Chapter 6 A Discovery
Richard let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “The father to your baby, Rebecca. You’re pregnant. Is it Liam's?”
Rebecca stared at Richard in shock as his words sank in. Pregnant? Had she heard him well?
“I’m pregnant?” she repeated in shock.
“Yes, Becca. The doctor confirmed it. Here, you can check the results for yourself,” Vanessa chirped in even though she was boiling with anger.
Rebecca eyed her and took the test result Vanessa was handing her. Immediately her eyes fell on the positive result, her heart skipped a beat.
No! She couldn't be pregnant, she thought, desperately trying to detach the IV drip connected to her arm. How could this be happening?
"You are yet to answer my question, Rebecca! Who is the father of the baby? Is Liam responsible? How can you break off your engagement if you knew you were pregnant? What do you want people to say knowing you got pregnant out of wedlock?" Richard asked, with a mix of anger and disappointment in his voice.
But Rebecca wasn't hearing anything he was saying as all she could think about was leaving this place.
How could she be expecting now, especially with a stranger, someone she'd met by accident and would likely never see again? How could she possibly bring a child into her world at this time?
With her thoughts spiraling out of control, she stood up from the bed without turning around, even when Richard began to call her name, she just headed for the door.
She needed space to think, and her so-called family wasn't helping. Stumbling out of the hospital, she was barely aware of how she ended up in a cab or what address she had given the driver. All she could think about was getting as far away from the hospital and the hypocrites who claimed to be her family.
Back at the hospital, Richard stood for a long time, staring at the empty doorway through which Rebecca had just disappeared. The air around him crackled with frustration, confusion, and disappointment.
He was supposed to be taking care of Rebecca, but how could he do that if she wouldn't confide in him? He ran a hand down his face, feeling the weight of the situation.
“What the hell is going on with that girl?” he muttered under his breath again. “She needs to explain herself. I’m going after her.”
But before he could make a move, Vanessa’s hand gripped his arm, stopping him.
“Uncle Richard, wait,” she said, feigning concern.
Richard turned to her, visibly seething. “She shouldn’t be walking around alone right now. Not in her condition,” he insisted. He cared deeply for his niece, and now that she had no one else, it was his responsibility to be there for her.
Vanessa’s expression was a convincing mask of concern; wide eyes, a trembling lip, her hand lightly patting his forearm. Anyone else would have believed she genuinely cared. But inside, she was boiling. How could Liam be so stupid as to impregnate Rebecca?
“Just… give her some space,” she insisted softly. “She’s probably overwhelmed, Uncle. With everything she’s going through…”
Richard sighed, knowing she might have a point. “Maybe pushing her too much will only make things worse.”
“Exactly,” Vanessa agreed, forcing a reassuring smile. “She’ll come around after sometime”
Once Richard walked away, her sweet facade crumbled. She glared at the vacant room, anger bubbling up inside her. She needed answers, and she needed them now.
Frantically, she pulled out her phone and dialed Liam’s number with trembling fingers.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Hey babe, missing me already?” Liam greeted cheerfully as soon as the line connected.
“Don’t ‘babe’ me!” Vanessa spat back, her voice laced with fury. “Are you out of your damn mind?”
“What? Vanessa, what are you talking about? Why are you speaking to me in that tone?” Liam asked, shocked; this was a first. Vanessa had never raised her voice at him before.
“She’s pregnant, you idiot!” Vanessa snapped. “Rebecca is pregnant! And you dare act clueless? After everything we’ve planned? Tell me you didn’t get her pregnant! Tell me you didn’t ruin everything!”
A thick, stunned silence fell over the line. Finally, Liam’s confused voice broke through. “Rebecca pregnant for me?”
“Yes, you or should she be pregnant with my child?” Vanessa asked irritably.
“That’s not possible.”
“Don’t lie to me, Liam! What do you mean not possible? Haven't you been sleeping with her, too?”
“I know we've been having sex but that child is not mine! It can't be!” Liam shot back defensively, his tone rising. “How could she be pregnant when we haven’t even touched each other in almost a month? And even before that, I always used protection. Always. You know that!”
Vanessa froze, recalling how before now, Rebecca had told her Liam had asked they stopped having sex until their wedding. That he'd wanted to unveil her on their wedding night.
“Then…” she whispered. “Then she’s really pregnant… with someone else’s child? Does that mean she really cheated on you? Rebecca would dare cheat?”
Liam scoffed, his irritation evident. “Isn’t it obvious enough? I'm sure she'd gone to see him on the night your parents died. Why else would she return with a man's cologne on her?”
Vanessa’s shock melted into a slow, wicked smile. “Wow! This is a discovery. Innocent Rebecca, a cheat!” she said happily.
This was better than she had expected. Not only was Rebecca pregnant, but she had cheated on Liam whom everyone had known was her man. This was leverage, and if used properly could help her achieve her goal. Vanessa thought with a smirk.
“What are you thinking of doing?” Liam asked after a moment of silence on Vanessa’s end.
"I have a better plan, a much better plan," she replied with a small smile. They talked for a little while longer before Vanessa ended the call.
She was going to kill two birds with one stone, she mused as she placed her phone back in her bag and walked out of the hospital.
When she got home, Vanessa’s heels clicked against the polished marble floor as she entered. She was already rehearsing the perfect performance of how she's going to play the sweet sister role she had mastered so well, with tears in her eyes and worry in her voice.
But when she reached the landing of the staircase, she paused. Rebecca’s room door was shut. She was home? Shouldn't she be with the father of her child now?
Vanessa blinked, then smoothed her hair, straightened her blouse, and walked down the hall. She paused outside Rebecca’s door and knocked lightly.
“Becca?” she called with feigned softness. “Sweetheart, are you okay? Can I come in?”
When she didn't get a response, she knocked again, louder this time. “Rebecca? Please open the door. I’m worried.”
Rebecca heard Vanessa's call but kept mute. She didn't want to talk to anyone now, especially that pretentious sister of hers.
Vanessa struggled to contain her joy when Rebecca still didn't open the door but she knew she couldn't just leave yet. She was definitely enjoying the whole drama and to make her care even more real, she called out again.
“Sis, please speak up at least once. Hope you aren't doing anything stupid in there. Please, don't hurt yourself. I'm here for you and we’re going to go through this phrase together. We just lost mum and Dad and I don't want to lose you too. We are all we've got in this world——”
She was still saying when the door swung open sharply. Rebecca stood face to face with Vanessa, her eyes blazing, and her anger radiating like heat.