Chapter 3

Deandra's POV

Daniel was waiting for me when I got back.

“Where were you?” He fired as soon as I walked into the room, but I ignored him, my mind swirling with thoughts of that mystery man and just how much he knew about my life with Daniel.

“I’m talking to you,” Daniel yelled, and I scoffed, rising to my feet to acknowledge him.

“You shouldn’t take that tone of voice with me, especially since you’re at fault.”

At my words, he frowned, but I wasn’t going to give him time to construct words that would soothe my mood like he always did. I pulled the pictures out from my phone, thanking the stars I had bothered to save them.

“How could you do this to us?” I screamed, throwing the phone against his chest.

He caught it and stared at the screen, surprise evident on his face.

“How did you…?” How long have you known?”

I scoffed and shook my head. How was that the most important question right now? “Is that all you’re going to say about that?” I asked him, the disgust I was feeling evident in my voice.

I expected him to be sober and sorry for what he had done, but instead he was acting like he had done a good thing.

He sighed. “I didn’t mean for you to find out this way,” He tried to look concerned for me, but I wasn't buying it. “Hope is pregnant for me, and I am sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but you were already stressed with not having kids of your own; I didn’t want to put that on you.”

“But it was okay to sleep with her because it wouldn’t stress me?”

Daniel scoffed and rose to his feet. “Look, Deandra, I’m sorry you had to find out this way about Hope, but I don’t see this as a bad thing. If anything, Hope is giving us a chance to be parents since you…” He trailed off, but I heard the words he didn’t say loud and clear. Since I couldn’t have children.

It was laughable because standing there looking at him, I was carrying his child, and he didn’t even know it. The joke was on him.

“I need you to start seeing Hope as a sister. Take care of her like you’d take care of Cassie. I didn’t mean for things to happen this way, but now that they have, there’s nothing I can do about it.

We simply have to find a way to coexist as one big family. Besides, my mother is so excited for her grandchild.”

I rolled my eyes; of course, Yolanda was excited.

“Where does that leave us, Daniel?” I asked the million-dollar question, and he stood there staring at me, his mouth opening and closing without words coming out.

“I don’t…” he started to say at the same time I opened my mouth to announce the pregnancy, but we were both interrupted by a hasty knock on the door.

“Come in,”

A maid walked into the room, her steps hasty, and I frowned.

“What is it?”

“I am so sorry to disturb you, Luna, Alpha, but Miss Hope sent me to find you,“ she spoke, turning to face Daniel.

“She’s in a lot of pain and might have to go to the hospital.”

“The baby, something is wrong with the baby,” he whispered and ran out of the room, the maid following him from a distance before I got the chance to ask any further questions.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I held them at bay, refusing to give in to my emotions. They would never see me weak. It’s my fault anyway, and perhaps if I had just told him that I was also carrying his child, then maybe he’d be just as concerned for my well-being.

Despite how badly I wanted to stay strong, a few stray tears slipped past my defenses and rolled down my cheeks. I sighed and slumped on the bed, giving in to them. The sobs racked my body, and my heart broke even more with each tear that fell.

I was distracted by the sound of footsteps in the room, indicating that someone else had joined me. Wiping my eyes clean discreetly, I rose to my feet and frowned when I saw who it was.

“Hope? But I thought….”

She didn’t give me time to finish before she lunged at me, grabbing me by my hair and forcing me to rise to my feet so she didn’t pull my hair out. “Don’t you feel embarrassed to be living here still when you can’t even have children? Aren’t you ashamed?”

I managed to set my hair free from her clutches and stood straight, glaring at her. I didn’t want to have to put my hands on her, but if she forced my hand, then….

“Hope, what is the meaning of this? I thought you were in pain.”

“Leave here already, go so Daniel and I can live like a family with our child. Your presence is suffocating.”

I chuckled bitterly and glared at her. “Aren’t you ashamed that you had to get pregnant to trap my husband? Don’t you feel embarrassed that he wouldn’t have come to you otherwise?”

My words got to her, and I smirked, glad I had hurt her even just a tiny bit. “I am going to tolerate you for Daniel’s sake, but don’t get too comfortable; pregnancies can be lost.” I reminded her as I started to walk away.

“You bitch, did you just threaten my child?”

She tried to reach for me, but I swerved out of the way in time, and she missed me, her hands falling to her side. She glared at me and made a move to leave, but then we heard footsteps; no doubt it was Daniel coming to find Hope, who was supposed to be in pain.

“He will always pick me over you, watch,“ and she fell to the ground without being pushed and screamed.

I gasped, watching the scene before me in confusion. What did she think she was doing?

“Deandra, what happened?” Daniel asked, his voice full of concern for me, until he saw Hope on the ground and his countenance changed. “Did you push her?” And without waiting for a response, he continued.

“How could you do that, Andra, knowing that she’s pregnant?”

I watched in disbelief as he bent down to pick her up from the ground with Hope faking an injury.

I felt tears filling my eyes again, but I forced them back, not wanting them to see how much their actions were affecting me.

“She threatened to harm our child. All he did was ask her to accept me as her family.” Hope cried, resting her head against his chest as she faked a sob.

I shook my head, not believing the events that were playing out here right before my eyes. Was Daniel falling for this? She wasn’t that good an actress.

“I am so disappointed in you, Andra, so disappointed.” He whispered, and the tone of his voice nearly broke my resolve, but I held it in, refusing to give in to my emotions no matter how hurtful his words were.

They were like little knives piercing my heart, and yet I refused to give in.

“If you don’t start seeing Hope as part of our family, I will have no choice but to kick you out to protect my child.” I stared at him with a shattered heart.