Chapter 2: Carlton is mine

“I didn’t want to expose it like this or today. But I just can’t hold back the excitement anymore!” She giggles excitedly. Her blue eyes twinkling like crystal as she turns to Carlton, not looking an inch remorseful or ashamed.

With my breath hitch and heart still frozen, I turn to Carlton expecting to meet a baffled expression on his face, just like everyone else on the table. Or the exact bitter reaction he gave me when I told him about my own pregnancy but to my greatest heart-break, he had none of those.

In fact, He has the most exuberant excitement I had ever seen him muster in his eyes.

“What?!” Mrs Stewart voice cuts through the shock and tension in the atmosphere. “Are you being serious?”

“Of course, right Carlton?”

Marigold gestures at Carlton for some support, still grinning and Carlton doesn’t waste any time. He nods and takes Mari-gold palm into his, then he clears his throat. Boldly facing everyone with no atom of shame. his tone cold and firm. “Mari-gold is right. We are going to have a baby together.”

I don’t know which one hurt the most. The fact that Carlton eagerly agreed to Mari-gold’s pregnancy or the fact that he’d known about it even before mine…

Now it all makes sense. The reason he wasn’t happy about my pregnancy. The reason he wants me to abort it is because his mistress is pregnant for him.

And as if I’m not already paying for my sin enough, Mrs Stewart added more stab to my wound with her reaction to the news.

“Wow! This definitely calls for more celebration then!” Mrs Stewart suddenly squeals in excitement. Like seriously? Did she just ignore the fact that her son had cheated on his wife? Really?

I look at my mother hoping to get some sort of intervention but she’s equally looking amazed and same goes to my father.

My heart crush to shreds but I try hard to stay strong. But what I can't contend is the rage that is boiling through my veins.

“Seriously!!!” I stands up and slams my palm on the table. Yelling at everyone. “Are you all just going to neglect the fact that my husband cheated on me with my sister?”

Yes, I know Carlton asked for a divorce but none of them fucking knows that yet. They should give me at least a little bit of respect. I’m Carlton’s wife for crying out loud.

“Oh please dahlia…”

“You Shut up, Mari-gold or I swear I’ll shut it for you!” I yell furiously pointing a finger at gold who has a victory smile on her slimy face.

“And is that suppose to be a threat?” My mother fired at me. No my adopted mother because as this point, I’m done trying to fit in.

She's not my mother but my uncle's wife. She and her husband adopted me when my mother died while I was age 5. And Ever since then, they haven't failed to make me realize that I'm just an outcast to them. Especially when their biological daughter is involve in it.

“I suppose you calm down Dahlia. Your sister just did something you couldn’t do for good three years. Just within the one month that she returned back to Texas. Are you really going to be jealous right now?” Mr Stewart, my father Inlaw scoff, staring scornfully at me.

“Jealous? Really? Or you all are the one being selfish?! My husband slept with my sister and you all are going to ignore that fact just because she’s going to give you an heir? Doesn’t my feelings even matter at all?”

“No!...” Mrs Stewart barks and stand up. “Your feelings doesn’t matter an inch to me! You stopped being a member of my family the day you killed my grand-child! All because of your stupid job! I was going to consider you as a daughter in-law but you couldn’t even birth another child for good three years!” My mother in-laws harsh words and the hatred in her eyes, Is like a hot slap on my cheeks.

My chest churn painfully as that very day I lost my baby came replaying in my head. I had came back from work that morning only to meet my baby laying peacefully on the bed not breathing anymore.

Granted, I had been a bad mother for not quitting my job as everyone advised just to be a full-time mother to my son. But I had a maid! How would I know Carlton gave her permission to take a leave that day when he didn’t inform me? I took all the blame!!! Everyone blamed me for causing my baby’s death, no one even tried to console me. I fucking lost a child!!!

And till now, what they still want from me is a child. Fine! I’m pregnant now! I want to scream that on everyone’s faces without holding back so I took in a deep breath and begin, “if you so badly want a child from me. How about I tell you right now that...”

“Enough!”

As if Carlton assumes what I’m about to say, he cuts me off. I turn sharply to him as he stands up to deliver the finale blow to my chest, his eyes glimmering red.

“Just stop trying to play a pity card here, dahlia. We’ve discussed this before. I’ve already filed for a divorce. Mari-gold is pregnant for me and I’m going to marry her.”

“Really? Is that the main reason you are marrying her? Or there’s something else? Why don’t you admit that you’re just seeking for an excuse to go back to your ex!” I challenge him. And I regret it because his next response came with no filter.

“Well, if that’s what you want to hear then so be it. Mari-gold is the one I love. You’ve just only been a replacement and nothing more.”

Almost Everyone in the table gasps and drop their jaw in shock at Carlton’s statement.

The coldness and finality in his tone is like a physical stab to my chest. Painful. Deep. And unbearable.

A tear escape my eyes.

But I don’t let that deter me.

“Fine.” My voice crack even when I try to keep it firm, my lips trembling so much.

Another tears threaten to fall but before it does, I pick my bag and storm out of the table. I don’t know where I am headed but I just know I don’t want to break down before any of them. It’ll be too humiliating.

And when I arrive at a spot far away from them, My Kness weakens and I crash down to the floor, landing on the stair case. I allow the tears that I’ve been holding back to rain down my cheeks without trying to stop them. I’ve been through so much pain before but none has ever amount to this. Where my husband betrays me and everyone turned a blind eye towards it.

I cry so much till feel my throat tearing apart.

I wish I had never took pity on Carlton. I wish I had never been there for him all the time marigold hurt him beyond counting. The truth is Mari-gold was his first love. They dated for years and in those times, Mary gold kept hurting Carlton by frolicking with different men, still Carlton kept giving her many chances. And I was just there for him in his lowest moments, cheering him up and fighting my building feelings for him.

He gave Mari-gold several chances but he had the last straw when he walked into Mary gold banging another man right in his office. And their wedding was just around the corner at the time. Carlton called off the wedding and he became a heavy drinker. I stuck by him trying to bring him back to his feet and one faithful night, we made a mistake I’ll forever live to regret. Our hormones got the best of us, No, I let my desire and passion for Carlton drive me. And we had a one night stand.

A one night stand which got me pregnant for Carlton and we had to get married. Of course his family couldn’t have a grand-child outside wedlock so They accepted me.

But My family made me feel like I committed a gruesome crime for stealing my sister’s husband just because they had some issues. Of course she is biological daughter. They had always prioritize her feelings over mine even when she was taking the penalty for her wrongs.

As for Carlton, I knew our marriage were never based on love but in time, Carlton made me felt loved. Especially when we had our first child. However, everything changed when we lost our baby. Carlton forgot about everything I’d done for him. It hasn’t even been a month since Mari-gold came back to the city and she’s already pregnant for him.

How low of Carlton to go back to his ex! How low of his family to had forgotten all that Mari-gold did to their son just because she’s going to give them an heir!

“Oh here you are…”sounds of heels suddenly Meet my ears jolting me out of my pile of thoughts. And following it, is a familiar voice. A voice I wish to never hear again in my life.

I stands up to meet Mari-gold staring scornfully down at me, about two steps above me.

“Look at you,” she scoffs. “Who’s the person that’s laughing last now?”

I blink hard, furiously wiping tears from my cheeks.

“What the hell do you want now, Mari-gold?” I sneers, my fury all over the place and I’ve no intention of controlling it.

“I told you before that Carlton is mine and I am going to come back to claim him. You see, he didn’t even think twice before getting rid of you because he realized how worthless you are compared to me. You are just a shameless harlot who’ve nothing to offer aside from stealing people’s men!”

Mari-gold just basically described her-self but I’m not going to waste my saliva bantering with her. So, I made to walk out on her but her next statement makes all hell break loose.

“You couldn’t even give him a child for good three years. after killing your first child…”

She doesn’t finish her statement fully before I lit her cheek with a resounding slap which makes her flush red instantly.

“Don’t you ever speak of my late son ever again.” I yell on her face as she squeezes her affected cheek, fuming in red. Not wasting anymore time, I furiously brush past her. However, she pulls my wrist back violently. I slips my wrist away from her immediately and due of the force, she trips on her heels and next everything happens so fast.

I freeze on a spot, my eyes bulging out as I watch Mari-gold rolls down the stairs.

“Arghhhhhh!!!” Her painful scream hollers around the house the moment she lands on the ground.

Blood spills out from her head staining the white tile floor, her hair spluttered all over her face and Slowly, her eyes shut close.

“What the hell did you do to her?” A masculine voice suddenly booms behind me, startling me from my frozened position.

I turn to meet a host of several horrified faces. My parents and my in-laws. And Carlton’s face has an intense blend of rage searing in his eyes and blazing through me.