At Harbourview Medical Centre,
Congratulations, you're pregnant. The baby appears healthy," the doctor announced, handing Emily the ultrasound results. Holding the paper, she felt a mixture of surprise and excitement wash over her.
Pregnant? Emily repeated the word in her mind. The news didn't seem quite real at first.
"Make sure to come back for regular check-ups," the doctor continued. "And where's the father? I'd like to discuss a few important things with him."
Her smile disappeared from her face, a mixture of embarrassment and sadness tinting her expression. "My husband couldn't make it today," Emily replied, her voice carrying a hint of discomfort.
"Well, he should try to come with you for the check-ups in the future" the doctor advised, not quite masking the disapproval in his tone.
As Emily emerged from the medical center, a gentle drizzle enveloped the street. Her hand instinctively drifted to her belly, where a new life was taking root, a shared creation between her and Alex. The thought brought a smile to her face once again.
A buzzing sensation in her pocket snapped her back to the present—a message from her husband "It's raining. Bring an umbrella to this address."
With a curious tilt of her head, Emily opened the location on the map—it was a private sport club.
But hadn't Alex mentioned business meetings today this morning? Emily brushed off the thought and instructed the driver to head to the location Alex had provided.
"You don't have to wait here." Emily told the driver as they arrived at the club.
"Ma'am, are you sure you don't want me to wait here?" the driver inquired.
"No," Emily replied, shaking her head. "I'd prefer to stay with him and return home together."
If Alex wanted her there, she reasoned, they might as well go home together.
As the rain intensified from a light drizzle to a downpour, Emily went straight inside the private sports club. At the entrance, a greeter intercepted her.
"Excuse me, miss. May I see your membership card, please?"
Emily hesitated momentarily before sending the message to Alex "I'm here. How much longer do you need? I'll wait for you downstairs at the lobby."
Holding the umbrella, she watched the rain pour outside, her thoughts drifting to the ultrasound report. Should she tell him now, or wait until his birthday later this month as a surprise gift?
Lost in contemplation, Emily didn't notice the amused glances directed her way from the upstairs window.
"Alex, your 'so-called' wife is quite the dutiful spouse. You asked for an umbrella, and here she is, right away" remarked a man named Eric Glorden, eliciting chuckles from those around him. "and she really think you cannot stay dry without her umbrella?"
"Nonsense," a low voice interjected from the corner of the room. All eyes turned toward a tall, thin man with an icy demeanour, his piercing blue eyes capturing the attention of onlookers. Clad in a custom-made light grey suit, he sat casually on a couch, one leg crossed over the other. With a subtle gesture, he indicated for Eric to hand over his phone.
Eric complied, tossing the phone to him."Too soon to end this fun little prank. I was really enjoying it,"
"If Olivia weren't here, you wouldn't even have had a chance to start that on his phone to begin with," a man teased, exchanging playful banter with the other men as they took their shots.
Olivia, dressed in a pristine white dress, sat gracefully beside Alex at the back of the room, her presence drawing admiring glances from the group. Hearing their conversation, she chimed in with a warm smile. "It's not nice to play pranks on Emily like that. And please, don't involve me. I'm not part of this. Emily is my friend."
But the others were relentless. "Everyone knows Alexander Stratton only has eyes for Olivia Winters," one of the men quipped, nudging Alex with a knowing look.
Olivia turned her gaze toward Alex, waiting for his response. He remained silent, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
Meanwhile, Emily received a quick reply from Alex: "No need for the umbrella. You can leave now."
Puzzled by the abrupt message, she furrowed her brow. "Did I miss something?" she wondered aloud, staring at her phone in confusion as no further messages came through. Assuming he must be preoccupied, Emily decided to leave.
As she turned to leave, she was halted by the arrival of two impeccably dressed women in Chanel tweed dresses and Prada heels.
The taller of the two scrutinized Emily with a dismissive air. "So, you are Emily Johnson," she addressed her by her maiden last name, her tone tinged with disdain.
Emily bristled at the unfriendly encounter but maintained her composure. "And you are?" she countered, masking her unease.
"It doesn't matter who I am," the woman replied curtly. "I think you should know that Olivia Winters is back. If you are not that dumb, you would leave Alex, forever."
Emily's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name she hadn't heard in years.
The shorter girl noticed her shock and sneered, "Do you really find this shocking? Maybe your stupid little brain truly believed you were the real Mrs. Stratton after two years of role-playing?"
Emily turned pale and clenched her hand tightly around the umbrella, her knuckles turning white.
"Look at her, as if she stands a chance to fight for Alexander Stratton with Olivia Winters," the other girl chimed in with a disdainful laugh. "In her dreams."
Emily turned away, blocking out their hurtful comments as she approached the entrance, raindrops pelting down heavily outside. As she walked home, the rain soaked through her clothes, leaving her drenched and chilled to the bone.
Upon her arrival, the housekeeper, Margaret, was shocked to see Emily standing at the door, her clothes clinging to her wet skin. "Oh, Mrs. Stratton, you're soaked! What happened? Why didn't you call the driver to pick you up?"
The housekeeper quickly wrapped a towel around Emily, summoning the maids to assist in drying her hair. "Go and prepare a warm bath," she instructed. "And make a pot of hot tea."
As everyone in the house rushed to warm her up, no one noticed a tall figure appearing at the door.
"What's going on?" came a cold voice from the doorway.
Emily's heart skipped a beat at the sound. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be with Olivia right now?
"Mr. Stratton," the housekeeper explained, "Mrs. Stratton got caught in the rain and came back shivering cold."
Alex turned his gaze towards the couch, with the glimpse of disapproval. Emily sat there, still pale and wrapped in towels and blankets.
"What's wrong with you?" Alex's voice was stern but not accusatory as he approached.
Emily tried to disguise her feelings as she explained, "My phone was dead. I saw a kid walking down the street without an umbrella."
Alex's gaze turned colder with a frown. "Unbelievable! How is that any of your business? And you think I would be proud of your 'noble' gesture and commend your 'kind heart'?"
The room fell silent as Alex's words hung in the air.
Emily sat on the couch silently. Her wet dark brown hair stuck to her face, making her pallor even more pronounced. Her lips, losing colour due to the low body temperature, trembled slightly. She lowered her eyes, holding back the tears threatening to spill over, her body shivering uncontrollably underneath the blankets.
Alex stepped up to her and reached out to hold her in his arms, carrying her away. Tears dripped from her eyes onto the back of his hands.