Kathryn’s POV
I've been locking myself in the bathroom throwing up for half an hour. I know it's one of the early signs of pregnancy.
The father of the child who should have been ecstatic was now irritatedly yelling at the door.
“How many more centuries will you need, Kathryn? You've disappointed me enough already. Are you trying to embarrass me at such an important party?” I heard my husband, Wilhelm, harshly knock on the door a few times.
He didn't know about the baby. I was looking for the right moment. Or maybe I hadn't thought about telling him yet.
Three years into our marriage we couldn't conceive a child, our relationship was going down the drain.
When I finally had a child, I was hesitant to tell him, since he had been treating me less and less like his wife.
I controlled my rapid breathing, feeling a sense of dread that this had to happen when we only had an hour left before the dinner party started.
The doctor had already advised me ahead; this would be more frequent in the months to come, I need to be as less stressed as possible.
It wouldn't be surprising if it was due to the stress I felt the entire time. But I didn't realize that sickness could be so bad.
From warmth to cold as ice, I stifled my tears as I remembered that we’d gone so far from the newly wedded couple that we were three years ago.
I wanted this marriage to last, but I didn’t know where to start fixing our relationship. Things are about to change, and I know this child is the key to our marriage.
“Just give me a few seconds,” I said after I did a few touches to my make-up and straightened my dress.
Once I opened the door and Wilhelm saw my dress, a line of disappointment formed on his mouth.
“Is that what you’re planning to wear for the dinner party?” he asked, his voice cold and unfeeling.
I felt sorry for myself for bearing my husband’s irony, but nodded my head anyway.
“Don’t you like it?” I asked while I looked down at the old, brown dress that I bought a few years back. At that time, I thought this marriage was a happy one. “I had no time to buy a new one while managing this place, I’m so sorry.”
“No time?” he questioned, his tone irritated, his blue eyes cold and calculating every word that I’ve just said. “Kathryn, you’re in this villa 24/7 doing god knows basic work as my wife. We have at least ten servants that you could ask for help or pick up a dress for you. How could you say that you don’t have the time to buy a new one?”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Our family is one of the most successful business houses in this country. As the biggest funder at this party, how are you going to convince anyone that you're my wife and not a maid?!”
I frowned. It’s true that I’m a housewife, but surely he shouldn’t discredit the things that I do to manage this place like he made it sound.
Bowing my head, I mumbled my agreement. “I understand and I apologize. Would you like me to change my dress?”
“There’s no time,” he snapped and swiped a glance at his limited edition Rolex. “We’re going to be late.”
Wilhelm walked out of the door and slammed it shut. Within a minute, I heard the car’s engine roar along with the metallic clanking of the gates being opened.
My shoulders slumped as I gave up the pretense of feeling disappointed for not meeting his expectations of what a billionaire’s wife should look like.
This is all my fault. If only I’d told him that I was pregnant, his mood wouldn’t have soured the way it was now. Or would nothing change?
Alone and left behind, I lay on the cold floor, my head placed on top of my knees as I wrecked my brain on what to do next, unless I wanted to sign divorce papers soon.
My hand found its way to the flat surface of my belly, my sadness rendering me completely silent.
What do I do now?
My mouth was acrid as I coughed to clear my throat, the aftertaste of my vomit making me more nauseated. I grappled with the fact that I needed to compose myself in order to come out as presentable as I could as the billionaire’s wife.
After all, it was the only reason why he decided to take me to this dinner party.
Wil was by my side, and he sported the all-too-familiar smile he had on his face whenever he was in an important gathering like this.
“Wilhelm! I’m glad to see you around,” one of the men said.
“Ah, Mr. Brooks,” my husband nodded in the man’s direction. “I hope your start-up company is doing well.”
“It should be doing fine by the end of the month,” Mr. Brooks grinned. “And who might be this woman on your side?”
He glanced my way. I squared my shoulders and put on my best smile, already expecting to be introduced as his wife, but it seemed that Wil had another plan in mind.
“I’m glad your company is doing well,” he finally said, his eyes gazing back at Mr. Brooks who seemed keen to go along with the conversation. “Why don’t we talk more about your plans for this year’s bazaar?”
I froze, my whole world crumbling down. My heart thundered in my chest, and it was the only sound that I could hear. Catching the reflection of myself in a nearby window wasn’t helping things.
Wil walked further away with Mr. Brooks. I was left alone, pondering my existence.
Sure, I was far from being presentable. And I got that he was ashamed to let everyone know I am his spouse. But would it hurt to introduce me as his wife?
“If you’ll excuse me,” I mumbled, unsure if anyone had heard me. “I need to get some fresh air.” Either way, I excused myself and headed to the nearby balcony to get a breather in some way and wipe my tears in secret.
“Madam, what’s wrong?” Anna, my favorite maid, asked in concern. “Are you alright?”
Anna is the one who witnessed the whole process of cold violence on me in this home. But there was nothing she could do about what was happening to me.
“I’m fine,” I tried to smile. “You just go ahead and enjoy the rest of the party.”
“Madam Kathryn,” one of my husband’s bodyguards bowed to me. “This way, please. Sir Wilhelm sends a message that you’re not to embarrass him by shying away in the balcony.”
“Sure thing,” I grumbled sarcastically as I entered, annoyed by Wilhelm's lack of understanding of personal space. “Show me where we're going.”
How could I embarrass Wil when people didn’t know who I was to him in the first place?
As I went back into the room, I turned my head to the sound of all-too-familiar laughter.
I blinked, confused by what I was seeing. I found myself standing opposite my husband—who happened to have a glamorous woman by his side, with his head tilted back in a boisterous laughter I had never seen him do in front of me before.
The woman had blonde hair that dazzled with the chandelier’s light, and her height on par with Wil’s.
I felt pain in my chest. Admittedly, they both looked good by each other’s side.
Compared to what I was wearing, her dress was easily the most flattering piece of clothing I’ve ever laid my eyes upon, with the lavender complimenting her tan. And as much as I hate to admit it, it suited her defined body.
I clenched my fist and let out the breath that I’d unintentionally been holding. None of them had yet noticed my presence, their eyes locked in a gaze that no one could break, while inside me, a simmering rage that I had suppressed for far too long began to unfurl.
It hurt to see him happy in the company of another woman. Because as a fact, Wil had never looked at me that way before. I burned with an immense amount of rage while approaching my husband. Finally, Wil turned his head in my direction.
“Darling,” he faked a smile. “You’re finally here. Where have you been?”
The woman beside him turned to face me. “Oh, madam! We have been looking all over for you.”
I was silent for a while, my gaze focused on her hand that never left my husband’s arm.
“I needed to get some fresh air,” I answered casually without any hint of amusement in my voice.
“That must’ve been very quiet,” the woman commented.
I smiled. “It would’ve been if Anna wasn’t keeping me company,” I looked behind me. “Isn’t that right, Anna?”
Anna bowed her head in agreement.
“Ah, I'm terribly rude for forgetting to introduce you,” my husband shifted his gaze to the woman beside him. “This is Rosamund Fitzgerald, a friend of mine from college.”
“Rose for short,” she reached out her hand, and I stared at it. The only response I could get out of my system was a smile—and it held every promise and curse that I could think of at the moment.
I stood completely still, feeling as if icy water had been poured all over me. I wasn’t foolish, and anyone in the room could confirm that they were more than friends in any sense.
Suddenly, my heart grew cold as a sense of dread enveloped me. The realization hit me hard: there was a life growing inside me, and my husband knew nothing about it. As I stood there, the people in front of me seemed like a threat to our marriage.
Kathryn’s POV“Wilhelm, I have to excuse myself,” I mumbled, unsure if he had heard what I just said as he was too engrossed in conversation with Rose to give me just a tiny bit of his attention. Unnoticed by my very own husband, I held back my tears and maintained a dignified expression despite the unbearable pain that shot through my chest. It hurt to think that their closeness was one I had imagined I would’ve had with my own husband, but it wasn’t the case.In the end, I went home alone. I'm disheartened by what I've witnessed. Arriving home, Anna wordlessly opened the door for me. Just as I entered, my mother-in-law, Camille, happened to be threading down the stairs. Her sharp eyes, which mimicked my husband’s, darted to where I was. I held my breath. I already predicted what would come next. “Hello, mother,” I tried to hide my bleak appearance with a smile. Camille gave no reply yet, her eyes filled with distaste that lingered my way. “Why are you arriving home without W
Kathryn’s POVWilhelm made a noise that sounded like he was irritated before he answered. “Are you asking me that seriously?”It would have been unnatural not to question him at this point. I clenched my fist, gathering what courage I had left as I opened my mouth to speak. “Are you?” I pressed on, my heart beating fast. “You’d only need to answer, Wil. Is Rose with you?”“Yes,” he said, without a single hint of hesitation in his tone. “She’s with me, and she had been drunk from the party—”“Then why—”I stopped midway when Wilhelm muttered what sounded like a curse as he continued his explanation. “All I did was escort her back to her hotel room.” There was a heavy pause on my end, but I found myself listening for his continuation. “Why do you keep pressing this subject? Are you doubting me?”I could practically hear the beating of my heart as my blood ran cold from what he said. “Then why are you not home yet?”“You’re misunderstanding things, Kath,” he grumbled. “I need to get back
“She’s here on an appointment,” Wilhelm replied coldly. “What are YOU doing here? I didn’t hear about you getting an appointment to see me.” I blinked. “You’re asking me, your own wife, to set an appointment for me to get to see you in your own company?” A shadow crossed over my husband’s face. “Isn’t that what I’ve just said?” “I’m so sorry, Kathryn! I only tried to wipe the sweat off the back of his shirt,” Rose reasoned. “I meant no harm in doing it,” she looked to Wilhelm next. “I should probably leave—” “You should stay. We’re not yet signing the contract,” he gestured to the paper on the desk before he shifted his gaze to me. “You should be the one to leave.” I couldn’t breathe at his words, my hands shaking as I held tight onto the lunchbox that I had brought him. How could he dismiss me like this? “Why is she joining the company?” I managed to ask. Wilhelm narrowed his eyes on me. “Do I need to tell you?” “Wil, that’s enough,” Rose said, reaching out to touch his shoul
Kathryn’s POVI kept my lips closed and left without looking back, despite Wilhelm’s incessant protests of telling me to stop walking and face him instead. Ignoring him, I reminded myself that I was only here to drop off his lunch. Now, refocusing on my priority I headed back inside the car for my monthly prenatal check-up.As I arrived at the hospital with worry in my heart, the check-up and ultrasound surprisingly went well, but I barely felt my excitement as my mind was still on the events that had happened a while ago. Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to remove them from my mind when Dr. Miller began to inspect my belly. “Let’s see here,” Dr. Miller nodded her head several times as her eyes alight with a sparkle of curious wonder. “Oh, I have great news for you, Mrs. Reinhardt!” She placed down the sonogram, and faced me with a grin on her face. My breath caught in anticipation, unsure if this was something worth celebrating as she made it sound to be. “Congratulations!
Kathryn’s POVThe man I once admired as my husband, stood from his desk and sank on the sofa next to it, muttering curses one after the other. “This is fucking ridiculous!” “Don’t you want to read it first?” I asked, my face a blank canvas on his outraged nature. “You’re being unreasonable,” Wilhelm barked as he stared at the divorce agreement document that was placed on his table, his face turning dead-beat red from probably all the anger he felt. “How ungrateful can you be, Kath? I’ve wasted money for you to get to where you are, and now you’re asking me for a divorce?” he laughed without any humor. “And whose money do you think you’d use to pay your attorney’s fee? My own?” I placed my hand underneath my belly for support. “I owe you nothing, Wilhelm. The money that I have right now came wholly from my parents, especially my father’s inheritance.” “Yours? Are you even listening to yourself?” Wilhelm exclaimed. “Remember the day you came begging, promising to combine your in
Kathryn’s POV After I rang the doorbell, I heard a few rushing footsteps and grunting before the door opened, and the wind swiped at my face. “Oh, Kathryn!” My best friend Emily hugged me so tight I could barely breathe, but I was happy to finally be able to see a friend after a very long time of being confined in Reinhardt’s villa. “I’ve been waiting for years,” she sobbed and I whimpered between the curves of her shoulders, somewhat relieved I found myself here. “Well, that took me a long time. But enough of that!” I wiped my own tears with the back of my hand. “I’m finally here–at least temporarily. Mom wants me to get home as soon as I can.” Emily gathered my hand, her eyes moist. “I can understand why she’s in a rush, but stay as long as you need, Kathy. Don’t you dare go back to that horrible place!” My phone suddenly rang. “Why does he keep calling you?” Emily exclaimed after she placed a cup of tea on the table across from me. “If he already has his side chick, he sh
Mother placed a few biscuits and a cup of tea in front of me, wearing a frown that accentuated the fine lines on her face. Beside her sat my stepfather, who also wore a similar expression, though he attempted to appear more relaxed than my mother ever did. The room filled with the scent of jasmine and honey, a welcome relief for my stomach after a long day at my lawyer’s office.“I can’t believe you did it,” Mother finally spoke, her eyes solemn as they gazed upon me in disappointment, yet she didn’t look much older either from the new color of her hair. “News traveled fast about your decision to divorce Wilhelm, and I’m sure your father in heaven wouldn’t like it either. His efforts to get you married off to a capable man had all gone to waste.”I arched an eyebrow as I took a sip from my cup. “When he’s clearly the one who placed our feet in a surmountable amount of debt? Yeah, sure.” “How can you speak that way to your deceased father!” Mother exclaimed, her face flushing with co
Kathryn’s POVSeven months later…“Au revoir, and great work everyone,” my professor gathered all of his things as he looked at us with vigor. “I’ll see you tomorrow, same time,” his eyes lingered my way. Nodding, I flashed him a smile before I sank into my seat, my huge belly protruding from the table as my classmates dispersed outside of the classroom. Life was never the same again, and I can say that I enjoyed the days that counted down to my twins’ upcoming birth, pulling all-nighters whenever exams came up, or just simply laying on the couch whenever I felt extremely sleepy throughout the day. At times, my mind would drift back to the days of my marriage, but seeing the results of my studies and moving to Paris quickly pushed those thoughts aside.My divorce with Wilhelm was going smoothly, and I never heard another word from him again. I smirked. I mean, how could I? When I basically threw my old life away, and shielded my present from both his family and mine. It was the be