Chapter 2 - Secret Pregnancy

"What... What is this?"

A day after my big fight with Mattheo, I was startled by the arrival of many servants entering my room in the morning.

My weakened body, after taking many medicines, could only stand frozen as I watched the servants carry all my belongings out.

"Wait! Those are my belongings! Where are you taking them!?" I shouted at them, but they ignored me.

In an instant, my room became empty. I tried to make them return my clothes and belongings, but Mattheo intervened.

"Mattheo, what does all this mean?" I asked, quickly running towards him. "Why are they emptying my room? What—"

"I heard from my family's doctor that you are currently pregnant. Is that true?" he interrupted, his words laced with the same coldness as tonight's air.

"N-no, that's not true!" I said fearfully. In my heart, I wondered how he could know. I had asked the doctors to keep my pregnancy a secret!

"Don't lie to me!"

**slap!**

His emotions couldn't be restrained any longer. Seeing me boldly oppose him, he immediately slapped me, causing me to fall.

"Seriously, do you have amnesia? I've told you, you can't be pregnant with my child!" he yelled angrily. "Wait, could it be that the baby isn't mine? Are you cheating on me, Belle?"

"What? Don't be absurd!" This time, I was the angry one. "How could I cheat on someone else when you lock me up here every day?"

"Shut up!" he yelled. It seemed that no matter what I said, he wouldn't understand. Simply put, he already hated me.

"You better leave now," he said. "Whether it's my child or not, I can't accept the fact that you're pregnant now. And, our contract marriage is over. I'll return the money your father gave me. As long as you leave me forever."

Just like that, he kicked me out of the house we bought to live in after marriage.

He threw away all my belongings, even our marriage certificate. In front of the house, I stood dumbfounded, with a heartache that felt like a wound.

'How could this happen? Not long ago, he was still very sweet to me. He even promised to celebrate our wedding anniversary! Why did all this have to happen?' I thought, crying alone on the cold night.

**ddrrr – ddrrr – ddrrr**

My phone rang. Reluctantly, I wiped away my tears and answered the call. I could have ignored it, but the one calling me in the middle of the night was Ragen, my mother-in-law.

"Belle. Tomorrow, meet me at my office. There's something I need to discuss with you," she said from the other end of the phone.

I panicked and bit my nails. 'Oh my god. What else? Mattheo just kicked me out, and now Ragen suddenly wants to meet? Isn't she supposed to be in Australia?'

"Okay, Ma'am. I'll be there tomorrow," I said with a forced smile, hiding my fear and anxiety for tomorrow.

I grabbed my belongings and left, ordering a taxi. Mattheo didn't like seeing me talk to his mother. So, I had to leave before he realized it.

_______

[The Sinclair Company Headquarters]

[10.00 AM]

"Miss, Mrs. Ragen is waiting for you in her office." A female secretary escorted me into the company building, alone in the morning when I arrived here.

I couldn't sleep all night, thinking about what Ragen would say to me now. I was thinking about how to persuade Mattheo not to divorce me. And now, everything got worse after Ragen returned to America.

"Belle, please sit down. I've been waiting for you," she said as she welcomed my arrival.

"How's your day, Ma'am? It's nice to see you in such a cheerful mood," I greeted her with pleasantries. I hoped my polite attitude would cancel any negative intentions if she wanted to talk badly about me now.

Unfortunately, Ragen seemed unwilling to exchange pleasantries. The career woman went straight to the point of why she called me here. A bodyguard took out a large black suitcase and placed it in front of me, opening it.

My eyes widened at the sight of the amount of money in the suitcase.

"Five billion in cash. And you can ask for more if you want," she said, sitting in front of me. "I heard your family's company is about to go bankrupt. Don't you need this money?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I don't understand," I replied quickly. "What's all this for? I don't need money. Besides—"

"Belle, don't you understand yet?" she said, displeased. "I'll give you as much money as you want, as long as you leave my son, Mattheo. I heard you're pregnant with his child. What if you just get rid of the baby?"

"What?" It felt like being struck by lightning in broad daylight. My mouth hung open in front of her. "Mother, are you paying me to divorce your son? Have you forgotten our contract marriage agreement? You allowed me to love your son, in exchange for our company's cooperation!"

"That's correct. But now, your family is bankrupt," she replied. "So there's no reason for my son to have a lowly wife like you. Now, take this money and stay away from my son. He's going to marry Natalia Starling, your step-sister. At least she's more worthy than you."

"Ugh." My head suddenly throbbed with pain upon hearing that name. Natalia, she's my step-sister. And how could she marry Mattheo?

What is happening here!?

"Belle. I hope you know your place. Mattheo's marriage to Natalia is just a matter of time. Don't you dare approach my son again. And get rid of that baby. Mattheo never wanted you. Got it?"

"No! I don't want to! Listen to me first!" I struggled and cried as Ragen's bodyguards dragged me out of her office along with the suitcase of five billion.

They pushed me roughly, causing my stomach to hit a stone on the ground.

From my blurred vision, I saw fresh blood flowing from between my legs.

'Oh no. My baby...' panicked thoughts raced through my mind as I realized I might be having a miscarriage.

But I didn't have the strength to ask for help. In an instant, I fainted on the street. Before everything went dark, I realized there was a pair of hands carrying me and taking me away from this place.

"Mattheo..." I whispered weakly. The scent of the man carrying me was so much like Mattheo's. But it couldn't be.

He had divorced me. It couldn't be him carrying me to the hospital, right?