Untimely Bump

The smell of medicine and chemicals makes her feel sick. Fabe got up quickly and threw up on a sink near her bed. Later than she realizes that she is in the emergency room.

"What happened to me?" she held her head and returned to bed. She had never felt so dizzy and lousy in her entire life. Then she remembered inside Atty. Gaston's office and their divorce.

“Did I faint?”

"Congratulations, you are one month pregnant! Now our divorce is canceled!" Bryce rolled the curtain to the emergency room. After informing her, Bryce walked out without looking back. Their servant Lyla appeared from nowhere to bring her home. She watched Bryce walking away, turning his back on her.

"I'm pregnant? That's good news! He should be happy he can get his inheritance now," Fabe mumbled to herself.

Their baby is the first grandchild of Hamilton. But why does Bryce sound like she committed a big mistake? Was it about the divorce? If he wants it so badly, Fabe is willing to set him free even if it hurts. She learned to love him for two years, but he never did.

"Miss Fabe," Lyla interrupted her deep thinking, "Sir Bryce instructed me to send you home right away.”

Lyla bows as she speaks.

To avoid Bryce, anticipating he would be home, Fabe planned on locking herself in their room. For sure, Bryce is upset with their impending divorce, and Fabe doesn't want to meddle with his temper right now. Knowing she is pregnant explains her growing exhaustion.

She should be rejoicing over her pregnancy. This is part of the contract, but why does she feel worried about her baby? Fabe already suffered enough. Would Bryce allow the baby to suffer the same faith? Or will he change, and they become a happy family just like she always dreamed of?

She floods her mind with question after question. She doesn’t want her baby to grow up without a mother or a father. Hence, Fabe promise herself that she will do anything to be accepted by the family she chose to live with and by her husband.

Being pregnant is tricky. Everything Fabe smelled twitches her stomach even her taste buds changed. It all made sense when Dean brought sushi the other day. Dean is the only person who cares about her and welcomes her into the family.

However, he doesn't show much affection in front of Sophie or their in-laws. Because of how good Dean is, he is scared of Rafael and Claudia and offers so much submission to them. A puppet he is.

Dean knows Fabe loves sushi and bought her once in a while. But right now, the taste of sushi left her weak. She throws up crazily and nearly includes her intestine. After that, Fabe told Dean to stop buying her sushi and made an excuse that she was trying to be a vegetarian.

When she arrived at Hamilton's mansion, she didn't expect the whole family to wait for her. She felt awkward by their mocking gaze. Master Rafael called her, and she slowly approached him with a racing heart.

“Would they hate me for being pregnant? But this is what the Master ever wanted. Gosh, why do I feel like it's my death sentence!” she muttered. The look on their faces disturbs her.

"Fabe!” Master Rafael stood slowly, holding his staff, and gave her a bear hug.

"From now on, take good care of Fabe. I want her to eat all the nutritious foods and have a regular visit to her gynecologist," he wrapped his arm around Fabe and faced everyone as he made the announcement.

Claudia and Sophie's shocking faces plastered a fake smile as they approached Fabe and congratulated her pregnancy.

Are they for real? Are they thrilled? Fabe's mind is full of doubts with their evil smile. Instead, she thanked them and turned her eyes to Bryce, who showed no reaction.

"I'm so happy for you, Fabe. Soon we will have little Hamilton in the house," Dean hugged her with a wide smile, but his smile faded after seeing Sophie's scowled face.

"Thank you, brother," Fabe pinched her temple and held on to Dean's suit as her head spun.

"Fabe?" Dean caught her before she fell and turned to Bryce, who was abrupt in retrieving Fabe from his arms, carrying her upstairs. Master Rafael instructed Bryce to have her checked by a gynecologist tomorrow. If she is already one month pregnant, she needs to start having proper nourishment for her child.

Master Rafael is smiling happily. Finally, Hamilton will have a grandchild, which Sophie failed to comply with, being married for five years. He frowned at Sophie and Dean.

"You two should start contemplating. I demand a grandchild, and it's been five years," Master Rafael shook his head, leaving them ashamed.

“Uh? Mom! Why did she get pregnant, and I don’t? Of all the people. I was praying for her not to conceive because I know this day will come that Dad will hate me!” Sophie whined like a child.

“The problem is why did Bryce impregnate that lowly woman? I thought he would divorce her now that he has his inheritance!”

“Maybe he likes her after all,” Sophie rolled her eyes, moving to the couch.

“Oh please, you’re making my skin crawl in disgust! But let’s not panic, your father likes to have a grandchild, and this is it. We’ll plan on something. We still have eight months to think.”

Truth is, Sophie and Dean already consulted a doctor to help them conceive. Dean's result showed that he was more than capable of producing a child, but Sophie suffered from the ovarian reserve. In other words, infertility is a condition wherein the quality and number of eggs are lower than expected.

Madam Claudia knows about her condition and keeps it from Master Rafael. She also warned Dean not to spill it or face her wrath. To a woman, the issue of conceiving is devastating, especially since the head of the family is tormenting them for five years for a grandchild.

Bryce laid Fabe in bed. He stared at her for a while and thought of their contract and the divorce. Of course, he is upset about their divorce; hence he won't let his child grow up without a father. Not to mention his father's fondness for having a grandchild. The baby is a blessing. They will fix all their issues and make new arrangements in their marriage after the baby is born.

“Lyla, from now on, you will attend to her needs,” he said and left for the office.

****

As much as Fabe wanted him to stay beside her, she knew right then in the hospital that she would endure her pregnancy alone. Nevertheless, being Bryce's wife, the mere fact that he wanted a divorce after receiving his inheritance, which he finally did, ended their marriage before it even started. Fabe fell asleep, lost in her sad thoughts.

Nothing hurts more than a wife belittled by her in-laws and, much worst, finding a perfect match for your husband. Fabe overheard Madam Claudia and Lady Sophie talking about Irene Lewis, Bryce's childhood sweetheart, a fashion designer in London. She is back in the country and wants to pursue her fashion career in Italy.

They are setting up a meeting for Bryce and Irene over dinner in a fancy restaurant in hopes of rekindling their suspended relationship. Since Bryce will divorce Fabe, they believe it's about time for Bryce to be with someone capable and worthy of being Hamilton.

Hearing all this, Fabe went to the kitchen, staggering to her feet. She felt her abdomen tighten and scream in immense pain. Lyla called on Dean in the living room and helped her bring Fabe to the hospital. Madam Claudia almost falls to her chair, hearing her terrifying scream.

"What is she doing in the kitchen?!" Madam Claudia turned to Sophie. Her face reddened with anger.

"Mom, don't look at me like that. I was with you the whole time; I didn't ask her to do anything!" Sophie nagged.

Master Rafael was firmed in his announcement earlier to take good care of Fabe, and disobeying him was the last thing she would do. No one dares to defy the Master given his short-tempered and low intolerance of stupidity. He snapped out quickly and would beat them.

Madam Claudia and Lady Sophie had no choice but to accompany Fabe to the hospital. They don't want to inform Bryce so he can focus on his dinner with Irene. If Fabe had a miscarriage, Master Rafael would be furious, and it would all bounce back at them.

But in the back of Sophie's mind, she hopes and prays for a miscarriage so she won't get dragged down by her dad for not conceiving. If she can’t conceive, no one in the family does. She doesn’t care if their money will go to charity or their relatives as long as Fabe cannot receive special treatment from her dad and her brother. She is a nobody, a lowly woman with poor background; she doesn’t belong in their world, moreover, to their money.