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?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
To exact revenge on her treacherous fiancé, Yvonne enticed Clayton into a liaison that promised advantages for both. Yet, when Yvonne spotted a woman resembling her at Clayton’s side, she recognized she was nothing more than a substitute. Discovering Clayton’s upcoming wedding, she departed with a generous severance sum. “Clayton, this is truly the end,” she declared resolutely. On the very day Yvonne was set to marry someone else, Clayton showed up, desperation clear in his eyes as he dropped to his knees. “Yvonne, please, don’t go through with it. Don’t marry him.”
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.