Chapter 3

On the screen, Maisie was happily chomping on extra-spicy barbecued beef, washing them down with a large cup of ice-cold soda. She laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Meanwhile, my taste had always been on the lighter side. Now, with the pregnancy symptoms tormenting me instead of her, I was drenched in cold sweat, retching nonstop.

Furious, I called her. When she picked up, she acted like nothing was wrong, her voice fake.

“Oh, hey, Clara. Why are you up so late? I’m just out eating barbecue. If it’s nothing important, don’t bother me, okay? Oh, and please don’t tell Mom about this. You know how she nags too much.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I shouted, “Maisie, what the hell have you done to me? Why is it that ever since you got pregnant, every single side effect has become mine?”

On the other end of the line, she ignored me and ordered even more spicy food. It made me vomit so violently that my whole body trembled.

Maisie put on her innocent act as she said, “Clara, are you paranoid? I’m just a pregnant woman. How could I possibly do anything to you? You’re just jealous that I’m carrying the baby and getting Alex’s attention. Is this your pity play?”

Then, she lowered her voice like she was giving me an ultimatum. “Tell you what. If you admit you’re faking it, I’ll stop eating.”

She ordered even greasier, spicier food. My stomach convulsed until I was crying in pain.

Finally, I broke. “Fine! Yes, I’m faking it! Just stop it already, please!”

The very next second, a man’s furious voice thundered through the phone. “Clara! You’ve disappointed me beyond words!”

It was my husband, Alex.

Maisie burst out laughing and hung up.

After another wave of vomiting hit me, my body collapsed, and with the last bit of strength I had, I dialed 911.

The ambulance came just in time before I blacked out for eight hours. When I woke, the doctor told me I had collapsed from dehydration and shock due to severe pregnancy reactions. However, after running all the tests, they still couldn’t find a medical cause.

“There’s nothing unusual here. Do you have any clue what might be going on?” the doctor asked.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I signed the discharge papers on the spot and rushed home to approach the one who conspired in this. The moment I saw Maisie, I grabbed a kitchen knife and pressed it to her throat.

“Clara, what are you doing?” she gasped.

Refusing to play along with her act, I glared at her swollen belly and growled, “Cut the act. Tell me. Why are all your pregnancy side effects showing up on me?”

Maisie widened her eyes and put on a pitiful expression. “You’re imagining things. You must really have paranoia.”

I shoved the blade closer to her stomach. “Stop the fake act. Speak!”

She shrieked. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell you!”

However, before the words left her mouth, she burst into fake tears. “Alex, help me!”

I didn’t notice Alex sneaking up behind me until he yanked the knife from my hand and kicked me hard in the chest.

“Clara! How dare you threaten Maisie? Do you have a death wish?”

Then, Susan rushed over and slapped me across the face.

“You little tramp! I thought you’d matured, but you’ve been plotting this all along! How dare you try to harm my grandson? I’ll kill you first!”

Alex and Susan immediately called the cops, insisting I needed to be punished.

When the police arrived, Alex played a recording from that night.

“Officers, my wife claims Maisie transferred her pregnancy symptoms to her, but listen carefully, she admitted that she was jealous.”

Then came my own voice in the recording, “Fine! Yes, I’m faking it!”

The officers’ faces hardened instantly, and they cuffed me on the spot.

“Throwing a jealous tantrum to this degree? This is absolutely irrational,” one of them scolded.

I struggled, desperate to explain, but then I caught sight of Maisie in the corner, smiling as she bit into a mango.

The allergic reaction hit me instantly. It felt like invisible hands clamped around my throat, choking me. My limbs convulsed, my vision went black, and I clawed for help.

Alex just sneered. “See, officers? She’s putting on another act. Now you can witness it yourselves.”