Chapter One

CLAIRE

I stumbled out of the hospital with the doctor's words echoing in my head.

Pregnant!

I squeezed the test results into my purse.

I am carrying Jeff Anderson baby

My breath came in short gasp as the first drop of rain touched my face. 

Still reeling from the shock of the news, I stood by the roadside, trying to flag down a cab as my mind wandered about what this baby would mean to my marriage

Even though I was married to one of the richest men in the world, I was still not fulfilled.

Ladies out there envy me for being married to the CEO of The Hendersons but none of them knew about the countless times I had slept alone in that huge house of his, that he was forced to get married to me and he hated me for it, they have no idea that I had never seen him smile at me or looked at me with warmth in his eyes or that he hated me so much that he had only touched me once in our five years of marriage and that the result of that was this pregnancy.

No one would understand that for five years, I had lived as a ghost in my own marriage, trying everything I could to get Jeff Anderson to love me but all I had ever gotten from him was his cold disgusted look.

But this baby would change everything. It would make Jeff love me as his wife and the mother of his child.

I hailed a taxi and rushed in as the rain had started pouring heavily, I had just settled in when my phone suddenly rang and I whipped it out of my purse.

My hands trembled when I noticed the caller and at the same time my brow knitted in confusion.

Why was Jeff calling me? He never calls…well, except it was extremely important.

My stomach twisted, “has he somehow found out about the pregnancy?” I shook my head vehemently at the thought, how could he possibly find out when he is at work?

My heart hammered in my chest as I pressed the receive button.

“Hello”. I said and immediately the noise from the other end almost blasted my ears, I cringed but held the phone tight to my ears, I want to hear why Jeff was calling me.

“Claire”. A voice called but it wasn't Jeff, it sounded like his best friend.

“Matt? Where are you and what are you doing with Jeff's phone”. I asked in confusion and worry twisted my gut.

“Claire…Jeff…come to fifth avenue…” that was all he said and the line went dead.

Fifth avenue, what would Jeff be doing there? He is supposed to be at work right? Did something happen?

Fifth avenue is just ahead, I asked the driver to stop me there instead, I hope nothing had happened to Jeff.

“The rain is getting heavier, I think it might change into a storm soon”, the driver said, staring at my sleeveless top and for the fact that I wasn't even carrying a raincoat or anything.

He stopped and I dashed out from the car and straight into the rain, it was just a matter of seconds before I was drenched to the skin.

Jeff’s car was parked outside, my phone rang and I quickly picked up when I saw that it was Jeff. I wanted to tell him that I was downstairs already but the words died on my lips when I heard a very familiar sultry voice.

Irene. My stepsister and Jeff's ex-girlfriend. She was back?

“Jeff, you must be the luckiest man on earth to have a wife who worships you and will do anything you said with just a snap of your fingers”.

Jeff snorted, “I'd say it's boring…I prefer doing the chase and not the other way round”.

There were jeers of laughter.

“But you married her anyway”. This time, it was Matt, his voice was filled with mockery as he made the statement. I knew he never liked me but he had never openly spoken badly against me or mock me. Now I know why he wasn't doing it in my presence, he was doing it behind my back.

Jeff's voice was filled with disgust as he replied, “That bitch had to go through my grandfather to get me to marry her, I had no choice”.

My grip tightened on the phone as I stood in the rain, something made me glance up and there they were, I could see them through the glass.

Jeff was seated on a chair with Irene on his thighs, she was eating cake, after biting from it, she gave the remainder to Jeff.

I thought he hated cake…

I stood there staring at them with them with the phone clenched tight to my ears.

“Despite you've shown her that you do not love her, I'll bet she can drop everything and run down here like a dog if you just ask her to come”. Irene said and their laughter rang in my head.

“She's so pathetic”. Another said and I quickly ended the call, I couldn't listen to them anymore.

Tears ran down my cheeks and I clenched my chest, “it hurts…it hurts so much. When will you stop hurting me Jeff?” I whispered and wobbled my way out of the rain towards the side of the building to get just a little shelter from the rain. It was as good as just standing in the rain but I couldn't go in there and in this rain, it would be hard to see a taxi.

I was shivering and my lips shattered from the cold, I rubbed my palms together and squatted, trying to generate heat while still in the rain.

All I could think about was that Irene was back. Everything finally clicked into place.

Jeff's late night, his absent mindedness even when he managed to be home, it was all because Irene was back.

He had sat there and listened to his friends make mockery of me and didn't even utter a word in my defense rather, he had termed me boring.

I sniffed as the tears kept pouring, I was so focused on my thoughts that I didn't hear the footsteps until black leather shoes were standing in front of me and the rain suddenly stopped pouring on me.

Slowly, I glanced up and my eyes met with Jeff’s cold gaze staring down at me with an umbrella held in one hand.

Despite the fact that I was freezing and my hands and feet were becoming numb, I still managed to stand up.

“Why didn't you come with an umbrella and why so scantily dressed?”

Hope flickered in my heart, was he concerned about me?

I quickly whipped away the tears and forced my trembling lips to smile.

“I got a call and I…”

“And you came running down like a dog answering the call of it's master”. He spat.

My lips twisted and pain seared my heart, that statement hurts because it was the statement I heard Irene used to describe me just a few moments ago.

“You're so pathetic”. He gritted and I stared down at myself. I indeed looked pathetic with my clothes drenched and my hair plastered all over my face. I must be looking like a rat that fell inside the water.

“I…I'm cold…please take me home”. I stuttered but before he could reply, Irene came down and wrapped her hand on his arm, her gaze was filled with malice as she glared at me.

“Hello dear sister, it's been a while”. She said with fake sweetness.

“I can see that you haven't changed a bit from manipulative people”.

“What do you mean?” I asked shivering, i sneezed and my eyes watered.

“Ain’t you tired of playing the pity card? You made Jeff’s grandfather married you to him out of pity and you are still trying to use that same pity to get Jeff to do your bidding”.

Jeff's jaw worked at her words and he stared at me with renewed anger.

“I don't know what you are talking about, I just…”

“Jeff will never fall for your manipulation, he is smarter than that”. She cuts me off as she rubbed her hand against Jeff's chest.

“Jeff and I have something important to do because I just discovered that we are going to have a baby”. She said smugly, rubbing her hands over her stomach.

My world stopped at her words and my gaze fell to her stomach, no!

“A baby?” I whispered and stared at Jeff's blanked gaze.

When did she come back that they are having a baby? Fresh tears flooded my eyes and my insides trembled.

“She is lying right? She can't possibly be having your baby”. I screamed at him but his expression remained the same.

I made to move towards him and felt a sharp pain at my abdomen and I doubled over.

Was it my imagination or did I see Jeff attempt to move towards me? But Irene made as if she wanted to move and twisted her ankle on purpose hand and she fell but before she could reach the ground, Jeff caught her in his arms.

“Help me”. I whispered as I fell on my knees, the pain was excruciating and my mind screamed “my baby”.

I haven't even gotten the chance to tell Jeff about our baby.

Irene wrapped her arms around his neck, “It hurts”. She whispered raising her twisted ankle.

Jeff placed one hand under her and the other on her back, he carried her in his arms.

A guard that I hadn't noticed suddenly appeared and held the umbrella over them.

“Let's get you to the hospital”. He said and started to go with her.

“Help me Jeff…my baby”. I whispered but he was already moving away with Irene in his arms and the last thing I remember was Irene's smug look before the darkness dragged me in.