Arabella finds out she is pregnant with a child for her husband, Richard Giodano. She wants to inform him about it when she hears him speaking on the phone with Eve Rogers, his ex-lover. Because of Eve's arrival back into the states, Richard wants a divorce. That has always been the plan until he finds Eve cheating on him with his best friend. Five years later, they bump into each other at a party and Richard finds out his ex-wife is not only back with a child but is also a hot sexy CEO of Eagle Homes and Interiors. Even when she pretends not to know him, he vows to stop at nothing to chase after and win her back.
Arabella's POV
Effortlessly, the liquid leaves my bladder. With closed eyes, my heart hammers wildly within my ribcage anxiously.
For no reason, I don't want to do this anymore. For a moment, I begin to think of the very step to take as soon as this is confirmed.
Should I still go ahead with it?
Ignorance, they say, is bliss. What if he doesn't want a child now?
Realizing I have been staring at my urine for more than a minute, I summon up enough courage as I grab the container and dip the absorbent tip of the PT test strip before counting from 1 to 10 and then recapping it.
With trembling hands, I place the strip on the flat counter while fidgeting with my hands and watching the timer on my phone.
In five minutes, I would know my fate.
In five minutes, I would have to choose.
In five minutes, I would have to know whether to see him tonight or not.
In five minutes, my world would either change or remain the same.
I shut my eyes, clamp my hands together and stamp my feet impatiently on the floor. When I flicker my eyes back open, traces of the doubtful expression of a woman I can barely recognise in just a few minutes stares back at me from the mirror.
I can barely recognize myself.
What then will happen if I am indeed pregnant?
I try to smile but it falters.
I try to stay calm but the trembling won't stop.
I try to look upset too, perhaps it might help with how I feel but I don't look angry.
My expression is filled with nothing but anxiety, hope, doubts and optimism.
Something dings and it occurs to me that it is the timer. Five minutes is up.
It is time to see the results of what we did a month ago.
Even though my curiosity led me to this, I can't brace myself up to look down at the strip right in front of me. My eyes are looking directly into the mirror.
Suddenly, my eyes water.
A lump is stuck in my throat. My chest is heavy too.
Balling my hand into a fist and letting out a long sigh, I drop my head down to stare at the two red lines staring right back at me.
My heart stops for a minute.
My breathing hitched too.
When it finally dawns on me that this is what I want, I clasp my hand over my mouth, stepping back with laughter erupting from my throat.
Finally!
I'm pregnant.
I'm having a baby.
When my back hits the wall, it sinks in, making my laughter stop halfway.
My initial fear was to know if he would want this too. This is not just about me. It is about us. Our child.
I should tell him. Then I would know if he wants a baby as much as I do.
Hurriedly, I grab the strip and dump it in the bin before rushing outside, unable to hide my excitement.
Richard and I have been married for three years. Our relationship didn't kick off right. We started on the wrong foot.
Our marriage was arranged.
From my side, it wasn't arranged. It was what I wanted. I loved Richard right from the very first day I set my eyes on him.
As I race up the stairs, my heart keeps pounding harder. When I get to the last stairs, I grab onto the stairwell to take in a long breath before moving towards his home office door.
But a sound stops me from opening the door as my hand goes numb on the door handle.
"I love you, Eve", Richard's voice booms loudly, shocking the living hell out of me.
When his deep rich laughter follows, I know I am not imagining things and this is real. I imagine how his Adam's apple will go back and forth as he chuckles. I imagine how his eyes will beam with delight as he spills the love word without a hassle.
Eve.
Who the hell is that?
Intense anger mixed with jealousy sets in.
Who the hell is Eve? Who is she to have had him laughing that way when it took me three good years to finally see his genuine laughter?
Unconsciously, I open the door just in time to see him standing up from behind the huge mahogany brown desk.
Our eyes interlock for a second.
I don't know if he can see the anger in my eyes or whether he chooses to ignore them because he looks away as though he wasn't being unfaithful a while ago.
Just before I can ask him who he was on the phone with just now and why he was telling another woman he loves her, he beats me to it.
"I was just about to come see you", he states, reminding me of the reason why I am also here.
Whenever he is in here, I don't disturb him. I rarely come 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 of me.
"Did you get the papers?" He demands almost immediately, not staring at me. Instead, he is picking up some files from the desk and dumping them inside his briefcase. He looks like he is going out.
If I hadn't overheard his conversation with the so-called Eve, I would have assumed he was heading to work. This is usual.
But no.
Deep down, I know work isn't coming. This is Eve calling.
"What papers?" My curiosity gets the better of me. I am 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", he blurts out indifferently.
My jaws drop and I take a step backwards.
I didn't see that coming.
Divorce? What happened to the changes between us these past few weeks? Is this because of this Eve? How can he do this?
"Di...Divorce?" I find myself stuttering as I clench my stomach as though it will vanish into thin air.
He nods and darts his eyes towards me.
"My girlfriend, Eve Rogers is back", he announces without any atom of shame. "Remember the agreement we had? Now that Eve is back, we should get a divorce so I can marry her."
Eve Rogers?
How could I have forgotten?
I take another step backwards, tears welling up in my eyes and lumps upon lumps getting stuck in my throat.
I shake my head, desperately wanting to say something. To fight for us. Keep my marriage intact. To tell him we are expecting a baby.
But I know nothing can change his mind. The tall strong handsome man before me is staring at me with hope and strong determination.
Richard
's mind can not be changed.
Eve Rogers is his obsession. If my 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 me, I turn back on my heels and take the exit before tears roll down my eyes.
Andrea Silva was forced to marry her twin sister’s supposed boyfriend after her twin sister, Camila Silva ran away. Andrea was deeply heartbroken when she found out the man she had just wedded was in love with her sister and she was just a substitute till Camila was back. Andrea thought she could make Damine Fel fall for her but what would happens when her sister comes back and want her boyfriend back? What would happen when her husband forced her to agree to a divorce? What would happen when she found out she was pregnant for him but he didn’t want anything to do with her?
When Valerie Adams gets to know that she is betrothed to the youngest billionaire in New York, just to save her father's dying company, it is two nights after she caught her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend. She is upset with the news of the betrothal and becomes more pissed when she finally meets him. Ryan Lorenzo is the most arrogant, pompous, and cold-hearted guy she will ever cross paths with. He is less interested in keeping a woman but what he needs is a wife to satisfy his parent's desires for him to be married and considered responsible. Valerie decides to take advantage of the situation, to save her father's company and to make her cheating boyfriend jealous. She suggests a CONTRACT for their marriage and Ryan is making the RULES.
When Jasmine Cooper runs into a drunk rapist, a man saves her. It is Xavier Ravarivelo, the billionaire Mafia whose bride left him at the altar. Jasmine Cooper looks just like his run-away bride, Andre, who was being forced to walk down the aisles with Xavier. Jasmine has the same look and tattoo as Andre but different hair color and personality. Taking her against her will; he forces her to marry him. He wants revenge for the humiliation he got after his supposed bride left him at the altar but Jasmine is hell-ass sure she never abandoned anyone at the altar. How will Xavier find out that Jasmine is different from his runaway bride? How long will it take for Xavier to note the difference between Jasmine and Andre?
"He is not yours!" She affirms with a confident and unwavering look. "Whose child is he, then?" I question, my eyes wandering to the boy with piercing blue eyes like mine. Celine narrows her eyes with her hands clenched. "He is mine!" "What about his father? Who is he?" I drop my hands lazily and watch her intensely. "That is none of your business." She says defensively. "It means he is mine and I am taking him", I conclude with a smile and walk past her to pick up the child who is already dozing off. "No, no, no!" Celine chants, blocking my way. "Please, don't take him. I beg you!" **** After realizing she was pregnant which was not part of the deal she made with Billionaire Bryan Martinez, Celine left his mansion before the end of the contract. When they meet again and he discovered the secret she was hiding from him, he decided to punish her by taking custody of the child. What will happen when the baby wants his mother close to him? Will this reunion blossom the love between them before her departure? How sweet will Bryan's revenge be for Celine?
It Is a one-night stand for a 24 years old college girl, Annabelle. With no strings attached. When she sees her baby father on the cover page of a magazine tagged as a billionaire and a Casanova, her mother is set on using him to change their poor status. Aidan is a 26 years old billionaire with a high sexual urge, ever since the night with Anna. He is less interested in keeping a woman and having a baby is totally out of it. When confronted with the news of Anna's pregnancy, he denies it until her mother threatens to tarnish his image. Will Aidan agree to the marriage? Will Anna keep the pregnancy even after the rejection? Will she be able to take his insults and the fact that he finds her unwanted?
Isabella needs a huge sum of money for her aged grandmother's surgery. She has nowhere to go for help and she decides to seek help from her Billionaire boss, Jayden. Jayden doesn't believe in marriages and happily ever after but he needs a wife so his mother would stop pestering him when he eventually proves to her that marriage isn't for him by getting divorced after a year. Isabella comes to him for help at the right time; a contract is signed and there will be no strings attached. After a year, they will both go their separate ways. What will happen after a night of drunken passion between them? Will Isabella be able to endure his cruelty for just one year or leave before the stipulated time for their marriage to end? Will Jayden find Isabella or let her go with his seed growing inside her?
"Get undressed and wait for me in bed. Keep your legs open until I finish my shower," he commanded with the power of his Alpha status and as her mate. She wanted to resist. "Do you think I'm the same Luna you forced in the past? I refuse to submit to you. I won't let you touch me." He growled softly, feeling a hot desire for her. She was no longer the unattractive Luna he remembered - she was gorgeous. He wanted to devour her with his tongue. He pulled her close and pushed her onto the bed, licking the back of her ear, making her moan in pleasure. He whispered, "I won't touch your body. Just your p*ssy until you beg for more." He used to be next in line for Alpha and was under the control of his grandfather, the Alpha king. He had to accept mating with the woman he disliked the most - the daughter of one of the most powerful Alphas in the werewolf kingdom. If he didn't, he might lose his chance at being Alpha king after his grandfather's death. He thought he was mateless at the time. He didn't choose to mate with the unattractive woman, so he cheated on her day and night. But, one drunken night, he lost control and slept with her. Later, he forced her to break their mating bond. But, he discovered she was carrying his triplets. He forced her to be his mate again, or she wouldn't see her children again. Six years later, he was no longer weak. He was the Alpha king of werewolves.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.