Aida POV:

Drake' s face hardened. He wrapped an arm around Caroline. He pulled her close. He looked at me with disdain.

"Caroline, don' t listen to her. She means nothing to me. You are the only woman I want."

His words were a punch. They confirmed my disposable status. I felt myself shrink. Caroline leaned into him. She gave me a triumphant look.

"Aida, dear, you must be mistaken. Or perhaps you' re just in denial?"

Her voice was sweet. It masked pure venom. She tried to sound sympathetic. It was a thinly veiled insult.

"You' ve been with Drake for three years. It' s natural to develop feelings. But he never loved you. You were just…convenient."

I forced myself to stay calm. I took a deep breath.

"I am not pregnant. I know my own body."

I turned to leave. I had to protect my mother. The scene was too much for her. I started to walk away. Caroline moved fast. She stepped in front of me. She blocked my path.

"Not so fast, Aida. We' re not done here."

She extended her hand. She grabbed my purse strap. She yanked it hard. My old, worn leather purse flew open. Its contents spilled across the polished hospital floor. Papers, my wallet, a small tube of lip balm-they scattered everywhere.

My heart pounded. I saw the folded paper. It was tucked between my mother's lab results and my appointment reminder. The paper was still mostly hidden. I felt a surge of relief. It was my MRKH diagnosis. I could not let anyone see it. Not now.

Caroline bent down. She moved quickly. She picked up a single sheet of paper from the scattered mess. She held it up. Her eyes widened. A gasp escaped her lips. It was theatrical.

"Oh my goodness!"

She looked at the paper. Then she looked at me. Her face contorted into an expression of exaggerated shock. She held the paper high for everyone to see.

"Aida! What is this? A pregnancy test result?"

My blood ran cold. Pregnancy test? It was not mine. I felt a wave of nausea. This was a setup. I had never seen that paper before.

"That' s not mine! I don' t know what that is!"

Caroline began to cry. Her voice was shaky. She held the paper, clutching it like a sacred document.

"How can you deny it? It fell right out of your bag! And look here, the name is blurred, but the date… it fits."

She pointed to a smudged area on the paper. The name was indeed hard to read. The date, however, was clearly visible. It was from two months ago. She looked at Drake.

"She' s trying to hide it, Drake! She knew I was coming back. She tried to hide it from you!"

Caroline thrust the paper into Drake' s hand. He took it. His eyes scanned the document. The blurry name. The clear date. The words "Positive" and "Expected Due Date" stood out. The details looked authentic. The hospital' s logo was visible.

The crowd buzzed. Their glances turned to outright stares. This was public humiliation. This was a calculated attack. I stood there, utterly exposed.

I tried to speak. Words failed me. My voice was a choked whisper.

"It' s a lie! That' s not my report! I didn' t take any test!"

No one believed me. Their faces showed judgment. Drake' s face was stone. He looked from the paper to my face. His jaw was tight. His expression was full of disgust. I was trapped.

Aida POV:

Drake looked at the pregnancy test. His face was a mask of cold fury. He clenched his jaw.

"Aida, I tolerated your presence for three years. I paid for your mother' s treatment. Now you try this?"

His voice was a low growl. It was filled with such contempt. It stung worse than any physical blow.

"You disgust me."

I felt a surge of raw anger. My voice rose. I fought to be heard.

"I am not pregnant! That paper is fake!"

I fumbled in my purse. I needed my medical report. I had just had a full check-up. It would prove I was not pregnant. My fingers trembled.

"I have my actual medical reports right here! I came for my mother' s pre-op check-up."

I pulled out a stack of papers. They were for my mother. But mine were in there too. I found my recent full physical, complete with a gynecological exam.

Drake scoffed. He snatched the papers from my hand. He crumpled them without looking.

"More excuses? Aida, your mother' s check-up is just a convenient cover for your schemes."

He stepped closer. His shadow loomed over me. His presence was intimidating. His eyes bore into mine.

"How did you even manage it? Did you steal a sample? Did you get a doctor to help you with some twisted scheme to get pregnant?"

My chest tightened. A bitter taste filled my mouth. He thought I was that desperate. My anger mixed with a deep sadness.

"Steal a sample? Are you insane?"

The words flew out. I remembered something. He had asked me to do something.

"You asked me to take your sperm samples to the lab for fertility testing a few months ago. You wanted to check your own fertility. I was alone, but the nurse watched me hand them over. They sealed the containers. It was all procedural."

I looked at him, disbelief etched on my face.

"There was no opportunity for me to 'steal' anything! You can check the lab records, the surveillance footage. They log every sample, every person who handles it."

Caroline' s face, which had been smug, briefly faltered. Her eyes darted away. Then she recovered. She put her hand on Drake' s arm. Her voice was soft.

"Drake, darling, she' s just trying to confuse you. She probably bribed the lab technician. Maybe even the doctor for her own check-up."

Drake glared at me. His contempt deepened.

"You would stoop to anything, wouldn' t you? Just to climb up. To secure your place in my life."

My body shook with rage. My voice was strained.

"No! That' s not true! I never wanted to climb anywhere! Our agreement was a contract. For money. For my mother' s life. Nothing more!"

I needed him to understand. I needed him to see the truth.

"You asked me to act as your fiancée. I did. I never pretended to want your love. I never pretended to want to replace Caroline."

My voice cracked. My eyes burned.

"The contract ends in two weeks. Why would I fake a pregnancy now? Why would I try to tie you down when I' m about to be free of you?"

His face remained unmoved. He looked at me as if I were a stranger. A cold, calculating stranger.

Aida POV:

Caroline' s voice was sickly sweet. She draped herself against Drake.

"Aida, it' s sad. You talk about 'contracts' and 'money.' Drake was so good to you. He gave you a home. He paid for your mother' s treatment. You started to feel entitled, didn' t you?"

She paused. Her eyes scanned the curious crowd. She played the victim perfectly.

"Please, Aida. Just accept it. If you' re pregnant, we can all work something out. I' m even willing to step aside for a while, for the sake of the child."

She offered a fake, magnanimous smile.

"It hurts, of course. But some things are bigger than us. Drake deserves to be happy. You both deserve to be happy."

Drake' s arm tightened around her. He pulled her closer. His eyes, full of adoration, met hers.

"No, Caroline. Never. You are not going anywhere."

His voice was gentle. It was a tone I had never heard directed at me. It was reserved for her. It was a stark contrast to the venom he had just spat at me.

"Our seven years together mean something. This… this woman means nothing."

He turned to me. His eyes flashed. They were filled with cold fire.

"You ungrateful opportunist. You think you can manipulate me with a child?"

His words were poison. They eroded my dignity.

"I was going to give you a generous severance. Enough for you and your mother to live comfortably. I was even going to ensure your mother' s continued care."

He paused. His voice was hard.

"But I will not allow you to ruin what Caroline and I have. Our relationship is sacred. I will protect it. At all costs."

The icy understanding hit me. He was threatening my mother. He would use her life as leverage. My breath hitched. The air left my lungs.

My previous pain, my anger, all vanished. Only a chilling dread remained. I gripped my hands. My knuckles turned white. This was not about love, or even betrayal. This was about power. And I had none. He had just declared war. My mother was his weapon.

A high, desperate laugh escaped my lips. It was devoid of joy. Tears streamed down my face. I wiped them away with a trembling hand.

"I don' t want your money. I don' t want your arrangements. My mother' s treatment, every single bill, I paid for it. Every cent came from my sweat, my endless work hours."

My voice shook. I looked at him. My eyes were burning.

"I am not pregnant. I swear to you, I would never use a child to trap a man who doesn' t love me. I am not that desperate. I don' t need you. You' re not that important."

Drake' s face darkened. His jaw tightened. He stepped away from Caroline. He advanced on me.

"You dare talk back to me? You think your words have any weight, any truth?"

His voice was low, menacing.

"Three years ago, you begged me. You were nobody. A charity case. Don' t flatter yourself into thinking you' re anything more than that now. Don' t think you can pull these stunts to stay."

Caroline intervened. Her voice was soft again.

"Drake, darling, she' s just hurting. She' s lashing out. Don' t let her sour your mood. She probably just needs some time to accept the situation."

Drake looked at her. His face softened. He then turned back to me. His eyes were full of disgust.

"Look at her, Aida. Caroline is graceful. She is understanding. You are a conniving, desperate woman. You have no grace. You have no dignity."

He spat the words.

"You are a sick, twisted gold-digger. You will do anything to get what you want."

The crowd watched. Their whispers grew louder. Their eyes pierced me. I felt naked. Stripped bare. Utterly humiliated. My chest burned. My lungs seized. I could not breathe.