Chapter 51 Isolation
And Ben God, Ben. The fake husband whose ring still sat cold on my finger like a lie I couldn't shed. Ending the marriage now would unleash him: exposures, scandals, my family's lifeline severed. Mom's texts from the hospital haunted me. “Feeling better today, love. Miss you.” She was too sick for visitors, too fragile for truth. If Ben found out I was pregnant by his stepfather... the thought made bile rise, hot and sour. He'd destroy us all for spite. But staying? Pretending? With a baby growing, how long could I hide the nausea, the hunger, the changes?
I paced the room, the rug soft under my feet, the distant creak of the cabin settling like a sigh. Keep the baby or not? The question looped endlessly, tearing at me. Abortion flashed, clinical, final, but my hand drifted to my stomach unbidden, fingers splaying over the flat plane where life sparked. No. I couldn't. But raising it alone? If Alexander rejected it? Terror gripped me, cold and clammy, making my skin prickle. He had the money to take care of us, as he'd said, make the problems vanish. But money couldn't buy away the whispers, the judgments. What would people think? Stepfather seduces son's wife, knocks her up. The scandal would torch Alexander's empire, his pack's respect. I couldn't be the one to light the match.
A knock at the door jolted me,sharp, insistent.
"Maddie?" Ben's voice, muffled through the wood. "You okay in there? Haven't seen you all day."
I froze, glancing at the test strip. Shoved it under a pillow. "I'm fine," I called, voice tighter than I intended. "Just studying. Finals in two months. And... not feeling great."
The knob rattled. "Open up. Let's talk."
"No." I cracked the door just enough to see his face, framed in the gap, eyes searching, suspicious. The hallway air wafted in, carrying the faint scent of his cologne, cloying, spicy. "I need space, Ben. Please."
He frowned, leaning closer. "This isn't like you. Hiding away. If something's wrong…"
"It's not." I forced a weak smile. "Just a bug. I'll be down tomorrow."
He lingered, eyes narrowing, but finally nodded. "Alright. Get better."
The door clicked shut. I leaned against it, exhaling shakily. Avoiding them was cowardly, I knew, hiding from Alexander's concerned glances, Ben's probing stares. But talking meant risking cracks, spilling secrets I wasn't ready to share.
Another knock, later, softer.
"Maddie?" Alexander this time, voice low and warm, sending a flutter through the bond.
I cracked the door again, heart twisting at the sight of him, hair tousled, sweater hugging his frame, eyes dark with worry. "Hey."
"You alright?" His hand rested on the frame, close enough I could feel his warmth through the gap.
"Studying," I lied. "Finals soon. And... not feeling well. Headache."
He searched my face, the bond pulsing with his intuition, he knew I was hiding something. "If you need anything…"
"I'm good." I smiled, thin and unconvincing. "Thanks."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Rest."
The door closed. I slid down it, back to the wood, knees to my chest. Confused didn't cover it. Trapped. The baby, a secret spark, terrified me. Keep it? Raise it in this web of lies? Or not, and live with the what-ifs forever? Alexander's face flashed, strong, protective. What if he wanted this? But what if he didn't? The pack, the company, and kids might not fit his world. And Ben... God, Ben. Dangerous, vindictive. Ending the marriage now would unleash him, but staying meant hiding a pregnancy under his nose.
I checked the test again, lines stark, unchanging. Positive. My hand pressed to my stomach, flat, innocent. But inside, life. Excitement whispered: A family. Yours. But fear screamed louder.
By evening, hunger gnawed again, sharp, unrelenting. I slipped downstairs when the house quieted, the stairs creaking under my weight. The kitchen light hummed on, revealing leftovers: chicken, bread, fruit. I ate quickly, standing, the flavors exploding on my tongue, salty, sweet, satisfying in a way food never had before. Pregnant cravings? The thought made me pause, fork halfway to my mouth.
Back in my room, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling beams shadowed in the dark. The wind sighed outside, branches scraping like fingers on glass. I decided then: when we returned to the estate, I'd ask Alexander casual, indirectly. His thoughts on marriage, on kids. Slip it in conversation, gauge his reaction without suspicion. Then... decide if I will tell him about the pregnancy or not.
Sleep came eventually, fitful and dream-haunted.
The cabin's quiet, for now.
But secrets had a way of breaking free.