Chapter four

Dahlia has been having panic attacks for months now. Living with Ethan for eleven months and two weeks brought out the worst of her nightmares. She barely sleeps these days and is always sick.

In the entire eleven months she's lived with him, they've not shared more than ten sentences and she's usually the one talking. Eventually Dahlia found herself deeply in love with her husband even though she knew he was unfaithful to her.

The woman she's found him with when she went to ask whether she could leave the premises became a constant in their home. It was as though she's moved into the villa with them while acting like the mistress of the house. Dahlia let that all happen.

She's always in her room, thinking and depressing herself into oblivion. Things were not looking great. Not with Alice always throwing tantrums at her. Degrading her and making sure she's started questioning her self worth.

"You think Ethan is going to look at you twice? Fucking think again. My Ethan is only mine and no matter what you do, he's not going to be with you." She's told her one time in the kitchen while Dahlia was making coffee for herself.

"The both of you might be married to the world but everyone knows this was a sham. That you are a nobody and nobodys do not marry people like Ethan. Get that into you thick skull."

“Move out of my way you ugly freak.”

And Ethan had listened to her insulting her all the time, he never said a thing. It always broke her heart that he didn’t stand up for her but got used to it along the way.

Time and time again she got thrown down and her love gets muddled in the face. Now just two weeks before their contact is over, Dahlia is getting more anxious about what is to come. She's got no plan whatsoever.

Walking out of the bathroom after throwing up everything she's had the evening before, she slumped down on the bed and closed her eyes. This is the fifth time she's throwing up and she's asked Maria whether she needed a doctor or not. She is getting terrified.

She called Maria into her room again, just to confirm if the appointment with a doctor is possible this morning. She cannot go another day without seeing a doctor or she'd die.

"Maria, have you spoken to the doctor? I don't feel too well today. In fact, I'm weaker today." Dahlia reclined back on the bed, her eyes closing on their own.

Maria watched the mistress of the house with something akin to suspicion in her eyes. She's suspecting that the woman is with a fetus but she is not a doctor neither does she know anything in that field. It's just the signs she's seen in a lot of other women.

Nevertheless she's booked an appointment with a doctor for her in a local hospital just outskirts of town. For some odd reasons she wanted to give the woman a bit of privacy not that she's now a celebrity or anything.

"The doctor's appointment is in an hour. Can you freshen up on your own or do you need my help?" Maria asked, removing the duvet from Dahlia's frail form.

"I can manage." With that she made her way to the en-suite and took a quick shower.

They made it to the hospital where a middle aged man welcomed them with a warm smile. That was enough to make Dahlia emotional because it's been so long since anyone and stared at her with warmth.

All the tests were conducted but right before they leave, the doctor insisted that she takes pregnancy test with over the counter pregnancy stick which she did and it came out positive much to her confusion. How could she be pregnant when she's ne—

It dawned on her that she's had sex with Ethan on one of his drunken nights. She was already filled with desire for her husband and when he mistaken her for Alice, she allowed him because she was desperate for some sort of connection with him. She's enjoyed herself and left the next morning without waking him up.

But it was only once and he doesn't even remember! What would he think about this baby?

Dahlia started panicking on their way back home after the doctor confirmed that they will get the full results in the morning. She cannot tell Ethan this or he'd think this was a trap. He won't even believe the baby is his.

Maria saw that and placed a hand on her shoulder, renting her some of her strength but Dahlia was already on the brink of tears so she broke down inside the cab. She cannot believe this was happening to her. She didn't think about it when she'd decided to sleep with him.

Throughout the day Dahlia became a shell of herself, walking around like a robot. She's got only two weeks left being Ethan's wife but it doesn't matter. He won't believe her and she had rather keep moving with unknown consequences than be insulted. 

She won't have her baby's identity questioned from anybody, not even Ethan Caine himself.

Maria walked into the room with a large tray filled with food but Dahlia didn't acknowledge her presence, too fixed in her own inner battles to realize what is going on in her surrounding.

"You need to have some food. If not for yourself then for the baby inside you." Maria pushed the tray in front of her but Dahlia shook her head.

"I don't feel like eating anything right now, Maria."

"That's the thing! You don't have a choice in this matter now. It is not only about you, you know." Maria inserted in an exasperated voice, her eyes wide.

Dahlia relented after much hassle and took a slice of cake that should've been the dessert. She mulled questions over her head for awhile then asked Maria.

"Do you think he will accept this baby?" Her tone was quiet, dead as she felt within.

"Who? Mr. Ethan?"

"Yes."

"I don't know, Dahlia. I really do not know. Things are more complicated than we'd though. I know I shouldn't say this but I warned you against falling in love with him." Maria sighed, expression turning soft.

"I shouldn't have but the heart never listens. I love him so much. It always hurts seeing him with Alice." A tear slipped down her eyes but she continued.

"He will question me and my character. He won't remember the night we've spent together and when the result comes tomorrow, I will be shattered."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

Maria left the room an hour later after she's made sure Dahlia was sound asleep with the tray in her hand. She bumped into Alice outside the door and from all appearance, she's heard everything they talked about inside the room earlier.

She panicked but Alice gave her that terrifying smile that made her stomach clench. This woman is not nice at all. She's been dealing with her for a while to know what sort of danger she is to any person she hates.

Alice's hand touched Maria's long brunette hair. "Don't panic, sweetheart, there is nothing to worry about. I just want us to chat a bit."

Maria wasn't having it though, her voice shook when she asked. "About what?"

"This little conversation you had with that stupid girl inside. It's going to be brief so let's finish it here, hmm?" Alice continued playing with Maria's hair in a jeering way.

"Okay." Came her small whisper.

"I want you to make sure Ethan never finds out that the baby is his. That is one. And ensure that she never tells him about the baby being his no matter what happens since she listens to you. It is going to be for both your sakes. You won't like what will happen if she mistakenly tries to say anything about that night. Understood?" Alice yelled the last word making the other girl to jump on her feet.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll make sure she never says a thing about it." Maria shrunk away from Alice who smiled manically at that.

"Good. And help pack her clothes because she is leaving Ethan for good by tomorrow morning." Alice turned around to leave then stopped to talk some more.

"And if you breath a word about this to anybody, I mean anybody, you're done for." Her stilettos were the last sounds Maria heard before she leaned against the wall.

She's seen first hand how Alice ruined the lives of housemaids because they didn't do as she wanted. She will protect both herself and Dahlia from this evil woman no matter what it takes.