"You're not freaking out, are you?" Ed asks concernedly as he swerved the car around the bend.

"Do I look like I'm hyperventilating?" I snap.

"Frankly, yes."

Okay, fine, I'm hyperventilating. But that's because we're visiting Ed's parents right now. My in-laws. Or to put it weirdly, Eleanor and my long-lost Dad, Adrian.

"Don't worry. Eleanor adores you already. And I'm sure Adrian's looking forward to seeing you," he reassures.

"I feel sick." I close my eyes and tries to visualise Eleanor's cold, passive face. Shit. No. Just....no. Eleanor does not adore me. She bloody hates me. I cannot believe she's my future mother-in-law.

Mum wanted to come with me for this dinner because she claims that Adrian would "brainwash" me. But seriously? I don't remember him at all and I don't want to make things too awkward.

As Ed pulls the car up to the parking lot, I step out of the parking lot.

"What th-" I say, taken aback.

Is this where Ed lives? I was envisioning a respectable studio apartment but...a mansion? This is just making me more inadequate. It's extremely huge with a complete swimming pool and all. I thought these kind of houses exist in fairytales.

"What?" he asks worriedly.

"You live in a mansion?" I asks disbelievingly.

"Yea. It belongs to my mum and Adrian actually. I have another private apartment elsewhere," he says.

For a moment, I realise how much I don't know of Ed. Yes, he loves me and all, but I don't want him to marry me just because of the baby. I don't want a hasty marriage which I will definitely regret later. I want to know him better. But I'm not sure how to tell him that. He's so over-joyed by the baby that he has been buying baby stuff for the past few days and I'm kind of freaked out.

Ed leads me to the iron gates, presses a button and we step inside the humogous house. Standing at the doorsteps were two people- Eleanor and....Adrian.

My dad. I gulp and take a step back. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready to see the man who fathered me and disappeared for twenty years. This is the same man who betrayed my mother and sneaked off for a rendezvous with Eleanor. I can't deal with him right now. What on earth was I thinking?

"Chloe, welcome to our home," Eleanor says stiffly, her lips pursed in a disatisfactory expression.

"Chloe, it's...being a long time," Adrian says warmly. He's staring intently at me and I stare back at him for awhile.

He's heart-shaped face is still the same and he has the same brown eyes and curly brown hair as me. However, I have seen how age has affected him. His face is more wrinkly and papery and he has a slight hunckback but I can still see my resemblance to him. He doesn't seem like a cheater and home-wrecker actually. He actually...seems like a gentle, kind old man.

"D-" I start but I cannot bring myself to call him Dad. I swallow my words and say, "Adrian."

He seems disappointed and for a moment, I regret calling him by the name but he instantly brightens and ushers us into the house. No, I mean, the mansion.

"We've prepared a five-course dinner for both Ed and you. We hope you enjoy it," Eleanor says in a monotonous voice.

What? A five-course dinner? I mean, I've been to some of my ex-boyfriends' parents' house before and we usually have a simple dinner and play some card games and stuff. But at Ed's house...it's like dining at a hotel.

For a moment, I feel as if I don't belong to Ed's world but that feelings disappear immediately as I take my place at the dinner table.

I tuck into the salad as Adrian tries to make some polite small talk.

"Chloe, how's all these years?" Adrian asks as he sips his goblet of wine.

"Fine," I say.

"And which college did you attend?"

"Erm..." I pause. "Houston University."

I hear Eleanor take in a sharp breath and I blush in embarrassment.

"Why?" Adrian asks curiously.

"We had no money," I say bluntly. "I didn't have enough to eat. Much less to spend it on anything better than Houston University."

Adrian pauses, puts down his fork and says, "Chloe, I really want to make amends."

"Of course you do," I snap and breathe in deeply. "I'm sorry. I meant that this was all in the past. There's no need to bring it up."

"No." He shakes his head. "I know your mother and you have suffered for so many years. I want to make amends for what I did. I regret hurting both of you so deeply."

I see Eleanor tensing visibly and I shake my head. 'No. Look Adrian," I say wearily. "I'm not looking for another Dad. I've survived without one for most of my life. Today, I'm in the capacity as Ed's girlfriend and you will be my father-in--law hopefully some day."

Ed gives me an encouraging nod. "Adrian," he cuts in. "I think it would be best if Chloe's given a bit of space. She has a lot of things to handle with the pregnancy and all."

Eleanor gasps and I stamp on Ed's foot underneath the table. I specifically told him to not mention it until we've been to the gynaecologist. Why did he have to blurt it out now of all times?

"Really, Chloe? Congratulations!" Adrian looks positively delighted.

"Are you positively sure?" Eleanor asks agitatedly.

As if sensing her mother's moodswings, Ed frowns. "This is good news. Can you at least be happier for my sake?"

"How can it be good news?" Eleanor growls. "I agreed to give you some time. But a baby? This is happening too fast. The next thing you will be telling me would be that you two are getting married."

"We are," Ed announces truimphantly. I swear Eleanor's vein popped when she heard that.

"No, we aren't," I cut in.

Eleanor almost shouts, "When?"

"Soon," Ed says. "I'm serious about Chloe and I hope you accept her."

"I'm glad that you've found a wonderful girl like Chloe," Adrian says.

"Adrian!" Eleanor stands up and glares at my father.

"Eleanor, " Adrian shook his head. "Chloe's my daughter and I owe her enough to give her mtg blessing. Look how happy Ed is. This is all thanks to her."

Eleanor glares are me. "She should sign a pre-nuptial agreement at the very least."

"Mum," Ed growls. "Chloe stood by me all these time and I'm not bloody well going to let her down."

"I'm protecting you!"

"This is not the protection I want," Ed snaps.

"I will sign it," I cut in.

There's a beat of silence.

"No!" Ed half-shouts. "This isn't just about you. If you back down on this, she will interfere with everything!"

"Ed," I say exasperatedly. "A marriage is not just between two people. It's between two families as well. I'm not after you for the money and I will sign it to prove that."

Ed looks so stunned that I almost laugh. Eleanor just stands there, looking at me with cool, assessing eyes.

Yea, whatever. I'm not really concerned about her anyway. I hate her, to the core. Too bad she's Ed's mother.

"Eleanor," Adrian says in a warning voice. "I told you. We need to make amends to Chloe. Is this the way you''re supposed to treat her?"

"I don't need you to make amends to me!" I snap and stand up. "I just want you to treat me like a proper human being. Not someone you can order around."

Eleanor's silent for awhile.

"Mother, I swear," Ed says. "If you make Chloe sign a prenuptial agreement, I'm stepping out of this house and not coming back again. Just like Jack."

At the mention of Jack, Eleanor's lips curled back into a frown. She just keeps staring me and I stare defiantly back.

"Ed!" Adrian looks shocked. "It surprises me. But I haven't seen you this serious with anyone. Is it because of the baby?"

"It's not just the baby." Ed shakes his head. "Why isn't it easy to understand it? I love Chloe and I will never do anything to hurt her." His eyes blaze fiercely.

"Fine," Eleanor says shortly. "Don't blame me if you end up in a lawsuit." She then sits down and sips her tea as if nothing has happened.

I gasp. How can Eleanor say these kind of things? Doesn't she understand how hurtful it can be? Even when Ed and I aren't married right now, she's already bossing me around and insulting me. What's going to happen if I marry Ed?

I don't want this kind of life. I don't want to spend the rest of my life arguing with Eleanor. Please, no. As much as I love Ed, I hate his mother. I shudder to think what would happen in the future.

"Forget it," I growl. "Eleanor, since you've to have things your way all the time, fine, I will grant your wish. I'm not marrying Ed. If marrying him means letting you verbally abuse me for the next few decades, I don't want this kind of life."

Everyone looks taken aback. Ed looks shocked. He reaches out for me but I slap his hand away.

"It's over, Ed," I say shortly.

"Please, Chloe, Eleanor didn't mean any harm," Adrian says softly.

"Whatever." I shrug. "I have been nothing but courteous to her but she just have something against me. I want to have a harmonious family. Not one whereby I keep arguing with my mother-in-law."

The moment I finish my piece, I dash out of the door in tears.

"Chloe! Wait!" Ed runs after me but I keep running, never stopping.

I hate everyone. I hate everyone. I hate everyone. I keep chanting in my head as I ran.

"Stop! Chloe! Please!" Ed shouts.

Suddenly, I trip over a rock and tumble on the floor. Shit. My leg's throbbing and as I try to stand up, Ed catches up with me.

"Chloe!" He takes my arm. "What on earth were you thinking? Why did you decide to say all these things just now? Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not joking," I snap.

"We will move out after we get married," Ed says hurriedly. "Then we won't have to face her every single day."

"Please, Ed." I shake my head. "That's not going to work. Eleanor will interfere with everyone- from the wedding, to the baby. She will basically rule my life after I marry you. I don't want that."

"You're willing to let that stand in our way?"

"No. But she's your mother, Ed." I say softly. "That's a tie that you can never break and I don't want to cause a family discord. Go and marry some other girl your mother approves and I...."

My voice breaks. I can't continue but I have to. "I will still have the baby but I will take care of it myself. You..you can come and visit us every few months or so," I croak out.

I know Mum will kill me for this. For ending up just like her. Abandoned by a man and becoming an unwed mother. But I have no choice. She will understand. She hates Eleanor even more than me.

Ed just looks stunned. "No, Chloe. Don't. Don't do this to both of us. We love each other. It's so simple. Why do you have to make things so complicated?"

"Ed," I say exasperatedly. "You have lived in a rich, stable family every since you were born. You don't understand what's it like to have a difficult life. You don't understand the world we live in because you get everything you want. "

The moment I say this words, I regret it. Ed looks as if he had been slapped.

"Are you calling me spoiled?" Ed says angrily. "You know what. Maybe you're right. Maybe we should quit this. After all, we do belong to different worlds, as you so insistently say all the time."

It hurts me to hear him admit it but the truth often hurts, that's what I've learnt.

"Goodbye, Ed," I murmur. I get up and stalk off in the opposite direction.

I don't look back even once but I can't help but let my tears flow freely.

I've lost Ed. The one person whom I love so dearly.

The father of my child. My soul mate. My lover.