Rejected and Pregnant: The Billionaire’s Wife

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Evelin Brown

Months later...

Time passed...

The clock followed its usual course, just as everything around me changed; yet for me, it felt like everything happened in slow motion, so much so that even after so many months have passed, time wasn't enough to fully heal my heart or piece together what pain had shattered.

It's been a few months since my life turned upside down. Since I saw everything crumble right before my eyes without being able to stop it. Since I found out I was expecting William's child and got rejected as if my love, my pain, my suffering were nothing.

I never imagined I'd be discarded like this.

I tried to tell myself he just needed some time, he might have gone traveling as he had done a few times to see his family in Seattle, and maybe, if I tried once more, he would at least listen to me. But no... Our child is about to be born, but William blocked me, disappeared, moved out of his apartment in downtown New York without a trace. As if our child and I had never existed.

And there I was... Lost... Abandoned...

I spent entire nights looking at our photos, trying to understand at what point everything was lost.

I replayed every word, every touch. I waited for a sign, anything that would make me believe he might regret it, but nothing happened.

He was gone...

I know what they would say, I know they would call me naive, foolish, desperate.

I know they would judge me for still having hope, for wishing he would come back to understand what happened, to face it by my side... To find out who sent those damn photos to the college and destroyed everything we had... To choose to stay... To take responsibility for our child.

To be the family I once dreamed we would be.

But the truth is, love blinds us. It makes us believe the impossible. It keeps us bound to promises that were never real.

And now, after everything, I'm here...

Alone... But not completely.

Because inside me, I carry a little miracle. A life that, despite everything, has become my reason to continue.

My child...

My boy...

Yes, it's a boy.

With each ultrasound, I see how he grows strong, full of life. His kicks wake me in the middle of the night, firm, insistent, as if wanting to remind me that he is there. That he exists. That he needs me.

On days when sadness suffocates me and loneliness feels unbearable, it is he who keeps me standing. This little being, who hasn't even been born yet but has already become my greatest strength.

I haven't chosen a name for the baby yet.

Everyone keeps asking: "What's the baby's name, Eve?"

I always reply the same way: "My little one will choose himself."

Because deep down, I know that when he arrives, when I gaze into his eyes, my heart will whisper his name.

And, as difficult as this journey has been, I wasn't alone with just my son; I had a support network.

If there's one thing I learned during these months, it's the true value of friendship.

Initially, I tried to keep everything to myself, believing it was a burden I had to bear alone. I didn't want to worry anyone. I didn't want to be a bother. So, only Chris and Madu knew the truth. Chris supported me without hesitation, and Madu noticed my suffering even before I said anything. And, in addition, Thomas... As my boss, he needed an explanation.

But as the months went by, the pain inside me grew, and so did my belly.

I couldn't hide it anymore.

That's when I broke down and told everything to Megan, my oldest friend. The one I was always there for, whether she was sad or joyful, always trying to help. Then, I confided in Kate and her cousin Veronica when we talked at the orphanage, as well as everyone there who knows me so well. And, to my surprise, each of them embraced me with a kindness and strength I didn't even know I needed.

Even Yala, Charles Ricci's wife, stood by me since I met her through Megan at one of the Ricci family's monthly gatherings, along with Megan's sister and others I met.

And then there's Lucas…

Ah, Lucas... My brother in spirit... My safe haven.

I will never forget his expression when I told him.

His eyes filled with conflicting emotions, the concern etched on his face, but above all, the pain. The pain of someone who wanted to protect me and couldn't.

That is etched in my memory like a second skin.

The smell of the sauce began to fill the kitchen as Lucas stirred the pot, always attentive to every detail. Bryan, beside him, was chopping some vegetables, but his eyes occasionally drifted towards me.

"You're feeling sick again, Eve," Lucas commented, his voice laden with concern when I returned to the kitchen after going to the bathroom.

He watched me closely, furrowing his brow. I tried to disguise it, forcing a smile.

"I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me." I murmured, but the way he pressed his lips together made it clear he didn't believe that.

Bryan, who was usually quieter, analyzed me from head to toe, his sharp gaze like he was piecing together a puzzle. He didn't say a word... which made it even worse. Knowing Bryan as well as I did, it meant he already had an answer.

"Lucas, could you go get us some fresh juice from that little market on the corner?" Bryan suddenly asked, without taking his eyes off me.

"Sure," Lucas said, always helpful. But before leaving, he pointed the spoon at Bryan.

"Just make sure that sauce doesn't burn."

He left, and as soon as the door closed, Bryan crossed his arms and shot:

"When are you going to admit you're pregnant, Eve?"

The air vanished from my lungs, and my whole body froze.

"I... preg..."

"There's no need to lie to me," Bryan cut me off, his expression serious. "Constant nausea, unexpected flu symptoms, baggy clothes... I may not be a doctor, but I know the world. The only person who hasn't noticed the obvious is Lucas."

I swallowed hard, averting my gaze.

"I don't know how to break it to him," I confessed, my voice small. " Lucas will be disappointed..."

Bryan sighed heavily before asking:

"Lucas is your brother in spirit. He will always look out for your well-being. Now, tell me, is it about the professor?"

My only response was a nod.

He muttered a curse under his breath, running his hands over his face.

"Damn... did you tell him?"

Another nod.

"And what did he say?"

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the pain suffocate my chest.

"Something happened, Bryan. I don't know who set us up, but... William left me because of it."

Bryan's expression darkened.

"Tell me everything."

We went to the couch, and I started to talk. I told him about the day I arrived at college, about the director, about the way William looked at me, how he treated me. I relived every cruel word, every look of disdain.

When I finished, Bryan let out an angry exclamation: "Son of a b***h! I'm going to deal with that bastard."

"No, Bryan, calm down..." I pleaded, holding his arm.

"Evelin, he humiliated you! Treated you like trash! Even if he had doubts, he had no right to say those things, especially to you when you're pregnant!"

Before I could respond, a voice from the door froze me in place:

"Who had no right to say what? Who's pregnant?"

My heart stopped.

Bryan and I turned at the same time.

Lucas was there.

His eyes were wide, and he was holding a bottle of juice... and the expression on his face felt like a punch to the gut.

" Lucas..." Bryan began, but was immediately silenced when Lucas raised his hand in the air, a silent yet firm command. The silence that followed was piercing.

He approached me slowly, and I felt each step like a crushing weight on my shoulders. His eyes, which were once full of concern, were now a whirlwind of emotions.

Disappointment.

A pain that made my chest tighten as if someone were ripping the air from my lungs.

"Are you pregnant, Evelin?" his voice came out lower than I expected, but the impact of the question hit me hard.

I swallowed hard and just nodded, lowering my gaze. I didn't have the courage to face him.

The silence that followed lasted for less than two seconds. But it was enough to make my heart stop before the explosion.

"THAT SON OF A b***h!" Lucas roared, his voice filled with pure fury. In one swift motion, he hurled the juice bottle at the wall, the liquid splattering everywhere, but he didn't care. He spun on his heels and headed for the door like a storm about to tear through everything in its path.

"Lucas, stop!" Bryan went to meet him, holding him by the arm.

"Let me go, Bryan!" he growled, his chest rising and falling in irregular breaths. "He will take responsibility for this child, even if by force! I'm going after that bastard right now!"

I saw the lack of control in Lucas's eyes, the way his fists were clenched, the veins bulging in his arms. He was ready to fight, to tear William apart if necessary.

But he didn't understand.

The pain in my chest became unbearable, and it was only when my own scream pierced the room that Lucas finally stopped.

"HE WON'T, LUCAS! HE'S GONE!"

The truth hit me like a blade slicing through my throat, and my whole body trembled with the impact of the words.

Tears fell uncontrollably, and my voice was no longer my own; it was the voice of pain, despair, and the crushing certainty of abandonment.

"William left me!" I sobbed. "He doesn't want this child; he's vanished! I went to his apartment, and the security guard said he had moved out. He's gone, Lucas! It's over! Now it's just me and my baby...

My hands instinctively reached for my belly, as if seeking refuge. As if trying to calm the storm inside me.

Lucas remained still.

The seconds he took to react felt like an eternity.

His clenched fists relaxed, and his heaving chest calmed, and for the first time since he walked through that door, his eyes stopped overflowing with anger.

They brimmed with something far worse.

Pain.

He sighed deeply and took a hesitant step towards me. Then another.

Until finally, he was there, right in front of me.

And then, before I could say anything, I felt his arms around me.

A strong hug.

A safe hug.

A hug that conveyed everything words couldn't.

"You will never be alone, Eve." His voice was hoarse, but full of conviction. "Never!"

He pressed his chin against the top of my head and tightened the hug.

"I am your brother. And I will protect you and this baby, always."

I closed my eyes and cried. But for the first time that night, I didn't cry just out of fear or despair.

I cried because, even amidst so much chaos, Lucas remained my anchor.

As he always had, since the days we shared an orphanage, dreaming of a better future.

I emerged from my thoughts, returning to the present, but the memory of that day still burned in my mind.

William had vanished from the world.

And I had stayed.

But despite everything, I was never truly alone. I had support.

Now, here I am again, in my living room. My house was small, but it was filled with love. Megan, Yala, Verônica, Katherine, and Eduarda were all here with me, scattered across the sofa and the fluffy rug. They were more than friends, they were my family.

Normally, these gatherings took place in shopping malls or at their houses, which were much larger and more spacious. But today was different; since early on, I had been feeling some pains, nothing alarming, but enough to make me uncomfortable. And, being the wonderful friends they were, they decided to bring the fun to me.

The funny thing? None of them brought the kids.

"Ladies, can you imagine the look on our husbands' faces trying to handle the kids alone tonight?" Yala said, and the whole room burst into laughter.

"Sebastian is definitely watching some Disney movie with the kids," Katherine sighed, placing a hand on her chest. "He's such a great dad."

"Oh my God... here goes Katherine, putting my brother on a pedestal again." Veronica rolled her eyes, but she was laughing.

"Well, if he were bad, I'd say it too!" Katherine retorted, laughing. "But he's perfect, what can I do?"

"Okay, we're all still jealous," Yala joked, and everyone burst into laughter.

"As for Thomas, bless him... I bet he took the kids to my mom's or mother-in-law's house. He could never handle three little rascals alone," Eduarda said, laughing.

"Wow, I have to agree!" Megan agreed. "Liam probably did the same. If I had to guess, he snuck out before I even left the house and left the kids with his mom."

"Do you still have doubts?" Yala raised an eyebrow, holding a glass of juice. "Sister-in-law of the Riccis, these men are quicker to ask for help with the kids than to sign a million-dollar contract!"

The laughter was general.

"If they knew how to manage a house like they manage business, we'd be living a fairy tale." Eduarda sighed.

" You're right about that." Katherine agreed.

Megan, Yala, and Eduarda were married to the three sons of Albert Ricci and Linda Ricci, one of the most powerful families in the city. Just like Katherine and Veronica were from the Turner family, another billion-dollar empire.

And me? Well... I was the exception in the group. But you know what? That never bothered me.

Because, in the end, friendship isn't measured by bank balance. It's measured by nights like this, where we laugh until our stomachs hurt, talking nonsense and sharing moments that, in the future, will be remembered fondly.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when my phone vibrated on the table, and when I looked at the screen, I saw Chris's name lighting up. My heart gave a little leap, something I shouldn't feel... but I did.

To be continued...