Chapter 4

I was cutting pieces of colored paper while Mathew was busy gluing the designs for the preparation of my 4th anniversary with Draken. I made a long, heartfelt message for him, and I planned to decorate our pictures above so he could see them first once he arrived at the place.

"We’ve been preparing this for almost three months already, huh? You really go all out," my brother said to me.

"Of course. Oh, and don’t tell papa, okay? You know how boring he can be. Not even mama. Let’s just keep this between us. Don’t worry, you’ll get a big tip from me after this."

"Oh, come on! You know you can count on me," he said proudly.

I smiled at my brother. He was always reliable, no matter what.

"Ah, wait, ate. I’ll just check our groupchat. Maybe we’ve got a new assignment or project. I’ll save it just in case," Matthew hew said as he stood up and left the room to check his laptop.

I continued cutting and pasting the designs, making sure everything looked perfect. Just a little more, and we would be done with this part. There were still a few things left to prepare. Two weeks and some days to go before our 4th anniversary.

While I was busy with what I was doing, I suddenly stopped. I felt something strange... something I couldn’t explain. My stomach twisted, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

I tried to make sure of what I was feeling, but the urge to vomit grew stronger. I immediately ran to the bathroom, holding my head as dizziness hit me.

What’s happening to me?

Wait...

"Ate?" I turned toward the door and saw Matthew standing there, his expression filled with concern. He looked into my eyes, then down to my hand, which was resting on my stomach.

"S-Should we also keep this a secret from mom and dad?" he asked quietly but I couldn’t answer. My heart was racing with fear and uncertainty.

C-Could this really be true?

TWO WEEKS and three days later, Matthew and I were busy preparing the place for my special day with Draken. During the four months of preparation, I barely had time to talk to him properly.

"There! Everything’s ready," Matthew said once we finished setting up. I had already cooked Draken’s favorite dishes, arranged our pictures, added lights, and everything else we had planned.

"I’m so excited," I whispered to myself. I couldn’t wait to show Draken the pregnancy test results proving that I was pregnant.

That he was going to be a father.

I took six tests, and all six showed positive results.

"It’s been two weeks since you’ve been keeping your pregnancy from mom and dad. When are you planning to tell them?" Matthew asked with worry in his voice.

"I’m scared," I admitted softly. "But... I’ll try later, after this. I’m just waiting for the right moment."

Matthew didn’t respond. He just gave me a small reassuring smile. "Alright then. Let’s wait for Draken. He should be here any minute now. I’ll just be over there, ate."

I smiled at him and took my place, ready to surprise Draken the moment he arrived. I was fully prepared to give him the best gift... the news of our baby.

I waited and waited. Excitement bubbling inside me, but as the minutes passed, the excitement slowly turned into restlessness and fatigue. I kept glancing at my watch and so did Matthew. Nearly two hours had passed, yet Draken still hadn’t arrived.

"I don’t think Draken’s coming. We’ve been here for more than two hours already," Matthew said, concerned.

"I’m starting to worry too. We texted earlier, and he said he was on his way," I replied nervously.

"Maybe he forgot? It’s already getting late," Matthew said carefully.

"But that’s impossible. He even greeted me earlier," I insisted, pacing back and forth. "Should we go to him, Math?"

"That might not be safe. It’s thundering outside, and it looks like it’s going to rain. You might get sick."

"Please, come with me. I can’t calm down unless I see him."

He sighed. "Alright, fine. Let’s go."

We got into the car and Matthew drove while I guided him through the unfamiliar route to Draken’s mansion. After several minutes, we finally arrived and stepped out of the car.

"Draken? Draken?" I called out, my voice echoing near the gate.

Matthew called out too, but there was no response. So I decided to call his phone.

No answer.

I tried again, and again, but still nothing. I even called our friends, but all they said was that they had no idea where he was.

"I don’t think anyone’s here. Maybe they went somewhere?" Matthew asked, glancing around the quiet mansion.

"That’s impossible. He told me in his message that he was coming here for our date," I said, my chest tightening with fear and worry.

Where are you, Draken?