02

"What's wrong, Alma?"  Irene approached me as I packed whatever thing I had left of me from my office.

Irene was a very good friend of mine at work. We weren't that close, but we always looked out for each other when we were at work,

"Where are you going... what happened?"

I couldn't form the response in my mouth, how could I tell her that my husband, her boss, divorced me and gave me a sack letter to leave his life entirely while I carried his child in my womb?

Tears pooled in my eyes and I sniffed. "I got sacked," I managed to say and carried the brown box in my arms, turning around to face her.

Her expression was startling. "Are you serious... there must have been some misunderstanding, you are joking, right?" I stared at her and sighed.

"Do I look like I'm joking, you see me packing my stuff already," I tried to compose myself, I didn't want to pass the aggression of how hurt I was to her.

"Wh-what, did you do? I mean you're one of the best and most hardworking employees Harris ever had, they can't just let you off like that," she said, I could feel how confused her words carried, and trust me I'm also in that state too.

"You didn't do anything wrong, did you Alma?" she questioned again and the tears I was fighting so hard to stay back in my eyes streamed down my cheeks.

I sobbed and dropped the box in my arms back on the desk, the pain in my chest was throbbing... I've been hurt several times, but today was the height of it.

"Alma," I hear Irene's soft voice behind me, I feel her hands begin to rub my back as I cry.

"I don't know Irene, I don't know what I did wrong?"

I need answers too, Carl couldn't just say because Linda was back in his life he would ditch me like that, he didn't even get to hear the great news I wanted to share with him.

A knock on the door diverted our attention towards the door and I saw two security men walk in.

"We came to check if Miss. Alma has packed her things," one of the security men said, and I found myself laughing.

"Don't you see she's packing already, give her some minutes," Irene said to the men.

"She has to leave immediately, order from the boss," the other security replied.

"What?"

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and carried the box. "It's okay, I'm leaving already," I muttered to the men and began to walk towards the entrance.

Carl must be so impatient to get me out of his life. I thought, making my way towards the exit of the building.

I zoomed my car into the cobblestone driveway which leads to the porte cochère where one of the valets stood.

I hopped out of the car and closed the door with all the frustration boiling in me while I ignored the valet as he approached me to ask for my car keys. I made my way to the White mansion standing magnificently and settled above a pristine hill as it boasts amidst sprawling gardens adorned with meticulously sculpted apiaries and vibrant blooms.

My legs abruptly stopped and despair plunged into me as I took in the scene before me.

My belongings lay scattered on the floor like discarded memories and speaking of the devil, that witch, my half-blood sister was instructing the men carrying my stuff to throw them on the floor.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, my heart hammering painfully against my chest.

What gave Linda the right to throw my belongings out of my home?

Or did Carl tell her to do this?

He couldn't have hated me this much, could he?

"Linda, wh-what are you doing... What have you done to my home?" my voice was shaky and trembling as I stared wide-eyed at my step-sister.

Linda scoffed, crossing her slender arms over her chest, and that annoying smirk of hers that I've hated so much in my life began to curl up on her lips.

"Dear sister, a little greeting would perhaps not hurt your ego," she moved closer to me.

What?

Is she seriously kidding me?

How dare she show up in my life again and act as if everything were normal to her after she destroyed it?

I glared at her, my anger leveling against its limit. "Answer my fucking question, Linda, why are you here?" I seethed, my hands balling into a fist.

"Well... I'm just here to clean up the mess. Your service is no longer needed," she shrugged.

A dry laugh escaped my lips. She did think I was a pawn she could play her dirty games with. "This is my home! What makes you think you can throw me out of my husband's home?"

"Husband?"

"You and I both know Carl was never yours to begin with. He's mine, and he loves me and if he has to choose anyone, he will choose me, and he will do that a thousand times. It's time for you to accept that." Linda chuckled loudly while I murderously stared at her.

I furrowed my brows angrily at Linda... Oh, God!! All I wanted to do was slap that pretty face of hers.

"To think he still loved and believed you after all what you did to him and me," I gritted.

"My bad, you can pack your things and leave and don't even think of going back home, no one would accept you," Linda smiled wickedly and turned around, flipping her long black silky hair behind her back as she walked into the house.

I wasn't done with Linda yet, I needed answers to why she was hell-bent on ruining my life.

I followed her into the house. "I'm not done speaking to you bitch," I pulled her by her hair and she spurned around.

The next thing I knew was a dirty slap on my face...

I gasped in shock but soon gave her the taste of her own medicine as I slapped her back as hard as I could that my hand hurt.

Linda gurgled, staggering backward, her eyes widening with astonishment as she gaped at me speechlessly, her hand coming up slowly to where I had slapped her face.

"Di-did you just slap me?" she muttered, still in shock.

I scoffed, even though I was trying as much to hold back my stinging tears threatening to fall. "I will do it again if I have to," I snarled at her.

Linda moved closer to me, her eyes glaring at me venomously, while her heels made a clicking sound on the marble floor. "How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours?" she shrieked.

"What are you going to do, huh?"

Linda laughed, to my surprise. "You sure have some guts right now."

"You are a demon, I'll never forgive you," I bit my lip, tears swirling in my eyes.

"Oh, dear, I don't care whether you hate me or not," that smug look of hers appeared on her face and she scoffed. "Because I have Carl's love, everyone's love, and you don't."

The whole drama was making me weak, I needed to rest, but I wasn't going to let Linda off the hook easily.

"If you knew Carl loved you so much, why did you betray him and drug me to sleep with him three years ago?"

"Why, Linda?"

She didn't reply to me, a slight smirk creeping at the corner of her lips and she turned around, she began to climb the stairs and I followed her.

"You don't know what you are doing," thinking of my baby, I needed to do everything to live.

What would become of me if I left here, I had nowhere to go and my stepmother wouldn't allow me to step foot back into the house.

I had nothing...

"Would you disappear already?" Linda faced me abruptly with irritation clearly on her face when I was a step closer to her, and she pushed me.

I lost my balance, and luckily, I grabbed onto the rails of the staircase and felt a slight pain in my lower abdomen.

"My baby," I whispered in fear as I touched my stomach.

"What?" I look up to see Linda staring at me with a flabbergasted expression on her face.

She eyed me viciously. "You are pregnant?" she questioned coldly.

I couldn't give the evil witch a response but glared hatefully at her.

"Answer me!" she demanded.

"You are pregnant for him, aren't you?"

"Why do I have to give you an answer?" I retorted.

Without saying anything more, I began to walk down the stairs until I felt a hand on me that pushed me.

A terrific gasp left my lips as I lost my balance completely and stumbled down the stairs to the floor.

I groaned, and a sudden sharp pain gripped me as I crashed on the floor.

"I'm leaving, you better be gone before I'm back," I heard Linda say as she walked past me, leaving me on the floor.

I felt a more excruciating pain in my lower abdomen and out of fear I looked down, and the realization struck me hard. I was covered in the pool of my own blood.

My baby... no, if everything has to be taken from me, not my baby, please.

I cried as panic set in me, and with trembling hands, I reached for my phone in my pocket.

I didn't know whom to call as I searched through the contact list, my hands fumbling with my phone.

For years, I put all my attention only on Carl, my 'husband'. I merely made friends, I was also never liked by my family. I had no one to turn to.

Out of desperation, I called him... I called Carl. After all, he was my baby's father. He would save his own baby's life, right?

His phone was ringing, but he didn't pick up. "Please, Carl, please answer, I need you," my lips quivered and tears flowed down my face.

I tried his number again and again, his phone rang repeatedly, each unanswered call echoing the growing dread in my heart.

Carl, how can you be so heartless? I thought.

My strength began to wane off and my pool of blood began to expand on the floor, staining the world I once knew. Fear mingled with pain began to make me desperate.

I need to save my baby...

"Someone help... please," I used the strength in me to shout.

Where are the goddamn workers?

I looked at the screen of my phone, my vision getting blurry. "Carl, please... I can't do this alone," my tears were choking me.

My phone remained silent, harboring a cruel reminder of my isolation.

In a final attempt, I dialed Carl's number, at least with the little hope left in me that he would pick.

"Carl, I love you, please..." I could barely hear myself speak, my voice came out in a whisper and it sounded so weak.

The world around me was dimmed, everything seemed to be fading out, darkness beckoning unto me, and with the weight of despair, I succumbed to unconsciousness.