Chapter 17

The next morning, Clara brought me breakfast in bed, just like she always did. I had apologized for my behavior the day before, blaming it on a mood swing, and thankfully, she understood. Clara was back to being her usual, cheery self, which was a relief.

After she left, I called my mom. Hearing her voice brought me a sense of comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. Her happiness was one of the few things keeping me going at the moment. But as soon as I hung up, a wave of guilt washed over me. Would I ever tell her the truth about what I had done? I knew she’d be disappointed, but I hoped that, if I ever decided to confess, she’d understand that I felt like I had no other choice.

But did I? A nagging voice in my head questioned, and I felt the familiar knot of guilt in my stomach. I shook my head, forcing the thoughts away as I picked out a dress for the beach.

By noon, I had slipped into a loose, flowing gown that caught in the wind as we made our way down to the beach. The gentle tug of the wind against the fabric reassured me that I had made the right choice.

“Like it here?” Leornard asked as we stopped at the two white deck chairs he had set up. They were shaded by a large umbrella, and a pair of drinks waited for us on a small table between them.

“I do,” I admitted, glancing at him. For the first time, he wasn’t dressed in his usual suit. He looked more relaxed in casual clothes, and it suited him.

I sat down, gazing out at the clear blue water, listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves as they lapped against the shore. The stillness of the moment was surprisingly peaceful. It was so different from the chaos of my mind.

“Here,” Leornard handed me a glass. “Totally healthy,” he added with a small smile. I smiled back and took a sip, but just as I did, the baby kicked, and I nearly choked.

“Are you okay?” Leornard was already by my side, concern in his eyes.

I hesitated, biting my lip. Without thinking, I reached for his hand and placed it on my stomach. His brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, but then, when the baby kicked again, his entire expression changed. There was a softness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before, something almost like happiness.

Then he did something that completely took me by surprise. He leaned down and gently kissed my stomach.

I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away. This was such an unexpected moment. For the first time, I saw a side of Leornard I never knew existed. A side I wasn’t prepared to face.

“Hi, baby,” he whispered, his voice so tender that it broke my heart.

I cupped my mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. This was never supposed to happen. This wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to be detached, simply carrying the baby, and when the time came, I’d go back to my life. Why was he making this so much more complicated?

I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks before he could see them.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice soft and genuine. The simple words made my heart ache.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. There were so many things I wanted to ask him, so many questions about why he wanted this baby. But I kept quiet. Now wasn’t the time.

“Can we go somewhere else? Somewhere with more people?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Sure, if you want,” Leornard replied, helping me up. We started walking down the beach in silence, the soft sand shifting beneath our feet. Every now and then, I felt his eyes on me, but I didn’t acknowledge it.

Eventually, we reached a busier part of the beach, where people were laughing, playing, and enjoying the sun. It was a relief to be surrounded by other people, to feel like I wasn’t alone with Leornard and the confusing emotions he stirred in me.

“Omg! Can I take a picture of you?” A young girl with a camera suddenly appeared in front of me, her excitement almost palpable.

I blinked in surprise and glanced behind me, assuming she was talking to someone else, but there was no one there.

“Please?” she asked again, her eyes wide with hope. I turned to Leornard, unsure of what to do, but he just nodded.

Feeling awkward, I stood still, not knowing how to pose. The girl directed us, moving Leornard closer to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and I froze at the unexpected contact, fighting the urge to pull away.

She snapped the photo, then smiled brightly at us. “Your wife is beautiful,” she said to Leornard before running off.

I stared at him, wide-eyed, but he just smiled. Of course, to anyone else, it would look like we were a couple, me, visibly pregnant, walking beside him.

“I’d like to go home now,” I said, feeling overwhelmed.

“I hope you had fun,” he asked as we headed back.

“Not as much as you did,” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “I never knew you could smile so much.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Eva.”

“Of course, like the reason you want this baby,” I said, a bit more sharply than I intended.

He went silent, just as I expected. I knew he wasn’t going to answer.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I told him honestly. “I doubt this was in the contract.”

“Did you even read it?” he asked, his tone suddenly serious.

“No, but...”

“I just want to be there for my child, Miss Eva.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure, Mr. Leonard.”

When we returned to the house, Clara greeted me with lunch, but Leornard disappeared somewhere. I ate in silence, but Clara’s presence next to me brought back her comment from the day before.

“About yesterday,” I started, and Clara looked up from her phone. “What did you mean by that?”

She sighed, putting her phone down. “In all my five years of working for Mr. Leornard, I’ve never seen him bring a girl home. He’s always been so distant. Mysterious, even.”

I frowned. “But the way he looked at you…” she paused, as if searching for the right words. “It was different.”

“Clara, you’ve never seen him with anyone else, so how can you say that?” I tried to brush her off.

“I haven’t, but I know that look,” she said softly.

My heart started pounding. “Well, I don’t think so, and besides, I have a boyfriend.”

“I hope you remember that,” she muttered under her breath.

“Excuse me?” I asked, bewildered.

“I saw the way you looked at him too,” she said, her voice steady, but her words shook me to my core.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

“I don’t know, Eva. You tell me.”

“I love Kelvin,” I fired back.

“Then why haven’t you told him the truth?” she asked, hitting a nerve.

“I know nothing about Leornard, so why should I tell him anything about me?” I snapped, rising from my seat. “And who the hell do you think you are to lecture me?”

Clara flinched at my harsh tone. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her head bowed.

“You should be,” I said coldly. “You have no right to talk to me like that. You’re just my maid.”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth, and though I saw the hurt in her eyes, I didn’t feel the guilt I knew I should. I was too hurt, too angry, to care. With one final glance at her tear-streaked face, I stormed upstairs to my room.