Chapter 1

She’s pregnant… She's having a baby...

When her back hits the wall, it sinks in, making her laughter stop halfway. Her initial fear was to know if he would want this too. This is not just about her. It is about them. Their child.

She should tell him, right? Then she would know if he wants a baby as much as she does.

Hurriedly, Ellodie grabs the strip and dumps it in the bin before rushing outside, unable to hide her excitement.

Her husband Simon Richards and she have been married for almost five years. Their relationship didn't kick off right. They started on the wrong foot—their marriage was arranged.

From her side, it wasn't arranged. It was what she wanted. She loved Simon right from the very first day she set her eyes on him.

As Ellodie races up the stairs, her heart keeps pounding harder. When she gets to the last stair, she grabs onto the stairwell to take a long breath before moving towards his home office door. But a sound stops her from opening the door as her hand goes numb on the handle.

“I love you, Jessica… I always do, baby,” Simon's voice booms loudly, shocking the living hell out of Ellodie.

When his deep rich laughter follows, she knows she is not imagining things and this is real. She imagines how his Adam's apple will go back and forth as he chuckles. She imagines how his eyes will beam with delight as he spills the love word without a hassle.

Jessica…

Who the hell is that?

Intense anger mixed with jealousy sets in.

Who the hell is Jessica? Who is she to have had him laughing that way when it took Ellodie five good years to finally see his genuine laughter?"

Unconsciously, Ellodie opens the door just in time to see him standing up from behind the huge mahogany brown desk.

Their eyes interlock for a second. She doesn't know if he can see the anger in her eyes or whether he chooses to ignore it because he looks away as though he wasn't being unfaithful a while ago.

Just before Ellodie can ask him who he was on the phone with and why he was telling another woman he loves her, he beats her to it.

“I was just about to come see you,” he states, reminding her of the reason why she is also here.

Whenever he is in here, Ellodie doesn't disturb him. She rarely comes here to see him because he hates interruptions and distractions. Yet he was on a call with a woman, telling her he loved her when he was supposed to be working.

Rage bubbles inside her.

“Did you get the papers?” he demands almost immediately, not staring at her. Instead, he is picking up some files from the desk and dumping them inside his briefcase. He looks like he is going out.

If Ellodie hadn't overheard his conversation with the so-called Jessica, she would have assumed he was heading to work. This is usual.

But no. Deep down, she knows work isn't coming. This is Jessica calling.

“What… papers?” Her curiosity gets the better of her. She is supposed to ignore him and go straight to the point about the baby. Perhaps that will make him change his mind about being unfaithful.

“The divorce papers, Ellodie,” he blurts out indifferently. “I want a divorce.”

Her jaw drops and she takes a step backward. She didn't see that coming.

Divorce? What happened to the changes between them these past few weeks?

Is this because of Jessica? How can he do this?

“Di… Divorce?” Ellodie finds herself stuttering as she clenches her stomach as though it will vanish into thin air.

He nods and darts his eyes towards her.

“Jessica… my girlfriend. Jessica Williams is back,” he announces without any atom of shame. “Remember the agreement we had? Now that Jessica is back, we should get a divorce so I can marry her.”

Jessica Williams? How could Ellodie have forgotten?

She takes another step backward, tears welling up in her eyes and lumps upon lumps getting stuck in her throat.

She shakes her head, desperately wanting to say something. To fight for them. To keep her marriage intact. To tell him they are expecting a baby.

But Ellodie knows nothing can change his mind. The tall, strong, handsome man before her is staring at her with hope and strong determination.

Simon's mind cannot be changed.

Jessica Williams is his obsession. If her arranged marriage to him didn't stop him from loving her all these years, then there is nothing that can stop him from marrying her at this point.

Realizing that the loser here is her, Ellodie turns back on her heels and takes the exit before tears roll down her eyes.

How could this hurt so bad? All she wanted was to be loved by him. But why does it hurt so bad?