Saving Jules

“Miss Evercroft, all of the tests prove you’re pregnant.” “What? How?” The doctors words were like a thunderclap in Jules ears. She was too shocked for words, so she just stared blankly at the doctor. She was currently engaged, but they had never been intimate. It was an arranged marriage, they’d barely ever spoken, and they only ever seen each other during public events. “We will have to do a more thorough examination at the hospital, but it seems you are nearly full term.” The doctor continued to feel her stomach as she laid in her bed. Jules had begged her father to call their private doctor after she’d awoken to horrible stomach pains. Of course her stepmother had claimed she was faking to get out of her studies, but as her health had nearly always been poorly her father had relented and called a doctor to their Estate. “It’s possible that what you were feeling this morning was Braxton Hicks, it’s just your body’s way of preparing for child birth.” Jules was in a daze as the doctor packed her things into her medical bag and left leaving her with a just a prescription of pregnancy vitamins. Of course the doctor had told her father and stepmother the news, as soon as the doctor was out of the house he’d stormed into her bedroom. “How could you embarrass the family like this!” He yelled before he even closed the door. “I don’t know why you’re even surprised.” Sneered her stepmother Rose, who had come in right behind him. “She’s a little w***e, just like her mother.” She wanted to argue with her father and stepmother, but just didn’t know what she could say in this situation. She was so confused, she’d definitely never been with any man, no one even really knew she existed. They’d done everything possible to pretend she wasn’t there. She was home schooled by private tutors and was never permitted to leave the Estate. “Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” Yelled her father, his face red with rage. “I bet she’s been sleeping with the staff!” Hissed her stepmother. Just then she heard a laugh from her down way, it was her half sister of course. She was only six months younger, but she was much thinner and much short than her “At least your not just fat, maybe you’ll lose some weight after you have the little brat.” “Juliet honey, let’s go out to dinner, we need to be seen in public, we don’t want any horrible rumors to get out, you know how the press gets you and Jules mixed up!” He stepmother whined. “Where your tightest dresses for now on, we can’t let them think you are having a little bastard.” They’d all rushed out of the room after her father lectured her some more about representing the Evercroft family. She hated her younger sister, she had been horrible since the day she was born. A spoiled little princess that got anything and everything she wanted, no matter the cost. Her stepmother had even gone as far as giving her her name, Juliet Alexandra Evercroft, as if replacing her very existence, and forcing her to go by her childhood nickname only. That was the reason the press was always getting them mixed up. Juliet was a pianist that rarely left the Estate except for a few shows, tutors had talked her father into letting her attend. They called her talents genius and amazing. Of course her step mother let every one believe it was her daughter that had the talent, her little sister Jules was famous now, she even attended parties with celebrities. She’d always come home to brag about her exploits. It wasn’t until four months ago that they’d ever acknowledged her, when they received a proposal from the Crestwood Family for Juliet’s hand in marriage. Of course Rose was not going to let her own daughter marry into that family, no matter how much money they had, everyone heard the rumors of their ties to the Mafia. As the next few weeks passed, the news of her pregnancy spread throughout the household and then into the newspapers. The Crestwood family was furious, but they refused to back down from the marriage agreement. They had too much to gain and even more to lose. Today, her fiancé Andrew showed up at her fathers door, requesting a meeting with him. Jules sat on the leather sofa in her fathers study, as he walked into the room. He was a handsome man, with high cheek bones, and dark wavy hair. Any woman would agree that he was gorgeous, but he wasn’t a nice man. She’d only met him a few times since their engagement had been announced, he’d be proper and polite in front of the cameras, but as soon as the reporters left he was rude and arrogant. His pitch black eyes seemingly bore into her soul as he looked down at her. “Mr. Crestwood, are you here to cancel the arrangement?” Her father asked from behind his desk. “No. My grandfather won’t allow it. He actually expects me to claim the child as mine.” He said gritting his teeth in disapproval. “Don’t worry, we can send the child abroad as soon as it’s born. You will never have to lay eyes on it.” Sighed her father, he was obviously relieved. “No!” Demanded Jules, over the last few weeks she’d gone from shock, to fear, and eventually to acceptance of her pregnancy. She’d felt her child’s kicks and rolling movements everyday and she’d grown to love the child with all her heart. Finally someone to love and someone who’d love her back. “I already can’t stand to look at her ugly face! Why should I have to take responsibility for her f*****g screw up!” He cursed angrily. Instead her father Charles Evercroft and her fiancé Andrew Crestwood decided to send her to Europe until the news blew over. Jules had no choice but to go along with their plans, she had no money and no experience in the world outside her so called home. But her miserable life wasn’t bad enough yet, exactly one week later she gave birth to twins. She’d had an emergency caesarean due to preeclampsia. During her drug induced sleep, she witnessed her father taking the boy twin. She was still numb and couldn’t get up to stop him, she’d lost a lot of blood and could barely make a sound, much less press the call button for help. Later the nurses claimed the baby had been taken by a nurse to receive oxygen and then he’d tragically passed away. She knew that was a lie, although heavily drugged, she’d been awake, and she clearly seen her own father take the bundle away as it cried.