~ Isabella ~

"Congratulations, ma'am. You are two weeks pregnant." The doctor announced, her tone matching the atmosphere of the room.

"If you need anything. You can always reach out to the nurses." The Obstetrician said, exiting the room to give June and I the privacy we desired.

"What would we do now, Bess?" She whispered, putting comforting arms around me. Her simple choice of words made me feel less alone. Though it didn't settle the turmoil within me. I'd asked that we visit the hospital in hopes that the pregnancy test was wrong, but now?

"I don't know!" I covered my face with my palms in shame. I couldn't believe this was happening to me of all people! This only happened in fiction and not real life. So why was I dealing with this?

"Do you have any idea who the guy might be?" She asked again, already trying to proffer a solution to our problem.

"I honestly don't know. I never saw his face... but he might be rich and famous." That was simply a wild guess, since the mediocre room decor hadn't given off anything significant. But wait... the perfume. Though he was absent when I awoke, the scent of his perfume was very unique, and for some reason... I had liked it.

"Um..."

....

"Have you ever wondered how you got so drunk in the first place?" Junie said later, handing me a cup of camomile tea, my absolute favorite.

"I did..." I replied, taking a sip. "The bartender was unusually nice and promised to help me prepare something that would make me feel better.

"Did it?" It was a rhetorical question, one I needed not to answer.

I grabbed my phone and saw that I had several missed calls, some of which were from Zach and Emily.

Ignoring it, I was about to drop my phone when my phone rang with an incoming call from Mom.

I stared ahead at June, who was now wondering why I wasn't picking up my calls.

She urged me to pick up after I'd mouthed the word "Mom."

"Hello?" I wasn't sure how I was meant to acknowledge the same woman who had refused to acknowledge my existence for the past four years after my dad's death. As it turned out, he was the sacred cord that bound all of us together, and without him... we were in division.

"I need you back in Hong Kong in twenty-four hours, Isabella Yang!" She only called me by my full name when she was pissed, and I don't think I'd done anything wrong to make her be. So I had to ask.

"What have I done, Mom?"

"You think I wouldn't find out about your promiscuous ways? How could you cheated on Zach with a stranger and got pregnant by him?"

What the fuck...! I almost said but held myself back.

How the hell did she even know that?

Was she spying on me, or what?

"I will be expecting you... and if you don't show up. I'm sure you know what I am capable of. Well... how could I forget how she locked me up in the attic until I agreed to take the final examination on Emily's behalf? If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have managed to get into the three-star-rated university she was in.

....

"What will you do now?"

"I have no choice. I gotta go."

"I'm sorry you are going through all this, Bell."

"It's a phase we all have to go through, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

....

I stared outside through the window at the city of Melbourne. The same one that had opened its doors to me when my mom shut me out after my dad lost his battle to colon cancer.

Mom has been completely against me going off to Melbourne University, while Emily had to settle for a third-rate university.

She'd tried to deter me from following after my dreams. But I couldn't be stopped, and since she had nothing against me... I was free to fly. But now? It was different.

My right hand came instructively to caress my flat stomach. Though it's been less than forty-eight hours since I had gotten the news of my pregnancy. I was beginning to feel protective of my unborn child.

Was I sad and angry that it happened this way? Yeah... definitely.

But I couldn't deny one thing, and it's how much I was already falling in love with the little one growing within me.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, as the plane will be landing in Hong Kong in less than five minutes." The voice of the air hostess rang from ahead, and I leaned back on my chair. Trying to enjoy the few minutes of peace I had left until I got in face-to-face contact with my mom.

....

'It no longer feels like home.' Was the thought on my mind as I descended from a taxi in front of my parents' house.

Though it was exactly the same structure that I had been born and raised in. It still felt very different from the last time I had been here.

And then it dawned on me: the meaning behind the saying and how it applied to me. The only reason this place had once felt like home was my dad, and with him gone... the homey feeling had been completely lost.

"Mom." I said, startled at the sight of Mom in the frontal garden. She looked so different from the last time I had seen her. Younger and full of life, which was a contrast to what's expected of a widow. But then... what could be expected of a rich heiress who controlled millions?

"Isabella." Her tone was icy and without an ounce of warmth.

We stood there, staring at each other. Until Emily's shrill voice interrupted us.

"Sis... Mom told me you got pregnant by a stranger. Is that true?" The mockery in her voice wasn't hidden in the very least. Rather, it was as clear as daylight.

"You-"

"And... who gave you the right to speak, Husler?"

"You always claimed to be the most morally upright twin, and see where it led you?"

"But Mom...?!" I tried to defend myself, saying that it wasn't my fault. But as expected, I wasn't allowed to.

"The good news is that... Emmerson Winters turned out to be the father of your baby."

Emmerson Winters?! The engaged real estate tycoon?

How was that even possible?

"And his grandfather had offered a marriage proposal on behalf of his heir." Oh... how could I forget that? Emmerson's long-time girlfriend had been unable to produce an heir, and now? I was carrying the heir to the huge conglomerate.

"Be ready... the marriage will take place in three days."

"I can't get married, Mom..."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm only nineteen and besides, I can take care of my baby myself."

"You mean you plan to abort the heir to the Winters conglomerate?!"

"I didn't say that, Mom...''

"Then what?" She glared at me, and I could only swallow the lump in my throat silently. But then... I was only nineteen. How could I get married so young?

"If you knew you didn't want to get married, then you wouldn't go around sleeping with unknown men." Emily interrupted mockingly.

If it were a different day, I would have mentioned catching her in bed with Zach. But as it turned out, she wasn't ashamed of it.

"But Mom-"

"It's either you get married, or Junie Lawson loses her law school funding!" That made me freeze. Unlike me, my Bestie was an orphan who relied on government funding for her education.

"What do you say?" That was a rhetorical question. Given how sealed up my fate was.

~ Emmerson ~

I'd always dreaded this day and always hoped it would never come. But as it turns out... it did.

"I just heard from one of my sources that you'd gotten one of Beatrice Chan's daughters pregnant." I froze hearing my grandpa's words.

"How... did you find out?"

"You think I wouldn't find out how reckless you've been ever since I had given you the option of either breaking up with Sally and losing your inheritance."

He was right in a way.

Weeks ago, Grandpa had suddenly announced that the five years of freedom he'd given me were now over and I now had to make a decision between being stripped of my inheritance and breaking up with Sally.

But how could I choose between either of them when they both rightfully belonged to me?

But apparently, Grandpa hadn't cared about that... and knowing what he was capable of... I'd ended up at the bar to relieve myself a little.

And somehow ending up in a one-night stand... with a stranger.

I'd woken up shaken and exited the bed to head into the bathroom without checking the face of who I had slept with.

The guilt I felt on realizing that I had just cheated on my one and only girlfriend, Sally, was unbearable.

When we'd gotten together years ago, we'd made a huge promise to each other to love, cherish, and stay faithful to each other.

And now? Not only had I not managed to do that. I also ended up getting a stranger pregnant.

"I've told my secretary to arrange the paperwork. You'd have to get married to her in three days."

"I won't get married to anyone besides Sally," I said, gritting my teeth. How could he not understand that Sally was the love of my life, and I saw no future elsewhere outside of her?

"And you know what I did to your brother, didn't you?" How could I ever forget how he'd dishonored Isaac and stripped him of his rightful inheritance in less than a week... just because he'd refused to marry the lady he'd chosen?

"We are not even sure the baby is mine."

"Do you think my men are so incapable of doing their jobs?" He stared at me through his glasses, and I suddenly felt stupid for even asking.

Gabriel Winters never participated in a game; he wasn't confident about winning... and in this case? I was afraid he'd already won... before he even started.

I took a long sigh and bowed my head.

Grandpa took that as a signal and rang his personal assistant.

I couldn't believe that I was actually agreeing to an arranged marriage.

How could I have been so stupid as to have fallen into grandfather's traps? Because as it seemed... This looked too planned to be ruled off as a coincidence.

And the smug smile on Grandpa's face was more than enough to let me know what I needed to know.

But why?

What does he gain for causing us to act as a pawn in his games? Exactly what?

Even Susan, his favorite granddaughter, hadn't been spared. So why had I assumed I'd be?

....

"Why are you so quiet, Emmerson? You are always so excited whenever I talk to you about the shows I'd be on." I looked up from the edge of the bed, where I had my head bowed to stare at her. Sally Hayden, the love of my life... she was dressed in a gold satin mermaid dress that flaunted her curvy body.

On a normal day, I'd be going crazy with lust.

But not today; the past few weeks have been far from being normal.

"I'm not in the mood." My words were followed by a long sigh from her, and I could bet she was starting to overthink. Maybe even blame herself for my sour mood.

"I spoke to Grandpa today."

"And...?"

"He'd picked a wife for me."

"Is she pregnant?" I stared at her in shock, totally not expecting that response from her.

"No, she is-"

"You didn't just spend the night at that bar two weeks ago, did you?"

"What do you mean...?" I asked panickly, seeing the look of betrayal slowly take over her features.

"You think I wouldn't find out about how you got a girl pregnant behind my back?"

"But-" She walked out on me before I could complete my sentence, and I didn't hear from her until after the wedding, if I could call it that.

....

Weddings have always been sentimental to me, an occasion that I never joked with.

But who would have thought that I'd end up having to say, "I do" To a stranger, who'd not only walked in to ruin not just my life but my girlfriend's?

Her delicate features did nothing but annoy me even further.

I had no doubt that she'd planned it all out and was happy; she was getting married to a rich tycoon.

But I couldn't be deceived.

I had her sign a prenup right after the wedding and abandoned her right there at the reception.

After all, it was her wedding and not mine.

.....

I'd just stepped into my room... when I noticed the decorations and the veiled bride who was now seated in the middle of the bed.

Angrily, I closed the distance between us and yanked off the pink veil on her face.

She mustn't have expected my rough move, as I felt her shudder under me.

Without giving her the time to react, I grabbed her delicate cheeks fiercely, not minding that they could get bruised under the force of my hold.

"Listen to me, and listen well... Ugly Preggy! You are not my wife and will never be!" I say, staring deep into her now watery eyes. Her tears made my heart tighten, further infuriating me. How dare she think she could use her vulnerability against me? That's definitely not happening!

"You are here just to give birth to the thing in your womb, and once that's done... you get lost." When I heard no response from her, I grabbed her tightly... feeling my nails slowly digging into her skin. "Do you get it?"

"Yes, yes." I let go of her face and grabbed a handkerchief from my pocket, wiped my palms, and dumped it into a trashcan nearby.

"And yes... don't let me catch a whiff of your scent here when I come back in an hour." Saying my piece, I walked out and banged the door behind me.

~ Isabella ~

....

"Who would have thought that a saint Mary like you would get pregnant before marriage?" Emily snickered as she made her way into my room, if I could call it that.

It could as well be called a storage unit, locked in the fartherest part of the mansion.

"And would you like to tell me how that got to do with you?" I wasn't stupid enough to believe that all that happened was purely coincidental and Emily had nothing to do with it.

"Smart, as expected." She began pacing in front of me. "Turns out, the number of hours you spent studying your godforsaken course didn't go to waste."

"Don't you dare... I'm a graduate!" I say, hoping to turn her expression grim, and it did. But she wasted no time in coming up with a comeback.

"A graduate who wouldn't be attending her own graduation ceremony." Her words hit home, as she hoped they would. Call it my trickiest luck, but the marriage was fixed on my graduation day. Not like I could attend it if it were fixed before or after anyway.

Junie had tried talking me into letting her attend my wedding. So we could both miss the graduation ceremony. But I wouldn't bend.

Partly because she deserved to wear her graduation gown and walk down the aisle to receive the degree she'd labored long and hard for. But also because I didn't want her within Mom's line of sight.

Though I was sure Beatrice wouldn't go back on her word. But I couldn't be too careful.

"At least I am getting married into a powerful family, and you are not!"

"Oh... you think you are?" She smirked. "It's high time you snapped out of your fantasy and embraced the reality that Emmerson Winters will never love nor accept you as his wife!"

"And yes, you really don't have to worry about me..." She flaunted her diamond-ringed finger in front of me. "Zach proposed, and not only will I be becoming Mrs. Rogers in three months, but I will also be the only heir to Mom's empire."

"And you? You will have nothing to show but a love-less marriage of convenience." She snickered, leaving me alone to my misery.

....

I've imagined my wedding day in so many ways, but none of them involved me having to wear a pink wedding dress and walk down the aisle alone. And most importantly... have to say "I do." To what? A stranger?

I had found it weird when I was asked to go first and almost feared I'd be dumped right at the altar.

But that didn't happen, as Emmerson's silent mutter of 'I do' saved the day.

The priest, who probably knew this was arranged, saved us the embarrassment of mentioning the bride should be kissed. He simply declared us man and wife, and Emmerson walked out right after.

Not like I had been expecting him to stay and pretend any of this was planned anyway.

....

The master bedroom felt like a royal king's room, and I couldn't help but marvel at its decor as I was led in.

Surprisingly, the maids that had been assigned to me by Rebecca Winters, his grandma, had been quite nice.

Though Rebecca was obviously not nice and made sure to remind me of the sole reason why I was here. Which, well... was to provide an heir for the family. What I found interesting was how unspecific they were about the gender of the heir.

Or maybe they weren't really as archaic as I was deeming them to be.

I sat on the bed, with my veil covering my face, whilst I waited for the said groom.

To me, it all felt unnecessary since I was already carrying a child... but the maids insisted that some traditions had to be followed and I was no exception.

Had I been expecting Emmerson to be gentle with me when he came in? No.

But what I hadn't expected was how rough and harsh he'd be.

And by the time he finally left me alone... I couldn't hold back the tears I'd been holding ever since my life turned upside down.

I always thought I had my life all figured out before now. Graduate uni, get married to Zach, apply for a master's, then a PhD before we start planning to be parents.

It wasn't just a plan I had in my head, but rather something that had been premeditated and frequently visited by Zach and me.

But well... as it turns out, it was all in my head.

....

I'd just finished a retching session when my hair was suddenly yanked from behind, and before I could react... my face was being struck twice in succession.

My skin stung and I suddenly felt more nauseous than it previously did.

But before I could give in to the tiredness that followed, Sally's harsh voice followed.

Who would have thought that the very first encounter I would have with her would be in the bathroom where she'd abused me, a pregnant woman?

"You slut! How dare you come into our lives and try to ruin it?" She grabbed my now fragile body and shook me violently.

I saw stars as I tried to keep myself from falling.

Though it's been barely a month since I found out I was pregnant... The pregnancy had not only taken a toll on my mental health but mostly on my physical health.

My energy levels were dangerously low and ninety-nine percent out of the time. I felt like a complete mess.

"I didn't–" Even though I knew my words wouldn't matter at this point. I still tried to defend myself. Though I was cut off before I could continue even further.

"Listen well, and listen good, Slut. I plan to make your already hellish life full of darkness and pain." I winced as her long nails dug into my skin. This should be illegal in every way. But who was to decide that anyways?

"If you know what's good for you... you'll pack your bags and disappear from my sight before I can even catch you." That was impossible. There was no way I could escape Gabriel's tight security, and she knew that.

"Just the thought that Emmerson had laid a finger on you... makes me want to disfigure your face." And she did; at least she tried when she pushed me to the floor with such force... that I felt like I'd have a concussion, but I ended up with more than that when I passed out.

But just before then... I felt a sticky liquid gush out of my body and for a moment there... I prayed that I'd miscarry. That way, my pain would cease.