Chapter 2: My World Has Shattered

Olivia's kitchen was illuminated by the warm glow of the evening sun through the transparent curtains, casting lengthy shadows. Her elegant motions concealed the hidden life that was developing within her. She expertly arranged rosemary leaves around a roast that was golden brown. The aroma of burning vanilla qcandles on the window sill blended well with the scent of herbs and garlic.

It's been close to a month now since she made James the CEO of her company. Though they had argued constantly since the conversation they had in his vehicle that fateful day, now she’d found out she was pregnant, Olivia hoped the news she was getting ready to tell James would help them mend their relationship and as luck would have it, James's mother was not around which gave Olivia the perfect opportunity to break the news to James.

Absent-mindedly, Olivia gently caressed her still-flat stomach as she reached for the cool bottle of sparkling cider. Tiny droplets of water were on her skin as the cool glass pressed against her fingers. She had a soft smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled with happiness as she thought about what she had learnt.

As she carefully set the table, the soft clink of plates and cutlery filled the room. A small satin box with a positive pregnancy test inside it was sitting next to her husband's plate. It was a surprise that was just waiting to be revealed. She had just celebrated their first year wedding anniversary at the beginning of the month with James, only for the news of her pregnancy to come in now, she knew her husband would definitely be excited.

She was straightening the clean linen napkins when a flash of something familiar caught her eyes. Olivia froze, her body hanging in midair like a fork as the words "fraud" and "embezzlement" appeared beside her photograph on her television screen. She hurried to the remote control to turn up the television's volume, feeling as though her entire world was falling apart.

The remote control trembled in Olivia's hand as she raised the volume, her manicured finger pressing down on the button with increasing urgency. The anchor's voice, once a mere murmur, now filled the room with crystal clarity, each word a dagger to her heart.

"Olivia Carter, the former CEO of BeautyBliss Incorporated, is accused of orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme," the anchor's voice rang out, her perfectly coiffed hair and crimson lips a stark contrast to the damning words she spoke.

Olivia's breath caught in her throat, her free hand instinctively moving to her stomach as if to shield her unborn child from the verbal assault. The flickering candlelight, once warm and inviting, now cast eerie shadows across the room, transforming the celebratory dinner setting into a mockery of normalcy.

"Sources claim Carter created fake contracts with non-existent clients, grossly inflating her company's value and deceiving investors," the anchor continued, her tone a mix of professional detachment and barely concealed excitement.

"No, no, no," Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "This can't be happening."

She immediately reached for her phone trembling, her fingers twitching as she attempted to open it. She quickly searched for her personal assistant's number at the top of her list of recent calls. Before she could even hit "call,” the anchor's voice sliced through her worry like a cold blade.

"Shocking revelation: It has come to light that Carter has been diverting company funds to offshore accounts. As we speak, Miss Carter is being called in for questioning," the television presenter said.

Olivia lost hold of the phone as it fell to the wooden floor with a clatter. The boom rang through the room, a startling sound to the soothing classical music still playing gently in the background.

When Olivia finally succeeded in picking up the phone and dialling, "Jane," she gasped. Her personal assistant's voice finally emerged after what felt like an endless dial tone.

"Olivia? I was about to give you a call. "Have you watched the news?" Jane's typically calm voice was tinted with worry.

Olivia struggled to maintain a calm voice as she whispered, "Yes, I'm watching it right now. Someone is framing me. What documents is the news talking about?” She asked, her voice panicky, “I need you to—"

Amidst the confusion, the creak of the entrance door was audible. Olivia's breath caught when she heard James's well-known footsteps reverberating down the corridor.

"Liv? What's going on?" With anxiety in his voice, James yelled out.

Olivia turned and automatically cupped her stomach with her free hand. "Jane, I'll call you back," she whispered into the phone and hung up.

James appeared in the parlour doorway, his tall figure standing out in the faint light of the corridor. He wrinkled his brow, taking in the sight, Olivia's pale face, the ornate table setting, the flickering candles.

"Sweetheart, why is your picture on the news?" James questioned, with his gaze flitting between Olivia and the television.

Olivia met his stare, peering into the well-known depths of his light brown eyes for comfort, "James, I'm not sure. They claim that I committed fraud, but that is not true. Someone is framing me up," she blurted out as tears welled up in her eyes.

Her silk blouse rustled softly as she stumbled toward him. In the tight calm, there appeared to be an echo of her heels clinking on the wooden floor.

James took two big steps across the room and embraced Olivia. As he hugged her close, she inhaled his signature aroma, which was a blend of sandalwood and something special about him.

"Don't worry, Liv. Together, we'll work this out,"he whispered into her hair. "I am here for you, we'll get through this."

“James, there's more,” Olivia said, drawing back a little as she gave him a tearful look. Taking a deep breath, she continued with a small smile on her lips, “I am pregnant, James. We are going to become parents.”

James's face briefly flashed with something unreadable and delightful. Gently, he clasped Olivia's face in his hands. "Ah, Liv. That's really fantastic news."

Olivia felt a wave of relief. Feeling more secure than she had since the start of the newscast, "I was so worried about how you'd react, especially now with all this chaos,” she said, leaning her head on his chest.

With a kind grin, James brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You never have to worry about it. Olivia, I adore you. Whatever the case may be."

With one hand resting on the small of her back, he drew her closer once again. In the middle of the storm, Olivia closed her eyes and gave herself a minute of quiet.

"Everything will work out fine," James muttered.

Olivia suddenly experienced a scorching, stabbing pain in the left side of her abdomen. Her eyes sprang awake and locked with James's. His once-warm gaze had disappeared, replaced with a calculating, cold one that she had never seen on him.

Olivia staggered back, palms flying to her abdomen. With dismay, she glanced down at the kitchen knife handle sticking out of her belly, James's hand still firmly holding onto it.

“James, you stabbed me!”