Chapter 23

"You are pregnant!" Sophie exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement.

I froze, the words hanging in the air like an unwelcome guest. "I don’t think she was supposed to hear that," Fatima said in a dull tone, staring at Bella's mother, who looked as if she had just seen a ghost.

I mentally facepalmed, feeling a rush of anxiety. "Yeah, me too," I replied with a sigh.

"Oh, shit...well, now she knows. But seriously!" Sophie said, covering her mouth with a smile, her excitement uncontainable despite the awkward situation.

All I could think about was how Jake was going to totally murder me for letting that slip. But deep down, a part of me felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Bella’s mother now knew I was carrying Jake’s baby, not her daughter’s. The feeling of having something to hold over her was exhilarating, as if I had just won the lottery. Watching her reaction was almost worth the chaos that would undoubtedly follow.

Bella's mother blinked twice, her shock quickly morphing into