The Subtitute Bride

Chapter 15: Two Lines

One Month After The Honeymoon.

Kaela was staring at the bathroom floor, holding a pregnancy test. Her hands were shaking.

One line. Two lines. Positive.

Three tests. All positive.

"Rhys!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

Rhys was in a meeting in the living room via Zoom with investors. He muted the call and ran to the bathroom. "What? Are you sick? Are you hurt?"

Kaela showed him the tests. Tears in her eyes. "Rhys... I'm pregnant."

Rhys froze. He looked at the tests. Then at Kaela. Then at the tests again. The cold, ruthless CEO who closed billion-peso deals without blinking was speechless.

"You... you're... we're...?" he stuttered.

"We're having a baby, Rhys," Kaela whispered, crying and laughing at the same time.

For 5 seconds, silence.

Then Rhys dropped to his knees, hugged her waist, and buried his face in her still-flat belly.

"My baby... our baby..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "Kaela, I'm going to be a father?"

Kaela nodded, crying. "Yes, i***t! You're going to be a father!"

Rhys stood up, picked her up, and spun her around in the bathroom. "I'm going to be a father! MY WIFE IS PREGNANT!"

He ran out to the living room where his Zoom meeting was still on. He unmuted.

"GENTLEMEN! MEETING CANCELLED! MY WIFE IS PREGNANT! I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!" he shouted to 20 investors.

Clara, who was in the meeting, screamed. The investors clapped.

Kaela was so embarrassed. "RHYS! YOU'RE STILL IN A MEETING!"

"I don't care! My wife is more important than $100 million deal!" Rhys said, carrying her.

He called Grandmother Eleanor. Within 15 minutes, Grandmother arrived with balloons, baby clothes, and 5 bags of healthy food.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT ON YOUR HONEYMOON! I TOLD CLARA YOU WERE GLOWING DIFFERENTLY!" Grandmother shouted, hugging Kaela.

Kaela's mom, who was now fully recovered, cried on video call. "My baby is having a baby!"

That night, Kaela and Rhys were lying in bed. Rhys's hand was on her belly, talking to the peanut-sized baby.

"Hi, baby. It's Daddy. I know you can't hear me yet, but I love you already. I will protect you and your Mommy. I promise you will never be lonely," he whispered.

Kaela was listening, tears falling. "Rhys, are you scared?"

"Yes," he admitted. "I'm scared I will be a bad father. Like my father was cold to me."

"You won't," Kaela said, holding his hand. "You already love this baby more than your company. You're going to be the best father."

Rhys kissed her forehead. "I love you, Kaela. Thank you for making me a father."

"I love you too, my contract husband turned real husband turned baby daddy," Kaela giggled.

They fell asleep, dreaming of baby names.

But they didn't know, outside the Philippines, someone was watching their happy news on i********: and was not happy at all.

Vanessa.

She was in Paris for modeling, but she saw Rhys's post: "My wife is pregnant. Best news of my life. - R"

Vanessa threw her phone on the wall and shattered it.

"Pregnant? She is pregnant? That gold digger is pregnant with Rhys's baby? No. That should be MY baby. That should be MY life," Vanessa hissed to her friend.

She booked a flight back to Manila that night.

"I will make sure that baby never comes. And Rhys will come back to me," Vanessa said, smiling dangerously.

Inside the penthouse, Kaela suddenly woke up at 2 AM, feeling a strange pain in her belly.

"Rhys..." she whispered, holding her stomach. "My stomach hurts..."

Rhys woke up instantly. "What? What kind of pain?"

Kaela's face was pale. "I don't know... it hurts..."

Rhys's face turned white. He had never been so scared in his life. Not even when he lost $50 million.

"Call the doctor! NOW!" he shouted to Clara.

The happy pregnancy announcement night suddenly turned into a nightmare.

Is Kaela and the baby okay? Or is this Vanessa's revenge starting already?