- Valerie's POV
"Yo—You're pregnant?" Jasmine stuttered “You are preganant!!” her high-pitched voice echoing through the room and into my already mashed brain. She screamed, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug as I gripped the pregnancy stick, harder than I would grip anything else. "I'm pregnant?" I choked out, gasping for air as Jasmine squeezed me tighter. "Yes!! And I'm going to be the godmother. This is the best day ever!" She squealed in excitement, finally releasing me to plant a kiss on my cheek. But I can't be pregnant. I can't. "Let me get us some fruit juice, since someone is banned from wine for a few months!" She exclaimed, leaving the room of my apartment penthouse. My world spun in circles, my body growing cold and breath turning ragged. How could I be pregnant when I wasn't supposed to be? I bit my nails, trying to calm my pounding heart as fear gripped me tighter. "Drake is one lucky man!" Jasmine returned, shoving a glass of juice into my hand and forcibly clinking her glass against mine. I downed it in one go, trying to drown my anxiety. "I can't wait for you to tell Drake. He's going to be the happiest man in the world!" she gushed. He is not going to be the happiest anything in the world. The only thing Drake will be is furious—furious that his fake wife of three years is carrying a child that wasn't in the contract and that he didn't see coming. We had shared one night, drunk on champagne and music, ending with mind-blowing sex. Even then, I knew Drake had used a condom. So what was this? How could I jeopardize everything so carelessly? "And think about what all of this means?" Jasmine sighed in happiness, beaming with joy. I forced a thin smile, anything to show how "happy" I was. "You two can finally have a mini Drake and maybe even a mini Valerie. Think about it! A family of four in less than a year," she said, but the blood drained from my brain, and I wanted to faint. When I called Jasmine, saying I felt lightheaded and sick, I never expected her to bring a test strip, much less make me pee on it as a joke—only for that joke to turn into a nightmare. Hands suddenly came from nowhere, rubbing my arms and jolting me to reality. "This could mean you and Drake can finally start afresh. You can make this last long and rekindle old flames," Jasmine said, her eyes holding worry and hope. Despite the fear gripping me, I couldn't help but think about the padded sounds of little feet and giggles echoing in the house. I saw myself wearing an apron, making toast, kissing babies, and rocking them to sleep. Jasmine didn’t even know what I was into, yet she made me see the future in two minutes. Maybe the first and only time Drake and I had sex mattered. Maybe this was a blessing, what we needed to make everything real, and the love I had harbored for three years could come to light. Jasmine pulled me into another hug, letting me breathe and relax as she stroked my hair. I made up my mind to tell Drake tomorrow after work. "The number you have dialed is unreachable," the automated voice filled me with more anxiety as I pulled into the garage at work. Maybe calling him wasn’t the best idea. I tucked my phone away and decided to focus on work, planning to drop by his place after. The elevator dinged, and I brushed off the rude stares from my coworkers. Ever since people knew I was married to New York's most eligible billionaire and still worked as a secretary, their opinions had been endless. Today was no different. I was about to sit at my desk when my phone beeped with texts from Jasmine, but I ignored them. Jasmine knew better than to text me at work. "Gold digger," someone whispered. I ignored it, having heard worse. I was ready to start typing when Cecilia, the company's notorious gossip and HR, walked towards my desk. For the first time today, I frowned. "Our supervisor has asked all staff to be at the boardroom for an impromptu meeting," she said abruptly, casting me a disgusted look before leaving. I frowned deeper. I followed her to the boardroom, feeling that something was off about my coworkers' looks. "Today has been scheduled as an off day. Our CEO's daughter is getting married, so in light of the celebrations, he has instructed a paid off day for everyone. Clear your desks and see you tomorrow," my boss announced, and my brows raised. "Gold digger," another unfamiliar face whispered as we all stood up to leave. "Serves her right. Who did she think she would have him anyway?" another worker said. My frown deepened as my phone blew up with more texts from Jasmine. "She really thought she could have him to herself? Pfft, there's only a matter of time before the billionaire finds his own billionaire, not a liability," someone else said. My body began to itch. Something told me I was the root of the gossip, but my mind wouldn’t have it. I began to clear my desk, deaf to the comments flying around. As I walked out of the elevator heading to my car, my phone rang. Without looking, I knew it was Jasmine. "Jas, I swear I didn’t fall down the stairs, and I’m fine and so is the bab—" "Why didn’t you tell me you were getting a divorce!" Her voice was pained and high-pitched. I paused. "Wait. What?" I asked, shaking my head to understand what I had just heard, my arms feeling heavy from carrying my desk load, and my body feeling light enough to float on the air of comments from my haters. "Drake is getting married in three days, and you didn’t say anything?" she asked. My heart stopped. "And to his high school sweetheart, so the news says. I'm so sorry, Val. This sucks for real. I tried texting you to confirm because the news keeps getting worse and worse. I can't imagine what you're going through, especially since you're working under Drake's soon-to-be new wife and then the pregnancy," she finished. My voice refused to leave my throat. My knuckles were as white as ghosts, my ears ringing, legs wobbly, and a headache forming. "Val?" Jasmine's voice came from the other end of the phone, but my eyes clouded with tears, and my brain went numb. Drake was getting married while still married, and I had no idea.Valerie's POVI gripped the steering wheel tight, my fingernails digging into the soft leather fabric of the wheel, another hand pressing my phone to my ear as I dialed Drake’s number for the last time as angry tears blurred my vision of the road, making keeping control of my car almost an impossible task as I clamped down on the accelerator, my heart beating so fast, I could hear it in my ears."The person you're trying to reach isn't available. Leave a message after the beep.""I’ll leave your keys in the mailbox. Pick them up whenever you want," I spat into the phone before hanging up. Drake never apologized. He never even bothered.I stormed into the penthouse, my anger boiling over. How could Drake get engaged without telling me? I yanked clothes from the closet, stuffing them into my suitcase. Each item felt like a piece of my broken heart.Three years. Three years of being his wife, attending his events, meeting his family. And now the whole world knew he was marrying someone e
Valerie’s POVAs I stepped out of the public elevator, a wave of whispers crashed over me like a tidal wave of judgment. The office seemed to freeze, every eye turning toward me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.“What is she still doing back here?” a voice murmured, loud enough for me to catch.“Broke, much?” another snickered, their laughter cutting through the air like a knife.“Gold-digging slut,” someone hissed, their words a sharp slap to my face.I forced myself to keep walking, each step feeling heavier under their collective gaze. My heart pounded in my chest, but I squared my shoulders, refusing to let them see how much their words hurt. My face remained stoic, a mask of indifference hiding the turmoil inside.As I approached my desk, the whispers only grew louder. I could feel their eyes following me, judging every move I made. I sat down and tried to focus on my work, but the air was thick with their hostility.A text from Jasmine appeared on my phone, offering a br
Valerie’s POV It took me a minute to understand what had just happened, and like a reflex, I called him back. “What do you mean, come to the wedding?” I demanded, my head still pounding from crying. “I mean, come to the wedding,” he replied, his tone clipped, and I started to grow irritated. “Well, no. You can't just tell me where to show up. I am not your wife,” I snapped. “Even better, you're my mistress. So be there by eleven A.M,” he replied. “No. No. I won't be coming. Don’t you see how I would be embarrassed? I could lose whatever face I still have with your family in less than twenty minutes sitting at your table, so no, I won't be coming to your wedding,” I said harshly. My phone beeped with a message, and my eyes widened at what I saw. “I just sent half a million dollars for your brother’s treatment. I heard there are more treatment agencies for leukemia. See you at 11 A.M. tomorrow, and don’t make me repeat myself again,” he said and ended the call. I was frozen lik
Valerie’s POV“She’s pregnant!” Jasmine suddenly exclaimed, stepping in front of me as my heart threatened to burst.“For joy! She is just so happy for the newlyweds, she couldn’t hold it in. I was just telling her she needed to tell Drake how she felt, pregnant with joy, to get it off her chest,” Jasmine lied so fluently that I had to cast her a look. Ron, on the other hand, didn’t seem to buy any of it. His gaze remained fixed on me, piercing and expectant.“For the record, I think Charlotte is also a nasty little icy devil,” he said, a smile spreading on his face as I unconsciously released a sigh of relief.“That doesn’t mean—” I placed a hand on Jasmine’s shoulder, stopping her from saying yet another lie. Ron’s mischievous eyes made me feel oddly safe.Ron walked past Jasmine and drew me into a hug. At first, my body was shocked, but then I melted into his embrace. His warmth comforted me as his big hands wrapped around my shoulders and his chin rested on my head, offering me a
Valerie povI became weak immediately as I melted into his hands. I tried pushing him away but I couldn't, It was as if my whole body was rooted to the ground. My body became numb. I shouldn't be doing this right now but no matter how had I try I couldn't bring myself to push him away from me. His touch is something I couldn't resist since I fell for him.His touch did wonders to my body, I felt crazy sensations all over me as his hands went to my zipper and he unzipped the gown and the gown fell on my waist.I wasn't wearing a bra on the gown since it was armless so my bare breasts were visible to his eyes. He started squeezing them crazily as he took my lips back into his and I moaned out foolishly.I shouldn't be doing this right? I shouldn't have let him have his way with me.What is going to happen if Charlotte gets to find out?! What is going to happen if jasmine walks in here to find both of us I'm this position?! What is she gonna say?It was as if I got brainwashed and like
Valerie povI finally made up my mind to tell the whole family that I’m pregnant at the dinning. I returned my gaze to Ron whose eyes never left me and then to Jasmine."I am going--- I am attending the family dinning" I spoke up which made them smile brightly."That's my friend" Jasmine squealed and she held the carrier and she started pushing it out and Ron and I followed behind.Evening came and I found myself standing in front of the huge mirror, staring at my own reflection. I was putting on a blue short sequin kneeled gown that has a cut at the corner, my cleavage was a bit opened and I covered it up with my hands shyly.I wasn't feeling comfortable knowing fully well that my cleavage is revealing to the eyes of people, Jasmine bought it for me and I couldn't reject it, she said I should look sexy for Drake maybe he might come back to his senses once he sees me.What a fairytale!I was putting on a light makeup on, I don't really like much makeups. I took the silver necklace fro
Valerie POV.I didn't bother looking back cause Ron was the one behind me, He already knows that I am pregnant, so why would he whisper it again? I was very furious currently and I needed some time and a quiet place to relax. I really don't want to think about anything presently, I might die from overthinking, and I don't want that. I got into the car and drove him immediately, I stopped in front of the penthouse, came down from my car and headed inside. I sat down on the soft cushion chair in the sitting room and rest on my head on it, If I wasn't pregnant, and it won't affect my baby, I would have gotten a whiskey in front of me, I would have drank it to my contentment cause what I required now was alcohol because it would help me calm down. I walked to the bar and brought out an orange juice. I poured it in a glass cup and drank a sip from it.“Am I living this life for myself or someone else?” I asked. There was no one to answer that question for me, I don't even know the answer
Ron POV.Hearing someone whisper behind me, I turned back only to see Charlotte hiding in the corner of the restroom, I had no idea that she was there. I looked back at Valerie, but she wasn't there anymore, walking angrily towards Charlotte I dragged her over to a corner, she tried to release herself from my hold, but I was too strong for her, I took her to a quiet corner and finally let go of her hand, "How could you hold a married woman like that?!” Charlotte yelled.“A married woman? Is that what you would call yourself? Apparently, you stole the husband of another woman just because of your selfish desire and my brother Drake is too stupid to fall for you, You have no right to call yourself a virtue woman” I reprimanded. I held my anger in, Charlotte was the most annoying person I have ever met, and now that she heard my conversation with Valerie, I would have no other option but to use her.“I don't give a fuck about what you call me or say about me, I am Drake's wife and I woul