Chapter 2

Scarlett's face was battered with Annabel's waste. She pushed Annabel away in outrage and hurried to the tap to wash off the filth. In the process, Annabel hit her head on the wall and lost consciousness.

After washing off her face, Scarlett came back fuming. She scrambled onto Annabel. She booted her hard in irritation.

"How dare you puke on my face? You are so worthless and apathetic. How could you do this to me? I picked you up from the gutters and now look at how you pay me back" Scarlett yelled and threw punches at Annabel.

"Don't pretend that you are hurt, get up from there before I kill you" Scarlett yelled and started pulling Annabel up, However, when Annabel lay numb, she looked at her face for a moment and noticed her pale face.

All her colors suddenly disappeared and her limbs were drained of energy. Scarlett began to tremble as she shuddered in quick succession, yet Annabel moved not.

"Annabel! Annabel!" She screamed

"Somebody help me" she yelled again and ran out to find help.

****

Annabel stared at the doctor in a daze. She looked at the results in her hand and gasped in shock.

How can this be possible? She couldn't phantom it. Such a thing has never been heard of. Cole had made sure his seeds never entered her body so how come she is pregnant?

There is only one possible conclusion to this dilemma: she is cheating on Cole, which she never did. How could she explain this to her husband's family, especially to Cole? He would never be patient enough to run a paternity test. Why is life so unfair to her?

"Mrs. Yate, congratulations once again," the doctor's voice snapped Annabel back to reality.

"You will be discharged by tomorrow and please take good care of yourself " The doctor advised and left Annabel alone in her room.

Unknown to Annabel, Charlotte has come to see her genealogist. The same doctor that just left her room a few minutes back.

Two doors away was Charlotte in a deep discussion with her doctor.

"Congratulations Miss Lawrence you are finally pregnant. You are two months gone"

"Really?" Charlotte exclaimed. Her eyes glint in excitement.

"Yes, you're pregnant. Here is the result of your test" the doctor said and gave her the result in his hand.

Charlotte took it and looked into it. A bold smile spread on her oval face, while her brown pupils radiated like a florescent.

She hugged the doctor out of enthusiasm and rushed out of the room in euphoria. She couldn't believe that she was finally pregnant, the only thing Cole had wanted from her. She smiled at her achievement and sauntered through the foyer. She can't wait to see Cole in the evening and share the good news with him.

Charlotte was a few notches to Annabel's door when she saw Scarlett appearing toward her. She precipitated her stride and huddled the older woman who was now in front of Annabel's door.

"Mother, what brought you here? Do you come to run your check-up?" Charlotte asked with her sugary voice that could melt any stone heart like wax. So sweet was her voice that Scarlett couldn't help but fall in love with her even more. Her beauty was nothing to compare to anything in this world, so fair was her skin that Scarlett couldn't resist touching her.

"Oh sweetheart, I should be asking you, why are you here? Are you alright? Hope you are not sick dear" Scarlett inquired with a lot of concern in her voice that Annabel who was eavesdropping from inside couldn't help to wonder how Scarlett still managed to show this kind of sympathy after all her wickedness toward her.

She was about to go out and get some food for herself, she had not eaten any food since yesterday. Scarlett dumped her in the hospital and left in a hurry, without waiting for her to wake up.

So this morning, without receiving any food from the Yates, Annabel decided to find food for herself and that was how she heard that sugary voice that always hurt her dream since she married into the Yates family speaking with someone outside her door, Annabel leaned closer.

At first, she was skeptical about whether the voice belonged to Charlotte or not, but when she heard the second voice, which belonged to Scarlett, she became sure that it was Charlotte who was talking to Scarlett.

"No Mother, you won't believe this? I wanted to share this great news with Cole first, but since you are here and you are more like a mother to me, I will share the good news with you, first,'' Charlotte said, her face gleaming with happiness.

"Tell me, what is it that makes you so happy Charlotte"

At this juncture, Annabel practically leaned her ear to the door. Annabel too wanted to know why Charlotte was so happy.

"Mother, I am pregnant for Cole," Charlotte announced and hugged Scarlett.

Scarlett screamed and clasped her. To both women outside, that was the best news ever, but for Annabel, this was her worst nightmare. How could Cole do such a thing to her? After all, she has done for him. She has been a good and devoted wife to him and he does this to her?

Annabel clenched her chest so tight like she was protecting it from crashing down. Her eyelids dilated, and without wasting time, they started pouring out their salty content as soon as Charlotte mentioned the name of her baby's father Cole.

"I can't wait to share this good news with Cole" she screamed in the pool of her excitement.

"Come here dear, we are going home together to celebrate this good news," Scarlett said. However, Charlotte frowned her face and looked pitiable.

"What is it dear? Why do you look sad? Tell me what is bothering you" Scarlett asked and moved closer to her.

"Mother, are we not forgetting something?"

"What is it dear?"