Chapter 3: You Are Pregnant

Bella's POV

The first thing I heard when I regained consciousness was the sound of beeping. The second thing I heard was a voice.

"Bella..."

I twisted and turned. My eyelids were heavy and my throat was dry. My body was weak, but slowly, everything began to clear. I could see the ceiling clearly. I could smell antiseptic, and I felt the prick of an IV in my arm.

Then I realized I was in a hospital. I blinked against the harsh light, and when my gaze was focused, I saw him. My husband, Cole. He sat at the edge of the bed, his hand covering mine. His eyes were bloodshot with sleeplessness. The man I had looked at as a perfect billionaire who seemed untouchable was now filled with fear before me.

"Cole?" I called out in my rasped voice.

Instantly, he became relieved. His shoulders dropped, and he cupped my face gently. I nearly cried.

"Thank God," he whispered. "My love, you scared me half to death. I was so worried."

I tried to sit up, but the sudden feeling of dizziness pushed me back. His hand pressed lightly against my shoulder.

"Don't move too quickly," he pleaded.

"What... what happened?" I croaked. My head was throbbing.

"You fainted," he answered. "At the altar. One moment, you were fine. The priest had asked us to kiss, and the next thing, you were..." his voice cracked, and he shook his head. "Bella, I thought I was losing you."

My chest instantly felt heavy at the sadness in his voice. He was so afraid that I could see the fear in his face. But before I could say something to comfort my husband, another voice interrupted.

"Mrs. Warren."

I turned my head to see Martha standing by the door, her hands clasped in front of her. Martha, the head of our household staff. The woman who had run Cole's homes long before I came into the picture. She was like a mother I never had.

She walked in, giving me a soft smile. "We've been worried sick, child. You gave us all a fright."

"I'm fine," I whispered. "You all don't have to worry about me. Look, I'm fine. And I'll remain fine. I promise."

Cole opened his mouth to say something else, but a knock on the door cut him off. The doctor entered. It was a middle-aged man with kind eyes, holding a clipboard. He nodded politely at Cole before turning to look at me.

"Mrs. Warren, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Weak," I admitted. "But still, I feel good. I feel better."

"Well, that's to be expected," he said, stepping closer and adjusting his glasses. "We ran a few tests while you were unconscious, just to rule out anything serious."

Cole leaned forward, and his grip on my hand tightened. "That's great, doctor. So? What did you find?"

The doctor hesitated. "Perhaps we should—"

Just as he was about to speak, Cole's phone buzzed on the table. It was loud. He frowned, glanced at the screen, and after a few seconds, he ignored it. Then the phone buzzed again. It was longer this time.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as he started to get irritated. "It's urgent, my love. I'll be right back." He kissed my forehead, reluctant to let go of my hand. But then, he walked out of the room with his phone pressed to his ear.

The doctor exhaled softly. "Should we wait for your husband?"

"No, continue. I'll tell him after," I shook my head.

"Very well, then. Mrs. Warren," the doctor sighed. "I'll speak with you first."

I swallowed. "Okay. What... what is it?"

He glanced at Martha, then back at me. "We discovered that you are pregnant."

The statement hit me hard like as if stones were thrown directly at me. Pregnant?

I froze, my brain trying to process what the doctor had just said. "That's... that's not possible," I whispered. "I can't be pregnant. No, doctor. I am not. You must be mistaking me with someone else. It's not possible. I can't get pregnant."

But he only shook his head gently. "It is possible, Mrs. Warren. And you are one hundred percent pregnant. Based on the tests and the ultrasound, you are approximately seven months along."

Seven months? My heart stopped as my mind went back, calculating everything. Seven months ago, I divorced Eric. I met Cole. Then my breath hitched, and my vision went blurred as I realized something tragic. The baby wasn't Cole's. It couldn't be. Because throughout our dating phase, we never had sex. And a few weeks before I handed the divorce papers to Eric, we had sex.

So, this baby was Eric's.

The reality hit so hard I nearly ripped the IV from my arm. My body shook and I trembled with shock, fear, and disbelief. "No. No, there's... There must be a mistake."

The doctor's eyes softened. "There's no mistake. You've had what's called a cryptic pregnancy. It's rare, but it happens. Some women don't notice the signs until late."

My body was trembling so hard.

"I'll give you some time," he said as he placed the clipboard down and turned toward the door. "We'll need to schedule more checkups and ensure both you and the baby remain healthy. Congratulations, Mrs. Warren."

As he left, I pressed my trembling hands to my face, tears spilling freely from my eyes. I was pregnant. Seven months pregnant. And with Eric's child. On the very night I became Cole's wife.

"Bella..." Martha called softly.

I lowered my hands, staring at her. "Did you know about this?"

"I suspected," she admitted gently. "You've been more tired lately. Your appetite... but I thought, perhaps, stress, because no bump was revealed. I never imagined it was this far along."

My heart thudded. "Martha..."

She stepped closer, her hand brushing mine with motherly comfort. "Child, breathe. You should be happy. You and Mr. Cole are having a baby."

"I can't be happy," I said, almost choking on the words. "Martha, don't you see? This baby isn't Coles's"

She didn't flinch. "Does he know?"

"No," I whispered. "And we must keep it that way. He can't know. Not now, not ever."

"But Bella—"

"Please." I grabbed her hand. "You don't understand. If Cole finds out, he'll be furious."

The door opened slowly, and I knew Cole was coming back. I tightened my grip on Martha's hand as I whispered.

"Please, Martha. Don't tell him, or anyone else. No one must know about this. Swear to me."