The Love Has Expired

“I have already told her that we are breaking up and that you are the only one I love from now on, so don’t listen to her nonsense. Now that I have married you, I will not be involved with any other woman.”

I sneered to myself. The reason Cecil was so bold in the first place was because Cade spoiled her.

I put a hand over his mouth. “My dear, we are now husband and wife. I have your back no matter what. I will not let anyone badmouth you, and even if the one you love is your childhood sweetheart instead of me, I…”

I teared up at this point.

Cade gently embraced me. “Don't worry, I will not mistreat you. I know that your feelings for me are genuine.”

As Mia Lynott, I was blessed with beauty and wit, enough to charm all of the young men from the upper class of Somara. I knew how to use my appearance to get sympathy, and just as I expected, Cade was quick to respond to my grievances.

While he took me into his arms and started to whisper sweet nothings to me, his phone rang.

It was Cecil crying for help. “Cade, my stomach hurts. Help me.”

Just as I expected, the troublemaker was here again. Cade’s expression fell immediately.

When he gave me a wry look, I set aside my wineglass and prompted him gently, “Go on and see her just in case it’s something serious. Just make sure that the housemaids keep quiet about this. We don’t want anyone hearing about you slipping away to see another woman on your wedding night.”

A thought suddenly came to Cade upon hearing this. He dismissed Cecil on the phone, “Go to a doctor if you have a stomach ache. I'm not a doctor. What do you expect me to do?”

Then, he hung up on her before hugging me again. “Don't worry, my dear. Today is our wedding night and I'm not going anywhere. I’m going to be with you.”

I snuggled into his arms.

The next day, we went to see his parents.

When I walked into the courtyard, I saw Cecil who was punished with having to stand in the courtyard. Cade seemed to take pity on her the moment he met her.

Cecil turned up to him with tears in his eyes and apologized, “Cade, I didn't mean it yesterday.”

Cade turned to his mother. “Mom, what is this about?”

My mother-in-law set aside the teacup before stating, “When her parents passed away and she had no one to take care of her, I decided to take her in out of pity. I didn’t give her a proper education and a roof over her head just so she could turn around and soil our family’s reputation! How could she cause such a scene on your wedding night and put my daughter-in-law in such a difficult spot?

“Do you know the entire city has heard about what happened yesterday? Have you thought about what you are going to say to Mia’s father when you meet him?

“I knew I had to put this brat in her place before she starts getting ahead of herself and thinking that she can bend us to her will. What a fool!”

Cade's expression sank. Everyone in Somara knew how much my father spoiled me and that he would not take the incident last night very kindly. Now that Cade managed to marry me, he knew he was toeing a fine line.

At this point, Cecil suddenly doubled over and started dry retching.

Cade grew frantic. “Cecil, what's wrong? Hurry up and call a doctor!”

Cecil collapsed into his arms with the color drained from her face and started to whimper, “Cade, I feel so awful. Am I going to die?”

Cade embraced her tightly. “Don’t be silly, I'm here with you. I won't let anything happen to you.”

Soon, the doctor showed up. Upon inspecting her condition, he announced brightly, “Congratulations, you are two months pregnant.”

As expected.

A pregnancy would usually be something worth celebrating, but not in this particular case. Cade had just gotten married and his past lover had gotten pregnant—something most upper class families would never permit to happen.

Cecil squirmed shyly and hardly paid attention to Cade and his mother’s reactions. All she did was put a hand over her belly and turn to Cade. “Cade, it’s our baby.”