Masuk____...Joanne knocked at Reagan’s study door. He did not even look up.“Reagan?” She called out to him softly. He still did not respond but it was obvious to her that he had heard her from the way his jaw clenched and unclenched. She let out a breath. “I am going to the ObGyn appointment tomorrow. Will you be coming?” He finally looked up, tension coursing through every nerve fibre immediately. His eyes were cold, his sneer cruel. “Tell me Ramsay, do I look that jobless to you?” His words were sharp, his tone dry. “I just thought-” “You have one job, woman. Bear the heir to the Knight empire. Is that so hard? Do you not have enough people to take care of you? Do I need to employ a nanny for you to hold your hand during your hospital visits? Is it so hard?” Joanne flinched, shaking her head. She had not meant any such thing. It was her first ObGyn visit. Naturally, she was nervous but she had buried any hope of receiving any affection or support from her husband now, especi
____...Joanne did not want to admit it, but the horrible human's choice in takeouts was not as horrible. But she would die before she admitted it. Though she did not understand where the cinnamon twists came from. They were not part of Chinese cuisine. “So? When do you plan to see a doctor?” Reagan had her attention. She looked up from her food. This was new. The last time, Joanne was positive that Reagan did not even know which hospital she went to. “Have you decided on an ObGyn yet?” Again, last time, the hospital and the doctor had been chosen for her by her mother-in-law.She was not complaining. Dr. Martins was exceptional. He was one of the best in the country. But he was not warm. She wanted someone who would care for her like she was a human being and not just an incubator for a human being. Joanne had not felt any affection whatsoever from anyone except Elliot during her pregnancy - well, it had been like that her whole life - and she did not want to live in that void
____...Reagan looked at the time for the nth time as he signed off on one of the budget reports. It was seven in the evening and he hated that he had so much work to do. His intercom beeped to life. He pressed the receive button. “Yes, Alison?”“Mr. Knight, you have a visitor.” “Who?” “Mrs. Knight.” His eyes widened. “Joanne? What is she doing here?” “Oh, no no. Not Ms. Ramsay. Your mother.” He deflated. Of course, Alison had been ordered by him to never refer to Joanne as Mrs. Knight. “She does not deserve the same title as my mother.” He had barked at his meek secretary. “Let her in.” Reagan disconnected the call and leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples, knowing exactly what this visit was about. Pauline must have been running her mouth. The door was pushed open as Alison stepped in to hold it open for the queen of the Knight empire. Reagan rose to his feet, walking over to greet her. “Mom, what brings you here?” Rowena nodded her head at Alison dismissive
____...“I will see you later, Joey.” Elliot pressed a kiss to her temple as he opened the cab door for her. “Yeah, miss you already.” Joanne smiled at her best friend, the only person on her side in this world. Elliot flashed her his very charming smile which was not accessible to just anyone. “See, I knew that was the main reason for you showing up.” Joanne rolled her eyes and got in, waving as the cab pulled away. Her phone rang. She looked down, expecting it to be Elliot calling to say something stupid or about something she had forgotten. She stared at the caller ID. Why was Reagan calling her in the middle of his working hours? Joanne had never received any phone calls in their three years of marriage, even when she was going through the worst days of her pregnancy. In fact, he had stopped coming home in those days. She hesitated before picking up the call, “Hello?” She hated how soft and meek her voice sounded, like her seven-year-old self standing outside her distant
____...Ever since coming back to the past - or what she believed was the past - Joanne finally felt relaxed. The reason? Reagan Sebastian Knight had left for work. She was left fumbling when he had voiced his reluctance to go to office, leaving her ‘all alone in this condition’ as he had put it. She choked on the dry toast she was trying to stomach when he brought up his thoughts about applying for paternal leave. Was this man out of his mind? She was absolutely baffled by his need to be a part of this pregnancy. He wanted to be a hands-on father, he had said. Why? What was he thinking? Did a punch in the nose really change a man so much? Or was, as she had inferred, the change in timeline of the pregnancy news and the return of Serena changed something? Or was it, yet again, as she had inferred, that she was in an alternate reality? Joanne hated that she wished it was true. Of course, she was horrified by this man being around her. She had lost herself in the moment and
____...“What the hell?” Pauline screeched. Joanne and Reagan snapped out of their stupor, Reagan pulling Joanne's shorts back up before fixing his own clothes as he quickly got off of her and she struggled to get to her feet. “That's what I should be saying, Lynn. What the hell? Stop showing up unannounced.” Reagan was absolutely flustered, and Joanne even more so - she didn't know whether to thank Pauline for halting a disaster or hate her for how mannerless she was.All the ladies’ heads whipped to his face as if he had gone crazy. “What did you just say?” Pauline had tears in her eyes, but her baby brother ignored her in favour of her hated sister-in-law. “You okay?” Joanne blinked. Was she okay? She did not think so. She was confused as to whether she should choose the alternate reality theory or he needs a brain check theory. “You can't talk to your sister like that.” Was what she ended up blurting out. Which had the two ladies whipping their heads in her direction
____...“So she knows it's a boy?” Reagan asked as he sipped on the over-sweetened mojito that went straight to his brain. He winced as he placed the blue food-dyed drink down. Joanne nodded, though all she really wanted was to overturn the mojito on his head. She did not like him here. She di
____ . . . Joanne had not gained a single pound. In fact, she was suspecting weight loss. But all her dresses felt uncomfortable. She had not felt this way back in the past. She guessed maybe it was because she was so used to maternity wear that wearing a fitted dress was making her both
____ . . . “You had to see the blood. So much blood. I will send you all the juicy pics as soon as it is made legal to release.” Reagan stared at Sergeant Elliot Grady. He was a homicide detective. He had no problem talking gore. What stunned him was how interested Joanne was in the stories.
____ . . . Joanne bit into her nails as she thought of all the possible reasons for Reagan’s sudden metamorphosis. The top two reasons she could find were: brain injury and deception. The latter was more likely. She had locked herself up in her room, after resolving just this morning







