Her POV

It was 8:30 pm, and Isabella found herself wandering around the street after she left her billionaire husband's mansion; she didn't know where to go or what to do, as she didn't have friends around.

She had just found out she was pregnant with a man who she believed didn't want her. She recalled how he ignored her in the presence of Tracy, treating her as if she were nothing.

The same Tracy who had called some days ago to tell Alexander that she was in town. But Alexander had hung up the phone, asking her to go to hell.

Now it occurred to her. Alexander was acting up because she was in his presence. All this while he had it in mind to meet up with her and fuck her on their matrimonial bed.

No, this is unacceptable. It's the height of disrespect ever.

Some boys spotted her from a distance and came close. She wanted to run away, but it seemed too late. They were already close to her. 

One of them took out a pistol.

"Look at her with the designer bag. You must be the wife of a rich man," another one said.

The third one dragged the bag from her and told her to walk away without screaming.

She was terrified and let go of the bag. "Please don't hurt me. She begged as she gently walked to the front, leaving them at the back.

As soon as she was sure she had given them enough distance, she turned back but found that they had disappeared. She screamed for help, but no one came. 

She had heard about how dangerous that neighbourhood was, but that was the first time she had witnessed it.

Now her phone was gone, her money was gone, and she had nowhere else to go.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't have plans before leaving home. She just wanted to disappear from him and protect her baby. She didn't even have a dime on her.

She thought about visiting her good friend Maria. But her house is quite a distance. It could take at least 2 hours of walking to get to her. 

But she didn't have a choice. She decided to walk the distance. Thinking that she would rest when she got to her house.

She will let me in when I explain everything to her.

After all, she had come through for Maria on several occasions. As of the previous week, she was still at her house, pleading with her to help with rent renewal. Isabella didn't waste time counting the money and gave it to her instantly.

On several occasions, Isabella had to step in to help her clear some debt from debtors harassing her. The last time, her debtor had her locked in a police cell over default in debt repayment. Even her family members rejected her, but it was only Isabella who came running down to the police station to rescue her.

After walking for a while, Isabella was very tired from roaming the street. She looked up at the building across. Alas, she was almost there. She felt her stomach rumble and then realised that she hadn't eaten all day.

Fueled by the sight of the building, she struggled to continue. She eventually dragged her feet to the front of Maria's flat and knocked. 

Maria came out to her but stopped her from entering her flat. She closed the door gently behind her as she came out to her. "Mr CEO's wife. What are you doing here?"

"I am glad you are home. Please let me in. I am so tired right now."

Maria put her arm across the door, stopping her from gaining access. 

She tried to re-enter again, assuming that her hand had gotten there by mistake, but Maria stopped her again.

"What? Why?" She became startled. "I caught my husband with another woman in bed," She managed to say

"And so?"

"Did you even hear what I just said? I just told you that my husband cheated on me with his ex-wife, and that is all you have to say?"

"They all cheat. In fact, you should be lucky that you bagged a billionaire cheating husband."

Isabella stood in shock.

"I am sorry. There's no place for you here in this house. As a matter of fact, my boyfriend is around now, and he wouldn't want us having a third party around." She said, slamming the door as she entered.

Isabella stood still for a while before she started knocking on the door.

"Please, Maria, open the door. I have nowhere else to go. I promise not to disturb you. I will just spend the night in one corner and leave tomorrow morning."

She called at the top of her voice, but no one responded. 

After a while, she got tired and walked away.

But Maria is the only friend she has in town. Years ago, she had left her parent to come hustle in New York, where she met her husband two years ago. 

Maybe Maria was right anyway, she thought of going back. Maybe if she told him he was pregnant, that would help to reset his brain, and then he could chase Tracy away. 

Now isn't the time for pride. She decided she was going to go back to tell him about his baby growing inside of her. But it was already late at 11:00 pm.

He set out to walk for another two hours to his billionaire husband's mansion, dragging her feet on the floor. By this time, everyone had retired to bed, and silence became her partner. But she kept pushing really hard, walking as fast as she could.

She got back to the mansion, but the gate was locked. She knocked on the gate severely, but didn't get any response. 

She thought the security guard might be asleep and kept knocking to wake him up. After a while, the small gate opened, and she was happy that, finally, someone had woken up.

But to her surprise, Tracy showed up instead.

"What are you doing here?" Tracy demanded.

"I would like to see Alex. I have something important to say to him right now."

"But he doesn't want to see you. Hasn't he made that clear enough?"

"I just have something really important to tell him. Please tell him I'm outside.

Tracy dipped her hand into her nightie pocket and brought out a letter for her. "Here, he wants you to have this."

The letter reads, "Isabella, I am sorry if this comes as a shock, but I want you to move on because I have found the real love of my life."

"No, no, this cannot be from Alexander." She sobbed 

"Don't you recognize his writing anymore?" 

Isabella's hand shook as he stared at the writings, unable to accept the obvious.

"Alex has made his choice. The earlier you accept, the better for you," she said and turned to leave.

Isabella held her by the hand, "Please tell him to see me just this once. He can't abandon me at a time like this."

Tracy squinted her eyes, trying to understand the last part.

"I am pregnant." She whispered, hoping to get compassion, but got nothing.

Tracy released her hand from Isabella and went inside.

Isabella fell to the ground and cried. How could Alexander treat her like trash?

But she can't give up just like that. She stood up and continued to knock on the gate, but no one answered.

Then a thought came to her head. What if I jump through the fence?

As stupid as the idea seemed, that seemed to be the most viable option to her.

She grabbed the fence with both hands, raising one of her legs. She struggled to lift the other but slipped. She tried again, and again it continued to slip.

Just when she decided to try again for the last time. She made a significant improvement, reaching the middle of the gate, but noticed a flash of light in her direction. 

The light shone brighter, and the sound of feet drew closer. Maybe help has finally come, way she thought.

"Freeze, you are under arrest for trespassing," she heard from a distance.

Tracy had called the cops on her in her own house.

“I am not a thief. This isn't what it seems like,” she tried protesting as the policemen drew nearer and cuffed her hands behind her back.

But the policemen were not ready to listen to her.

How does she explain trying to jump the fence of her house around 1:00 am in the middle of the night?

She struggled as they dragged her like a thief towards their car. “I am not a thief. How can I be a thief in my own house? My husband is inside, you can call him to ask him.”

No one was listening to her. They seemed to be listening to Tracy, who kept calling her a thief, claiming she was trying to harm her.

“That lady over there is the thief. She is trying to steal everything from me.”

The police ignored her and dragged her into the bus. She could see Tracy smile as the police shot her up and then drove off.

They drove her to the station and locked her in a cell. She sat in a corner, thinking about how her husband had betrayed her despite giving her everything.

By dawn, she was looking all tired and miserable in one of the police cells. She had exhausted her energy from begging the police to let her go, but they claimed they needed proof that she indeed lived in the house, and she couldn't provide any. 

The only option she had was to wait till the next morning when the workers resume so they can identify her. Where did they all go, anyway, leaving their duty posts? Tracy definitely sent them away for the night because of her plan.

As she waited patiently for morning to reach, her stomach sang. She sat down and thought about how life had dealt with her in the last twenty-four hours. She had gone from being the CEO’s wife to ending up in the police cell.

When morning came, the police eventually confirmed her status as the wife of the CEO and then let her out of the cell. She checked the time, and it was 9:00 am, and her husband was still not there to pick her up.

She borrowed a cell phone to call him. The phone rang for some time, but no one picked up. She tried it again, and eventually it was picked.

“Thank God.” Her mind was at rest. The thought that the night’s event will be buried. It was a new day, and they could both forget about everything that had happened. He just needed to come pick her up at the station and take her home.

“Hi” 

Her hope became shattered when she heard a feminine voice from the other end of the call. She recognised it as Tracy’s.

“I have just been released from the station now, and I would be glad if…” she heard the phone cut off before she could conclude her statement.

She tried calling again, but her call ended.

She wondered what kind of sins she must have committed for her husband to ignore her calls, allowing Tracy to respond to her.

She thought of going elsewhere, but couldn't figure out any. She thought about her baby and the need to protect her regardless of whatever.

I have to survive no matter what it takes.

But how was she going to do that without a dime on her? 

An idea came to her head. She will leave the city and start all over. But first, there is something she has to obtain.

***

Outside the billionaire mansion, Isabella stood in one corner. It was almost 10:00 am. The workers were back to work, and she waited until she got an opportunity to speak to one of her househelp, Nikky, who sneaked her into the building.

She walked stealthily into her house and observed that her husband was still in bed with Tracy. It must have been a long night. That is the least of her problems at the moment. Her husband had made it clear that he didn’t want her again. He even abandoned her in the cell.

She went into her husband’s study and picked up a document. She checked under the locker and found some cash too. She carefully placed the document and the money into a briefcase she found in one corner. 

As soon as she was done, it was time to go out and close the door, moving as slowly as she could so she wouldn’t make any sound that would wake Tracy or her husband. 

Her leg mistakenly hit the artwork on the table, and that fell on the ground, making a loud noise that left Tracy running into the sitting room.

Isabella hid behind one of the couches as she spotted Tracy coming out of the bedroom. Tracy looked around the room but found no one. She was about to check the corners when Nikky told her that the noise came from the Kitchen. 

“I am sorry, ma’am. The cooking pot fell from where I left it to the floor. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You old fool. Can’t you do your job properly?” 

“I am really sorry.”

“You are so incompetent. I will make sure to replace you soon when Alex marries me,” she said as she walked away.

Isabella felt at ease knowing that she had walked away. But the thought of Alex marrying Tracy made her uneasy at the same time.

As soon as Tracy was out of sight, Nikky helped Isabella, and she walked out of the building with the briefcase.

She signalled for a Taxi driver to stop. “Take me out of here, please.”

“To where”

“I don’t know, just somewhere far away from here.”

As the taxi drove off, she stared at the building until it slowly disappeared from her sight. The place she has gotten used to as her home now feels strange to her. The last twenty-four hours replayed in her head as she felt a deep pain in her heart.

The only thing that matters to her now is raising her child, and she will do everything it takes to make that happen.

Isabella walked out of the plane cautiously, shoulders held high. Her glinting bag and fashionable outfit made people stop and look. Travellers and passersby couldn't help but wonder quietly who this beautiful woman, strutting around so confidently like a boss, might be

As she looked around the city, memories of pain and hatred from five years ago filled her mind. She never thought she would ever return to New York City.

But here she was.

She was suddenly brought back to reality by the sudden, tender voice of her son.

"Mummy, can I go with you to your meeting so that we can go grab ice cream later?"

She hesitated before smiling softly. "Sure, Ethan, as long as you promise to be a good boy."

They headed towards a limousine parked across and zoomed off to Madison Avenue.

As soon as she arrived, she was greeted by a familiar atmosphere which took her down memory lane.

She remembered how she had had to run away for her life to protect herself from her billionaire husband.

Despite giving her heart to the man she loved, she ended up being betrayed.

"Welcome back, ma'am. It's good to have you here," she heard a familiar voice say.

"Oh, Mr Roosevelt. I am glad to be here." She replied, extending her hands to the man as though they had known each other for a long time.

"This way, please." Mr Roosevelt quickly ushered her into the meeting room where others were waiting.

As soon as the door to the meeting room flung open, the CEO was taken by surprise to see the beautiful, bold lady walk into the hall.

What struck him more was her confidence. There was something different about the way she looked at him.

Something isn't right, he thought.

Isabella walked right in with eyes staring at her. She's been the person they've all been waiting to see, and now she's here.

As she took her seat opposite the CEO, he couldn't help but stare at her throughout the meeting, wondering what could have happened to the shy, timid, and soft Isabella. The Isabella he knew wouldn't dare look him in the eyes when he spoke.

As the meeting ended, and everyone left the room one after the other, Alexander approached Isabella, still surprised to see another version of her.

"You left without saying goodbye." His tone sounded big. Isabella recognised the tone. It was the same one he used when he wanted her to feel intimidated.

Before he could say another word, a tiny voice echoed in the room. "Mummy, mummy, let's go get ice cream."

A little boy rushed in and clung to Isabella's hand. Alexander's eyes froze on the child. The boy had his sharp jaw, his dark hair, and even his stormy grey eyes.

It was like looking into a mirror of his own childhood.

The air grew heavy. Alexander's powerful voice cut through the silence.

"Who is that child, Isabella?"

Her hand trembled as she pulled the boy closer.

"He's my son," she said, her voice firm but nervous.

Alexander's eyes narrowed, suspicion and shock battling in his chest. He had been betrayed once before, but this... this was different.

The boy looked exactly like him.

Isabella quickly pulled back with his son as they made their way out of the building.

Before Alexander could get over the shock, Isabella was gone.

Alexander summoned Roosevelt into his office, demanding an explanation for everything that had just played out.

"Why is Isabella our new investor? Why am I just getting to know about this?" Impatient to get an answer. He stood up, slamming his hand on the desk and donning a stern look.

The last time Roosevelt had seen his employer looking this angry was the day Isabella left home five years ago.

"I demand an answer now," his strong voice echoed in the room

"She approached me as an investor willing to sponsor our new project, and I couldn't say no, considering that Mr Victor decided to pull out of the deal last minute."

He sank into the chair. "Talking of Mr Victor, any idea why he is pulling out so suddenly?"

"I have no idea. But I guess he is just being an investor after all.

Unsatisfied with the answer, he decided to let the issue go to resume talk about Issabella. "As for Isabella, I want to know where she stays, what she eats, who she meets, and every single detail about her.

"Okay, boss. I will get to it." He said, shutting the door behind him.

The next morning, he found himself knocking on Isabella's apartment.

The door was flung open by the boy he saw at the office. As he stood across, looking at the boy more closely. He could sense the resemblance, and several questions began to flood his mind.

"Ethan, honey, who do we have there?" He heard Isabella's voice from across the room.

Before the boy could say a word, Alexander barged into the house, standing face to face with Isabella.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was firm as she got a hold of Ethan, as if trying to shield him from Alexander. "How did you know where I stay?"

"I am still your husband, you know. And that means I have every right...."

"Just hold it there. She quickly cut him, her voice sounding strong. "What makes you think you can just walk up to my house and talk to me the way you like? You have no right over me or my child. I hope that sinks into your skull."

"If you think I am still that weak and soft woman you used to know, then you are mistaken."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. And for your information, I would like to keep the relationship between us professional. Let's only talk business when we are at the office."

Silence took over for a while before Alexander finally spoke. "The child," he said, pointing at Ethan. "Is he mine?"

Ignoring the question, Isabella quickly ushered him out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Alexander went home that day and thought about the occurrence. That night, he couldn't sleep and kept turning on the bed as he tried to make sense of everything.

The Issabella he knew then is different from the one he saw today. There is definitely something different about her. She seemed more courageous, outspoken, and bold.

Different thoughts and questions occupied his mind. What could have happened in five years? Where did she get enough money to invest in his new project? Who could be the boy's father?