The Wife He Didn't Choose

Chapter 2

Rose’s POV

“What?” The shock sent me spiralling.

James did not seem to care at all about my news—our news.

“I said I'm pregnant,” I said again, unable to understand why he was so distant and cold.

He looked at me full in the face and said, “I heard you the first time, Rose. Abort it.”

“James… how… don't you want a child?” I knew this was one thing he wanted more than anything in the world. I had been convinced too that it would bring some spark into our marriage. I was convinced that the news would make him remember the night we had conceived this baby. He had come back home all excited about signing a huge project and we had made love in front of the fireplace, not bothering to check if Lily was asleep.

“We're only married for a year,” he said, his voice devoid of any warmth, “there is no point in keeping a baby that won't have a father. Don't you agree?”

I scoffed at his words. “My baby has a father. You are…”

“And now I have lost my appetite,” he said, dropping his fork on his plate with a soft clang. He pushed his chair back and walked out on me, leaving me in the middle of the dining room in nothing but shock.

But then again. What had I expected from him?

Why did I think a baby would make my marriage full of joy? Why did I think James would give a damn about this baby?

I wiped the tears that fell to my cheeks as the memory of our meeting came to mind. It had all started with Anna, my younger sister going into renal failure.

I remembered it like yesterday.

The doctors had come to inform me that Anna could not survive long on dialysis anymore.

“She has about three months left without a transplant,” Doctor Ryan said to me.

“Three months? Does that mean she would be moved up the transplant list?” I asked, dreadful of what would happen if they could not find a matching kidney within that time.

Doctor Ryan looked troubled. There was something he wanted to tell me but was afraid to.

“Please doctor, if there's anything you want to…”

“There's a woman who has just been declared brain dead in the hospital and she is a match with your sister,” he said to me.

My eyes lit up with joy.

“Then what's the problem? Her family does not want to donate?”

“No, no… She has a DNR. The problem is you have not paid any of your medical bills till date and you do not have insurance so…” he paused, allowing the unsaid words to sink in, “we may have to give the kidney to someone else who…”

“No,” I said, shaking my head, “you have to give it to my sister. She's going to die without it.”

“I would like that to but…”

“I'll find the money,” I said desperately, “I'll find the money, just treat her, please.”

“I'm sorry,” he said.

“How much time do I have? How much time before you decide to give it to someone else?”

“Two hours.”

“Okay, okay.”

I looked through the glass walls at my sister's body hooked on monitors to survive.

“I'm going to find the money, sis,” I muttered underneath my breath.

I pulled out my phone once the doctor had gone and began to dial the number of my best friend but it was switched off. I called someone else but the number was switched off too. I went to my i********: and was about to go live to get sympathy, to gather donations because I was desperate when I felt someone tap my shoulder from behind.

I turned and even in my panicked state the first thing that struck me was that he was handsome, so handsome that it hurt to look at him. In that split second, I forgot my problems but after the initial moment I was washed with guilt. My sister was dying and here I was admiring a handsome man.

“I'm James…”

“I'm sorry,” I said, “whatever this is about I really don't have time for. I…”

“I think I can help you,” he said, flashing a smile that turned him from handsome to sexy.

“Huh?”

“I overhead the doctor talking about some bills you need to take care of before they can help your sister?”

“Yes, but…”

“I can help you take care of that,” he said.

I laughed. Clearly, he did not understand just how much a bill the doctor was talking about. Even if I worked for an entire year and saved up all my salary, I still would not have covered the bill.

“What's funny?” he asked, his brown eyes glistening with curiosity.

“I appreciate the concern but my sister's medical bills…”

“Hundred thousand dollars,” he said.

“What?” I could not believe my ears.

“I will give you a hundred thousand dollars right now. That should cover it, right?”

I blinked rapidly, convinced that I had heard this beautiful specimen of a man wrong.

“I will give you a hundred thousand dollars,” he said again, “will you need more than that?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head.

“You don't want it?”

“Not that. I mean… A hundred thousand will cover her medical expenses.”

“Good,” he said with a smile, “perhaps, we should proceed to where you need to pay?”

“You are serious,” I looked at his face and there was no trace of a joke on him.

“Of course.”

“Why are you doing this? What do you want in return?” I asked him.

“Marry me,” he said with a profound smile.

“You're not joking,” his face still looked serious.

“You need money and I need a wife.”

“I can't just…” but how could I turn down the offer? My sister was dying and there was no way I could clear off her medical bills. I had already maxed out all my five credit cards trying to keep up with expenses. Unfortunately, we had no health insurance and so when Anna had fallen sick, it had fallen on me to pay for everything out of pocket.