Chapter 206

Philip's POV

"The money I transferred to you last time should be enough for the procedure. If you don't mind, you can schedule the surgery for tomorrow morning." I coldly delivered these words before hanging up on Sarah.

I tossed my phone onto the sofa and leaned back against the cold leather.My head was throbbing mercilessly, each heartbeat sending waves of pain throughout my body. I needed a hot shower, something to wash away the hangover and anger.

As soon as I stood up, my knees felt as heavy as if they'd been filled with lead. I had to brace myself against the wall to maintain balance. In the bathroom mirror, I stared at a stranger-haggard, bloodshot eyes,disheveled hair, stubbled chin-I barely recognized myself.

Is this what had become of Philip Baker, the once-brilliant Wall Street executive? I laughed bitterly and turned on the shower. The hot water cascaded over may skin but did nothing to wash away the bitterness in my heart.

Just as the hot water began to ease my tense muscles, my phone rang, the sound penetrating through the bathroom door. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore it, but the persistent ringing continued, as if mocking my attempts to escape reality.

"Damn it!" I cursed,turning off the faucet and grabbing a towel to wrap around my waist before stumbling back toward the bedroom.

My mother's name flashed on the screen. I took a deep breath and answered.

"Philip." My mother's voice came through the receiver, steady and powerful as always.

"Mom, what is it?" I tried to keep my voice calm, but the hangover made me sound harsher than intended.

"I've been trying to reach you several times, but you weren't answering."Her words carried a hint of reproach, yet also concealed concern.

Water dripped from my hair down my spine, making me shiver involuntarily. "Sorry, I was in the shower."

After a brief silence on the other end, my mother's voice softened: "Are you alright? You don't sound like yourself."

"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache." I rubbed my temples as water droplets slid between my fingers.

"How much have you been drinking?" she asked bluntly, the knowing tone in her voice irritating me.

"Not much," I lied, my gaze sweeping over the empty bottles on the nightstand. "Just didn't sleep well."

My mother sighed softly. "Philip, I'm worried about you. Since the divorce,you've been on a path of self-destruction. It's not good for your health."

"Thanks for your concern," I responded dryly. "Is there anything else?"

The silence on the other end was longer than usual, putting me on alert.My mother rarely hesitated, and this unusual behavior signaled something important.

"Philip." My mother's voice was like a sharp scalpel, easily cutting through

my nerves even across the phone line.

"Mom, what is it?" I mumbled, my voice so hoarse it was barely recognizable. My throat burned as if the whiskey I'd consumed last night was still aflame.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, with that pretend-concern tone I knew too well. Ever since childhood, whenever she used this tone, there was always some hidden agenda.

"Fantastic." I laughed bitterly, glancing at the empty bottles scattered across the floor, each a testament to my failed attempts to drown memories of Annie.

"I know you've been thinking about Annie lately," she carefully mentioned the name, as if handling an explosive. "But you need to take care of your health-after all, your body is your most valuable asset."

I sat up abruptly, immediately hit by dizziness, and had to grip the sofa arm to maintain balance. "Cut the crap," I snapped. "Just tell me what you want."

Silence fell for a moment on the other end. "Philip," she finally spoke, her voice carrying an unusual hesitation, "are you still planning to reconcile with Annie?"

Annie's name struck my heart like a dagger. I closed my eyes, and her face immediately appeared-the fine lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiled,her tightly pressed lips when she concentrated on work,her slightly wrinkled nose when angry. These memories washed over me like a tide,nearly drowning me.

"Yes!" I practically roared. "I will win her back, no matter how long it

takes!"

"So you're not considering other women anymore?" My mother's voice rose a few decibels, clearly displeased with my answer.

I slammed my fist on the coffee table, the pain slightly clearing my head."No.Never."

"So you also don't plan to have children with other women?" She pressed on, her controlling nature evident in every word.

Under the influence of alcohol, my emotions were like a wild horse,impossible to rein in. "Enough already!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty apartment. "I love Annie! Only Annie! I won't be with any other woman! Can you just drop it?"

An unsettling silence fell on the other end, with only my mother's faint breathing proving she was still on the line. When she spoke again,her voicewas unnervingly calm, more frightening than any shout.

"Then you should take Sarah's advice and get a vasectomy."

Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water,instantly sobering me up. I jumped to my feet, nearly tripping over the empty bottles on the floor."What insanity are you talking about?"

My mother seemed to have anticipated my reaction. "Sarah told me that if you don't have this surgery, she'll terminate the pregnancy."

My brain felt like it had been hit by a bomb, completely blank. "Wait, wait,"I stammered, struggling to concentrate. "Are you telling me that Sarah is demanding I get a vasectomy, or else she'll have an abortion? And you,my own mother, are actually taking her side?"

I burst into laughter, sharp and grating, foreign even to my own ears."This is absurd! What exactly do you think I am?"

"Philip, calm down." My mother's voice attempted to soothe me, but only made me angrier.

"Calm down?" I paced in the small space, my chest burning with anger."You two are conspiring to have me undergo permanent sterilization,and you're telling me to calm dowvn?"

"Sarah contacted you, didn't she?" I suddenly stopped.

The silence on the other end was answer enough.

"I can't believe this!" I roared.

"T've always been on your side!" My mother finally raised her voice. "Look at yourself! Drunk, suffering over a woman who's already left you! If I wasn't trying to help you, why would I support Sarah?"

"Help me? Ha! When have you ever truly thought about what's best for me?" I rubbed my temples, the hangover headache and emotional turmoil making it nearly impossible to think. "You only care about yourself, about the Baker family reputation and heir!"

"DonI't say that!" There was hurt in my mother's voice, but I was beyond caring about her feelings.

"What did you say when Annie was pregnant with Brian?" I continued venting my anger. "You said she wasn't good enough for me,that her pregnancy was a trap to tie me down! And now, you're siding with Sarah,a woman who's blackmailing me into having sterilization surgery!"

My chest heaved violently, as if a wild beast was trying to break free. "Tell

me. Mom,why does Sarah get your support? Is it because of her family background? Or because she knows how to please you better?"

"Philip, you don't understand..." My mother tried to explain, but I'd had enough excuses.

"No, *you* don't understand!" I interrupted, my voice shaking with anger. "This is my body, my life! No one, including you and Sarah, has the right to decide whether I should have this surgery!"

"Annie won't come back to you," she finally said, her voice ice-cold."She has Howard Thompson now. You're just wasting your time."

My throat tightened, a sharp pain shooting through me. Howard Thompson's name was like a dull knife, cutting into my heart over and over. I knew Annie was with him now, and this fact tortured me every day.

"Even if Annie never comes back," I clenched my teeth, "I still won't give in. Tell Sarah I'd rather have nothing than surrender to her threats."

"Philip, think about it again," my mother's voice suddenly softened,carrying a hint of pleading. "The child in Sarah's womb is our family's hope. If she really terminates the pregnancy, you'll only have Brian left.And you know your relationship with Brian is already..."

"And you've seen how strained my relationship with Brian has become."She continued, her voice laced with obvious accusation. "Can you really bear to see me grow old alone? To watch others surrounded by grandchildren while I only have one grandson who wants nothing to do with me?"

I laughed coldly: "Yes, I can." For the first time in years, I felt a strange sense of liberation, as if breaking free from invisible shackles that had

bound me.

"You ungrateful bastard!" My mother finally lost her carefully maintained elegant composure,her voice distorted with anger. "Have you forgotten who raised you? Who got you into the best universities? Who gave you everything?"

"It was you, Mom," I admitted, my voice surprisingly calm. "But everything you gave came with conditions. Every bit of 'love' was another form of control over me. Not this time."

"You-" she could barely speak. "You must listen to me! If it weren't for me,you would be nothing right now!"

I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. "Enough,Mom. My answer is no. Never. You can relay that message to Sarah."

"You're forcing my hand!" My mother's voice suddenly turned shrill, with a hysterical edge. "If you don't agree, I'll kill myself right now! Did you hear me? I'll die! And it will all be your fault!"