Chapter 217 Two sides of a coin

Chapter 217 Two sides of a coin
~Miranda’s POV~

Five months had gone by, and my body felt strange to me. My belly was big and heavy, stretching all my dresses. Some mornings, I looked in the mirror and wondered how I got here pregnant, alone, and not even sure who the father was. The news didn’t help.

“Supermodel pregnant who is the secret father?”my face was on every gossip blog.

That story had been everywhere for weeks. My phone was full of calls from reporters and people I hadn’t talked to in years. I stopped answering most of them. Even my dad called.

“You’ve embarrassed this family,” he said coldly. “First the scandals, now this? You couldn’t even keep your legs closed ?

I didn’t respond. I just hung up and cried in the shower until the water turned cold. Julian had also stopped answering my calls. After his video went viral, he became distant. When he did pick up, he sounded tired and angry. The last time I tried to talk about the baby, he snapped at me to stop calling. Since then, it had been silent.

I was sitting on my couch, rubbing my swollen belly, when I heard a knock on the door which brought me back to reality I wasn’t expecting anyone. I slowly got up, supporting my back as I walked to the door. My feet were swollen, and every step felt heavy. When I opened it, Paul stood there with a small smile.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I brought food. Thought you might need it.”

I laughed a little, even though I didn’t feel like it. “You always show up at the right time,” I said, letting him in.

Paul set the food on the small dining table and looked at me, his eyes softening when he saw my belly. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Tired. Heavy. Scared,” I admitted. “Pick one.”

He smiled a bit. “All of the above then.”

We sat down and ate in comfortable silence. The food was warm and simple rice and stew but it tasted better than anything I had cooked in weeks. Paul kept glancing at me like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start.

Finally, he spoke. “I met someone.”

I looked up, surprised. “Really? Who?”

“His name is Silas,” Paul said, and for the first time in a long while, I saw him smile genuinely. “He works with Chard. We met a few weeks ago, and… things just happened. He’s different. Kind. A little intense, but in a good way.”

I watched him talk, and even though my life felt like it was falling apart, I felt happy for him. “I’m glad,” I said. “You deserve someone good, Paul. After everything you’ve done for me, you deserve to be happy too.”

Paul reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “You deserve to be happy too, Miranda,” he said quietly. “Even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.”

I looked down at my plate, suddenly losing my appetite. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get there,” I admitted. “I’m carrying a child I might have to raise alone. My dad hates me. Julian won’t even talk to me. And Victor…” I shook my head. “I don’t even know what he’ll say when I tell him.”

Paul was quiet for a moment. “Do you want to go see him?” he asked.

I looked up. “I think I need to,” I said. “I need to tell him. Even if he reacts badly. I can’t keep this secret.”

Paul nodded. “Then I’ll go with you.”

The prison felt colder than the last time I was there. I walked through the familiar hallways with Paul beside me, my hand on my belly. Every step felt heavy. When we reached the visitation room, I sat down and waited, my heart racing.

Victor was brought in a few minutes later. He looked at me through the glass, his eyes dropping to my stomach. For a moment, hope flickered across his face, but it disappeared quickly.

I picked up the phone. “I’m pregnant,” I said, getting straight to the point. “It’s been hard, Victor. Really hard. I’ve been sick, scared, and alone. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Victor stared at me for a long moment, then let out a cold laugh. “What makes you think that bastard is my child?” he asked sharply.

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. “Victor—”

“No,” he cut me off, leaning closer to the glass. “You come in here with that belly and expect me to believe it’s mine? After everything you did? After you slept with someone else while I was in here?”

His voice rose, and I could see the anger on his face. “You really think I’m stupid, Miranda? You think I don’t know what you were doing behind my back? You open your legs for anyone who gives you attention, and now you want me to claim some bastard child?”

Tears burned in my eyes, but I held them back. “I came here to be honest with you,” I said, my voice shaking. “I didn’t have to come. I could have kept this to myself. But I thought you deserved to know.”

Victor slammed his hand against the glass, making me flinch. “Get out,” he growled. “I don’t want to see you again. And if that child isn’t mine, don’t you ever bring it near me.”

I stood up slowly, my hands shaking. “I hope you rot in here,” I whispered. Then I turned and walked out.

Paul was waiting for me outside. When he saw my face, he knew something was wrong. “What happened?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. The stress, anger, and fear all hit me at once. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen, so intense that I doubled over.

“Miranda?” Paul’s voice sounded far away.

Another contraction hit, stronger this time. I grabbed his arm as the pain ripped through me. “I think… I think the baby’s coming,” I managed to say between breaths.

Paul’s eyes widened. “We need to get you to the hospital. Now.”

Everything after that became a blur of pain and movement. I was rushed into a car, then into the hospital. The lights were too bright, and the voices were too loud. I felt my body fighting against me as the contractions came faster and harder.

Hours later, after what felt like an eternity of pain, I heard a cry. A baby boy. I was too exhausted to lift my head, but I heard the doctor’s voice clearly. “Order a DNA test,” he said. “We need to confirm paternity.”

I closed my eyes as tears slipped down my face. It was over. But the real questions were just beginning.