3- Pregnant

She looked at the handsome face of Aiden Lockwood and wanted to cry. How would I live without him? Soon you and Vicky will have a baby. and I will be left alone without anyone.

Just because she was plus size and could not give him the baby, he had decided to go to his Ex and bang her.

‘Why, Aiden?’ she asked his sleeping figure, ‘Wasn’t I enough for you? You hated my figure or my inability to have kids?’

She wiped the tears from her face and picked up the file that had the divorce papers.

‘I will not fight for a man who decided to leave me just because I couldn’t give him a baby. He didn’t respect me, nor he respected the sanctity of marriage.’

She silently picked up the pen and signed the papers.

***

“What are you doing here?” her friend Thalia looked at her from head to toe, “You never visited me during my duty hours.”

Thalia was a nurse in a famous hospital and became her friend when Elara used to visit the hospital for fertility treatments.

“And why are you so pale, Elara?”

“I … I n…need help,” Elara didn’t know why she was stuttering. The skin on Thalia’s forehead knitted, “What’s the matter? Are you again on some shitty diet, Elara?” Elara could not even smile and held her friend’s arm,

“I need a place to live.”

“You need- what? Why? But … You… Your husband…”

“Thalia. I need help. He is not my husband anymore. His beautiful, slim Ex is back. He doesn’t need me any longer.” There was concern etched on Thalia’s face. She didn’t ask any more questions from her friend.

Elara was trying her best not to give in to crying but was failing miserably.

“I … I loved him with all … my heart… and now I realize. He never loved me. Never shared my happiness or sorrows. Never showed me any care.” She stopped crying and held her head in her hands, “Oh. I am feeling lightheaded!” she whispered.

“Elara!” Thalia screamed when Elara’s eyes rolled back, and she fell on the floor.

***

“You are back after so many days. Where were you? You should have completed the treatment. By the way, when did you get your last period, Mrs. Lockwood?” her gynecologist Dr. Natasha asked her while using the ultrasound machine on her lower belly.

“I … I don’t remember. My cycles are quite irregular.” Elara mumbled with shame. The gynecologist had put her on a strict no-carb diet and Elara was successfully shedding the weight. Until last month for some reason, she started getting it all back. That was when she stopped her visits.

“I am sorry. I think my last cycle was five to six months back.”

The doctor hummed.

“Why doctor?” Elara didn’t want any more bad news. Please don’t tell me my cysts have worsened. Please please, God!

“I will write you a few meds. Just start using them as soon as possible. As you have PCOS problem, so we need to start certain medications as soon as possible.”

Elara nodded her head in embarrassment. Due to her PCOS issues, she couldn’t conceive.

“I did start the diet as you suggested to me. But trust me, doctor. I don’t know why this weight is getting back.”  She pointed towards her belly. Thalia wiped the gel from her belly and helped her up. Elara sat on the chair placed opposite the doctor.

“Mrs. Lockwood. I think, I know why you are getting your weight back.” The doctor smiled at her, “I just found the reason on the ultrasound machine.”

Elara nervously looked at the doctor. Maybe the poor doctor hit her head somewhere. Why was she smiling like this?

Last time the same doctor was quite strict to put her on a specific diet and now she was smiling because Elara put back her weight? Strange!

I am now a divorcee. Without love. Without a baby. All I have got with me is my weight. And Thalia.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“You are pregnant.” Dr. Natasha announced with a smile and Elara blinked back.

“What?”

“I said you are pregnant. The news you were waiting for, for so many years.” The doctor wrote a prescription,

“You need to start these meds right away. With your uterus condition and weight problems, we can’t risk your life. Your kids will be needing a happy mama.” She said while scribbling something on her notepad.

Sitting there, Elara was speechless. She felt as if she was dreaming, “Pregnant?” she placed her hand on her belly, “Kids?”

“Yeah. I saw two sacs,” the doctor raised her eyes momentarily, “You are carrying twins.”

***

“You should tell him about the babies,” Thalia said while sipping her coffee in the hospital café.

“And ask him to choose one?” Elara smiled sarcastically.

“What do you mean?”

“Vicky is also pregnant.”

“What? Good God!” Now Thalia understood why she was so heartbroken,

“Three years back Aiden had to choose between me and Vicky. After getting married to me he started resenting me.”

“Elara. No! I don’t think so…”

“Yes, Thalia. This is the truth. He had been hating me all this time. Now I can’t make my baby go through this pain.” She held her belly protectively.

“Then what will you do?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.” She had a confused state of mind.

“Listen, love,” Thalia leaned forward, “he is the father and It’s his right to know about his kids. Plus, I am very much doubtful of this Vicky. She might be lying.”

Elara frowned. She never thought along those lines. What if Vicky just made up her pregnancy?

“Even if she was lying. I can’t live with him, Thalia. My marriage is over. I have signed the papers. A man who is not faithful is not worth fighting for.”

***

She came inside the living room and stopped in her tracks. Vicky was cooking something in the kitchen while Aiden was half-hearing her and was busy on his laptop.

He never stepped inside the kitchen before. He even encouraged her to stop cooking and baking and mingle with the outside world.

Right now, he was not only sitting by the coffee table. It hadn’t been even twenty-four hours since she signed the papers. And Vicky was already here.

Just then Vicky saw her standing in the doorway, “Hey. Look who is here. It’s my childhood best friend!” She walked to Elara and clapped her hands in excitement,

“Thank you so much, Elara for those signatures. Tomorrow, you need to be present in front of the union council for the official dissolution of marriage. Right, Aiden?” She tilted her head, her eyes never once leaving Elara’s face.

“What are you doing here in my kitchen, Vicky?” her voice boomed making Aiden lift his head up in surprise. During their entire married life, she had been a very soft-spoken girl.

“Umm. Hey, Elara.” Vicky’s one shoulder raised slightly in a nonchalant shrug, “Don’t be angry. You have signed the papers after all and now we were expecting you to come back and collect your stuff.”

It was a soft reminder from Vicky that she had already signed the divorce papers and now had lost the right to anything that belonged to Aiden.

“Aiden. Honey. No more cupcakes or tarts from now on. You need to stay fit for our little family,” Vicky turned to Elara’s ex-husband and purred, “Also I am planning to change the interior of this house. I want to make it a home.” She said like an over-excited kid, “And please, tell her not to talk to me in this tone. Our gynecologist has advised me to not take tension. It’s not good for the baby.”

For some reason, Elara sensed as if Aiden was avoiding eye contact with her. She was quite hopeful that Vicky just came up with the lie of pregnancy. But here she was declaring it in front of Aiden.

“Not good for the baby?” Elara chuckled humorlessly, “The baby didn’t take tension last night when you were groaning and getting banged by my husband.” Elara said sweetly and that caused Aiden to stand up from his seat.

“Elara! What are you saying?”

“Why Aiden?” Elara gave him a forced smile, “Will the baby take tension if I tell him that his mom was screaming throughout the night in pleasure with someone else’s husband?”

She walked to him and stood at arm’s length, “How was the banging in room number 1313? I have never been to the Countryside Hotel. The baby must be quite happy to be conceived in a five-star hotel.” Vicky and Aiden were momentarily frozen.

After winning the verbal battle she stormed to her bedroom. Or maybe her Ex-bedroom.

No. She would never tell Aiden about the babies. He was filthy rich with a strong background. What if he would snatch away her babies? She didn’t want a horrible stepmom for her kids.

***

She went to her room to collect her things but couldn’t do it. The divorce papers she signed last night were still there.

She raised her hand and looked at her wedding band, she was still wearing. She took it off and placed it on the file.

She penned down a letter and wrote Vicky’s name on the envelope. After slipping the letter in the draw she straightened and looked around. She just wanted to take her documents. She was not interested in taking clothes or any piece of jewelry. She belonged to a lower-class family, but her self-respect was more important to her.

When her phone started ringing, she realized that she was crying.

“Hello?” she tried to make her voice normal.

“Are you crying?” Thalia spoke on the other side, “I am coming to pick you. You are staying with me.”

Elara smiled. After all, someone was there who was still with her.

“But Thalia. Your apartment is already …”

“Too small?” Thalia laughed, “But my heart is big, my friend. Now move your ass and get done with your packing. I will be waiting for you outside.”