Pregnant

 

★★★★★

 

Every pair of Eyes turned toward the entrance of the house. Edith stood there.

 

Her posture was straight, proud, almost Regal. Her hair was gathered neatly into an elegant updo, revealing the graceful line of her neck. A cream-coloured dress hugged her figure perfectly, the fabric falling smoothly to her knees. The subtle makeup on her face painted her cheeks with a soft red glow while her lips remained bare.

 

With each step she took, she looked less like a woman walking into a family gathering and more like a model stepping out of a glossy magazine.

 

“Hold your tongue before I rip it out,” Freya snarled, her glare sharp enough to cut.

 

Edith smiled faintly.

 

“Of course,” she replied calmly. “but before that happens, allow me a small moment of pleasure… addressing the scandal you were involved in. I doubt anyone in this family or the media has even the slightest idea about it.”

 

A knowing smirk lingered on her lips as she walked further into the hall as  the sound of her heels echoing lightly across the floor.

 

But everything aside what’s surprising was that she did not look at Jamie. She did not mention the betrayal.

 

A normal woman would have thrown a fit shattered the room with accusations, or at least broken down in tears but Edith did none of that.

 

“Spare us the meaningless distraction,” Alanna said sharply as she stepped forward.

 

“You know how to change the topic. Since Everyone here will ask where you were last night, you are trying to avoid it by pointing fingers at aunt.”

 

Edith’s smile deepened, calm and cutting.

 

“You are an intelligent woman, Alanna,” she replied coolly. “Let me finish first.”

 

Her gaze shifted slowly toward Freya.

 

“Freya Anderson didn’t simply share a bed with Mr Anderson to become his wife after her sister died from illness, who was the real lady Anderson,“ Edith paused, letting the words settle into the tense silence of the room. “From what I have heard…you drugged him.”

 

Her eyes gleamed with cold malice.

 

“After all, he rejected your approach the first time.”

 

As soon as the words hit the ground, the colour drained from Freya’s face. Her composure cracked as she moved her gaze slowly to Jamie, only to find him staring at Edith.

 

Taking this opportunity, she calmed herself before beginning her well-trained theatrics.

 

“Look, look, Jamie. Look at this adolescent woman. You are defending her all this time and now she is the one throwing mud on me and on this family. I hinted to you so many times that the money is the sole reason she is here, clinging to our life, and now she is digging the road to get it,” Freya cried, tears spilt.

 

Then she turned her devastated gaze to Edith and continued, “Tell me how much money you need to stop this. You are hurting me! You are hurting him! You could have just thought of him before speaking of such awful things.”

 

“For God’s sake, stop this drama. You are just a headache, do you know? I wish I could have the tiny amount of scheming brain as yours, then I wouldn’t be here, grinding my soul every day until I watched my Pride being smashed under feet,” Edith spat angrily, clenching a bag in her hand. The leather creased under her grip.

 

“Enough…. Enough is enough!” Jamie exploded, standing up from the couch.

 

The room fell silent.

 

His eyes stayed on Edith, anger pouring out of them. Not a tiny bit of shock gleamed in his eyes hearing Edith, rather it seemed like he was holding back his rage that was pushing out of his body for Edith.

 

“Where have you been?” He asked Edith coldly.

 

“Like you care!” Edith frowned as she said. “Mind your own business, Mr Jamie Anderson. Just like I am ignoring your absence last night, you should do the same.”

 

Jamie took a step forward, halting right before Edith, adding, “You are my wife!”

 

“Hahaha!” Edith laughed, throwing her head back, as if she heard the most ridiculous joke.

 

“You finally realise you have a wife,” Edith said, smile vanishing from her face as quickly as it had come.

 

“Do you know what?” Edith’s eyes displayed disgust and anger. “Last night… I spent a night with someone fantastic.”

 

Instantly gasps filled the air, as Alanna and Freya looked at each other in shock and disbelief.

 

Jamie’s expression darkened instantly.

 

“I order you to take those words back… otherwise!”

 

“Otherwise, what? Will you slap me? Throw me out of the house? Or maybe you will fulfil your mother’s long-standing wish,” Edith challenged him.

 

Jamie just stared at her, hardly showing any emotions. But the tensed vein on his forehead defined the fire he caged in his body.

 

“Divorce her, then I will make sure she rots behind the bar,” Freya shouted.

 

Edith tilted her head to the side to meet Freya’s eyes and gave her a triumphant laugh before her gaze moved back to Jamie.

 

“Don’t worry, I am not here to explain my absence or ask anything from you. From today, you are free, Mr Anderson,” Edith said, looking into Jamie’s eyes as her hand slipped into the bag, bringing out some papers.

 

She raised them in front of Jamie’s face, saying, “I have signed them. The rest of the work I believe you will gladly finish without wasting any time.” She smiled, then threw them on the couch.

 

“Do you know something, Mr Anderson?” She stepped back from him, making a respectful distance, “You could have simply told me what you wanted. Trust me, I would have signed this paper the moment you asked.”

 

She pursed her lips before exhaling.

 

“I wish you a great life!”

 

After that, she gave a glance at her surroundings as if she was discarding every memory she had made in this place. Then she turned around, taking the same path toward the exit, crossing the threshold and leaving the house behind.

 

★★★★★

 

In a dark corner, Jamie sat with his eyes closed, holding a glass filled with a light brown liquid. The more he thought about the occurrence in the morning, the stronger his grip tightened around the glass.

 

The surroundings were quiet and suffocating until his phone rang on the table his hand was resting on. He unfurled his eyes slowly. They were bloodshot, exhausted, and rage-stained them a dark, restless red.

 

Giving a glance at the screen, Jamie grabbed the phone and placed it to his ear.

 

“Boss, she is not in her house,” a nervous voice reported. “We looked everywhere she could go, but no sign of her. She has vanished.”

 

Jamie’s jaw tightened.

 

“Call me only when you find her,” Jamie thundered.

 

“O. Okay boss,” the voice quivered on the other end of the call.

 

“Boss, wait. We just got some news about your wife.” Jamie paused as he was about to hang up.

 

“What?”

 

His man hurriedly added.

 

“Your wife… is pregnant!”