THE BILLIONAIRE'S BARREN WIFE

CHAPTER ONE "Eleanor, sign these documents for divorce or I will make sure you leave this house with nothing!" The sound of my mother-in-law's words cut through the room. I shook at the edge of my dress as I looked at the papers on the glass table. 4 years. Even though Richard and I had been married for four years, his mother still looked at me like I was a spot on her expensive carpet. "Please," I said in a soft voice. “It’s our anniversary today, “Can we talk about this some other time?” She chuckled. "Another time?" It has been four years since you started saying that! “When will you give my son a child?” My throat tightened. I looked over at the stairs, hoping Richard would come down. He’d promised to be home early so we could celebrate our anniversary. Instead, I ran into his mother who was waiting with divorce papers. “I’ve tried everything,” I said quietly. “The doctors told us-” “Don’t mention the doctors!” Margaret snapped.since you lost your first child, you have not been able to conceive again and here you talk about Doctor. “A woman who can’t give her husband a child has no business being in the position of Whitmore's wife.” Her words stung worse than I wanted to admit. I dropped my eyes before she could see the tears stored in my eyes. “I love your son. “And love can not give him a child.” She nudged the papers closer. "Sign." Before I could answer the front door opened. In his black suit, Richard came in with a cold and unreadable face. For one dumb moment, relief settled in my chest. "Richard." I hurried over to him. "Thank God you are back. I reached for his arm and he stepped away. That little movement hurt more than I thought it would. His eyes wandered to the papers on the table. “Have you signed them? I stopped to breathe. “Signed what?” “The divorce papers” I stared at him waiting for a smile or something that he was playing with. He gave me nothing. “It’s our anniversary, Richard. “I know.” “You said we were going to have dinner together.” I have something more important to tell you.” My hands were shaking. “More important than our wedding?” He looked sideways. That is when I saw the woman behind him. Vanessa Clarke. My best friend. She had a pretty red dress and a little handbag. She put a covering hand on her stomach. For a moment I thought she was sick. Then she smiled to me. It was the same smile she had given me when I had introduced her to Richard's company, so he would get her a job. That same smile she gave me when she hugged me after every visit to the hospital. But this time there was something in it that scared me. 'Eleanor,' she said, sweetly. “I’m sorry you’re hearing it this way. I glanced at Richard. “What is going on here?” He drew a deep breath. “Vanessa's pregnant.” I blinked. The room tilted. ‘Pregnant? “Uh-uh.” I looked at her stomach, then at Richard. I said, immediately, 'Congratulations.' "That is good news. Vanessa dropped her eyes. “Richard is the father. The words dropped between us like broken glass. I made a strange sound from my mouth. It could have been a laugh. It didn’t feel like one. I said softly: “No.” Richard rubbed at his face. “Eleanor, don’t make this any harder than it is.” I moved closer to him. “Tell me she's lying.” He did not say anything. “Richard, look at me!” At last he met my eyes. "We have been engaged for three months. My legs nearly buckled. Three months have you been having an affair with my best friend? Vanessa sat next to me for three months and I cried about my marriage. Margaret had called me barren and she’d held my hand. She had told me that one day Richard would know how much I loved him. She had been sleeping with my husband all this while.” I looked at her face. “You said I was like a sister to you.” She did not turn her head, though her eyes watered. “You were. “How can you do this to me then? She pursed her lips. “Eleanor, Richard wants children. “I can give him a dozen of them, but you can’t give him even one.” I hit her. The noise echoed through the room. Richard gripped my wrist. Have you lost your mind?” I looked at his hand on my wrist. “You are defending her?” “She’s pregnant with my child! “And I’m your wife!” For a moment there was silence. Margaret then started to clap slowly. “That’s it,” she said. “Maybe this family will give us a true heir.” I took my hand out of Richard's. Something inside me snapped. I had put up with the comments, the hospital visits, the closed door whispers, the endless questions of why I was not a mother. I had put up with them because I thought Richard loved me. Now I wondered if I’d been the only one keeping our marriage together. Did you ever love me?” He looked at Vanessa. That was enough of an answer for me. I turned away before they could see me crying. Then a loud crash from out of doors. A shout went up. Richard's security guards charged the front door. 'Sir!' shouted one of them. “Come along with us! Richard scowled. “What just happened? Someone shot at your car. The driver is injured. "Vanessa screamed, and grabbed Richard's arm. Margaret put a hand to her mouth. I froze. Richard went to reach for his phone but before he could dial another guard burst into the room. The cops have come, Mr Whitmore.” “Why? The guard gulped. “They say somebody paid the men that struck you.” Richard narrowed his eyes. “Who?” The guard stared at me. My heart started to race. “Your wife, sir.” For several moments I could not understand what I heard. Then two cops came into the room. "Mrs. Eleanor Whitmore?" one asked. “Yes,” I said, my voice barely audible. “You’ve got to come with us. Why?” “You’re under arrest for plotting to murder Richard Whitmore.” I looked at him. “That’s impossible! I’d never hurt my husband!” One of them grabbed my arm. “Tell the judge that.” I looked at Richard. “Please! You know me. You know I could never do that! He looked at the cops and then at me. He said, “I want to know the truth.” My mouth dropped open. “Richard?” “If you are innocent, you will have a chance to show it.” He released them. He did not even try. The cops started to lead me to the door and Vanessa followed. Her face was full of a deep sadness and her eyes were wet. But when the cops turned away she slipped something into my hand. -- a small golden key. I stared at her, confused. She leaned toward my ear. “Look into his safe.” I was going to ask what she meant, when she stepped back and raised her voice. “I hope one day you can forgive me, Eleanor.” The cops shoved me out. They led me to the police car, the rain splattering my face. Through the open door I saw Richard standing by Vanessa. She snuggled up against his chest. And he put his arms round her. I turned my head, and tears blurred my view. I was asked questions for hours at the police station. They showed me bank records, tracing a payment back to an account started in my name. They showed me letters I never wrote and papers I never signed. Every bit of proof pointed to me. But I knew nothing of the attack. When they finally put me in a cell, I sat on the narrow bed and opened my hand. The gold key lay in my hand. Why did Vanessa give me that? What did Richard have in his safe? And why had she seemed so scared when she said those words? There was a guard at the bars. “You have a caller.” I rose quickly. “Richard? The guard gave a shake of his head. “Your brother-in-law.” I scowled. Richard's younger brother, Alexander, had always been kind to me. He was the only Whitmore who spoke to me without making me feel like s**t. A folded newspaper hidden under his arm, he walked into the viewing room. His eyes flew to the key in my hand. Then his face changed. He whispered, “Where did you get that?” "Vanessa gave it to me." He reached for the bars. “Listen to me very carefully, Eleanor. "You must not open that safe." “Why?” He looked over his shoulder, as if someone might be listening. “Because the truth in there could ruin your marriage, your husband, and everyone in that family.” My heart pounded. "What truth? Alexander leaned forward. “Your husband has been hiding something from you since the day you married him. I swallowed hard. "What is it? Fear was in his eyes. The lights went out before he could answer. There would been a shot fired at the station. “Someone yelled. Then a hand came from behind and covered my mouth. A cold voice whispered in my ear. 'Give me the key, Eleanor. Or you will never know what really happened to your baby."