Chapter 2

JOHANNA.

King Ramsey stepped closer to me, his eyes dazzling while his brows arched. I've never seen his facial expression that way. It seemed like he was about to chop off my head. I swallowed hard, my right hand on the table, clenched.

How did a contraceptive end up in my wardrobe? Who brought it in there? I've never seen it for once, although I know that such a drug exists. “My King!!”

“You've not responded to my question, Anna. What is a contraceptive doing in your wardrobe?” he asked again. This time, I stepped a bit back from him. “Are you dumb because I saw it?”

I shook my head. "I am speechless because such a thing has never existed in my life… I mean,” I scratched my head. “This is my first time seeing a contraceptive. I can't tell how it got into my room when I've never seen it. And, wasn't it there last night when you dropped the watch?” I exhaled a deep breath. This is one thing I've never imagined.

Who must have dropped it there? I am not sick either, so I'm taking no medication. Why was it there just this morning but not last night?

“My King—” he made a long face, tears gathered in his eyes. “I will have to look into the matter and find out the source. There's no way I kept that there when it's been two months since I even visited the hospital.'' I tried to hold him, but he let go, refusing my touch. “You can't take it personally when I'm the one who's baffled here.”

“Then you have to tell me the truth. I found it myself…..no one told me. Are you trying to say that it fled into your room?” he nibbled on his bottom lip. “No way! Anna, you have to tell me the truth you've been hiding from me for….”

“I'm hiding nothing….” Those words from him pierced my heart. I didn't expect that from him. Why would he believe so easily that I would take that medicine when I badly wanted to give him an heir? “That drug wasn't there last night. I took my nightwear there and you also placed your watch….why didn't we get to see it? How did it get there this morning?”

He gulped and winked, and the tears he was holding rolled down his cheeks. “Johanna!!!!” his voice thundered within us. Five years of marriage, and this was the first time he was mentioning my name in full—he even screamed at me for the first time. “Why did you do this to me? For how long were you planning to keep doing this?”

His words were so sympathetic that it made me quiver. Does he believe that I did it? How could he without even looking into it? He knows so well that my maids clean up my room. What if one of them owns it and leaves it there?

I shook my head and stood before him. This time, I couldn't endure the pain that was ignited in me. “My King, can we just end it here for now? I can't celebrate my birthday in tears, you know……we can just settle this after today…”

“The audacity to tell me to let it slide knowing how furious I am. Do you realize the pain you just caused me now? How painful it is to settle for less, love you despite the condition that brought you here—and this is how you would pay me back, huh? Do you think it's that funny, waiting for five years without an heir only to find out that you've been the one preventing pregnancy, huh?” he gritted his teeth.

The whole blood running through my body froze. My world was beginning to crumble before me. If the man I loved dearly ends up shifting me aside, then I am nothing—it would be better to just die. He is the reason I don't ever wish to meet my demise so long as he's here, but why can't he trust me even if it's just this once?

“My King,” I wanted to touch him, but he shifted backwards. I didn't mind either. He has every right to be mad at me. He has all the proof that I don't wish to conceive a child for him, because the drug was found in my wardrobe, but why can't he try to understand that I know nothing about that? “How about checking the camera to confirm if I was the one that kept it there? I know that at this point, you will hardly believe that I did…”

“What do you think wasted my time when I went upstairs?” he let out a loud hiss and took his cell phone. “The camera was wiped out, so let's go to the hospital…”

“Hospital?!” My face twisted. “Can't you at least celebrate today with me as usual? We can go there after you show me….”

He walked out of my sight, turning deaf ears to whatever I had to say. “Does he mean it that I will go to the hospital? This is a disaster….” I thought, mimicking my bottom lip.

I am not scared of going to the hospital, though, because I'm certain that I'm innocent. What I hate is that he's ruining my day just like that. He would have just kept the drug with him until after today.

I took my cell phone too and walked out of the palace building. He was getting into the car, so I hurried and hopped in, too. “Do you mean it? I won't get the surprise nor celebrate the birthday again? You can't do it, right?”

He sniffled, not ready to respond to me anytime.

I felt cold down to my belly. This is still like a dream to me that such a filthy drug that I've never dreamt of seeing for once was found in my room. It's too suspicious because it wasn't there last night, and he must be thinking that I took it this morning and forgot to hide it.

King Ramsey never spared me a glance. He didn't say a word to me either until we reached the hospital.

“What do you want to know here?'' I broke the silence between us when he was about to get off his seatbelt. “I feel so offended that my King couldn't trust me, yet you've been treating me nice since I came into your palace….” Tears welled up in my eyes.

He took off his car key. “When we get in there, you will find out.” he unlocked the car and alighted from the car.

I blinked, letting the tears that gathered in my eyes roll down, and then I wiped them off before stepping down from the car.

We went to the doctor's office and were offered a seat.

“I need to know if she's been taking a contraceptive or not. Is it possible to find out?” King Ramsey rolled his eyes and nodded. “Do whatever it takes to find the result….”

The doctor left the office and returned with his specimens. He drew out my blood and left again with it. My heart kept pounding heavily even when I was sure I hadn't been taking it.

I wonder what the King will do with me if I turn out to be at fault because I'm sure he won't let me leave the palace because of the contract. My breathing accelerated. I grasped my clothes firmly, my chest burning.

Minutes elapsed, and then the doctor returned with the result and dropped it on the table before the King. I lifted my head a bit, and my gaze met with the doctor.

“What does the result say?” the King asked him.

The doctor looked at me again, causing a cold pit to form in my belly.