Falling for my billionaire ex-wife

Nina’s POV

“ Mrs. Ryan,’’ I waited with anticipation at what the doctor was going to say, my heart flipped when she held my hands enclosing it with hers.

“ You are finally pregnant, with twins.” The air stilled around me as the bag I was holding dropped to the ground, crystal welled up in my eyes, ones that I pushed away before asking in a hoarse voice.

“ I am pregnant?” I asked again, just to be certain that my ears haven't been playing tricks on me. That indeed I was getting my gift after all of these years when I thought that all hope was lost. That it had come at the time when I needed it the most.

“ Yes,” she bobbed. “ You are pregnant, you are in your early trimester, so you ought to be careful. Your husband would be delighted.”

Squeezing the paper in my hands, my feet traipsed out of the office, while I sank deeper in thought. Maybe, perhaps this was what I needed to fix our relationship, mine with Ryan.

***************

My hand clustered around my phone while I watched the rain drizzle against the windowpane while I waited for Ryan to come home.

It was a milestone anniversary and even though we had grown distant, I knew that he would come around, that today would be different because I had news he would love.

My heart soared when a piercing tone punctured through the air, and leaning my phone against my ears, I listened.

“ Nina, I am leaving town tonight, and I wouldn't be back, you should sleep in. I wouldn't be coming back in weeks.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, my eyes moving swiftly to the spread on the table as I reminded him when the beeping sound greeted my ear.

“ But it is our anniversary,” I clenched my gown while my legs gave way underneath me.

I let the silence sob rock through my body, before forcing myself up, not wanting to show weakness before the maids who were staring all about, sympathy coating their features.

Donning a firm expression, I sauntered through the foyer, the ring on my finger burnt so hard while I stared at the mirror in the room.

My eyes were sunken, and I had nightmares, nightmares of him telling me that I was never enough, nightmares of Ryan letting me know that what we had was a mistake and although I tried so hard not to think about it, it drenched my thoughts, filled it until I couldn't think anymore.

With hallowed eyes, I flickered at the shelf which held the divorce papers, ones that I had seen, and I had hoped it wasn't for us even when the names on it burnt so bright that I was unable to think of anything else which would be possible.

The realization that Ryan had wanted to let me go, wanted to get divorced drummed in me until I couldn't breathe, but I thought everything would change when he comes home tonight, and I hand the test report over to him. Let him know that I was finally pregnant with our child.

My heart pulsed while I waited for him, sitting on the couch, the bed forgotten. I couldn't say when exactly he had kept getting withdrawn, but everything had changed barely a year after our marriage, everything had crumbled down to plain dust and I had been left heartbroken, with nowhere to go.

A shrieking sound resonated through the air, my eyes flickering to the phone, batting my eyes. I made sure that I was fine before leaning it against my ears.

“ Nina, where are you?” Reina's voice came across. A scream stumbling through my face.

“ I have been knocking at your door since forever and no one is answering, where are you? We ought to be outside celebrating, and you know that, so what is going on?”

I sniffed in. “ I am fine. Just tired. I have been sleeping, and I just woke up, but I am fine.”

She snickered, and I could imagine her already standing at the door while piercing her gaze at me. Her love with Richard had seen hell, but she had come out unscathed with Richard obsessed about her.

“I said I am at the door, and you are supposed to come over, what is going on?”

Pushing myself up the couch, my eyes flickered through the room while I shoved anything that would give it away.

Donning a smile, which I had practiced against the mirror, I tried to hide everything so she wouldn't get worried. I didn't want her to know of the pain that I was going through, even though if she does, she wouldn't hesitate to help.

I yanked the door open to find her holding two bottles of wine, which she shoved at my face.

“ Happy anniversary,” she cheered happily before storming in, her steps halting in track at the dark room.

“ What is going on here?” My hands ran through my hair.

“ Why is the atmosphere so down and what is wrong with you?”

If there was something Reina was good at, it was dictating emotions from miles away and while I tried to come up with words to dismiss her question, my hands flung the drapes that pulled over from the top of the ceiling down to the side, letting the sunlight in.

“ I instructed the maids not to. I needed to sleep in, and I had a lot to do.”

Her hands were placed on her waist, like she wasn't convinced with what I had just said.

“ Ryan,” she thundered, her feet picking up the pace while she stomped past me, making a beeline for the bedroom

“ Where is he!” She demanded. I moved, my steps quickening behind hers while they glided past to an empty room.

“ Reina,” I pleaded.

“ Reina.” I screamed again, stepping into the room only to meet her eyes on the bed, the test results all about.

“ You are pregnant?” She revolved her eyes at me.

“ You are pregnant, Nina,” she said in a shriek, pushing me against herself.

“ Yes” tears rolled down my cheeks while I held her hands. “ I am finally pregnant, Reina”

Her eyes welled up with tears in them while she held me even closer to herself, her hands stroking my back in succession.

“ Oh Ryan must be so glad to hear of this, where is he by the way?”

I swallowed the lump that had been stuck against the edge of my throat, slurping down.

“Work, he had something to attend to, and he would be gone for quite some time and…”

She shook her head, when it dawned on her what exactly was happening.

“ Hell no,” she repeated. “ There is no way he would do that. Richard is home and he… Ryan…is in the city,”

My heart plopped, my stomach twisted at the sudden word that I had heard, my eyes filled with dots while I stumbled back.

Tears, scorching hot, burnt down my cheek, scaring my heart. Ryan didn't want to be with me. He knew, he knew, but he would rather not be here. He didn't … I shook my head when a handheld me firmly.

“ Sit!” She ordered.

“ Sit now!” Her voice came firmer than the last.

“ The kids will not be hurt, you have to stay strong and tell me everything”

With my hands in hers, I relayed everything to her. Ryan's sudden change, his sudden silence, his withdrawal and lastly, how he said he was on a trip and wouldn't be back.

“ He wouldn't dare hurt you. He loved you even more than he loved himself” Reina sneered, standing to her feet when a voice spoke through the television, my heart tendered as it stroked my heart.

“ We just won this case,” My eyes burn holes through Ryan who stood, with hands wrapped around a stranger.

“ My colleague and I have an announcement to make. We are in love, and we will be getting engaged soon. She has been a source of strength to me…” my throat parched as tiny needles jabbed my heart, blood spilling over.

“ And I would rather not let her go,” he added, and my vision darkened as Reina's cry echoed through me.