The nausea comes in waves now. It comes over and over again, curling through my stomach and leaving me dizzy as I sit on the edge of the bed. I haven’t been able to eat anything all morning, and my head feels like it's full of static. My hand drifts to my stomach, and the fear grips me tighter. *What if…?*
I’ve been here before. This feeling of something growing inside me, my body reacting to a life I didn’t ask for. I shake my head and try to push the thought aside, but it won’t go away. The nausea, the dizziness—it’s all too familiar.
In the bathroom, I fumble through the medicine cabinet until I find the test. The small plastic stick feels heavy in my hands, like it holds the weight of my future. My hands tremble as I take the test, setting it on the sink with a shaky breath. I know what it’s going to say, but a part of me still hopes I’m wrong.
I pace around the bathroom, biting my nails, trying to hold myself together. Minutes pass like hours, and finally, I force myself to look at the result.
Two lines.
I grip the sink, my knuckles white, as the world tilts beneath my feet. I’m pregnant. Again.
*Reo’s child.*
The nausea isn’t just from the pregnancy—it’s from the realization that I’m stuck, yet again, in this twisted cycle with him. How am I going to tell him? How will he react? The memory of his threats still lingers in my mind, the way he made it clear I had no choice in this life. He already owns me, and now this…
Before I can spiral further, the door swings open, and Reo steps into the room. He’s wearing his usual expression—cold, distant, like nothing in the world could touch him. His red braids fall over his shoulder, and his pink skin glows under the harsh lights of the bathroom. For a split second, I wonder if he can see the panic in my eyes, but he doesn’t.
“O’Neal,” he says sharply. What is it with him calling me that strange name? “We need to talk.”
I swallow hard, stepping out of the bathroom and into the hallway. His eyes flicker toward the test on the sink, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. I don’t even think he cares. It’s like he already knows and doesn’t need confirmation.
“Marcus,” Reo starts, cutting straight to the point. “You remember him, right? He’s been showing a… concerning interest in you. He wants more meetings, more public appearances. He’s crucial to my business.”
I nod slowly, unsure where this is going.
“You’re going to keep playing the role of my public wife. You’ll show up, smile, say what you’re told to say.” He leans in closer and his voice drops to a dangerous whisper. “Or else, O’Neal.”
“Or else what?” I manage to choke out, though my voice shakes.
He straightens up and sharpens hard gaze on me. “I’ll take our son from you. He’ll be mine, and you’ll never see him again. You think I don’t have the power to do it?”
I feel the blood drain from my face. His words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of my lungs. I’ve always known Reo was capable of cruelty, but hearing it laid out like this—there’s a finality to it that makes me feel like I’m suffocating.
The worst part is, I know he means it. Reo never makes empty threats. If I don’t comply, if I don’t continue to play this role in his evil charade, he’ll take everything from me. I’ll lose my son. And now, I’ll lose this new child growing inside me before it even has a chance.
My mind flashes back to that night months ago, the night everything changed. It was late, the city lights glowing outside Reo’s penthouse. He had sweet-talked me, pulling me in with that smooth, velvety voice of his, the same voice that could make me forget my own name if I wasn’t careful.
“I’m not like other men, Jennie,” he had whispered as his lips brushed against my ear, and his hand trailed down my arm in a way that sent shivers down my spine. “You’ll never meet anyone like me.”
I had believed him. In that moment, under the haze of his touch, I had fallen for every word. He had kissed me, and all the walls I had built around myself crumbled. I remember the way he looked at me that night, like I was the only thing that mattered. His hands on my skin, his breath hot against my neck as he murmured things that made me feel wanted—needed, even.
But it was all a lie.
He had taken what he wanted, just like he always does. And now? Now I’m nothing more than a piece in his board game. A placeholder in a life that revolves around him and his empire.
“I can’t…” I whisper. “I can’t keep doing this.”
Reo raises an eyebrow. “You don’t have a choice, O’Neal. You never did, and never will.”
I feel the tears sting my eyes, but I won’t let them fall. Not in front of him. I won’t give him that satisfaction.
His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he pulls it out, glancing at the screen before turning back to me. “We’ll talk more later. For now, remember what I said. Play your part, or lose everything.”
And just like that, he’s gone. I stand there, staring at the empty space where he’d stood, my heart pounding in my chest. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.
I sit back down on the bed, my hands shaking. My thoughts are spinning, my heart racing, and the pressure of everything feels like it’s going to crush me. And now, on top of all of it, I have this new life growing inside me. A secret I have to keep, at least for now.
The phone rings, breaking the silence. I almost don’t answer it, but when I see the name on the screen, my heart skips a beat. It’s Ava. We haven’t spoken in years, not since we worked together back in my PR days. Ava used to be my closest friend—the one person who knew me before all of this mess.
I hesitate for a moment, then pick up.
“Ava? Oh my God, is that you?” My voice wavers. The familiar name brings a wave of old memories with it.
“Hey, Jennie,” Ava’s voice is soft but urgent, like she’s been waiting to make this call. “It’s been a while, huh? I’ve been keeping tabs, though.”
I manage a weak laugh. “Yeah… life’s been a little crazy.”
“Crazy doesn’t even begin to cover it,” she says, and her tone shifts to something darker. “Listen, I didn’t call just to catch up. I’ve been hearing things. Things about Reo.”
I tense, gripping the phone tighter. “What kind of things?”
There’s a pause, and I can almost hear her choosing her words carefully. “Jennie, I’m offering you a way out. I’ve got a place you can come to, lay low for a while. But… I need your help. There’s a price.”
“A price?” I swallow, feeling the fear settle in. “What do you mean?”
She sighs. There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and I know whatever this is, it’s big. Life-changing.
“I need you to testify against Reo. I need you to expose everything.”
My heart skips a beat. “Testify? For what?”
Ava pauses again, and I know whatever she’s about to say is going to change everything. “Jennie, Reo’s done things. He’s crossed people, taken things that weren’t his to take. It’s not just about you and Leo. He screwed over my family. My brother. I need you to stand up to him.”
I blink, her words hitting me like a dumbbell. “What? Your brother? What happened?”
“I’ll explain everything when we meet, but you have to trust me on this,” Ava says in a serious tone. “Reo’s not just a businessman. He’s dangerous, Jennie. More dangerous than you know.”
Her words send a shiver down my spine. I glance at the door, half-expecting Reo to barge in at any moment. I don’t know if I can do this. Testify against Reo? It feels like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, and one wrong move could send me plummeting.
“Ava, I need time,” I whisper.
“There’s no time, Jennie. You need to decide. Soon.”
The call ends, leaving me in the suffocating silence of the mansion.
The words hang in the air. Testifying against Reo… that would destroy him. But it would also destroy me. Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve sacrificed—it could all come crashing down. But what other choice do I have?
I close my eyes, the decision pressing down on me. Whatever I choose, there’s no going back.