Chapter 3: Exposure

The expression on Mathew's face suddenly disappeared, leaving him looking completely blank. It looked like his brain was still loading and trying to process the gift that had just been handed to him.

“What do you mean you're pregnant?”

The room had gone into an unrecoverable silence. I stood there, not knowing or having what to say next. Not like words were going to save me from this.

“It is just like you heard, my love.” She said. Finally, she turned her gaze towards me. “I'm carrying the next royal heir.”

Mathew immediately pulled his hands out of her grip, anger slowly forming on his face.

“What kind of sick game are you playing at, Valerie?” His voice had grown cold.

“And who told you I'm trying to play any games? It's the truth.”

“Do you even hear yourself? Do you realize the words coming out of your mouth?”

“Mathew…” she reached for him but he pulled back.

“Don't touch me.” He gave her a death stare.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this isn't your fault?” The smile fell from Valerie's face

“What do you mean why am I suddenly acting? It's not an act; because, I never had anything to do with you.”

“Well, you didn't think that when you were pounding me against your office counter, did you?”

The sound of her words caused my knees to finally give up on me and I fell back down to the chair.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Don't you remember? That night when we spent the night in your office. While you were airing out your frustrations and discomforts about Lauren here. We had some drinks, talks, and then you suddenly made a move on me.”

I felt my ears burning up with each line she spoke. Mathew had actually seen her beforehand and talked about me to her?

“That is not true.” He blurted out.

“Is it? Think properly, my love before you give an answer.”

I looked up at Mathew who's eyes were still locked to Valerie's. I could see the slow trail of horror wash up his face as it seems realization began to dawn on him. That was enough to shatter me into pieces.

“You had taken advantage of my vulnerable state.” He stated, sounding like he could not believe she could do something like that.

None of us could.

“I wouldn't exactly describe you as vulnerable that night. Especially not while you rode me hard from behind.”

“Just stop it!” His voice boomed through the living room. Finally, his eyes had moved to land on mine which had already stained my face with tears.

How could he do that to me?

“Lauren…” he immediately rushed past Valerie to where I sat. “Lauren please, I can explain everything…”

“What other explanation do you intend to add to the one already given?” Valerie cut in. “Unless you want to give her the details of how this child was born…”

Valerie spoke on and on, revealing both the things needed to be heard and to be kept a secret. I, on the other hand, payed no attention to her. My eyes remained on Mathew who crouched down to speak to me.

“Lauren please, it's not what you think. There must be a misunderstanding.”

I blinked at him, not sure I had heard him well the first time.

“A misunderstanding?” I asked, my voice breaking with each cord. “A misunderstanding that got her pregnant?”

“I didn't sleep with her.”

“How confident are you that you didn't?” I asked, causing him to go silent. “If you wanted out of this, why didn't you just say so? Was shattering me like this necessary?”

“What are you saying? I'm never going to want out of this marriage, Lauren…”

“So how do you intend to explain this to everyone?” I asked, tears flowing down my eyes again. “You're about to have a child, with another woman that isn't your wife. Is that how you intend to put it?”

Without waiting for anything else, I moved away from him to stand on my feet. Valerie stood at a distance, a small scowl on her face and not a single bit of remorse.

She had gotten exactly what she wanted.

Some hours had passed since I left both of them in the living room to lock myself in my quarters. About 2 hours, and that still wasn't enough to cry out everything I was feeling.

I felt stupid. Completely stupid.

That night, while I was at the estate worrying about him overworking himself through the night, instead, he was taking comfort in the arms of my best friend.

Or at least, she was.

I could remember when we were all younger. Right when I had met Mathew. I didn't know he was the alpha's son, neither did I know Valerie knew Mathew long back before I did. With Valerie's father being the former beta under Mathew's father's reign, the two of them had grown up together. But what I did not expect was to be bond mates with the person whom my best friend was in love with.

That was where our argument had stermed from. She wanted Mathew back.

But how can you tell that to people who's wolfs had been ordained to mate?

After spending few more hours by myself, a part of wanted to find out what was going on and our next step from there. While another part of me wanted to lock herself up and weep until I'm high and dry. But, I couldn't stay locked in forever.

When I finally decided to step out of the room, everywhere was weirdly quiet and empty. Someone would think there was no one at all in the house. I headed towards the living room, expecting to see both parties, but none of them where anywhere to be found.

The last time I heard from Mathew was hours ago when he kept knocking on our bedroom door to let him in. But I wasn't expecting him to suddenly leave the estate with Valerie.

I headed towards the kitchen, hoping to meet some of the helps to ask questions about their whereabouts. On my way there, I had not even reached the door when I heard the laughs and discussion taking place amongst the maids.

And it wasn't just any discussion.

The news of Valerie's pregnancy had begun to spread.