The rain poured heavily against Christine's bedroom windows, tears pricking her eyes as she stared into the nothingness. Flashbacks from the night she lost her virginity continued to torment her mind; it had been rainy then too.
She vividly recalled the man's face, briefly illuminated by lightning in the hotel chamber, forever imprinted in her memory. With rich dark hair, thick brows, plump lips, and a perfectly shaped jawline, he exuded masculinity from every pore.
If only she could have seen his eyes, she thought, to complete the image. But they were closed, lost in the frenzy of the moment—it was his wedding night, after all. Yet she was not his bride.
What had transpired almost nine months ago was far from the dream she had envisioned for her first time. It had been cruel, merciless, and horrible.
His skilled hands were hovering all over her body, leaving no place unknown to his touch. He was caring and gentle, after all, he believed he was making love to the one he promised to spend the rest of his life with. Unbeknownst to him, she was not his bride. He was not aware that the woman in his bed hated it, that she was forced into it.
She despised herself for accepting that arrangement, doing it only to protect her father. Tears continued to stream down her face as she embraced her big round belly—she had lost something she cared about but gained something precious in return.
Suddenly, a sharp pain invaded her body, starting from her womb and spreading to the edges, robbing her of breath. Each contraction felt like her body was being torn in two. A loud scream escaped her chest before she could contain it, prompting her stepmother, who happened to despise her, to rush to her aid.
"Oh, enough with your complaints. You're not the first woman in the world to be pregnant," her stepmother scolded, just what Christine needed at that moment.
"It hurts so much!" she cried out.
"It's your fault. You're nothing but a whore. You should have used protection! How could you end up pregnant with your sister's husband?"
Those words made Christine inwardly cringe. How dare her stepmother label her a 'whore' when she knew the full story.
"Your daughter is the real whore! She deceived her husband, lied about her virginity, and sent me to take her place on the wedding night to hide the truth!" Christine shouted through the pain. "I only agreed because I needed to protect my father from you!"
Her stepmother's lips curled into an evil grin before anger took hold of her once more. "You should have gotten rid of that disgusting child!"
Abortion? Killing her own baby? Her own flesh and blood? Never!
Such thoughts were unbearable for Christine. They were more agonizing than the act itself from that night. The man had treated her like a prized possession, and though it was difficult to admit even to herself, she had moments when she enjoyed the wicked things he did to her body. But those moments were overshadowed by the sordid arrangement, and the lies had extinguished any semblance of enjoyment.
Her stepsister's husband remained oblivious to her existence, as her sister was always insecure whenever Christine was around and never introduced her to her lovers.
Christine had always been beautiful, but she would never stoop so low as to steal Martha's boyfriends or anyone else's for that matter. Yet her stepsister never missed an opportunity to claim that Christine used her allure to ensnare men, a baseless accusation. The fact that she was a virgin served as undeniable proof.
Another searing pain tore through her body, and fluid began to trickle from between her legs.
"My water broke! Please call an ambulance."
Her stepmother rolled her eyes in annoyance before reluctantly picking up the phone to dial for an ambulance.
In that moment, Christine longed for her father to be present. He loved her deeply. Yes, he had been somewhat disappointed upon learning of her pregnancy—his pride and joy carrying a child at this stage of life did not sit well with him—but his love for her had never wavered.
~~~~~
After what felt like an eternity, paramedics finally arrived and swiftly transported Christine to the hospital, her stepmother following closely behind in her car.
The medical staff appeared perplexed when Elenora refused to ride in the ambulance, but she convinced them that her fragile heart couldn't bear the sounds of her precious stepdaughter's screams. They even commended her for her display of motherly concern.
They knew nothing, they were as oblivious as her father always had been when it came to that woman. Elenora Carter was a manipulative and malicious person, passing on those traits to her daughter, Martha.
As a dutiful and obedient daughter, Martha heeded her mother's instructions and sought to climb her way into high society through seduction. By the time she ensnared a billionaire in her trap, she had already been entangled in more beds than she could recall.
So, when she deceitfully claimed to be a virgin, intending to save herself for the wedding night, she needed a solution. That solution involved blackmailing her stepsister into taking her place.
"Be careful!"
"One, two, three, lift!"
Christine heard the concerned voices of the paramedics as they moved her from the ambulance. Her head spun as she gazed at the flashing lights dancing to the rhythm of the emergency sirens. She was being carried away from the life-saving vehicle and into the hospital.
"Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale!" they demanded of her, as if it were an easy task. But she couldn't help but scream in agony.
Deep down, a sense of unease gripped Christine's heart. The contractions felt different, almost unnatural, defying everything she had prepared for.
Fear mingled with each pang, as if something could be wrong with her precious baby. Worry etched deep lines on her face, tears welling in her eyes. In the chaos, prayers whispered on her trembling lips, as she was seeking protection and a miracle.
Her love for the unborn child burned fiercely, refusing to be extinguished. Though fear loomed, she clung to a glimmer of hope, determined not to surrender.
"Stop screaming! Everyone in this waiting room is staring at us. You're such an embarrassment! Can't you hold it in? You've always been so selfish, just like your mother. She stole your father from me, even though she was my friend!" her stepmother scolded.
What the hell? Wasn't she a woman too? A mother?
"No, my mom saw him first, and he chose her," Christine retaliated through the pain, refusing to let anyone tarnish her mother's memory.
"But look who triumphed in the end!" Elenora smirked in her face.
An operating room had just become available, and the paramedics swiftly rushed Christine into emergency surgery, where her stepmother, fortunately, couldn't follow to inflict further torment.
~~~~~
The labor stretched on for agonizing hours, engulfing Christine in a cloud of fear. Her life and, above all, her baby's life hung in the balance. Even now, as her energy was slowly draining out, the sound of her baby's cries offered a glimmer of hope, reassuring her that he was safe.
The doctors' troubled expressions and the ominous silence only fueled her anxiety. Her heart raced, and a wave of panic crashed over her.
Desperate for answers, she snatched a nurse's gown and inquired in a hushed voice, "Is everything alright with my baby?"
The medical assistant locked eyes with her, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Yes, the baby is fine," she replied, hastening out of the room.
But what about Christine? The weight of uncertainty pressed upon her heart, pulling at her with the thought of not being able to nurture her child, to witness his growth and life unfold before her eyes.
Her beloved father, Ethan, was attending a business conference when he found out about her surgery. He took off in a flash to be by her side.A cloud of worry spread all over his face as he lunged into the hospital. His mind raced with dreadful scenarios concerning Christine and his unborn grandchild, only to find his wife scrolling through social media, her face devoid of any concern or empathy."What are you doing?" he yelled, snatching the phone from her hands, irritated by his wife's lack of care."Nothing. Wasting time," she replied, sounding bored."Do you even know if she is alright? If the baby is fine?" His eyes pierced into her, and that was the moment she realized she had let her guard down and made a big mistake."No. I was so worried that I tried to distract myself by watching videos on social media. This waiting is slowly killing me inside," she feigned concern, trying to evoke sympathy with her puppy eyes. Surprisingly, it worked."I'm sorry. For a moment, I thought tha
Even the mighty sky seemed to cry alongside Christine as the rain splashed over her sensitive skin, becoming one with her tears.She did her best to shield the innocent baby boy, the vulnerable tiny human was weeping, each of his cries breaking her heart. The stabbing pain of being discarded by her own father would have been unbearable if not for the little miracle she held in her arms. She was a mother now, and she needed to protect him.Her mind raced with questions and concerns. She had never before been in a position to be responsible for another being.Truth be told, life had failed to prepare her for this situation. As a businessman, her father had taken good care of their finances, so she never had to lift a finger, let alone provide for someone. It was understandable; she was only 19 years old. If not for her pregnancy, she would have been attending her first year of college at this age.Raw fear coursed through her veins as she fought against it, but exhaustion settled into h
It was almost dark outside, and she had lost all sense of time and space while crying her heart out.Loukas had left her alone after delivering that devastating news. He seemed to want to offer comfort, but no words could ease the pain she felt.There was simply nothing that could mend the loss of a loved one.Her heart ached with a profound sense of regret as the words echoed in her mind. "Your father has passed away."The weight of those words hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her gasping for breath. She couldn't help but imagine her father's devastated expression when he learned the truth, the pain etched across his face forever haunting her thoughts.Why hadn't there been another chance? Why couldn't she have seen him one last time, heard his voice, or felt his reassuring presence?She couldn't accept it. This was a horrific nightmare, something that couldn't be happening.‘Wake up, Christine! You're just having a bad dream!’ she kept telling herself, but this was not a dream. Th
"Are you scared of flying, miss?" he asked, his tone filled with concern. His captivating silver eyes stared deep into Christine's soul, and she feared he would uncover the things she had worked hard to hide. She nodded, indicating her fear, though flying was something she usually enjoyed. But today was no ordinary day. The man who had haunted her dreams for all these years was here, in the flesh, staring at her. The man who took her virginity and left her with child, without even being aware of it. Could she blame him? No, she couldn't. If there was anyone to blame, it was none other than herself. He was even more breathtakingly gorgeous than her memory had illustrated, especially now that she could see his mesmerizing eyes, the missing piece of his image. Though she should have suspected that Ethan had inherited the same grey shade from him, as her own eyes were hazel. "Have we ever met before?" he asked, causing her heart to skip a beat. She ignored his question. 'He won't r
Her knees went weak, and she struggled to maintain her composure. Avoiding this man for the rest of her life wasn't part of her plan. She had meticulously plotted her revenge against her stepfamily for five long years, anticipating that he might become entangled in it. But his unexpected presence was overwhelming, and she found it hard to breathe normally. "And this is Christine, my daughter," Loukas announced, jolting her out of her thoughts. Though he was her savior, she could never quite get used to being called someone else's daughter. After losing her family and her inheritance, Loukas had insisted on giving her his name and making her his legal successor. It took two years of persuasion before she finally accepted, and now she and Ethan proudly bore the name Blaine. If it weren't for the change in their last name, her carefully laid plans would have crumbled at this very moment. If Hunter had realized he was married to her stepsister, all her revenge schemes would have been in
One would be completely out of their mind and definitively mistaken to think that Christine wanted to impress someone in particular by applying more makeup than usual that day. And she couldn't be blamed for looking stunning in everything she wore, her perfectly fit figure worthy of a fashion model. The only reason she had chosen to wear a mid-thigh black dress that hugged her body in all the right places while still maintaining a sense of class was because it was her first day in the office, nothing more. Laughter rang through the air, captivating her attention and drawing her towards Ethan's room earlier than expected. The scene before her left her momentarily stunned, her stomach tightening with a whirlwind of emotions. Hunter stood beside Ethan, helping him get dressed for school, while the boy's contagious giggles filled the room. Ethan gleefully expressed his desire to emulate his father's style, and Christine couldn't recall the last time she had seen him so elated. Without
The little boy lay on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't comprehend how cruel his new classmates were, taunting him for not having a father. But was it Ethan's fault for not having one? No, it wasn't. There was no one in the world who longed for a Daddy more than him. "What's so special about him that the teacher praised him so much, making us look like fools?" one classmate sneered. "Yeah, there's nothing remarkable about him!" another chimed in. "My mother told me he doesn't even have a father!" "That's true, my mother said his mother had him when she was 19." These words pierced through Ethan's heart, fueling his pain. Despite knowing that his mother loved him dearly, he yearned for the embrace of a father's love. Suppressing his vulnerability, he summoned his strength and rose from the ground, shouting, "I do have a father! He's the richest CEO in town!" "We don't believe you!" "You're just a liar!" The bullies continued to laugh and mock him, their word
One could reach an agreement that the scene unfolding before everyone's eyes was undeniably inconvenient, and Ethan was surely bound to have his share of suffering from it. That's why Christine's heart twisted in pain and her stomach muscles clenched, not because of some sort of jealousy. It was out of genuine concern, nothing else. The man held no such power over her, so why would she be jealous of a cheating bastard? The only thing he deserved from her was hate. It wasn't even her he cheated on; it was Martha. For what it was worth, she should have felt rather grateful if her stepsister got to taste the pain of betrayal. Even if a tint of jealousy might have coursed through her veins, she was quick to brush it off, maintaining a dignified demeanor. The same couldn't be said about Hunter; his absurdly handsome features were crossed by different emotions. One could spot embarrassment, confusion, anger, and distress, not particularly in that order. He muttered a curse, while Christi