15

"Mr. Greg , there's no need to worry; this is only a typical cold.”  She  spun him down, "I'll just pick up some over-the-counter medicine later this afternoon and I'll be fine."

She felt uncomfortable beneath Mr. Greg's stern gaze as his perceptive eyes locked on her. She messed with the hem of her shirt and nibbled her bottom lip. "You already have a blocked nose. How do you just take medication?"

With a quiet sigh, Mr. Greg motioned for her to come closer. She  approached him for a few steps, then halted a few feet away with caution.

"Remember to buy the medicine and once you get better, go to the office to see Clarence."

She gave a nod. "Yes, Mr. Greg."

"Okay."

Mr. Greg gave a satisfied nod. "Go ahead."

Thanking Mr. Greg, she  hurried back upstairs to gather her belongings and make haste to get out of the house.

She called her friend as soon as she left the Conrad home, and Riley raced over in less than twenty minutes. Riley  turned to her as soon as she was in the car. “Have you given it any thought? Would you like to have an abortion?”

She  silently fastened her seatbelt without making a sound.

"Why aren't you answering me?" Riley glanced over to Stella, who was sitting motionless. She frowned as she went on. "What took place with you? After you got back last night, didn't you give things some serious thought? You want to keep this child, don't you tell me that.”

Stella put her hands over her belly as Riley said. "This is a living being. Isn't terminating it out of cruelty alone?" Honey, are you really real? When your parents forced you to marry a cripple in place of Jenna, it was cruel. When your ex-husband kicked you out of the house and had a mistress, it was terrible. The Conrad family won't accept you if you keep this child, and your family won't want you if you have to return to them." Riley’s  remarks gave Stella a clear understanding of everything, and she raised her head to look straight ahead.

"Hear me out: you must abort the child. Your only family is the Conrad family. Moreover, it is unclear where this infant came from. Who can predict what it will look like at birth?" Riley clarified, essentially making the decision for her.

“As your best buddy, I've said everything I can. The ultimate decision must be made by you."

Stella reviewed Clarence’s remarks from the previous evening. He indicated he'd give her three days to decide, but then claimed he wasn't certain whether he would. Thus, if she wanted to stay in the Conrad family, she should have an abortion at that point. She was also unable to return to the Radomil family in the event that she left the Conrad household. She considered it for a few agonizing seconds, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Let's go."

"You've made up your mind? Let's transport you to the hospital now." Riley proceeded after reversing the car. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to keep the child if the person you love is the father. However, you have no idea if adopting this child would make you happy or cause you more issues—it's the child of a stranger. The wisest course is to terminate it."

After that, they both remained silent the entire ride to the hospital.

*****

As Riley consoled her, Stella  waited impatiently for her number to be called, her leg jumping nervously.

When Stella’s  turn finally came, the doctor scowled as he examined her. "Ms. Radomil, it appears that you have a very thin uterine lining, and an abortion would cause you to bleed profusely. For your own protection, we advise against having an abortion."

When Riley heard what the doctor had stated, she was shocked and Stella scowled. "She can't abort it?"

“True. It is not advised unless there is a compelling medical need to do so." The physician sighed lightly. "Give it some thought. One should not take severe bleeding lightly. Return home and give it some serious thought before you return."

Riley scowled as they walked out of the hospital. "If you are unable to abort it, what will you do? How come this is so annoying, good lord?"

"I'm not sure.I'll send you home initially.”

After nodding, Stella  shook her head. "No, I have to head to the workplace. Kindly forward this to the Conrad Group.”

Without reply, Riley  took her to the office in her car. She had to remark when she saw the Conrad Group building. "And I believed my family to be well-off. The Conrad Group is more expensive than I anticipated."

"Riley, I appreciate all that you did today. But I really must get going."

Riley gave a wave. “We'll talk later. I'll get in touch with several medical professionals to ask about your problem."

***

A few days prior, Stella  and Mr. Conrad had visited the Conrad  Group, and the receptionists were deeply affected. They greeted her and wished her a happy day, treating her with great care.

Without any problems, Stella  made her way to the elevator and rode up to the director's office on the top floor. She slipped ahead and noticed the office door was ajar.

She  heard Clarence  and Joseph talking just as she was about to enter.

"You brought me that woman when I requested you to locate someone the last time. You've brought a pregnant lady for me now. Joseph, do you now act without thinking because I've been too kind to you over the years?" Clarence banged the top of his desk with his thin fingers as he sat there. His wrath filled his body as he glared.

Joseph’s head slumped in defiance when Clarence

chastised him. He had a pathetic dog's appearance. As soon as Stella  noticed the two men in the room, she quickly moved to the side.

When Clarence was furious, she realized she would be entering a lion's den if she entered the office. She would be better off avoiding him for the time being.

"Mr. Clarence, that wasn't intentional on my part. I didn't really have much information to work with from you. Therefore, I would rather make a mistake than fail to complete your assignment." Joseph thought he had been mistreated. He had worked for Clarence for a long time, and all of the typical tasks he completed for him were connected to his job.

Joseph had the ability to tackle complex problems quickly, despite their complexity. But finding the woman with just a date and no other information was almost impossible. How would he search the hospital for that particular pregnant woman?

“Did I not provide you with enough information? Why are you unable to obtain the information on your own?" Clarence  scowled, his look growing more intense.

He looked, his fingers ceasing their tapping. "Or are you blaming me for your failures?"

Joseph  froze and shook his head at Clarence's icy, dismal tone. "Exactly the opposite! I'll send some men to look into it, Mr. Conrad. The next time, I'll question them directly before bringing them to you."

"Interrogate?"

"Rest assured, I promise not to harm the woman."

"Get out." Clarence  dismissed Joseph  with impatience, satisfied with his response and adjusting his necktie angrily.

Joseph was eager for him to scold him. The office was a brutally cold place. "Yes!"

As soon as Joseph  exited the room and noticed she  resting against the wall, he closed the door. Before she  could say anything, he  drew her into a corner as they exchanged glances. "Are you sick of being alive? How could you listen in on what I was saying to Mr. Conrad?"

In defiance, she  held out her hands and shook her head. "I just arrived, but who is he looking for?"

Everybody was interested. Given that she was his spouse, it seemed sense for her to be interested in learning about his affairs.

Joseph gave her a focused look. "Ms. Radomil, refrain from asking inappropriate questions. You cannot be considered Mr. Conrad's legitimate wife because you were brought into the family as a replacement when you got married. I fear you won't even be able to maintain your standing as the missus if you don't mind your own business."