Chapter 1
SETTING: CALIFORNIA
LOCATION: LOS ANGELES
TIME: 10 a.m.
Michelle folded the paper in her left hand, her heart squeezing as she placed her right hand on her stomach, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. The doctor’s words ring in her ear repeatedly.
"You are bleeding internally due to the stress you put yourself through. Since you have just a few months to deliver, I would advise you to come to the hospital as soon as possible!"
"We need to admit you, otherwise, the children may not survive."
Instinctively, she clutched her belly and let the tears fall. A mother's greatest pain is losing her child and yet, she had just been given the sad news that she might lose not just one, but the two innocent souls growing inside her.
She would have asked them to admit her at once, but she had no free will of her own. Her husband Jordan Bennett needs to permit her to be admitted, hence her troubled heart. Michelle got up from the chair she was sitting on and walked out of the hospital, still clutching the result of the test in her hand.
Her heart felt heavy as she made her way to the car waiting for her just outside the hospital door, she slid in and solemnly sat in the back seat as the driver brought her home. This was her and Jordan's children, and now that she was going to be admitted to the hospital to protect their babies, she decided to put aside her fears and let Jordan know about her condition.
The driver pulls into the Bennett estate, and from where she sat at the back of the car. Michelle could see the perimeter wall that surrounds the mansion behind it, great artistic imprint bedecks it giving it a brilliant look. The golden gate holding each opposite end of the wall together slid open and they drove through it, the guards bowing as her car steadily move past them.
Michelle always loves to stare at the beautiful green grassy lawn that spreads out on both sides of the wall, leading up to the fountain in the middle of the large grounds, but today, she couldn’t bring herself to bask in the beauty of the lawn or that of the colourful flowers in the garden.
Anyone could easily find the estate since the Bennetts is known as the wealthiest people in all of California, they control chains of companies that were passed down from their forefathers. The Bennetts owns almost half of California, and the neighbourhood she lives in with her husband is called the Bennett estate.
The sudden splash from the fountain brought her attention to the present just as the driver brought the car to a halt in the multi-car garage. He stepped out and quickly pull the door open for her, and she thanked him as she came down. Michelle looked around and her gaze fell on Jordan’s new slick Roll-Royce.
“He must be home,” she mumbled as the sound of her heel tapping on the marble floor filled her ears.
The mansion was very close to Jordan’s company, so he chooses to live there instead of his other more expensive mansions. Due to how late his work used to be, he would be very tired and require that no one wakes him up the next day.
Last night, Jordan seems to have worked into the late hours again, he may not have gotten up yet and Michelle didn’t want to incur his wrath by waking him.
"Welcome home Mrs Bennett," their butler, Mr Sam greeted her, and she nod her head, acknowledging his greeting before making her way to Jordan’s room.
She hesitated for a moment when she got to the door, she was always afraid that she would appear in front of Jordan at an inopportune time. She loves Jordan, but she knew he does not have her in his heart, and the reason why they had gotten married in the first place is only because she is pregnant.
Not wanting Jordan to be angry at her, she turn around to leave but when she remembered her babies life are in danger, she bit her lower lip, touched her stomach, and reached for the door.
The door clicks open and the first thing she notices once she stepped into the room was the mess on the floor. Her steps slowed and she looked around to be sure she is not mistaking it. It wasn't a mistake nor was she imagining it, right there, scattered on the floor was a woman's clothing. The door of the bathroom was not completely closed, and from the tiny space, she could vaguely see someone inside.
She strained her eyes and could make out the silhouette of a woman.
What is a woman doing in her husband's room? And his bathroom of all places.
In an instant, her face turned miserable, and her heart tighten. Not knowing where the courage came from, she walked toward the bathroom and just as she made to open the door, the woman came out.
Michelle’s eyes trail over the woman’s wet hair that indicates she just finished showering, down to the bathrobe that she draped over her petite body. She snapped her gaze to the woman’s face, ready to bark her head off when she felt air knocked out of her lung.
Her leg felt weak and unstable immediately. It couldn’t be… how could Sheila be here?
Jordan had never allowed outsiders into his room, and he didn't like anyone touching anything that belongs to him. Even Michelle, as his wife, had never even dare to come into his room not to talk of touching anything in it, but right this moment, her stepsister is wearing Jordan's bathrobe.
"You didn't come at the right time, Jordan was just taking a bath." Sheila's tone was provocative.
Michelle stared at her stepsister, her eyes were full of blood, and the feeling of anger made her almost lose her mind. She felt a sudden urge to step forward and strangle the woman in front of her, but Sheila didn’t even look at her.
She stepped away from Michelle and went to the couch. "Honey, did your bathrobe fall on the couch?" As Sheila spoke, she bend to pick up the white bathrobe from the couch and headed toward the bathroom. Again.
Michelle couldn't bear it any longer, she rushed directly to stand in front of Sheila and grabbed her wrist.
"This is my husband's room you bitch, get out now!" she yelled, trying to get the bathrobe from her.
"Ah... What are you doing?” Sheila screamed.
Before she could open her mouth to say another word, Michelle pressed her to the ground, forcibly pulled down the robe in her hand, and then went on to take off the bathrobe on Sheila with the other hand.
It was Jordan’s bathrobe, her husband's bathrobe, how could this bitch dare to wear it? Her stepsister for that matter.
"Ah, you crazy woman!" Sheila screamed and grabbed Michelle’s hair, she raised her knee and hit her stomach.
Michelle suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach and her body went soft!