"It's our child, your child!"
"It's not my child!" Dave shouted. "Don't you dare pull that shit on me. When was the last time we had sex? Six months ago! And you're two months pregnant?" He sneered, "Tell that to an idiot, Anita!"
"Have you lost your mind?" she gasped. "Did you forget that we had sex two months ago after celebrating your birthday? We were both drunk but we freaking knew what we did. How dare you deny it!?" Anita was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Eight years. After eight fucking years of childlessness, when her husband was supposed to be leaping for joy, he was denying their baby?
Dave was taken aback for a moment as if he forgot that part. "So what if we had sex? I withdrew, Anita!" He looked at her with disgust.
"You did what?" Anita was stunned, her heart shattering all over again. Today of all days seemed to be her bad day, as she'd not taken a breath from the heartbreak upon heartbreak that her husband had been dishing her from the moment she entered his office.
Dave, her own husband for eight years, practiced withdrawal methods on her? "Why?" she asked quietly, her breath came in short breaths.
Anita was a calm woman and screaming and yelling made her breathless.
"Why not?" He sneered, "Why should I keep feeding your eggs with my sperms, yet we have nothing to show for it? You're practically a barren, Anita, and this nonsense prank you're trying to pull will not fool me."
She gasped, her head spinning. She, Anita, a barren?
Was that what Dave had thought of her all those years? Had he been pretending to be caring, understanding, and loving for all those years with such malicious thoughts in his mind?
But he wasn't done. He didn't feel that he'd hurt her enough.
"Listen, Anita, I have a company to run. I don't have time for your shenanigans. My company has just been listed on Forbes as a billion dollar company. I have deals to close." He gestured to the pile of documents on his desk.
"There's no reason to sink so low, lying about being pregnant... I don't know what you're afraid of, so don't raise my hopes only to dash it again." He paused, holding her shoulders as he brought his face closed to hers. "It's exhausting and annoying."
Anita was once again dumbfounded. Had she wronged him before now, or had a fight, a misunderstanding or anything at all happened before now, she might have understood where this hostility and malice was coming from.
But no! They'd been good. Even this morning, they shared a sweet moment before he left for work.
Dave and Anita were a perfect couple.
"You know what, fuck you, David!" Anita snatched the pregnancy report from the desk, turned and stormed off. She couldn't bring herself to remain in his presence for another second.
He would surely come back to plead. This was not the first time in eight years of their marriage that they'd fought and settled their differences, but this time, he'd gone too far. Her forgiveness wouldn't come so easily.
At the garage, Anita entered her car and zoomed off, heading home to pack her things.
His mother must hear of this, so that when he starts begging, she wouldn't think her too heartless for making him suffer.
Mrs. Blackwood, who had been desperate for a grandchild for years, would surely be on her side.
With that, Anita went home, grabbed some important stuff and dragged her luggage to her in-law's place.
…
It took two hours to reach her mother-in-law's residence, one of the most expensive and well protected areas in the city.
Paradise.
Paradise is a hundred story skyscraper, only for the creme de la creme of the city, a residence that had the women breaking their husband's bank, yet couldn't own the lowest floors in the building, as money alone wasn't enough to own a place there.
Everyone could have money, but connection and your standing in the society was all that mattered.
Owning an apartment in Paradise meant one thing, you're untouchable.
Anita didn't live here, but when she arrived, the workers bowed, and the people hanging around the lobby couldn't help but be envious of her.
Whispers and murmurs flew like sparks around her, but none was bold enough to speak too loudly, even if they were praising her.
Why? You'd ask.
And that was because, Anita took the exclusive elevator to the 101 floor, the penthouse.
That's right, her mother-in-law, Mrs. Blackwood lived in the penthouse and by extension, was the most powerful and resourceful woman in the building, making her a force to be reckon with in the city.
The elevator led straight into the living room, a massive room that only spoke the language, luxury and power.
Stepping out of the elevator, two lines of maids bowed – their black and white uniforms sparkling clean. The young ladies gave you air hostesses vibes - perfect, neat, and gorgeous.
Anita loved beautiful faces, and for that reason, she single-handedly picked these goddesses of different shapes and sizes for her mother-in-law, who liked what Anita loved.
"Welcome, Madam!" they chorused.
Anita hummed, striding to the stairs without wasting time. Her luggage would be brought to her shortly.
As she passed through the corridor, the door to her mother-in-law's room was slightly ajar. Anita didn't think Mrs. Blackwood was home, because she'd called her earlier and the woman said she went out.
But upon reaching the door, she heard voices. It was unmistakable. That was her mother-in-law and sister-in-law's voices.
Didn't her mother-in-law say she wasn't home?
"Anita doesn't deserve my brother, Mom. She's older, and people say that to my brother all the time. My coursemates were even whispering it the other day, saying my brother married an old woman for money, and now, she's been cursed with barrenness for all the families she ruined. Mom, I don't like her." Charlotte huffed. "Moreover, she's not submissive. She's too fierce and scary. She makes me look small."
"Wasn't that what I said before she married into this family? How would an old woman, a an heiress who abandoned her own family submit to your brother? At least, David was smart enough to start his own company then. Today, he's become one of the few powerful billionaires." The woman chuckled softly.
"Right?! My brother is no longer under that overbearing, self-centered, and obnoxious old hag, my brother can now find real happiness with Linda."
"Which Linda?... You mean... that Linda?"