Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 387

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You**

“Tiffany,” Caleb murmured, his voice barely breaking through the silence that enveloped them. Sydney’s lips curled into a faint smile, a fleeting gesture that seemed to dismiss his concern. “Besides,” she added, her tone steady, “I’ll be fine on my own. I can raise a child myself.”

Once she made the decision to keep the baby, her mind raced with plans. She envisioned a life brimming with possibilities—her income was reliable, her work schedule adaptable, and she wouldn’t have to grapple with the agonizing choice between her career aspirations and the joys of motherhood.

As she spoke about the child, her voice took on a softer cadence, a warmth radiating from her expression that Caleb couldn’t ignore. It was a tenderness that seemed to envelop her, illuminating the room in a way that made his heart ache just a little more.

Caleb felt a familiar pang in his chest. Memories flooded back to him—Sydney had often expressed her desire for a baby two years ago. At that time, to quell Penelope’s suspicions, he had refrained from any physical affection, keeping his distance.

But now, the reality was stark and painful: Sydney was expecting another man’s child. The longing she had always harbored to become a mother was now manifesting before his eyes, and he could see, without a shadow of a doubt, that she would be an extraordinary mother.

A raw, acidic sorrow surged within him, clawing its way up through his chest, threatening to spill over as tears stung his eyes. “You’ve wanted a child that much?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, laden with disbelief.

“Mm. Now that it’s here, I’m happy,” Sydney replied, her voice unwavering and soft, as though she were sharing a treasured secret.

She had always dreamed of a family.

The golden light of the setting sun streamed through the corridor windows, casting a warm glow around them. Caleb turned away sharply, desperate to contain the ache that threatened to erupt. Only God knew how deeply he regretted the choices he had made in the past.

If only he had given her a child back then, perhaps their marriage wouldn’t have unraveled so neatly. They could have shared an unbreakable bond—a child, calling her “Mama” and him “Papa.” Their child. Their forever.

With a heavy heart, he lowered his head slightly, raising his hand as if to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. But the gesture halted in mid-air, suspended between them, unfulfilled.

Sydney pressed her lips together, the conflict evident in her expression. “Then thank you,” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What’s there to thank me for? Consider it me paying off a debt,” he replied with a lightness that felt forced. “Go back in. Don’t stand too long.”

With that, he turned toward the elevator, the smile fading from his face as desolation washed over him. He was terrified of losing control in front of her, yet once he was alone, the dam broke, and his eyes burned with a dry, aching sting he could no longer contain.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Sterling Corp.’s drug launch press conference were in full swing, an atmosphere thick with anticipation.

Penelope had never anticipated Sydney would be so audacious. With such mediocre efficacy, Sydney still dared to stage a press conference, branding the product as a breakthrough cancer drug with zero side effects. If the truth came to light, the entire Sterling Corp. could be dragged into a scandal of monumental proportions.

Lost in her thoughts, Penelope felt a surge of excitement as she entered the office. But the moment she opened her door, a tablet came hurtling toward her chest, a sudden and shocking interruption that sent her heart racing.