Chapter 13

(Flashback)

Ana, five months into her initial pregnancy, was overwhelmed with anxiety. While her mother had warned her about morning sickness, nobody had mentioned the accompanying mild headaches, swollen ankles, and constipation. It wasn’t until she confided in the doctor, who Ivan had contacted, that she realized these were normal parts of the journey. However, admitting that these reassurances made her any less anxious and troubled would be dishonest, because she knew that she and her baby were doing well, yet other concerns started to plague her.

So far, Ana had successfully concealed her true feelings about Ivan’s mysterious business dealings. He might have believed she was too naive or foolish to see through his deceit, but perhaps he didn’t truly understand her. She couldn’t really blame him for that. Initially, she hadn’t been thrilled when her father informed her that she would marry a man of his choosing. At that time, she was still in college, working towards completing her