or marry someone else if she wants a child. She can even go to a sperm bank abroad if she wants! Why do you have to be the one to have the child with her?"

With only a month left until the wedding, Angela Thompson wasn't sure if she should still proceed with it.

The reason?

Well, her fiancé, Carl Swain, wanted to have a child with Lucy Hogg, the widow of his deceased friend, Keith Harris.

Carl explained, "Keith was my best friend. He left us so suddenly, and Lucy is all alone now. She nearly took her own life several times. She'll probably be able to move on with her life if she has a child by her side."

Angela still couldn't quite wrap her head around the situation. She asked, "If Lucy wants a child, she can either adopt one or marry someone else. She can even find a suitable donor from a sperm bank. Why must you be the father of her child?"

"Before Keith died, he asked me to take care of Lucy on his behalf," Carl replied. "In any case, Lucy doesn't know anyone else in Sherrington. I'm the only one she can rely on."

"Carl, don't you find this whole thing utterly ridiculous?"

"I'll only be donating my sperm for her IVF procedure. It's not like I'll be getting in bed with her. I'm still going to marry you," Carl declared.

After having known Carl for 15 years and dated him for 13 of them, Angela finally got to marry him—only for fate to play this cruel trick on her.

"What will the child call you?" Angela asked. "Carl or Dad?"

Expression shifting uneasily, Carl snapped, "The child can call me whatever he wants. I don't mind."

Angela couldn't possibly agree to this request, and for that reason, Carl had been giving her the cold shoulder for several months now.

"Think it over some more," Carl said. "Lucy hasn't been doing too well lately. I'm scared she might do something silly, so I need to spend the next few days with her to look out for her. I'll be back for the wedding."

Just like that, he left with two massive suitcases in tow. He'd taken all of his clothes and daily necessities with him.

Angela looked around the empty house, which had been decorated for their wedding. The colorful decorations looked like a mockery to her now.

Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from the bridal studio, which she answered.

"Good day, Ms. Thompson. Could you please send me the measurements for you and Mr. Swain? I'll do my best to have the tailors prepare your wedding gown and Mr. Swain's wedding suit as soon as possible."

Angela knew her measurements, of course, but she didn't have Carl's. She called him up, and he answered surprisingly quickly.

"Have you thought things through?" he asked.

Another voice came through the phone. It was a seductive voice, asking, "Who is it?"

Angela recognized that voice. It belonged to Lucy, Keith's widow.

"It's nobody," Carl responded to Lucy.

"Who's calling you right when the movie gets to the exciting part? How annoying."

After hearing Lucy's voice, Angela laughed. "You're watching a movie with Lucy, huh? Didn't you say she's been feeling so depressed that she's on the verge of taking her own life?"

Riled up, Carl retorted, "I brought Lucy out to cheer her up! How is she supposed to move on from Keith's death if she stays at home all day long?"

What a seemingly justifiable explanation that was, but it was just as absurd as his intention of having a child with Lucy.

"Fine. Have fun with your movie. I'm ending the call now," Angela said.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Angela? Why did you call me if you had nothing to say? Are you just trying to throw a tantrum?"

"Carl, do you still plan on going through with our wedding?" Angela asked.

"Regardless of whether we get married, I'm still going to have a child with Lucy. I'm determined to make sure Keith's family name lives on."

"Alright, then."

"You're agreeing to it?"

"Sure."

"See? That wasn't so hard. Relax. I'll show up on time for the wedding—"

Angela dropped the call before Carl could finish speaking.

Since being married or not had no impact on Carl's decision to have a child with Lucy, it was only right to make things fair to everyone.

Sure Angela was going to get married—but to a different groom.

Angela posted on Instagram.

"I'm looking for someone to marry. Kindly introduce me to any responsible bachelors you know."

Soon, the comments were filled with people eager for gossip. Some asked if she had gotten into a fight with Carl. A few told her that it was normal for a guy to flirt with other women and not to kick up a fuss about it. Or else, she would end up losing a good man because of her temper tantrums.

Some even questioned if she thought she was being fair to Carl by doing this.

These comments made Angela laugh. She'd been with Carl back when he was a nobody with nothing to his name. She accompanied him through the trials and tribulations as he started his own business.

Therefore, she could proudly proclaim with an easy conscience that she had been nothing but fair to him from the start.

Carl was the one who made an unreasonable request while disregarding their relationship that had lasted for over a decade.

It was time to make a clean break and have a fresh start.

When Angela's phone buzzed again, she assumed it was another one of Carl's friends messaging her to rebuke her.

To her shock, she got a message from her boss, Julian Fuller. She'd saved his contact as "The Cunning Businessman".

The Cunning Businessman: "You're looking for someone to marry?"

The Cunning Businessman: "I'll do it."

Angela froze. She'd forgotten to keep the post restricted from him.

The Cunning Businessman: "When's the wedding?"

Clutching her phone, Angela responded nervously, "In a month's time."

The Cunning Businessman: "That works for me."

Angela Thompson: "Are you being serious about this, boss?"

The Cunning Businessman: "Shall we register our marriage right away? Wait for me. I'll pick you up at your place in half an hour."

Angela hastily put a stop to that.

Angela Thompson: "I still have some things to settle, boss. It can wait a month. That'll give you time to think about it, too."

The Cunning Businessman: "I don't need to think about it. Let's get married in a month."

Angela remained in a daze as she stared at Julian's message.

Just then, she heard the sound of someone unlocking the front door.

Carl came in with a rather somber expression.

"Angela, let's cancel the wedding for now. Lucy is in a bad place right now. I don't want to have the wedding at a time like this. It'll trigger her."

Nodding calmly, Angela replied, "I see."

Carl was rather startled. "You're not going to make a fuss about it?"

"Why should I?"

"I thought you'd be upset about it. After all, we've been dating for over ten years now."

Angela snorted inwardly. What a mockery it was, alright. They'd been in a relationship for over a decade now, and yet, he could call off the wedding for the sake of Lucy, a complete outsider and his so-called best friend's widow.

Throughout all these years, Carl seemed to have grown accustomed to being the one who decided everything. As long as he made up his mind, Angela had no choice but to respect his decision and go along with it. She wasn't allowed to make any objections.

All along, she compromised on things that didn't go against her principles because she didn't want to argue with him. But this time, she wasn't going to tolerate it at all.

"Is she feeling any better?"

"She still needs someone to be with her at all times," Carl said. "When she's alone, she keeps having bad thoughts. It's best… if she has the child as soon as possible."

"Fine. You should spend more time with her, then."

"Looks like this argument of ours worked out for the best. You've become a lot more reasonable," Carl praised with a smile.

But he was wrong. Angela didn't become more reasonable. She simply gained clarity.

"I'm feeling lonely. Oh, I wish I'd find a lover that could hold me…"

Carl's phone started ringing, and Angela was taken aback. It was strange to see someone like Carl, who was rather masculine in an old-fashioned kind of way, using a popular love song as his ringtone.

And when he answered the call, he spoke with a level of gentleness that Angela had never been on the receiving end of.

"Lucy?"

That explained everything. The ringtone was specifically set for Lucy.

"What? Okay. I'll bring it over to you now."

Once Carl got off the phone, he grabbed his car keys and began rushing out of the house. He was already at the door before it occurred to him to explain things to Angela.

"Lucy left her clothes in my car. I'm taking it over to her now."

"What kind of clothes?"

Carl's expression became a little peculiar as he replied stammeringly, "I-It's just an ordinary piece of clothing. Anyway, I'm heading off now."

On Sunday, Sylvia Johnson, Angela's old homeroom teacher, was celebrating a birthday.

Bright and early that morning, Angela got a call from Vincent Boyd, her old class representative.

"Make sure you and Carl show up," Vincent said.

When Angela got to the private room where the party was being held, it was already filled with many of her old classmates, but there was no sign of Carl.

Vincent glanced behind Angela before asking, "Where's your husband? Is he parking the car?"

"He's not my husband," Angela corrected.

Chortling, Vincent replied, "He's not your husband yet, but he will be in a month, won't he? You guys have been dating for so long now. It's hard for relationships to survive this long. You're only a step away from marriage now, so stop fighting. Work things out with each other."

Sylvia was still the same caring teacher that Angela remembered, though she had a few gray hairs in the passing years.

Smiling, she also chimed in, "That's right, Angela. I've also witnessed the journey you two have taken as a couple. Are you two in a fight because of Lucy? I'm sure you must've misunderstood things.

"Carl and Keith were always the best of friends. Since Keith has passed away, Carl is just helping Lucy out for the sake of his old friend. You should have faith in your relationship. After all, you've been together for over ten years now."

Sylvia was their language teacher. She had always been kind and approachable. Angela adored her very much, but she was no longer a student. While Sylvia could teach lessons in school, she couldn't teach Angela lessons on marriage.

"I know what's best for me, Ms. Johnson," Angela replied.

Thinking that Angela was taking her advice, Sylvia became rather pleased. "You have always been a smart one. I'm sure you get it."

Just then, Carl came in, saying, "Happy birthday, Ms. Johnson!"

With a beaming smile, Sylvia replied, "Thank you! You and Angela are about to get married as well. I'll be sure to celebrate the wedding with you guys."

However, at the very next moment, her smile froze.

Lucy came in right behind Carl. She was wearing his jacket and holding his arm as well.

Smiling, she passed Sylvia the gift she brought and said, "Hi, Ms. Johnson. I'm Lucy. I'm so sorry. We would've arrived sooner, but it's all my fault. My period came all of a sudden, so Carl had to buy my pads for me. That ended up taking a bit of time."

The intimate tone she had when she mentioned Carl's name made everything clear. Even Vincent was startled. Patting Carl on the shoulder, he reminded Carl, "Angela's here, too. Why did you… bring her along with you?"

"Lucy has been feeling rather depressed lately. I don't feel good about leaving her alone," Carl said.

"What about Angela, then?"

Carl glanced at Angela before saying indifferently, "It's fine. There's no need to worry about her."

After thoughtfully guiding Lucy over to a spot on the couch, he even proceeded to set some snacks and fruits in front of her, saying, "Don't worry. These are all my friends. Everyone will take good care of you."

Leaning in close to Carl, Lucy said, "Of course. I only feel safe with you around."

All of the attendees here at Sylvia's birthday party were Carl and Angela's classmates. They all knew the two were a couple.

But after seeing this situation, no one knew how they were supposed to react, especially Vincent. He'd probably intended to try and help patch things up between Carl and Angela.

Angela knew Vincent was a warm, kindhearted person who meant well. However, judging from what was happening now, she knew he wouldn't be able to do the good deed he had been planning to do.

Sylvia's birthday party proceeded awkwardly. By the time it ended, everyone felt a sense of relief—apart from Carl and Lucy, of course.

Carl was holding Lucy by the hand, and when he walked past Angela, he said coolly, "I need to give Lucy a ride home. I'm not sure if I'll be back tonight. You can take a cab home."

However, Lucy tapped him and complained coquettishly, "How can you say that? Angie is your fiancée! How can you ask her to take a cab home just because of me?

"Don't listen to him, Angie. Get in the car with us. I'll make sure he gives you a ride home."

It sounded as if she were Carl's fiancée instead, while Angela was the outsider.

Brushing Lucy's hand off hers, Angela said curtly, "It's fine. My ride is here."

A honk rang out, and a black Maybach came to a stop in front of Angela.