LOVE BENEATH THE LIES (SPG)

Chapter 1

Isla

"What do you think you're doing with my sister, Joe?" I asked with a clearly shocked look on my face. They were in a fancy restaurant and I didn't want to cause a scene.

Too many eyes were on us too.

Phoebe and my fiance were smiling and were holding hands across the table. I thought upon seeing me there, they would let go of their hands but I was wrong.

Joe didn't look even a bit remorseful.

"What does it look like we are doing? We having a fancy dinner date." Phoebe replied with a scoff.

Joe smiled at Phoebe and kissed the back of her palm. 

"I don't want to cause a scene here so please can we go out and talk?" I asked gently but I was trying so hard to hold myself from yelling and pulling out Phoebe's hair.

"There's nothing to talk about, Isla." Joe replied. It was the first time he was saying something since I stepped into this place.

"What are you saying Joe? Our wedding is on two weeks time but you're here on a fancy dinner date with my sister and you say there's nothing to explain?

It might just be a misunderstanding so, I want a proper explantation," I said.

I really wanted it to be a misunderstanding.

I got home earlier today and when I asked where was everyone, Joy the house keeper said Joe came in and took Phoebe out.

She was quite a nosy old woman and so, she didn't just stop there, she told me more.

She said Phoebe looked very happy and was dressed beautifully and this wasn't the first time they had gone out that it seemed like something was going on between them.

Two days ago, she said she saw them share a kiss in front of the door when they returned from their outing again.

She said she was telling me all these because I would soon be married to him and I need to know about it.

I know that Joy was nosy but I've never heard her say a lie and my family trusts her too.

Except for Joe not being attentive and all romantic like he used to towards me and not having enough time for us, I didn't suspect that anything was wrong.

But I decided to brush off the thoughts and just ignore what Joy said.

Joe would never cheat on me especially with my sister.

I left the house and was headed out when I coincidentally saw Joe and Phoebe by the window side of the restaurant looking and seeming so affectionate with each other.

That was when I decided to walk in on them.

"It's time we tell her about us, Joe," Phoebe said to Joe with a smile on her face.

Us? That word made my heart beat faster.

"There's no need for us to go outside and talk about it. I'll tell her about this right here and now." Joe stated.

"Phoebe and I are dating. And our wedding cannot hold." Joe added with a smirk.

"What are you talking about? Did I do anything wrong?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky.

The whole thing was so confusing.

"Yes, you did but let's not get into that." Joe replied.

I searched my head for what I could have done wrong but I just couldn't remember any.

"I'm really sorry Joe but we can't call off the wedding.

It was your grandma's wish that we get married. Even if she's dead now, we still need to uphold that wish." I stated.

"What wedding? What wish? You're nothing but an illegitimate child. If I was to get married, it would be Phoebe who is a real daughter." Joe snapped at me then looked at me Phoebe with a smile on his face.

That word hurts. Being called an illegitimate child was something I didn't like to hear.

"Phoebe, how can you do this to your sister? Your own sister." I was almost bawling.

"Correction, half-sister. And it's not my fault that Joe chose me over you." Phoebe scoffed.

I looked at Joe to say something but he ignored me.

I turned around and left.

The marriage between Joe and I was marriage of convenience because three years ago, I happened to coincidentally save Joe's grandma from an accident.

She liked me and when Joe came around to the hospital, his grandma said he was single and I asked if I was too. And I told her yes.

She asked Joe and I to go on dates and see if we could get married and how happy she would be if I could do that.

According to her, Joe needed a kind and smart woman like me beside him if he was going to run the company.

Joe was cool and I didn't see any flaws in the three dates we went to.

I liked him too and he felt the same way. But we started dating a year later.

Two and half years ago, his grandma died after our engagement.

I went home thinking about what I could have done wrong to Joe for him to have gone to Phoebe.

He didn't even end our relationship.

*******

A Month Later

I looked at the pregnancy test strip that showed two red lines and my heart thunped loudly against my chest.

Joe and I just broke up and he was already in a relationship with Phoebe which I think will lead to a wedding.

But here I was, pregnant for him.

I didn't want to be a single mother.

I cried my eyes out in the bathroom. I don't know how long I cried for but my head started to ache so badly and my eyes were hurting.

I washed my face and took the strip wugh me and went back to my room.

I sat on my bed and faced the mirror. I rubbed my flat stomach and smiled.

Even if I just found out that I was pregnant a while ago through a pregnancy test strip, I was still very happy to know that I had a life growing inside of me. A mini me.

After days if debating if I should tell Joe about our baby, I still decided to tell him.

I texted him up for us to meet and fortunately for me, he agreed to meet.

We met at a cafe but he didn't come alone, he came along with Phoebe. I didn't want to cause a scene so I just didn't say anything about him bringing his new girlfriend.

"I won't beat around the bush Joe, I'm pregnant." I told him and handed over the OBYGN scan I did. 

I went to the hospital the previous day to really confirm if I was pregnant and it came out positive.

Joe and Phoebe threw glances at each other and turned to look at me.

"So?" Joe asked sarcastically and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean by so? It's our baby, Joe," I said and placed my hand on my stomach.

Joe looked at me and laughed.

"What do you mean by our baby? It's your baby but not mine." Joe replied.

I was shocked and didn't know what to say.

"What are you talking about Joe? Few weeks ago, we got drunk and slept together, remember?" I tried to make his memory go down the lane of how our child was made if probably he had forgotten since it was only that once that we had slept together. 

And our first time together.

"You still don't get, do you? The reason I broke up with you was because you cheated. The man you slept with weeks back wasn't me. Go find the man you had a one night stand with!" Joe yelled to my face.