The Unwanted Wife's Secret Pregnancy

Halle Rowe pressed the freeze button on the ultrasound machine. A sharp beep cut through the sterile silence of the private examination room.

On the monitor, a tiny, distinct gestational sac appeared against the static black-and-white background.

Halle turned the screen toward the examination table.

Corrin Mcknight sat there. Her head was bowed. Her thumbs flew across her phone screen, drafting an email to the legal department.

"Look," Halle said.

Corrin's fingers froze mid-keystroke. She raised her head. Her gaze landed on the monitor.

Her pupils constricted. The air in her lungs vanished.

"The machine is malfunctioning," Corrin said. Her voice was flat. "Or you misdiagnosed. I take prescription birth control every single day."

Halle pulled up the blood test results on her tablet. She slid the screen directly in front of Corrin.

"Your HCG levels say otherwise," Halle said. "You are six weeks pregnant, Corrin."

A violent wave of nausea hit Corrin's stomach. She shoved the tablet away, clamped a hand over her mouth, and dry heaved. Her shoulders shook with the force of the spasm.

Halle quickly poured a cup of warm lemon water from the dispenser. She handed it over. Her eyes were full of worry.

Corrin grabbed the paper cup. She drank the water in three large gulps. The sour liquid forced the bile back down her throat. She grabbed a tissue from the counter and wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Do you want to call Grayson Carlisle?" Halle asked.

At the sound of Grayson's name, the temperature in Corrin's eyes dropped to freezing. Her posture stiffened.

Corrin reached out and snatched the printed ultrasound scan from the tray. Her knuckles turned stark white. She crushed the glossy paper in both hands, twisting it into a tight, hard ball.

She tossed the crumpled ball into the biohazard waste bin in the corner. The paper hit the plastic liner with a dull thud.

Corrin stood up. She smoothed the skirt of her tailored black suit. The wrinkles vanished. The cold, untouchable mask of the Chief Operating Officer slid back into place.

"Put this under a Level One medical NDA," Corrin said. Her tone left no room for negotiation.

Halle sighed. She tapped her keyboard, locking the electronic medical record behind an encrypted firewall. "Done."

Corrin picked up her Birkin bag. She pushed open the heavy door of the examination room and stepped out into the private corridor.

Brooklynn Lara, her personal assistant, jumped up from a leather bench in the hallway.

"Boss," Brooklynn said, her voice tight with anxiety. "Is it the stomach ulcer again?"

Corrin did not blink. "Ovarian cyst. I just need to take the medication on time."

Brooklynn let out a massive breath. She patted her chest. "Thank God. I thought it was terminal."

Corrin walked past her. Brooklynn scrambled to follow. They walked down the long, quiet corridor toward the VIP elevator. The faint smell of medical grade disinfectant and expensive lavender room spray hung in the air.

Corrin pressed the down button. The metal surface was cold against her fingertip.

A soft chime sounded. The brushed steel doors slid open.

A woman stood inside the elevator car. She wore a pristine white cashmere coat. Her blonde hair fell in perfect, soft waves.

It was Jaye Beaumont.

Corrin's breath hitched. Her stomach cramped violently.

Jaye looked at Corrin. A flawless, condescending smile spread across her lips.

Jaye stepped out of the elevator. Her designer heels clicked sharply against the marble floor.

"Corrin," Jaye said. Her voice was light and airy. "I just got back from the sanatorium in Switzerland. I was just visiting Dr. Sterling on the fifth floor for my chronic migraines. It's been a dreadful flight back. The air in Manhattan is so stifling, don't you think?"

Corrin said nothing. She stared at Jaye's neck.

Jaye reached into her handbag. She pulled out a thick envelope with gold foil lettering. She held it out to Corrin.

"The Manhattan Elite Prep School reunion is this weekend," Jaye said.

Corrin looked at the envelope. She did not take it.

"Your name wasn't on the original guest list," Jaye added. Her smile widened. "But I made sure they added you. It must be so hard, always feeling like an outsider."