The shrill ringing of her brand new cell phone was a din in the silent bedroom. Hours ago, she had already called in sick to the office.

Darn! She groaned. Only one person could be calling at this hour.

Tugging on the wooden beautifully-crafted bedpost, Sherry struggled to pull herself up and grab the source of the disturbance.

“Sherry?”

“Anders. What’s up?” A weary voice responded to Anders over the other side of the phone.

“I heard from Madam Myers you called in sick this morning. Are you okay?”

“I have a massive headache. Some rest will do me good,” she struggled to answer him. She had barely completed her sentence when nausea caught her off guard again. With her cell phone still in her hand, she dashed to the toilet and vomited hard.

The familiar scent of cologne, which was now unbearable to Sherry, allowed her to realise she wasn’t alone in the bathroom. Her cell phone dropped from her trembling hands onto the dry floor of the bathroom.

“Anders? What are you doing here?”

“Sherry, I had no idea you were that sick.”

Uhuh. Still pushing out some vomit, Sherry’s face was a sickly green.

“I just came back to get some documents for the meeting this afternoon. I thought I would check up on you as well.”

Her head was spinning terribly. She couldn’t focus on a single word that he was saying. Unable to answer him with dizziness, she just nodded.

Anders picked Sherry up and carried her bridal style out of the bathroom. Grabbing the jacket on the desk, he slung it over her nightdress-covered body, continuing to walk down the corridor of the mansion towards the main hall.

“Where… are we going?”

“I’ll get you to a doctor.”

“I just need a rest… I’ll be fine. I’m sorry… about being irresponsible with my job…” she was toiling to get her words out so severely that she made him feel concerned about Sherry.

He walked over and laid her tenderly in a reclining position on the sofa.

“Then I’ll accompany you at home. Or I’ll get Dr Mel to come over.”

“I need to get something in the fridge.” She struggled to pull herself up.

“I’ll get it for you.” He was gone before she could stop him. In an instant, he returned with the red-marked bottle, which only she knew of its contents.

“This?”

How did he know? Nevertheless, she sat up straight and swallowed a mouthful of the liquid he poured into a spoon.

“Thanks, Anders.”

“Do you want to have something?”

She was craving soft-boiled eggs, but she knew it was terrible for her. Saltine crackers, as the midwife had suggested, would help with her nausea.

“Milo with some crackers will do,” she mouthed.

He was back in an instant. Anders couldn’t wait for the maids to get Sherry what she needed. He knew how vital Sherry was to him, even if she didn’t understand her position in his heart.

“Thanks,” she dipped the crackers in her drink. By now, she was already feeling a lot better. As she was eating, Anders was preoccupied with swiping windows and tapping on his phone furiously. Speed-typing at its finest.

“I’ve cancelled my meetings for this afternoon and tomorrow morning. You need to have proper rest, Sherry.”

“I’m better, Anders. It’s just-”

She refrained from saying a further word to reveal the secret she had been hiding all this while, ever since she discovered that she was carrying his flesh and blood.

“... I know, Sherry.”

“What?” her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.

“When were you planning to tell me, Sherry? I’m not an idiot.”

She looked at him, horrified by what he had just said.

“Are you going to break our contract?”

“Sherry, is that what you think? Do you still think it’s still about the contract?”

She was speechless, confused at what he would say next.