William stood at the door for a long time, unable to sort his emotions and get inside.Albert and Tessa had already gone in and called his parents.Rosaline held his hands and leaned against him, letting him know she was there for him.William took a deep breath and went inside to find everyone seated in the living room.Aunty Aria and Uncle John were looking at everyone curiously.William sat down with Rosaline almost sitting in his lap, much to her embarrassment. “You kids are being too dramatic these days. What’s with the weird expression on everyone’s faces?” Aria joked.“Aunty, Al must have told you I had gotten swapped at birth. Right?” William asked.His grip on Rosaline tightened as he tried to be calm.“Yes. Loosen your grip, Will. You are hurting her.” Aria frowned.“I am sorry.” William loosened his grip immediately.“It does not hurt. Focus.” Rosaline consoled him.“My mother’s name is Isabella Grant.”As soon as William uttered her maiden name, Aria’s whole body trembled
Aria calmed down after a long time.William fed her some warm water and juice to maintain her blood sugar.They called everyone in, and she slowly told them her side of the story._My father’s family was traditional and valued boys over girls.My grandfather kicked our family away when I was five years old. My mother had health issues and could not have another child.In those years, when we were away, my father worked hard to support us, but his parents and uncles would come now and then, threaten him, and take away all the money he had at that time.I could not go to school. I did not understand it back then, but years later, I found out that it was because a rich girl liked my father and wanted to marry him.Her family promised to give a large sum of money as a dowry to my father’s family. And a house along with maids for my father and the girl.The condition was he had to divorce my mother and cut off all ties with me as well.He refused and got kicked out.They would frequently
I instinctively hid the fact that my periods had started. I didn’t know why, but I knew I should hide it.Since I was malnourished, it was irregular. I would get periods every 3-5 months. That made it easier to cover up.I also wrapped a piece of cloth on my chest.They only gave us rags, so clothing shabbily was our only option. I deliberately cut my hair haphazardly, making it look thinner and brittle than it was and changing my looks for the worse. I did all of those instinctively. I did not have a coherent thought for doing that.But I realized why when I overheard them talking amongst themselves when I was 20.They had wanted to sell me off to someone for a price, but since I was very bad looking, flat-chested, and had not even had my periods yet, I was not going to fetch a price.Nor could I be used as a birthing cow for the rich. Besides, selling me off meant they would lose their servant.By then, they had already gotten accustomed to having me do chores for them. Selling m
One day, she came to the library as usual but asked for help.I was running out of time.I only thought for a few minutes before I agreed to her condition. The next day, I sneaked Venus out, but instead of going to the library, I went to Isabella, who was waiting for us.There were no surveillance cameras in that area.They stuffed me into the trunk and made Venus lie down under the seat. Isabella was driving a convertible.They kept the hood open, her butler was driving, and a bodyguard was in the front seat.Isabella was sitting with her arms sprawled as if she was enjoying the night breeze.After a 20 minutes drive, we stopped in a remote area that did not have cameras. We moved to an SUV which already had a doctor, a nurse, and a maid.Isabella drove in the same position back to her parent's house. She would often go out for drives like that at night.She sent Venus and me to S city. A Villa was already ready for us.The doctor gave us full body checkups and prepared a diet plan
After Venus left, Isabella brought her husband’s semen sample, and we did the artificial insemination.I had been following the doctor’s advice. After half a year, I was healthy and fit for conceiving.Fortunately, it worked on the first try itself.Isabella had traveled back and forth between S city and her husband’s place over the past half-year.When the doctor confirmed I was pregnant, she went back again.She seemed to have announced her pregnancy after six weeks. I had done two prenatal checks, and everything was good.She came back when I was already two and a half months pregnant. She did not leave after that.I don’t know the whole story, but her husband’s family was complicated. There was a lot of in-fighting, and people played dirty. She was hiding while her husband was working hard to sort things out to make their home a safe place for them.Isabella had always been a strong, opinionated, and very kind person.She, unfortunately, had complications and couldn’t have a baby
I met John in the library a few weeks after I began to work there. He was always the first person to come in. He was in college and studying diligently.He asked if I could sneak him inside before the opening time as he was trying to get more credits soon and had to study hard.I agreed because he looked like a decent person.He never misplaced the books and always returned them in the same condition, if not better. He was soft-spoken, merry, and funny but not frivolous. Little by little, we started to talk.He would help me arrange the books and clean the library before opening. He said it was to return the favor for sneaking him inside.He was very respectful, which was very new to me. Isabella was more like a friend - I don’t know, our relationship was complicated.But John was different.He never intruded in my private space. He respected the boundary I had in place. I think he only asked my name after we had gotten acquainted for a few weeks.Since he helped me with the work in
John came to the library half an hour before the opening time, later than usual but still early.He had the admission forms with him. We never mentioned the incident again.He helped me fill out the forms, and things went as usual.Three months later, I got admitted to college. John guided me but told me to do everything by myself.Slowly, I got the hang of all the standard procedures of how things go in a college.By then, I had saved up some money for admission fees.I ate and slept in the restaurant. I walked everywhere. I had only spent a little money on clothes and saved everything I had earned in the six months I had been working.I did well in the entrance exam, so I received a scholarship. After everything, I still had some money left.I was thinking of renting a place but wasn’t sure, so I asked John. He said that since the restaurant was paying me well, I was getting free food and accommodation, and the security was good, I shouldn’t leave it and spend my hard-earned money
Our life after marriage was still the same for three weeks.I had no idea that John had been looking for a place for us to rent, suitable for a family and in a good neighborhood so I could go to work and college without any trouble.He created the agreement, asked me to pay half for everything, made sure my name was in every deed, and we had equal ownership of everything we owned.He spent another week decorating the apartment. He celebrated every little thing and did so many things that, now, I think it was cheesy, but at that time, I was always crying. I would feel so touched.We had our first kiss in the living room of that house, three weeks after our marriage on the first-ever home I owned, the first thing we co-owned.I got pregnant three weeks after we had moved into our apartment.I insisted on not skipping any semester because of how easy my first pregnancy was.Al turned out to be a brat instead.Terrible morning sickness, painful cramps, going into labor a week before the