" You looked a little carsick carlier . Drink this . " And take these vitamins . " She took the glass and did as he said . The women stared , stunned . Jillian turned , pretending to be concerned . " Cordelia , you're taking medicine ? Is something wrong ? " Cordelia finished the lemonade and said calmly , " No. I'm getting ready to have a baby . " " Have a baby ? " Everyone gaped at their backs , then started whispering . Velma leaned toward Belinda and said quietly , " Why ? Didn't she already have three kids ? " Belinda frowned . Just last month , she'd stopped by under the guise of a home visit and walked in on a full - blown fight . Cordelia had been furious , throwing Declan's things out like she never wanted to see him again . Now they looked like the picture of domestic bliss .. Natalie looked confused . " Weren't they splitting up ? What's with the baby talk ? Did she figure out some magic trick to keep him around ? " " Who knows ? " " I thought we were in for some drama . " After a few more words with Eric , Declan and Cordelia headed into the private room . Their old classmates , once so full of life , now looked their age . Most of the men had gained weight , lost hair , or both. Declan didn't seem fazed . For Cordelia , though , it was jarring . Just days ago , she'd been in her twenties . In her memory , these people were young , vibrant . Seeing them now was a shock . 0.0 % 09:35 Chapter 17 " Wow , they've really aged , " she murmured with a sigh . Then she snuck a peek at Declan . Compared to them , he stood out even more . Eric , in his 80s , was helped to his seat by his daughter . Once he was settled , lunch began . At first , the room buzzed with polite catch - ups . Ten minutes in , the vibe shifted - status updates , humblebrags , quiet one - upmanship . Then a few men turned to Declan , full - on flattery . " Back in school , Declan was top of the class . Now he's the one who made it big . " " Seriously , Declan owns like ten or fifteen companies ? One little project from him could feed us for a year . " Two balding men stood to toast him . "Here's to Declan . Come on , it's a party- " Declan cut them off with a polite smile . " Sorry , I'm getting ready for a baby . No alcohol . " The room burst into laughter . Cordelia's face went hot , her ears burning . She tugged at Declan's sleeve , whispering , " Why did you have to say that out loud? " He looked at her , deadpan . " You told those women first . " That was just how they spoke to each other , but to Belinda , it looked like Cordelia was showing off . Belinda clenched her fists , her nails digging into her palms . Some people couldn't help teasing . " Cordelia, you've already got three kids . What's there to be shy about ? " A few women glanced over , eyes full of envy , " Cordelia , looks like you two have it good . " " Yeah , and Declan must be something in bed . My husband can barely last five seconds . " " Lucky you . Mine doesn't even make it past five . " The exchange set off a wave of muffled laughter . The men looked deeply uncomfortable . " Hey , hey , can we not do this in front of Mr. Olson ? " " Give us guys a little dignity , will you ? " 29.1 % 09:35 288 iVouchers Chapter 17 Just then , a woman near Cordelia leaned in , her voice low and curious . " Cordelia , be honest . How's Declan in bed ? " Immediately , every woman nearby turned to her , their eyes wide . They were dying to know . So was Cordelia . She hadn't experienced it herself and didn't know what to say . To make it worse , Declan was also looking at her . She cleared her throat and gave a tight smile . " Um ... it's just ... fine , I guess . " The other women exchanged glances , disappointment written on their faces . They assumed the earlier comments were just flattery . Declan set down his glass a little harder than usual . He turned to Cordelia with a slight frown . " Just fine ? " Cordelia picked up her soup , hiding the grin tugging at her lips . It served him right . He'd always gotten under her skin , and now he could feel it too . After all that drama , the rumors about their supposed divorce were gone . Eric leaned over and offered her some shrimp . " Eat more . Protein is good for you and pregnancy prep . " Cordelia gave an awkward laugh . " Thanks , Mr. Olson . " Deep down , she already regretted blurting that out just to rile Belinda and her group , Now she wished she could just disappear . Eric smiled warmly . " Back in school , I could tell Declan liked you , Cordelia . " I'm glad you two ended up together . " " No way , " Cordelia said without thinking . Declan could've liked any girl in their class , but not her . 288 iVouchers 64.9 % 09:35 Chapter 17 288 iVouchers " Why not ? " Eric countered . " Don't you remember senior year , when you fainted from that fear in the classroom? " Of course , she remembered . She'd been seriously sick . The whole class had gone to the sports meet , and no one noticed she was missing . 94.7 %