Chapter One.

Accidental Surrogate For The Ruthless Billionaire

Written By

Okwuma Esther (Esther~Writes)

Chapter One. (ELOISE POV)

"Congratulations, Mrs. Laurent. The procedure for the sperm insemination was successful." Those exact words echoed in my mind as I stepped out of my car, barely bothering to slam the door shut behind me.

A cool gust of wind brushed against my skin, carrying the sharp bite of an impending downpour. Above me, the sky darkened, the clouds shifting into a heavy shade of blue as distant rumbles signaled the storm’s approach but I didn’t give a damn.

I had a huge smile tugging at the sides of my my lips. It was one I struggled to suppress as I sprinted up the stone steps toward the patio.

My heart pounded, not from exhaustion but from sheer, uncontainable joy. It had been like that from the moment my best friend and fertility doctor, Ivy Reid, relayed the news to me barely an hour ago.

I could feel tears pool at the rim of my eyes, as I tightened my fists around the report I had been given at the clinic.

'I still can't believe this is finally happening! I, Eloise Laurent, the woman who has been unable to conceive for several years, is now finally pregnant!'

I was overwhelmed with happiness pooling in my heart as I pushed open the grand double doors of our mansion. I could only imagine how happy Damien would be when I relay the news to him.

Damian would be over the moon. We had dreamed of this moment for so long, endured so much together. I imagined his arms around my waist as he pulls me into a tight hug, his breath hitching on my neck as he kisses me all over once I told him the news.

My excitement was written all over me, only for me to freeze at the entrance as my blood ran cold at the sight of my mother in law, Regina Ashford, seated smugly on the couch of the living room.

I could already anticipate what was to come as her gaze darted to where I stood at the entrance of the door and I swallowed hard when I saw the plain disgust displayed in her eyes.

"Shit! Why does she have to be here today of all days? Why isn't she in the family estate with her husband for crying out loud?!" I cursed under my breath, hiding away the reports in my purse.

To be frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting her to come around, knowing fully well that she doesn't a single chance to make my life a living hell in this house.

She didn't deserve to be the first person who would know about my baby's existence. So I would rather hide the news away from her for as long as I could because she never supported me. She only rained insults at me because I was unable to birth her a grandchild...

She clicked her tongue, her voice dripping with the same sarcastic tone I had grown painfully familiar with.

"Well, look who decided to waltz in like she owns the place, huh?" She scoffed then let out a low, demeaning chuckle that made my stomach turn and my lips run dry.

Then, as always, she went straight for the kill.

"Who else would it be if not my darling daughter-in-law? The one who can’t even give the Ashford family a single heir, yet has no problem spending our fortune like she worked for it all through her miserable life!" She let out a sarcastic laugh as she glared at me.

Her words landed like a slap to my face, yet she wasn’t done.

"She couldn’t even be bothered to make dinner before running off to God knows where! I can only imagine how my poor son has been surviving since I left."

Each word dug into me like tiny daggers, sharp and precise. And though I told myself not to let her get under my skin, I couldn’t ignore the sharp sting in my chest.

I was the daughter in law who couldn't bear the Ashford family an heir.

I couldn't fulfill that simple responsibility as the wife and daughter in law of the Ashford family that's why whatever I do, whatever I spend and whatever I ask for was always counted as a lavish spending and burden before the eyes of my mother in law.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the lump forming in my throat. My fingers trembled slightly as I clenched them into fists.

I refused to let her words sink into me. Not again. Not after everything I had endured in this house. At least not now that I was aware that I had a child forming in me.

I smiled, letting her words slide like I never heard it as I spoke calmly while walking into the middle of the living room.

"What would you like to have for dinner, Mother? I'm so sorry for leaving the house without making dinner. I had no idea you would be coming for a visit, plus I was in a hurry to get to the doctor's office after she informed me that my pregnancy results were out and that I should be there soon—"

"What pregnancy results are you talking about, Eloise?" A deep baritone voice questioned. I immediately recognized who it was but I swear that it was a edge with something more as my eyes flickered toward him.

"Oh, of course. I'm guessing Its another failed pregnancy results which only adds count to the number of evidence that proves how barren and incapable my wife is to giving me and the Ashford bloodline an heir, isn't it?"

My breath hitched when I saw who was speaking. "Damien?" I muttered, stunned by the words he had spat to my face as I watched him descend the stairs but something else caught my attention.

My gaze darted to his side. He had a woman clinging closely to him.

She was beautiful and tall. It almost felt as if she was designed to make me feel small and insecure.

Her hand rested delicately on Damian’s arm, her manicured fingers curling around his arm while she rested her head on him as if she had already claimed Damien as hers and she had that triumphant look neatly displayed on her face.

But what made my stomach twist more was the undeniable swell of her stomach.

I felt the blood drain out from my face.

A cold wave of nausea rolled over me as I turned my wide, disbelieving eyes back to Damian, an inaudible question escaping my lips before I knew it.

"What is this? Who is she, Damien?" My voice was sharp, laced with confusion as my eyes darted between my husband and the woman beside him.

My gaze trailed over her slowly this time, taking in every detail. The way her delicate fingers curled possessively around his arm, the way she pressed herself close to him without hesitation. Then my eyes fell to her swollen stomach, the curve unmistakable. She was at least six or seven months pregnant.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

"Who are you, and why are you clinging to my husband?" I demanded, my patience wearing thin. But instead of answering, she simply rolled her eyes and shook her head, ignoring me like I was irrelevant.

I turned my attention back to Damien, expecting...no. I was hoping he would pull away from her.

Instead, he allowed her to snuggle even closer, his silence cutting deeper than any words could. My chest tightened painfully at the sight of my husband standing so intimately with another woman right in front of me.

"Damien, you heard me, didn’t you?" My voice trembled with frustration. "Who is she? Why is she here? And why are you letting her touch you like that?"

His expression remained cold and unreadable, his indifference slicing through my heart like a blade. It was as if my questions didn’t matter. As if I didn’t matter. As if I wasn’t even standing there.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as I shifted my gaze to my mother-in-law. The satisfied smirk on her face made my blood run cold. She knew something that I didn’t.

"Mother," I said cautiously, "who is she?"

My mother-in-law smirked as she stood up and gracefully walked to the end of the stairs where her son stood, not bothering to give me a face. Stopping beside them, she finally spoke.

"This is Vivian Steele," she introduced, her voice dripping with something sinister. "She is Damien’s soon-to-be wife. And you, Eloise Laurent, his ex-wife."

I blinked, her words slamming into my mind.

"What?" My breath hitched in my throat as my heart pounded against my ribs. "What do you mean, ex-wife? We’re not even divorced! And what the hell do you mean by calling her his soon-to-be wife?"

A short, humorless laugh escaped me. "This must be a joke, right? Tell me it is, mother." I whispered but she didn't say a word. She only had this smug smile curved on her lips.

I turned to Damien with the hope that he would do or say something as I called his name softly. "Damien, she's joking, right? It's a prank. You can't leave me for someone else, can you? I know it is a prank."

"No."

That single word came from Damien, his voice emotionless and final.

My breath caught in my throat as his next words shattered what was left of my world.

"None of this is a joke, Eloise. Vivian will be my wife. And you will be regarded as —" he paused for a few seconds then breathed out the last words. "You will be my ex-wife, Eloise, and we are getting divorced today!"

I staggered backwards, losing balance as I stared at Damien in utter shock.