CHAPTER 4
2372 Words
STEFANNY WATSON
I am determined to hide the truth from Damien and everyone, but I know I can't do this forever.
At some point, my belly will grow.
Ever since I found out I'm pregnant, panic has been with me every day.
It's like a knot tightening more and more around my chest, and facing my husband only makes things worse.
Every time he looks at me with affection or talks about the future of the pack, I feel a suffocating guilt.
The question that haunts me is always the same: whose baby am I carrying?
I wake up this morning with a wave of nausea and rush to the bathroom again, but I pretend I'm fine.
I go downstairs, trying to act as naturally as possible, and find Damien already in the kitchen, making breakfast.
His curious gaze hits me before he says anything.
"You're different, Stefanny. Is everything okay?", he comments casually, as he spreads butter on his toast.
My heart races, but I force a smile, trying to stay calm.
"No, love. Everything's fine. It's just stress. The Lycan attack, work... I think it's all affecting me more than I thought."
Damien watches me for a long moment. His eyes narrow slightly, as if he's trying to read something in me.
"Stress?"he repeats, suspicious.
"Are you sure? I can cancel today's meeting and spend the day with you."
I shake my head quickly, wanting to avoid that at all costs.
"No need, really. I'll be fine. I have a doctor's appointment today, just to make sure everything's in order."
He still stares at me, clearly unconvinced.
He places his coffee cup on the table and crosses his arms.
"Another appointment? I feel like there's more to this. You're distant, Stefanny. Are you hiding something from me?"
A chill runs down my spine, but I keep my composure.
"There's nothing, Damien. I just need some time to reorganize and relax."
He sighs, seeming reluctant to believe me, but finally nods.
"Alright, I trust you."
He steps closer and kisses my forehead before grabbing his things.
"I'm off to the office. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
I nod, relieved that he's not pressing any further.
"Okay."
As soon as the door closes, I take a deep breath, trying to ease the weight I carry.
Lying to Damien is becoming unbearable, and I know I can't keep this up much longer.
I need to go back to the doctor, get the tests done, and make sure no one finds out... I'm not ready to face the consequences yet.
Later, I leave the house and walk towards the hospital, my head filled with thoughts.
Each step is a reminder of the chaos my life has become.
What if the baby is Maycon's? How will I live with that? How can I lie to Damien for the rest of my life?
I arrive at the hospital and get through the appointment as quickly as possible.
The doctor asks me about symptoms, gives me advice on vitamins, and schedules the next check-up, saying my baby is fine.
As I leave the hospital, already emotionally exhausted, I walk towards my car when I hear a voice that makes my heart stop.
"Stefanny!"
The voice is clear, unmistakable, and my whole body freezes.
It can't be.
I turn slowly, and I see Maycon walking towards me, his face full of concern.
He's standing right in front of me.
"Oh my God...", I murmur, feeling panic take over.
"Stefanny.", he repeats, now closer.
"You've been missing from the pack meetings. I thought something had happened. Can we talk?"
My mind refuses to process anything other than the idea that the baby might be his.
What do I do now? Maycon's words seem distant, as if they're coming from another reality.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Maycon. We need to stay away from each other.", I say, stepping back from him.
But he doesn't give up.
He steps forward and grabs my hand firmly.
"Please, don't hate me, Stefanny. I just... I need to understand what's going on. Why are you avoiding me?"
I sigh, trying to stay calm, though my mind is a whirlwind of emotions.
"I don't hate you, Maycon. And I don't blame you. That was my fault too."
Maycon looks relieved, but the tension in the air is still heavy, almost palpable.
He looks at the ground, then back at me.
"Damien didn't tell you, but he invited me over for dinner at your house tonight."
My eyes widen in pure shock. The dinner. Damien didn't mention anything about that.
"He... what?"
I feel like the ground is collapsing beneath my feet.
"I know it might be awkward, but he really thinks we should spend more time together as friends. It'll be hard to decline.", Maycon continues.
My entire body tenses. How am I supposed to act normally with Damien and Maycon in the same space?
"Alright. See you tonight, then.", I say, my voice trembling.
I leave as quickly as I can, my mind spinning.
How am I going to stop this dinner? There's no way to avoid it, and the nerves start to eat away at me.
When night falls, I'm getting ready, choosing a red dress that accentuates my curves, trying to keep up the appearance of calm.
Damien is in the kitchen, preparing dinner and clearly happy. He seems so peaceful, so unaware of the chaos inside me.
I hear the sound of male voices downstairs, and I know Maycon has arrived.
The dinner is about to begin.
"He's here. Come on, love. Family dinner with my best friend.", Damien says, smiling at me from the bottom of the stairs.
I walk down slowly, feeling each step weigh down on me.
When I reach the bottom, they both look at me at the same time.
Maycon and Damien, the two werewolves who, in different ways, have complicated my life.
Maycon's gaze is loaded with something only the two of us understand. The secret we share hangs in the air, invisible, but impossible to ignore.
Damien, unaware of anything, smiles as he pulls a chair out for me.
"Come on, let's sit. I think this is going to be an unforgettable night."
I smile back, but inside, I know that tonight will indeed be unforgettable—just not for the reasons Damien imagines.
During dinner, I just listen to them talk, they have an incredible bond and love each other deeply.
I just smile when they tell funny stories and talk about the company.
I feel extremely nervous.
Damien raises the wine bottle to fill my glass, but I refuse with a smile.
"No wine for me tonight...", I whisper, and both of them look at me at the same time.
"Really? That's unbelievable, you love wine more than anything, love, are you feeling alright?", Damien asks, and I take a sip of water, nodding.
"Yes, I just want a night without alcohol..."
I glance at Maycon, who is staring at me with a serious expression that makes my body tremble.
I blink my eyes, quickly looking away.
I get up from the table and say I need to go to the bathroom.
I try not to show the whirlwind of emotions I'm feeling, especially with Maycon so close to Damien.
They keep talking, laughing about something that, honestly, I can't even focus on.
All I want is a moment away from this suffocating dinner.
I get to the bathroom and close the door behind me, letting out a long sigh.
I walk to the sink, wash my hands, and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
My hands are trembling, and my mind is a mess.
How did I get to this point? So trapped in lies, guilt, and regret? What am I going to do?
The cold water runs over my hands, and I take a deep breath, trying to find some peace at this moment.
But peace never comes.
I know I'm drowning in a sea of secrets, and at any moment, everything could explode.
With my head still down, I hear the door open behind me.
"Damien, I already told you I'm fine...", I start to say, not turning around, assuming it's my husband.
But the silence that follows makes me look up and turn around.
My eyes widen when I see who's standing there.
It's not Damien.
It's Maycon.
"I'm not Damien. We need to talk, Stefanny.", he says, closing the door behind him.
My heart races in my chest.
"Are you crazy for following me here? Get out now!", I demand, trying to keep my voice firm, but I feel panic rising in my chest.
He approaches quickly, not giving me time to react, and gently pushes me against the wall.
His large hands are too close, and the space between us is nonexistent.
"I'll leave and go away, but only if you look me in the eyes and tell me you feel nothing for me. No feelings or affection, Stefanny.", he begins, his voice low and intense.
His face is so close to mine that I can feel his breath.
I blink, trying to push away the whirlwind of emotions that has begun to take over me.
Why is he doing this to me? The tension between us is palpable and suffocating.
“Why are you doing this?”, I ask, my voice trembling.
“Because I can't stop thinking about you since what happened. I tried to stay away, I swear I tried, but I can't...”
His voice is hoarse, loaded with a desire that consumes and scares me at the same time.
He doesn't move, and his gaze fixed on me makes me tremble.
“Let me go, Maycon...”, I whisper, trying to pull away, but my words sound weak, almost unconvincing.
He doesn't let me go.
“Tell me first. Do you feel any kind of feelings for me, Stefanny?”
The intensity in his eyes makes my heart race, and I don't know what to say.
My words die in my throat, caught in the confusion of emotions and the fear of what is to come.
It’s at that moment that the bathroom door opens, and I see Damien standing there, looking directly at us.
My world stops. The air leaves my lungs, and my heart seems to have stopped beating.
Maycon steps away from me quickly, but it’s too late.
Damien saw.
“Is everything alright here?”, Damien asks in a serious tone, his expression impassive, but his eyes are fixed on Maycon.
He crosses his arms, and his presence seems to fill the entire space.
“Damien, I need to remind you that Stefanny is my wife, and you're putting your hands on her?”, he continues, his voice low but heavy with a veiled threat.
The atmosphere is tense and too heavy.
“It’s late for me. It was a great dinner, but I need to go.”, Maycon says quickly, avoiding Damien’s gaze and trying to appear calm, but I notice the nervousness in his words.
He leaves the bathroom and then the house.
Damien doesn’t move. He looks at me, and for a second, the silence between us is deafening.
“What was that?”, he asks, not changing his tone, but something in his gaze makes me feel even guiltier.
“It was nothing, Damien... He didn’t know I was in the bathroom...”
My voice sounds thin and hesitant. I know he doesn’t believe me, but I’m desperate. I can’t let him suspect more than he already does.
Damien is silent for a few seconds, his eyes darkening with something I can’t identify.
He doesn’t say anything, but the atmosphere becomes unbearably heavy.
“Thank you for dinner, love. Everything was wonderful...”
I try to relieve the tension by kissing his lips softly, but it’s like kissing a wall of ice.
“I’m tired. I’m going to take a shower, and I’ll wait for you in bed, okay?”
I try to smile, and he nods, apparently relaxing a bit.
I go upstairs, leaving the weight of the encounter with Maycon behind, or at least I try to.
I enter the bathroom and close the door. The hot water runs over my skin, but nothing can wash away the feeling that everything is about to collapse.
When I come out of the bathroom, I dry off and put on my robe, ready to carry on with my night.
I open the door and find Damien sitting on the bed. My smile falters when I see him with his head down, holding something in his hands.
He looks up, and my heart stops.
Tears are streaming down his face. He is holding a piece of paper.
That blood test.
My God.
The bag is open on the bed. He found the test.
Damien stands up, and my legs tremble. Tears start to fill my eyes. Fear consumes me.
“Damien...”
He interrupts me, his voice heavy with pain.
“Are you pregnant?”
I try to breathe, but the words won’t come out.
“I... think we need to talk...”
“Answer my question, Stefanny. Are you pregnant?”
He takes a step forward, holding the test in front of me. His eyes are swollen and red, and his voice is a mix of anger and disappointment.
“Yes...”, I whisper, almost without strength.
The smile that appears on his lips is full of bitterness.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He looks so hurt, so broken, that I feel my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
I look at him, not knowing how to explain. I can’t say anything. I just feel the weight of guilt crushing me.
“Tell me why you hid something so important from me. I love you more than anything. I’m your husband, Stefanny. If you have something to tell me, this is the moment.”
Tears finally stream down my face, but the words remain stuck.
How can I tell the truth? How can I admit everything I’ve hidden?
- Writer
