CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chapter Thirteen

Wanda stepped out of the hospital, the cold London air hitting her like a wall. She pulled her coat tighter around herself, her mind racing with the weight of what she had just learned. Five weeks pregnant. The truth settled heavily in her chest: she was carrying Anderson’s child. The realization was both a balm and a burden, offering clarity yet stirring a new storm of emotions.

She knew the timing perfectly. She hadn’t been with Michael, not truly, and her failed attempts at intimacy with him only confirmed what she already understood deep down. This baby was Anderson’s, a lingering piece of a life she thought she had left behind but was now more entwined with her present than ever.

As she walked through the bustling streets of London, Wanda’s mind replayed the moment in the hospital over and over. She thought about Anderson, his desperation to keep her, his misguided love, and all the pain that had driven them apart. And now, here she was, carrying his child, an undeniable link to a past that refused to let her go.

Wanda’s phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her from her thoughts. It was Michael, no doubt wondering where she was. She hesitated before answering, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she was keeping something monumental from him. The distance between them felt even more insurmountable now, a chasm widened by secrets and unspoken fears.

“Wanda, where are you?” Michael’s voice came through the line, sharp and impatient. “I thought we were going to talk about everything once we got back.”

Wanda closed her eyes, leaning against a lamppost for support. “I’m at the hospital,” she said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I thought it was best to get checked out.”

Michael’s sigh was audible, his frustration seeping through the phone. “Again? Wanda, this has to stop. You can’t keep running off every time things get tough.”

Wanda flinched at his words, the guilt of withholding the truth weighing heavily on her. “Michael, I’m pregnant,” she said, her voice cracking as she forced the words out. “Five weeks.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, the tension palpable even through the static. “Pregnant?” Michael finally replied, his voice low and disbelieving. “Wanda, how…?” But even as he asked, he knew. The dates didn’t match up, and the truth was staring him in the face.

Wanda didn’t have the energy to elaborate. “It’s Anderson’s,” she said flatly, the finality of her statement hanging in the cold air. “I found out today.”

Michael was silent again, the weight of her revelation settling heavily between them. When he finally spoke, his voice was tight, laced with a mix of anger and resignation. “I see,” he said, the words clipped and devoid of emotion. “So, where does that leave us?”

Wanda bit her lip, her fingers gripping her phone as she struggled to find the right response. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I need time to figure things out. This… changes everything.”

Michael’s laugh was bitter, cutting through the fragile thread of their conversation. “Yeah, I guess it does,” he said, his tone sharp and unforgiving. “Let me know when you’ve figured it out, Wanda. I can’t keep doing this.”

He hung up before she could respond, the abrupt end of the call echoing in her ears. Wanda stared at her phone, the screen dark and lifeless in her hand. She felt the tears start to well up, but she blinked them back, determined not to break down in the middle of the street.

She had to be strong, not just for herself but for the baby growing inside her. Anderson’s baby. The thought made her chest tighten, a mix of fear and a strange, unwanted nostalgia for what they once had.

---

Meanwhile, Anderson was knee-deep in a crisis of his own. He stood in his office, the view of the city sprawling beneath him as he stared out the window, lost in thought. The tension with his board members weighed heavily on him, their lack of confidence a constant thorn in his side. He had spent the better part of the day fielding phone calls and putting out fires, his mind only half on the task at hand as he grappled with his own inner turmoil.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was losing control—not just of his company, but of his entire life. Wanda’s absence loomed over him like a dark cloud, and no matter how hard he tried to focus on his work, thoughts of her kept slipping in, distracting him, haunting him.

A sharp knock on the door snapped Anderson out of his reverie. He turned to see his assistant, a young woman with a perpetually worried expression, standing hesitantly in the doorway. “Mr. Anderson, the board is requesting an urgent meeting. They want to discuss the current state of the company and your position.”

Anderson’s jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. “Tell them I’m not available,” he said curtly, turning back to the window. “I have more important things to deal with right now.”

The assistant hesitated, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the stack of papers in her hands. “Sir, they’re insisting. They’ve been getting reports of instability and are concerned about—”

Anderson cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand. “I said I’m not available,” he snapped, his voice hard and unyielding. “They can wait.”

The assistant nodded, retreating from the office as quickly as she had entered. Anderson sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to push the growing pressure to the back of his mind. He knew the board was right to be concerned, but the thought of stepping back, of appearing weak or incapable, was unacceptable.

As Anderson sat back at his desk, his phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Agnes, her persistence as relentless as ever. Anderson groaned inwardly, bracing himself for whatever new demand or complaint she had to throw his way.

**Agnes:** *Can we talk? I’m outside your office.*

Anderson’s frustration flared. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Agnes right now, her constant presence a reminder of the mess he had gotten himself into. He opened the door, finding her standing there with a determined look on her face, as if she had expected him to shut her out.

“What do you want, Agnes?” Anderson asked, his voice edged with irritation as he tried to keep his composure.

Agnes didn’t flinch, her gaze steady as she stepped closer. “I want you to stop pushing me away,” she said, her tone soft but firm. “I’m here because I care about you, Anderson. And whether you like it or not, you need someone who’s actually here for you, not someone who’s off playing house with another man.”

Anderson’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger crossing his features. “Wanda is not playing house,” he retorted, his voice low and sharp. “And I don’t need you to tell me who I need in my life, Agnes.”

Agnes took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. She reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm in a tentative gesture. “I’m not trying to replace her,” she said softly, her voice almost pleading. “But she’s gone, Anderson. And you need to start living your life again.”

Anderson pulled away, his expression closing off as he stepped back. “You’re wrong,” he said flatly, his voice cold. “I know where my priorities lie. And right now, I need to focus on getting my company back on track. There’s no room for anything else.”

Agnes’s face fell, the sting of his rejection cutting deep. She watched him turn back to his desk, the conversation effectively over. But as she left his office, her mind was already racing with new plans, new ways to keep herself in Anderson’s life. She wasn’t going to let him push her out—not now, not ever.

---

Wanda stood outside the hospital, the city bustling around her as she tried to steady her thoughts. She placed a hand on her stomach, the reality of her pregnancy settling in more firmly now. Anderson’s baby. It was a truth she couldn’t escape, no matter how much she tried to distance herself from the past.

She needed to figure out her next steps, how to navigate this new chapter of her life. But one thing was clear: she couldn’t keep running. She had a child to think about now, a future that was no longer just hers to shape. And as she walked down the crowded London streets, Wanda knew that whatever came next, she would have to face it head-on, no matter how difficult or uncertain it might be.