Chapter 2

~RHEA~

Phoebe’s statement was a shock to me. It dropped like a bomb, scattering my senses. I couldn’t form a logical utterance in my head.

“Wh… What do you mean by that, Phoebe? You mistakenly inseminated me? Is that your new way of joking with me?”

My heart thumped faster. A part of me wanted to believe her statement, but it would be dangerous—dangerous to know that I was really pregnant with an unknown child.

“Listen to me, Phoebe. I know you want to brighten up my mood, but this is not the time to joke. The joke you just pulled is expensive. If I didn’t know how professional you are, I would have believed you…” A few bubbles of chuckles escaped my mouth. I was trying to suppress the surging fear within me.

She must be joking, right? The Phoebe I knew wouldn’t make such an expensive mistake. She had never made such a mistake. Even when half-asleep, she would perform her duties without loopholes.

“I am sorry, Rhea. I am really sorry. How it happened remains a mystery to me. You know I wouldn’t make such a silly mistake easily.”

She glanced into my eyes with all seriousness. I was expecting her to burst into laughter and shout “Prank” at the end of her statement, but nothing happened. Instead, her eyes moistened with tears lurking in her lids. My heart dropped when the reality dawned on me. She wasn’t joking. She had really implanted somebody’s sperm in me. I was carrying a child I knew nothing about.

Tears rushed to my lids, and a lump clogged my throat. Gulping, my lashes fluttered. “How?” My voice trailed as I battled with the emotions swirling within me. I honestly didn’t know the best way to react to the shocking, unbelievable piece of news I had just heard from my friend.

Nobody would believe me.

I had just lost my boyfriend and family over this.

I was supposed to be angry, but I couldn’t. The news weakened me to the core.

“You cannot let anybody know about this in my place of work. I am afraid I might be sacked if anyone finds out I made such a grave mistake.” Her voice resounded in my ears, but it was distant. My mind had wandered far and beyond.

I wasn’t at fault. I should probably explain things to Evan and my family. I could easily abort the pregnancy and continue living my life like nothing happened. It was a mistake. I couldn’t lock my best friend up or beat her up because of that. This was the time for me to be understanding as her friend.

“Let’s talk later, Phoebe. I need to get home first. I need to explain things to my father. He’s enraged. I should tell him it was a mistake before he does something he might regret.” I sprang up from the seat and scurried out without waiting for her response. A seed of renewed hope sprouted in my mind, and my eyes glinted.

This wasn’t the end. I could get my family and relationship back.

Instead of going home first, I took a taxi to Evan’s house. The only place he would go after leaving me at the hospital with such annoyance was his house. He must be drinking recklessly so that he could sleep off to escape from the reality knocking on his door.

I thumped on the door for minutes, but there was no response. He must not want to meet anyone. However, I needed to see him instantly so that I could explain everything to him.

I decided to step in without waiting for him. While I was inputting the code on the digital lock, I prayed fervently inwardly that it would work. I was afraid he might have changed the password as soon as he got back.

Ding.

My lips formed into a smile when I heard the sound of the door. My shoulders dropped, and a heavy breath escaped my lungs.

Just as I stepped into his apartment, my eyes caught sight of clothes on the floor and his couch. The one that caught my eye was the familiar dress on the arm of the chair and a bag that looked like the type I gifted Phoebe last month for her birthday. Could it be…? Gosh!

I knew that was a silly thought.

I left Phoebe at the hospital a while ago. There was no way she would be here.

My legs found their way to the bedroom door with my heart drumming in my mouth. A deafening silence overwhelmed the atmosphere, and the only thing audible was my irregular and unrhythmic breath.

The sounds of laughter forced me to stop in my tracks the moment I got to the door. I couldn’t bring myself to hold the handle and turn it open. I stared at the handle, tears dancing in my eyelids like children dancing under the moonlight—my tears were the children, and my glimmering, moist eyes were the moonlight. I took a deep breath and summoned courage within me. As I attempted to touch the handle, Evan’s voice reverberated.

“You told me the fool came to see you forty minutes ago. How did you get here in such a short time?”

“I have my car, baby. The moment the wench left, I rushed out and drove here at the highest speed. I don’t mind paying the traffic fine tomorrow. I just couldn’t wait to eat you hungrily. She is probably at her father’s house right now explaining herself. I have to leave before she gets here,” the familiar voice responded, echoing in my ears repeatedly like a loop.

I couldn’t mistake that voice even in the deepest slumber. I had heard the voice almost every day for the past ten years since I met her.

That was Phoebe’s.

“Do you think we can get rid of her like this?”

“Of course, Evan. I intentionally inseminated her with a client’s sperm the day she came for her exam. The fool didn’t suspect anything, even when I gave her a drug different from the ones I used to give her.”

My legs weakened at the revelation. I almost collapsed, but I assisted myself with the wall beside me.

The insemination wasn’t a mistake but a part of their scheme. A plan to eliminate me.

“Honestly, I didn’t think the plan would work out, but it did. I was able to break up with the bastard without appearing like I was the problem. She must be beating herself badly right now,” Evan mocked and burst into laughter.

Their laughter rang in my ears like it belonged to a legion of devils.

The people I trusted the most in the world were devils, but I was too stupid to notice that.

My blood boiled violently. I turned the door handle and shoved it open, revealing the devils’ faces. The moment I saw the position they were in, my heart dropped to my belly.

They were naked and wrapped around each other without a duvet.

The duo jumped in fear at the sudden opening of the door. However, when they saw my face, their fears were replaced with scorn.

Phoebe hissed and relaxed back. “Mtcheew! I’m sure Mr. Godfrey taught us some basic ethics when we were in school, and knocking before barging into somebody’s house was one of them.”

I was amazed by her brazenness. There wasn’t an iota of remorse or guilt in her eyes. She acted like she did the right thing. Can somebody tell Phoebe that she just betrayed her best friend? She just tossed our friendship of ten years into the river.

She didn’t just snatch my boyfriend, but she also made me pregnant with a random person’s child.

Maybe it was because of the unexpected reaction I got from them; I was void of words. I was screaming inwardly. My screams were loud as I shattered, but I couldn’t bring myself to say a word. I stared at both of them with tears sliding down my face, unheeded.

“What are you doing here? I thought I told you it is over between us,” Evan muttered.

“It is good she came, babe. I’m glad she got to see everything with her eyes. That means we don’t need to hide from her anymore,” Phoebe let out. I could hear a hint of gladness in her voice. She was actually grateful that I caught them in the act. Jeez!

“You have seen what you were looking for, Rhea. You should leave now so that I can go another round with my baby. And do not even think of telling anybody what we did to you, because nobody is going to believe you. You are just a whore, and everyone will view you as one henceforth,” she said.

I was perplexed. The betrayal and information were too extreme to consume at the time.

“Who is the owner of the baby? Whose sperm did you inseminate me with?” I finally found my voice. It was shaky and raspy. I was crying blood inwardly.

“I don’t know. I just found some sperm in the lab and decided to use it on you. Guess it’s an active one, seeing the way it is successful,” she mocked.

⸻

The rain dropped violently over the earth, and the thunder struck at every rumbling of the sky. I stood in front of my father’s house, hitting the gate and yelling his name, but he wouldn’t answer.

Nobody stepped out to meet me—not my father, not my stepmother, not the gateman.

“Father, please let me in. I can explain everything. It is not as you think. I am still the same daughter who will bring honor to you,” I shouted at the top of my lungs. I wanted my voice to beat the rain because I was afraid that might be the only reason nobody was coming out. They probably couldn’t hear me because of the pouring water.

But that was not it. My father stepped out onto the balcony and darted a gaze of scorn over me.

“Dad, listen to me. Phoebe and Evan planned this. I was…”

He didn’t listen to me. He went back inside before I could finish my statement. But I didn’t give up. I continued to hit the gate aggressively until I couldn’t anymore.

I was cold and weak. The running and shouting I had done had exhausted me.

Even though I was cold, I could feel some kind of hotness within me. My vision blurred.

The sudden change in my system propelled me to settle on the floor in front of the gate.

And as soon as I did that, a black Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail parked in front of me. That was the most expensive car in the whole world.

I knew that because I had always been interested in automobiles.

My lashes flickered as I struggled with the darkness that was fighting to overshadow me. A man dressed in black Kiton stepped out of the car and walked toward me.

Even though I was half-alive, I could feel the commanding and majestic aura emanating from him as he took each step closer to me.

“Oh! You are the one carrying my pup!” That was the last statement that wafted into my ears before I surrendered myself to the abyss of darkness.

I blacked out.