Chapter 001

“Let’s not waste our time, Isabelle,” Morris broke in. “This is not working, you know it. It is over between us. May I break it to you that my sweetheart here is carrying my child? The child you couldn’t give me.”

***

Isabelle was on her way back home to break the good news to her husband when she suddenly changed her mind asking the cab driver to take the next divert and stop at the second block, along the street. 

Allison Riley was her best friend and had been very helpful to her and her husband since they started the hunt for a child. Due to their inability to afford the IVF, Allison had volunteered to help and the process was successfully carried out.

So, before going home, she taught it wise to stop by and thank you her dear friend first.

On reaching the house, the entrance door was slightly opened. She hesitantly slid it open as she scanned the room left and right from the door. Seeing no one was worried. How can her friend’s house be opened and no one inside?

“Allison!” she called. “Are you in?”

No one answered. She quickly climbed the stairs, hoping she could be sleeping in her bedroom. Along the stairs, male and female cloths were scattered. She guessed maybe her friend had a man in her bedroom and thought of waiting for her in the seating room.

She was already close to the door to bedroom when she turned back to leave.

Then, a male familiar voice broke in. she halted, turned and quietly took few steps closer to the door, cupped her ears at the door.

“Don’t worry, baby, my relationship with her ended a long time ago,” the familiar voice assured with a romantic tone. “I’m just waiting for my lawyer to finish with the divorce papers, and that will be over between us.” 

“Are you sure,” another familiar voice broke in. This time, a female voice she was trying to get her head around with to confirm if it was exactly who she knew.

“Yes, I’m certain, dear,” the male voice said. “Imagine 5 years with Isabelle, yet she can’t give me a child. I think I have waited for her enough.”

For the past five years, Isabelle and her husband, Morris had being trying to have a baby of their own, but all effort dashed to nothing. Despite their predicament, Morris still showered her with love, always assuring her to be patient and that things will soon turn out as they had wished. 

Isabelle couldn’t wait any longer, seeing no reason to. She suggested that they go for IVF. Though Morris agreed to it, but finance became the constraint. Luckily, her friend, Allison agreed to assist them.

**

At the mention of her name, her heart raced like a wild horse, pounding against her chest as if about to escape its bony cage. Out of curiosity, she held the doorknob and without knocking, turned it and bounced inside to behold the greatest shock of her life.

Her husband, Morris Williams was on the bed with her best friend, Allison lying beside her, both naked, and covered with blanket.

Isabelle was raised by her poor grandmother since her both parents died in ghastly car accident when she was 7.

At 24, her grandmother was diagnosed of heart disease and died a month later. Allison and Morris had been the only family she had still living.

Betrayed by the sight of the two most important people in her life, she felt a hundred blunt edge daggers piercing her heart.

“Morris!” She screamed, feeling her heart in her mouth. “Why? Why do this to me?”

Morris ignored his wife as he threw his hand beside him to pick up his boxers tossed to the floor. With his boxers on, he moved towards Isabelle. 

“Let’s not waste our time, Isabelle,” Morris broke in. “This is not working, you know it. It is over between us. May I break it to you that my sweetheart here is carrying my child? The child you couldn’t give me.” He said in finality, pointing at Allison who was still lying on the bed covered with only the blanket.

“What?! A child?” Allison screamed, her eyebrows furrowed, her jaw lifted, she turned to her friend to say something, but lost the words. She stared at instead in anguish.

“I’m sorry, Isabelle, you were not supposed to find out about us this way,” Allison pleaded, with the looks that showed no sincerity. 

Allison’s words prickled Isabelle’s heart beyond endurance as she moved fiercely towards her with the expression for attack. But she was quickly stopped by Morris who grabbed her both arms. Tears welled in Isabelle’s eyes threatening to drop.

“Enough, woman!” He yelled. Allison was already fidgeting on the bed. She had never seen her friend in such fierce mood before. “Go home now. We will finish this when I get home.”

Isabelle stared blankly at the two people who were supposed to be family to her. She shook her head in anguish, bit her lips and turned to face the door as swung off. The welling tears in her eyes started gushing down her cheeks.

**

Back home, Isabelle sat in one of the leather chairs in the seating room, brooding, her eyes already swollen up. She was buried in the thought of her husband’s betrayal when the call from Dr. Kimberly threw her back to life.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Williams, there was a mixed up in the samples you were given.” The doctor’s voice was trembling. Isabelle could attest things were out of place. 

“What?”

“Mrs. Williams, the sample you were injected with belongs to another man, and not your husband’s.”