Chapter one
810 Words
Chapter 1
Maya Chen stood in the hospital bathroom. The test had two lines, she is pregnant.
Her hands shook. She set the test on the sink. Stared at it, still two lines. Clear.
She was carrying Lucas Hartwell's baby.
They had a contract. Three years, the deal is to act like a married couple in public, and live separate lives in private, no feelings. Just business.
Except six weeks ago, Lucas came home drunk. His father had yelled at him about the quarterly reports. Lucas was angry. Broken.
He touched Maya, kissed her and had s*x with her.
One night, that was all it took.
Maya picked up the test. She made up her mind to tell him, contract or not, it's still his child.
She found Lucas in his study, he sat at his desk with his laptop open, busy typing and never looked up at who entered.
"I need to talk to you," Maya said.
"I'm busy."
"It's important."
Lucas finally looked at her. His eyes were cold. The same eyes that looked at her every day for two years, like she was furniture, maybe a squeaky chair that he needs to throw away.
"What is it?" he asked.
Maya's throat went tight. "I'm pregnant."
Lucas stared at her. Then he laughed. Sharp. Mean.
"That's not funny."
"I'm not joking."
He stood up, walked around the desk. "We have a contract, no kids, that was the deal."
"I know. But it happened."
"How? We don't sleep together."
"Six weeks ago. You came home drunk. We……"
"That was one time. You can't get pregnant from one time."
"Yes. You can."
Lucas's face changed, hardened. "Is it even mine?"
Maya felt the words like a slap. "What?"
"Is it mine? Or is this some scheme? Get pregnant by someone else and trap me into marrying you."
"You think I would do that?"
"I don't know what you'd do. I don't know you."
Two years, two years of living in the same house, eating meals together, attending events, playing the perfect couple, and he said he did not know her.
"It's yours," Maya said quietly.
"Prove it."
"How?"
"DNA test. After it's born."
"Lucas…….."
"Or get rid of it."
Maya stopped breathing. "What?"
"Get an abortion. The contract says no kids so you got to fix this problem."
He called their baby a problem.
"I'm not getting an abortion," Maya said.
"Then we're done. I'll pay out the contract. You leave, we're finished."
"You're throwing me out because I'm pregnant?"
"I'm ending a business deal that you violated." Lucas walked back to his desk, sat down. Opened his laptop. "My lawyer will contact you tomorrow. Pack your things."
Maya stood there. Her whole body was numb. Cold.
"That's it?" she asked.
"That's it."
"You don't even want to talk about this?"
Lucas did not look up. "There's nothing to talk about, you broke the contract, we're done."
Maya left the study. She walked to the bedroom. She packed one suitcase. She left everything else, the clothes, the jewelry, the life she pretended to have.
She left that night.
Three months later, Maya woke up bleeding.
She called an ambulance, and they took her to the hospital, the doctors said the baby was gone, miscarriage, it was twelve weeks. Sometimes these things happen.
Maya did not cry. She had no tears left, then she called her grandfather, he came to the hospital, he held her hand in panic.
When Maya was discharged, Grandfather took her home. To Chen Tower, the penthouse where she grew up.
"Rest," Grandfather said. "Heal. When you're ready, we'll talk about what comes next."
Maya spent two months in bed. She did not eat. She did not sleep, did not speak, just stayed empty and broken.
The baby was gone, Lucas threw her away, she had nothing.
– – –
One morning Secretary Jin brought her breakfast, she set it on the nightstand.
"Your grandfather wants to see you," Secretary Jin said.
Maya sat up. "Why?"
"Lucas Hartwell is getting married. The announcement was made this morning."
Maya picked up her phone, opened the news, there it was, front page.
“Lucas Hartwell and Elena Silvercrest are engaged. Wedding planned for next month. Business merger to follow”.
Maya stared at the photo. Lucas in a suit, Elena in a white dress. They were both smiling, happily.
Three months, It took him three months to move on, to replace her, to forget she existed.
Maya set down the phone, she didn't panic, didn't cry, he got out of bed, walked to the shower, washed, dressed, fixed her hair then she left.
When she walked into Grandfather's office, he looked up. Smiled.
"There you are," he said.
"I'm ready," Maya said.
"Ready for what?"
"To destroy him."
Grandfather's smile widened. "Good. Because I have a plan.”
- Writer
