Chapter 0312
Chapter 0312
And now, he didn’t even seem to remember them at all.
Sure, we went through the motions of a honeymoon phase for a few months; we had lots of sex, shared pillow secrets, went on dates. But now, looking back, I knew that it was all an act. A tactic to keep me happy, keep me obedient until I produced an heir.
Or maybe it was his own attempt at forcing himself to love me when he had never gotten over Zoe.
Suddenly, a soft knock at the door pulled me from my brooding. “Come in,” I called, sitting up on the bed and smoothing down my hair.
Lily poked her head in with Olivia cradled in her arms. Her long brown hair was tied back in a messy bun, and she looked tired but happy. “Up for some company?”
I smiled, grateful for the distraction. “Always. Come here, you two.”
Lily settled on the bed beside me, placing Olivia between us. The baby gurgled happily, waving her tiny fists in the air. I tickled her tummy, marveling at how something so small could bring such joy.
“She’s perfect, Lily,” I murmured, gently stroking Olivia’s soft cheek.
“She is, isn’t she?”
I nodded, but then bit my lower lip. “The father…”
Lily sighed and waved her hand. “I met him at a gala about ten months ago. I was stupid, and slept with him even though we didn’t know each other, Obviously, I never heard from him again; and when I told him I was pregnant, he just asked where to send the child support checks.”
I felt my shoulders slump slightly. “I’m sorry.”
My sister shook her head. “It’s alright. We’re happy the way things are, aren’t we?” she cooed, leaning down to nuzzle Olivia’s nose with her own. But then she turned her gaze to me, her expression growing serious. “So, want to tell me what’s going on with you and Noah? Things seemed… tense earlier.”
I sighed, my hand stilling on Olivia’s belly. I had never been able to keep secrets from my sister, and the weight of everything I had been carrying suddenly felt too heavy to bear alone.
“Oh, Lily,” I started, my voice cracking slightly, “everything’s such a mess.
Over the next half hour, I poured out the whole story. The coldness of our marriage, the way Noah had locked me in my room, my plans for divorce… the pregnancy.
When I finished, Lily’s face was pale, her eyes fixed on my belly. “You’re… pregnant?”
I nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips despite everything. “Yeah. I am.”
My sister gasped, throwing her arms around me and squealing into my shoulder. “Oh, Hannah! I’m so happy for you!” she practically screeched, but then lowered her voice when I quickly shushed her. When we pulled apart, there were tears in her eyes. “Olivia is going to have a little cousin,” she finally whispered.
There were tears in my own eyes, too. “Lily, I want to be happy but I just… feel so trapped,” I murmured, my voice thick. “I think Noah is going to use Dad’s financial problems to force me to stay in this marriage.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0313
Then, to mu
utter shock, he speared a piece on his fork and held it up to my
lips.
“Here,” he said softly.
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