### Chapter 369: Whose Child Is It? (5/10)

"There's a lot of discussion online about whether Taylor's pregnancy is real. Some people think it is, while others believe it's just a publicity stunt. Since 8 AM, this news has been trending in the top three on platforms like Google, Yahoo, and Twitter, with the buzz only growing. As of 10 AM, there has been no official response from Taylor's camp."

Ms. Mandy handed over a tablet.

Link scrolled through it.

After The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, many netizens posted pictures of Taylor at various events. They pointed out that before last year, she always wore form-fitting clothes that highlighted her slim waistline.

Taylor had also mentioned on a talk show that she was anxious about her body image and would punish herself by not eating until she lost any extra weight, even if she gained just one pound.

But recent photos showed that she had clearly gained some weight, with her exposed cheeks and the backs of her hands looking a bit chubbier.

So, most netizens were convinced that the news of Taylor's pregnancy was about 80% true.

Link looked at these photos and scratched his forehead, feeling a bit annoyed.

If Taylor really was pregnant, who was the father?

If it was him, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. But what if it wasn't?

Link clenched his fist, feeling even more frustrated.

After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and called Taylor, but got a message saying the number couldn't be reached.

He then opened WhatsApp and sent her a message, asking if the baby was his and saying that if it was, he was willing to take responsibility.

As soon as he sent the message, he regretted it. He shouldn’t have asked if it was his; he should have been more subtle and asked how many months along she was.

Given Taylor's temper, and the fact that she was pregnant, who knows if she might get angry after reading that message.

He wanted to retract the message, but it was too late—the message had already been read.

"Your face looks a little rounder and prettier. Is it true that you're pregnant?"

Link asked.

"What does it have to do with you?" Taylor replied.

"I haven't seen any news about you dating anyone recently, and you're not the type to mess around. If you're pregnant, the baby can only be mine. As the father, it naturally concerns me."

"You think you know me so well? Too bad, you're wrong this time. After we broke up in April or May, I was feeling down and went to a bar to drink. I ended up sleeping with some random guy and later found out I was pregnant. I see it as a gift from the heavens, so I'm planning to keep it. It has nothing to do with you, so stop overthinking."

Taylor replied.

Link was so angry after reading this message that he nearly crushed his phone.

"I never expected you to be this kind of woman."

As he was typing out his response, it suddenly occurred to him that Taylor might just be saying this in anger. Every time they talked, she would say things that made him want to punch something. Maybe this was one of those times.

He deleted the message and called Lady Andrea, but the call was declined after two rings.

"I told you it's not yours, so it doesn't concern you. What more do you want?"

Taylor sent another message.

"I know it's mine, but I can't tell you why just yet."

"What reason?"

"I can't tell you right now."

"Bastard, did you tamper with the condom that time?"

Ring, ring! Just as he was about to reply, his phone started ringing. It was Taylor calling.

As soon as he answered, he was met with a stream of curses from Taylor. However, her vocabulary was somewhat lacking; she kept repeating words like "bastard" and "damn guy" without even using an F-bomb.

"Taylor, please calm down. It's not what you think. I swear to God, everything I did was because I love you."

"You bastard, liar! I swear, I'll never let you see this child!"

"Sweetheart, let me explain—"

Beep, beep, beep!

The call was disconnected. Link tried calling back twice, but it didn't go through.

He sent Taylor another message on WhatsApp, only to be blocked again. The same happened on MSN, Facebook, and all other platforms—they all showed they were no longer friends.

Link rubbed his temples. He should have been more tactful earlier.

Actually, he had anticipated that Taylor would get mad if he said that, but without saying it, there was no way to confirm whether the child was his. Now that Taylor was extremely angry, it was almost certain that the child was his.

As for using such a tactic to get Taylor pregnant, it was indeed a bit underhanded.

But Taylor didn’t take any contraceptives afterward and hadn’t done anything after finding out she was pregnant, which indicated that she was willing to have this baby.

So, the arrival of this child was a mutual decision, a product of their love, not some conspiracy.

Seeing the nanny van turn onto the coastal road, Link wanted to go see Taylor, but he didn't know where she was. After some thought, he called Chubby Face, who picked up after two rings.

"What do you want?"

Selena's voice was soft and bubbly, with a hint of sleepiness.

"Are you still sleeping?"

Cough, cough! "No, of course not! I just got back from a run, huff, puff. How’s Korea? It should be the middle of the night there, right? What’s up?"

Selena asked, pretending to be out of breath.

"I'm in Los Angeles."

"Huh? Oh, right, I remember now. You did say you were coming back today. I just washed a plate of strawberries for you. Hurry back and eat them."

"Did you know Taylor is pregnant?"

Thud! Something fell to the floor, followed by a surprised "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?"

"What did you just say?"

Selena asked.

"Did you know Taylor is pregnant?"

"That's impossible. I just saw her last week. She... she might have gained a little weight. Her belly did seem a bit bigger."

"You saw she was gaining weight and didn’t ask what was going on?"

"Gaining a little weight is no big deal. Sometimes I gain a bit too and get a little belly. How could I have thought she was pregnant? Is it true? How did you find out? Could it be fake news? Whose baby is it? No way... is it yours? That means I’m going to be an aunt! Hee hee, ha ha ha! I’m going to be an aunt! How great is that?"

"Stop!"

Link covered his forehead. "It should be mine. I want to visit Taylor, but I don’t know where she’s staying. Can you—"

"I’ll call her right now, and we’ll go together."

Click! Selena hung up the phone.

Link looked at Ms. Mandy across from him. He was about to ask her to manage her daughter, but then he remembered that Chubby Face was already eighteen, so there wasn’t much she could do.

"Link, is it really yours? Are you sure?"

Ms. Mandy asked, excitedly.

"It probably is, but I can’t be 100% sure."

Link hesitated.

"Does that mean I’m going to be a grand-aunt? And Catherine will be a grandmother? But I’m not prepared for this at all. What should I do?"

Ms. Mandy frowned.

Link looked at her, speechless. "I’m the one who’s going to be a dad, and you’re worried about being a grand-aunt?"

Ring, ring!

Selena called back. As soon as he answered, she yelled, "Link, what did you do? Taylor is really mad right now. She doesn’t want to see you or even hear your name. She even said that if I tell you where she’s staying, she’ll never speak to me again. Bad Link! Whatever you did, I’m on Taylor’s side in this. You must’ve done something wrong to make her so mad."

"Do you know where Taylor is staying?"

"I do... Oh, I mean, I don’t!"

"Selena, Taylor doesn’t want to see me, and I can’t just barge in. Can you check on her for me? This is an important task. Can you do that?"

"Of course! Expect good news from me! Wait, before that, tell me what gift you brought me this time."

"Uh... a beautiful set of Hanbok, with lovely ribbons and exquisite accessories. I’m sure you’ll look gorgeous in it."

"That’s more like it! Wait for my good news."

Selena happily hung up the phone.

Link thought he’d better delay giving Selena that box of SAT practice tests.

"I’ll go with Selena. She’s clumsy and doesn’t understand much," Ms. Mandy suggested with a smile.

Link thought about it and agreed. That could work—Ms. Mandy was Selena’s mom, so Taylor shouldn’t get mad at seeing her.

A little while later, Catherine called, excitedly saying she wanted to go see her grandchild.

Link felt helpless. They couldn’t even be sure the baby was his, so what was there to see?

But since Catherine and Lady Andrea were acquaintances, it wasn’t a bad idea for her to visit after hearing about Taylor’s pregnancy.

So, shortly after Link returned to the bay villa, Catherine, Ms. Mandy, and Selena left in a car, leaving only Link and little Annie in the villa.

He took little Annie, who had changed into a traditional Tang-style court robe, for

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So, shortly after Link returned to the bay villa, Catherine, Ms. Mandy, and Selena left by car, leaving only Link and little Annie in the villa.

He took little Annie, who was now dressed in a traditional Chinese court-style gown, for a walk on the lawn and took some photos.

Little Annie was already very cute, and wearing a pink, hand-embroidered dress with her hair tied up in an apple style and a pink ribbon made her look even cuter, like a little doll in traditional Chinese clothing.

Link thought that if Taylor's baby turned out to be a girl, she might be just as cute as Annie in three or four years.

But the thought of becoming a father soon left him feeling confused about what to do next. If the child was indeed his, how would he explain this to Taylor and give the child a proper explanation?

And what about Ivanka? If she found out the truth, could they still maintain their relationship?

If not, would Link Music face any changes? What about Chris Liu, Daddario, Marion Cotillard, and the others—would anything change with them? And what about the media? If things were confirmed, it was foreseeable that his reputation as a scumbag would only escalate.

He might even surpass Tiger Woods, who had 120 mistresses, and Kobe Bryant, who was accused of assaulting a waitress, to become the biggest scumbag in sports.

As he and little Annie walked around the villa, online discussions reached a fever pitch after spreading and fermenting for most of the day.

Before noon, when netizens discussed the issue, they mainly focused on whether Taylor was pregnant. Some said yes, presenting a lot of evidence, while others said no, also providing evidence.

But by noon, Taylor’s side hadn’t clarified anything.

Online opinion gradually shifted in favor of Taylor being pregnant, with those denying it becoming a minority. As these few voices fell silent, netizens started treating “Taylor’s pregnancy” as an undeniable fact.

After confirming Taylor’s pregnancy, energetic netizens began discussing “who the father of the child was.”

Link, as the ex-boyfriend, was undoubtedly the prime suspect. Other suspects included singers like Joe Jonas and John Mayer, who had collaborated with Taylor on stage earlier in the year.

But before these speculations gained traction, the suspects’ managers quickly responded, saying they liked Taylor’s music but were just friends with her, with nothing more going on.

In the end, only Link hadn’t responded.

Additionally, paparazzi reported that Link’s cousin Selena, his mother Catherine, and his manager Ms. Mandy had gone to Taylor’s Los Angeles home, possibly to visit her.

Some maternity experts even analyzed Taylor’s body changes online, estimating her pregnancy to be about 24 weeks, or around April, when Link and Taylor were going through a breakup.

At this point, there was no need for further discussion. Link was 100% the father of Taylor’s child, conceived before their breakup.

With the child’s father confirmed, online discussions moved to the next stage.

How would Taylor handle the child? Would she have an abortion? Would Link accept the child? Would they reconcile because of this?

As for whether Taylor would terminate the pregnancy, netizens unanimously believed that since she had kept the baby this long, she obviously intended to have it. Aborting it after the news broke would attract much criticism and public pressure, making it not worth the trouble.

The second point was whether Link would accept the child.

When discussing this, netizens suddenly became irritable.

Many rehashed old grievances, calling him a scumbag. Originally, when he and Taylor were together, they were seen as a “golden couple,” making many believe in love again.

But within just over a year, a fake private video and Link’s questionable private conduct led to their breakup, causing many to lose faith in celebrity relationships, believing that true love doesn’t exist in the entertainment industry.

Initially, many felt Taylor was overreacting by breaking up with Link over a fake video, feeling sorry for him.

But Link’s behavior afterward was a rude awakening for many.

In the three or four months after their breakup, he was rumored to have had over ten girlfriends, with five confirmed. He was just too much of a scumbag, and Taylor was wise to dump him.

The only unfortunate part was that she ended up pregnant with his child.

Now that Link had a child, how would he deal with it? Would he turn over a new leaf and reconcile with Taylor?

Some netizens supported them getting back together to give the unborn child a complete family.

Besides, Link is currently the top male singer in pop music and the world’s best-selling artist.

Taylor, on the other hand, is the leading figure in country music and one of America’s top-selling artists—the youngest diva in the music world.

Both are young, talented, and good-looking.

If they could stay together, they’d undoubtedly be the most legendary couple in music history.

However, those opposing their reconciliation had valid reasons as well.

Netizens believed Link was a scumbag who didn’t deserve a good girl like Taylor.

Even if they got back together because of the baby, Link would still cheat if the opportunity arose. If Taylor couldn’t accept it, they’d end up breaking up again.

Given that, they might as well go their separate ways and never see each other again. This kind of thing is common in the entertainment industry.

As for the child, it could be considered a beautiful accident. Taylor shouldn’t sacrifice her happiness just to accommodate a scumbag; that would be too unfair to her.

Link shook his head in disbelief at these comments.

So far, Taylor hadn’t confirmed the pregnancy, but netizens were already discussing the baby’s name and custody, worrying over nothing.

“Link, did you know that your reputation is worse than durian? It’s downright rotten.”

In the villa, Selena lay on the couch, eating the grapes he had just washed, sniffing in disdain.

“Cut the crap! You just saw Taylor. How is she?”

Link asked while handing her some ice cream.

“It’s true, Taylor really is pregnant. Her belly is like this.”

Selena placed a plate under her clothes to demonstrate, “Catherine said she’s at least four months along. But Taylor also said that her pregnancy has nothing to do with you and that she won’t tell the child who the father is, so the child will grow up without a father. Link, you’re such a jerk. What did you do to make Taylor this mad?”

“Stop exaggerating. I just made the same mistake every man makes, nothing serious.”

Link replied.

Selena rolled her eyes dramatically, then suddenly made a fist and playfully punched him on the shoulder, saying it was for Taylor and the baby.

Link couldn’t be bothered to argue with her and just told her that the gift he brought from Asia was in her bedroom on the counter.

Selena’s eyes lit up at the mention of a gift, and she shoved the grapes into his hands before dashing upstairs in her slippers.

At first, there were excited cheers from upstairs, but after a few seconds, they turned into a string of frustrated complaints.

“Stupid Link, I’ll never tell you anything about Taylor again, I swear!”

“That’s a gift I brought all the way from the other side of the world. Make sure you use it.”

“I absolutely won’t!”

Selena shouted in annoyance.

Link shook his head and noticed that Ms. Anna was approaching with a troubled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Boss, ever since Taylor’s pregnancy was reported, there’s been a lot of negative talk about you online. People are calling you the biggest scumbag in the music industry and urging fans to boycott your albums so you can’t survive in the industry.”

Ms. Anna explained.

“Really?”

Link sat cross-legged on the carpet, opened his laptop, and scrolled through it. Even though he was prepared for this, he was still shocked by the overwhelming amount of negative news.

Yahoo, MySpace, Entertainment Online, and other news websites and forums were flooded with negative stories about him, both old scandals and recent gossip.

The comment sections of these stories were also filled with angry comments, with people calling for his career to be destroyed, ensuring he couldn’t survive in the music industry.

Link then checked Twitter, where his latest post about the Seoul concert poster was also flooded with insults.

The scale of this backlash reminded him of last March, when he was mobbed online by Kanye West’s fans after offending a black community group.

Back then, his Twitter account only had one or two million followers, with three to four thousand hate comments.

Now, with 72.5 million followers, the negative comments had grown to hundreds of thousands.

It was overwhelming; all he saw were negative comments. If someone with a weaker mentality faced this, they might easily break down.

But Link wouldn’t. From his days in the boxing world to now, his journey had been filled with both flowers and thorns, applause and endless criticism.

He had been criticized so much that his skin had thickened, and these negative comments didn’t affect him much—they didn’t even make him frown.

“Boss, these negative comments are very similar. It seems someone is directing an army of trolls to guide public opinion, trying to use netizens to attack us.”

Ms. Anna analyzed.

Link nodded, thought for a moment, and posted a new tweet, stating that this was a huge surprise and thanking Taylor. He assured everyone that he would take responsibility for what he had done and wouldn’t let anyone down.

He also called Scooter, asking the Link Music marketing department to handle the situation.

(End of Chapter)

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