Chapter 1

JULEKA

"Allen, please. I'm sorry. No!"

I cried, getting hit across the face by my husband, sending me to the wall.

He grabbed me by the hair, turning me over and taking me by the jaw tightly.

I stared into his raging eyes, seeking for mercy.

"Who gave you the right to join my party? Tell me!" He roared, pushing me against the wall.

"Allen, I'm sorry. I was..."

"Shut up!" He yelled, raising his hand to smack me again.

Fear came over me, afraid he was going to strike me again. But his hand remained in the air, as he groaned in rage, tossing me to the ground.

"I can't lock you up even if I want to. You have gotten so many attentions on yourself, you fool!"

I stayed on the floor, shivering in fear.

"Once this party is over, I'll make you pay for your disobedience," He promised, ordering me to wipe my face and return to the party.

He left me alone in the room, as I cried out bitterly at my misfortune.

All I did was attend his party for the first time ever. He just got a contract and I wanted to celebrate in his joy.

"Why me?" I cried, rising from the floor, and wiping my tears.

As Allen had instructed, I made my way back to the party, trying to keep my distance from his guests.

But someone, who has been following me with her eyes, didn't skip that opportunity.

"Tell me," A lady in red grabbed me by the arm, pulling me to a corner. "Who are you? "

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting scared of being spotted by Allen.

"Don't act stupid. I saw you with Allen not long ago. Who are you to him? " She gripped hard, showing her desperation.

From her behavior, it was clear to me who she was.

The lady, Miranda, whom Allen has been trying to impress since the beginning of the party.

She's the main reason why I attended the celebration, but Allen scolded me because of it.

I was ready to tell her my relationship with Allen, but when I recalled all the beatings and punishments from him...

"I'm just a worker here at the mansion, " I lied to her.

"You mean you're a poor filthy servant?" She questioned, lifting her right brow.

I nodded, pleasing Miranda, who smiled with pleasure.

"That's good. Now get out of my sight, you rodent," She ordered with an insult.

I did as she said, leaving her side with so much bitterness in my heart.

It made me wish I could hit her across the face.

"At least I'm safe."

Just when I thought all was well, Allen showed up, directing me into a secret corner from the guest's blind spot.

Fear took over me as I wondered if he had seen me with Miranda.

I was ready to beg and tell him what transpired between us, only for him to grab me by the jaw, asking, " What is your wretched father doing here?"

"My father?" I gazed out in astonishment.

"I thought it was clear in the contract that I don't want to see your father here?"

"I swear Allen, I didn't call him."

"You better send him away or otherwise..." He pointed at me, sending a warning.

Terrified, I raced outside of the mansion to meet my father being pushed back by the guards.

When he saw me, he proudly called me his daughter, requesting to be allowed in.

"What are you doing here, old man?" I sparked at my father, who stared at me in shock.

"Juleka, don't you recognize your father? " He asked with sadness in his tone.

I was hurt on seeing his eyes but scared of Allen.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop coming here?! Your presence irritates me. Leave!" I roared at him.

My father, who was broken by my words, left the mansion sadly.

I was shattered while watching him leave.

"Forgive me, father," I muttered with pains.

.

A few days after the party, I fell terribly ill.

Allen, who always carried me to the hospital whenever I was sick, wasn't around nor was he picking his calls.

Due to the fever, I decided to head over to the hospital to see Doctor Nicole by myself.

She ran some tests on me and suggested that I wait for the results.

When the results came back...

"Congratulations, you're three weeks pregnant. "

"Pregnant?" I gazed out in astonishment, realizing that I'm carrying mine and Allen's child in my womb.

Joy came engulfing me, sending me hugging and thanking Doctor Nicole, who looked puzzled.

"You're acting like it's your first time, " She said, levitating her right brow.

I was too excited to ask her what she meant, as I planned to head back home to break the good news to Allen. Hoping for a change in our relationship.

But Doctor Nicole stopped me, saying she needed to talk to me urgently. I decided to wait.

"I can't keep repeating myself Mrs Cadell, but I beg you in the name of God, don't remove this baby like the other three."

"Remove the baby? Other three? What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

Only for Doctor Nicole to reveal that I had three abortions in the past, all because I was afraid to carry the babies.

I was shocked to hear this, as she went on to mention Allen and how he begged me not to do it, but chose to carry on because he loves me.

"You are a woman, Juleka. If you remove this baby, you won't be able to bare a child again. Take this medicine and head up. Make sure you rest, " She advised.

I was too horrified to even respond to her words. I just left the hospital, wondering when and how I took the lives of my babies.

As I made my way back to the mansion thinking of what Doctor Nicole had said, I realized that all those times Allen would take me to the hospital, acting like he cares, was to remove my babies from my womb.

This left my heart beating with pain, trying to understand how I allowed this without knowing.

As soon as I arrived back at the mansion, I met Allen waiting for me at the door.

His eyes fixed straight at me as he demanded, "Where's the report?"

"Is it true that I had three abortions?" I questioned Allen, slowly growing detest for the man I always called my husband.

He glared at me with a groan. "That means you're carrying another pest inside of you."

My eyes grew large at Allen's word. This proved that he really took my babies without my knowledge.

"You are heading back to that hospital to take that thing out. I can't live in this mansion knowing you're harboring a rodent in you. It will ruin my reputation as the city's wealthy bachelor, " He insulted.

Raged, I confronted Allen, expressing my anger towards his action.

"For three good years I've been faithful to you! I left my home, cut all ties with my father, stopped pursuing my career all just to fulfill my role as your wife! You only had one simple task to do, and that was to stay away from me. But what did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"So what if sleeping with you wasn't part of the deal? You still enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" He responded with mockery.

"You filthy brat. I gave you all the money you wanted to treat your father's illness and now you dare to speak back at me?!" He raised his voice, drawing closer to me while I drifted back with fear.

He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me closer, saying, "You are nothing without me. I own you."

"You are going to remove that baby this instant."

"No, I won't allow you to take my baby from me again," I refused Allen, who landed a slap across my face, just to stop me from fighting.

He drove me down to the hospital and ordered Doctor Nicole to remove the child.

She tried to reason with Allen, but he threatened to ruin her reputation if she goes against him.

She had no choice but to obey.

When we went into the room, Doctor Nicole immediately snuck me through a back door, saying, "Run as fast as you can. You'll see the back entrance of the hospital. Don't stop."

"Thank you," I appreciated, making a run for it.

Just when I came to the back of the hospital, Allen's guards, who had followed us, spotted and came chasing after me.

I ran out with speed, afraid of what would happen to me if Allen catches up.

"JULEKA!" Allen yelled my name from behind as I raced into the main road with fear.

Before I could cross to the other side, a truck came in with speed, running me down at once.

"JULEKA!" Allen cried out in the background while I laid on the floor all bloodied, slowly fading away.