CHAPTER 4

"This is the b*tch who stole my daughter's husband, yet she's got some effrontery to walk in this place." Mrs Stark yelled intending to hit Yasmine again. Lucky enough, Yasmine caught her arms this time.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, who the hell do you think you are?" Mrs Stark yelled out again, embarrassed with the fact that Yasmine lifted her hand against her.

Yasmine's eyes were lased with tears, but she fought hard to refrain it from flowing, she never would weep in the presence of her counterparts as she was never a loser.

"Leonard, tell your b*tch to let go of me or I remove the b*stard inside of her!" Her baby, that was the most important thing in her life now, she never would allow anyone to hurt her child.

Angrily, she yanked Mrs Stark's hand off hers, before she could process anything else, Leonard's voice came yelling. "Get the hell out of here!" 

Another pain struck through her chest, she was being bullied but he never stood up for her, he preferred sticking to his former love, if only he knew what kind of person Isabel was, she was sure he would run without looking back.

Back then in college, Isabel was one of the big girls on campus, she changed men like cloth, and she had a particular attitude, if the man was not brought to ruin, she never would let go.

Yasmine retracted to the entrance of the ward as she was ordered, cried herself out.

***

A month later…

Yasmine had been a little courteous of what she ate and whatever she took in. She never would trust anyone to her meals, but to her surprise Leonard seemed to have half way turned a new leaf.

It was glaring to know it was due to his child she carried. He never pestered her for a divorce either, at least if not for her, all she desired was he gets responsible for his child.

To her surprise, he stayed around often, even hired a personal maid for her. 

The little period the new maid arrived, Yasmine liked her services, she seemed courteous, humble and hardworking, as such Yasmine instilled her trust in the maid.

Mabel the new maid was in charge of her meals and every single thing Yasmine needed.

A perfect cold evening, one of those times Leonard stayed out, Yasmine had thought it right to have some breeze blow across her body, she found her way to the balcony at the second floor of the villa.

Upon her stay at the balcony, she requested for a glass of juice alongside, to cool down her body while she thought of what next to do to at least keep her hands busy.

Less than ten minutes after she requested it, her potential maid had it delivered on a tray.

"This is the juice you requested for ma'am." 

"Thanks Mabel, thanks for all you do." Yasmine responded while she moved from the railings to a seat provided.

"Always ma'am, it's my pleasure serving you as long as I can." Yasmine giggled as she watched Mabel walk away.

Yasmine rubbed her stomach each time she remembered she had life growing inside of her, a reason to keep fighting till she wins. She poured herself some juice. "Hey baby, I'm sure we both will win someday, and your dad will come to love us."

"I'll look for the best way to convince your dad to let me work, but now let's have this cold orange juice to cool down."

Yasmine took a whole glass in a gulp. "Wow… so chilled." She poured the second glass, leaned back into her seat as she sipped it one at a time.

"When you grow up, there's really a lot to tell." She spoke to her stomach, at once she had this sharp pain pierce through her tummy.

"Oww!" Her expression shrinked as she changed her stance. "The baby isn't even ready, I still have months. Why do I feel this way?" From within, she was burning up already, and sweating profusely.

Yasmine tried to stand to her feet, but another intensifying pain came through once again when she fell to her knees. "Ahh!"

She clutched tight to the edge of her dress as she forced the word. "Mabel! Mabel!" She called several times but no one came to her aid.

"Argh! What is happening to me? Mabel!" Her voice was growing weaker.

"On my way." Mabel's voice finally came through, instead of Mabel, Yasmine saw another before her.

"You!" She pointed weakly, while clutching tight to her tummy due to the excruciating pain.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes baby girl, it's me Isabel. The only Mrs Crawford."

"What have you done to me Isabel? Where's Mabel?" Yasmine held tight to the feet of the chair, as a support, her whole body seemed to be tearing apart, suddenly she felt her gown dripping wet.

The smell was concentrated, tracing the liquid with her fingers, she saw nothing but blood

Another wicked laughter left Isabel's mouth as she said. "Mabel, you say! Of course I'm Mabel. I survived one good month as your maid just to achieve this! And I guess I have but that's not all."

"Isabel, you will pay for this, trust me you w… argh!" 

"In your grave b*tch!... Before you die, just sign this!" Isabel threw her divorce papers.

"I'll never sign this…" her voice was fading off.

"B*tch, I guess you are so stubborn!" Isabel, grasped Yasmine's hand forcefully till she was able to bring out a faint signature.

"That's it! Rot in hell!" 

***

Yasmine was unconscious till the following day when she woke up from the sound of the life support systems surrounding her, then she realized she was in the hospital.

She recalled what had happened before she passed out, her pupils constricted, she touched her stomach frantically.

The doctor on duty walked in at the same time and said, "Just a narrow escape, your child is safe for now."

Her mouth quivered in fear, she weakly asked. "Doctor, what do you mean for now?"

"It means you have a tumor in your uterus and it's malignant. You either choose between your life or you abort the child."

***

Yasmine was stunned, her mind was completely blank. Just like that in the space of a month.

"Yety! Yety!" A familiar voice called. Yasmine weakly tilted her head sideways to find Eva Smith, her long time friend since she got hooked with Leonard, she never remembered her friends anymore. All of them were gone.

Eva looked at Yasmine with pity, her face had grown pale, the once beautiful and adorable Yasmine looked like an old lady.

It was so glaring how much life had stolen from her. Whereas, Yasmine was confused. "Eva , why are you here?"

"You called me last night of course, but before you finished you passed out. Did you lose your memory?"

Yasmine's memory was quite intact, she could clearly remember all that Isabel said to her, how she ended up forcing her against her will to sign the divorce papers.

"I thought we were friends, why didn't you tell me that this was happening?"

"My child, I wanted a father for my child." Tearfully she told Eva all that happened between her and the promiscuous Isabel on campus.

"Well that's none of your concern now Yasmine. It's high time you bracen up, you were once the pick of the whole college see how much aged you look now."

"As for the child, did you hear the doctor's comment?" Yasmine felt a lump drive down from her throat, just the life she thought she was living for was threatened.

"Look here Yasmine," Eva emotionally clasped her hand in Yasmine's. "There are many men out there looking for a beauty like you, you can still give birth to another in the future, just let this one go. Let it go."

Yasmine had tears flow down to her cheeks. "What's your decision Yasmine? I could pay for the surgery right now?"