The Other Wife

Pregnant With Secrets

Sophia had never been more aware of the weight of silence than she was now.

Everywhere she turned at the reception, people clinked glasses in honor of “the baby.” Guests offered blessings, made jokes about cravings, asked whether she was hoping for a boy or a girl. Each word pressed against her chest until she could hardly breathe.

She wasn’t pregnant. Her sister had been. And now, because of one lie, everyone believed Alexander Blackwood was about to be a father.

If she told the truth, everything would shatter—the marriage, the companies, her fragile disguise. If she played along, she’d be building a castle of lies on sand, waiting for it to collapse.

By the time Alexander guided her away from the ballroom and into the waiting limousine, her smile felt like a mask carved into her face.

The penthouse loomed above the city like a glass palace. Forty stories up, it glimmered with marble floors, walls of windows, and a skyline that stretched endlessly.

Sophia stepped inside and froze. It wasn’t just luxurious—it was Elena’s world.

"I had Carmen move your things into the master suite," Alexander said, setting down Sophia's small overnight bag.

"Though I notice you packed very little. Don't you want more of your clothes and personal items?"

Panic fluttered in Sophia's chest. Elena's apartment would be full of things Sophia knew nothing about

"I... I want to start fresh. New life, new beginning," she said carefully.

Alexander's expression softened. "The accident really did change you, didn't it? You seem so different from before.

More... thoughtful. Gentle."

"How was I before?" Sophia asked, genuinely curious.

Alexander seemed surprised by the question. "You don't remember? Well, the head injury could have affected some memories. You were... intense. Passionate about everything, sometimes to the point of being overwhelming. You had very strong opinions about how things should be done."

That sounded more like the Elena Sophia remembered—dramatic and demanding.

"You also had a tendency to disappear for days without explanation," Alexander continued. "I never knew if you were at a spa in Malibu or shopping in Paris. Your independence was part of your charm, but I admit I worried sometimes."

Disappearing for days? What had Elena been doing during those absences?

Alexander retired to his suite, Sophia went to hers and decided to explore Elena's belongings that Carmen had brought over. The clothes were stunning—designer gowns, expensive shoes, jewelry worth more than Sophia's old apartment. But it was the personal

items that troubled her.

Elena's phone contained dozens of messages from someone named Carlos Rivera. The texts grew increasingly urgent over the past few months:

"When are you going to tell him the truth?"

"This is getting too complicated, Elena. Just take the money and let's disappear."

"I don't like this plan. Too many things could go wrong."

The most recent message, sent just hours before the accident, made Sophia's blood run cold:

"If you go through with this wedding, we're both dead. He's going to find out the baby isn't his."

Sophia's hands shook as she scrolled through more messages. Elena had been having an affair with this Carlos Rivera. The baby she

was carrying was his, not Alexander's. Elena had planned to marry Alexander while pregnant

with another man's child, letting him believe he was going to be a father.

A photo fell out of Elena's jewelry box—Elena and Carlos embracing passionately on a beach somewhere tropical.

Elena's face was radiant with happiness, nothing like the polite smiles she'd worn in photos with Alexander. This was what love

looked like on Elena's face.

Sophia found more evidence of the affair: hotel receipts, airline tickets to Mexico, love letters written in Spanish. Elena had been living a double life for months, maybe longer.

The worst discovery was Elena's diary, hidden behind a false back in her jewelry box:

"Alexander is so stupid regardless of the whole ruthless facade. He actually believes I'm falling in love with him. The pregnancy scare was perfect timing—now he's completely convinced this is his miracle baby. Carlos thinks I'm crazy for going through with the

wedding, but he doesn't understand. Once I'm legally married to Alexander, I'll have access to the Blackwood trust fund. We can take

everything and disappear to Carlos's family ranch in Argentina. Alexander will never find us."

"Sometimes I feel guilty about the deception. Alexander is actually a decent man, beneath the ruthless facade which makes this harder. But he chose to marry for business reasons too, so we're both using each other. At least I'm honest about it."

"The plan is set. Marry Alexander, wait for the inheritance clause to activate (married Blackwood heirs gain immediate access to family funds), then stage my death and run away with Carlos and the money. Alexander will grieve for a while, but he'll recover. Men like him always do."

Sophia slammed the diary shut, feeling sick. Elena had been planning to destroy Alexander emotionally and financially. She'd viewed him as nothing more than a convenient bank account.

And now Sophia was trapped in Elena's web of lies, married to a man who thought he was going to be a father but had no idea his "baby" belonged to another man entirely.

"Elena? " Alexander's voice carried from her room door as he knocked. “ I’m coming in”

Sophia quickly hid the diary and tried to compose herself.

"You’re pale," Alexander said, setting his watch on the marble counter. His voice was calm, practical. “Sit down. I’ll have Carmen bring you vitamins."

Sophia blinked. "Vitamins?"

"For the pregnancy," he said, matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You’ll need supplements, rest, less stress."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting beside her with genuine concern. "Any nausea?"

Looking at his hopeful face, Sophia made a decision. She couldn't tell him the truth about the baby—it would destroy him. But she

also couldn't let Elena's plan continue from beyond the grave.

"Alexander," she said carefully, "what would you do if... if this pregnancy didn't work out?"

His face immediately changed. "Are you having problems? Should I call Dr. Reid? We can go to the hospital right now—"

"No, it's just... I know how much this baby means to you. But pregnancies can be fragile, especially after trauma like the accident. I

just want you to know that even if something happens, we'll be okay. You and I, I mean."

Alexander pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "Elena, this baby is wonderful, but it's the only reason I married you. I know we started as a business arrangement. If something happened to the pregnancy, we might have to reconsider a lot of things."

Sophia felt tears sting her eyes. Alexander was definitely the cold businessman Elena had described in her diary.

That night, as Alexander slept peacefully, Sophia stared at the ceiling planning her next move. She had to find Carlos Rivera before he found her. Elena's death had left loose ends, and Sophia suspected Carlos wouldn't just disappear quietly.

Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number:

"I know who you are, and I know you're not Elena.

Carlos Rivera had found her.