Chapter 9 - THE SECRET INSIDE THE SECOND WIFE'S WOMBMaryjane stood inside the luxurious bedroom Chief Benedict had prepared for her.
Everything was expensive.
The bed was enormous.
The curtains had been imported from Italy.
The dressing table was covered with perfumes and jewelry.
Yet she felt trapped.
Her phone rang again.
She looked at the screen.
Daniel.
She rejected the call.
Almost immediately, a message arrived.
You cannot keep avoiding me. We need to talk before the baby comes.
Maryjane sank onto the bed.
For months, she had convinced herself that marrying Chief Benedict was the smartest decision of her life.
She had grown up with very little money.
Her father died when she was sixteen, and her mother struggled to raise four children.
Maryjane had worked in a clothing store, saved what she could, and dreamed of owning a business.
Then she met Daniel.
He was charming, handsome, and ambitious.
They became engaged.
But Daniel's business failed, and their relationship deteriorated under the weight of debt and constant arguments.
When Maryjane discovered she was pregnant, Daniel insisted they would manage somehow.
She didn't believe him.
She was tired of struggling.
Then Chief Benedict entered her life.
He was wealthy, generous, and desperate for a son.
Maryjane saw an escape.
At first, she told herself she was simply choosing a more secure future.
But one lie led to another.
She concealed the possibility that Daniel was the baby's father.
She allowed Benedict to believe the pregnancy was his.
And when he proudly announced that she was carrying a boy, she didn't correct him.
Now those lies were becoming impossible to control.
The ultrasound she had received two weeks earlier suggested the baby was a girl.
Maryjane had cried all the way home.
Not because she didn't want a daughter.
Because she knew how Benedict treated daughters.
She had watched him insult Rita.
She had seen him strike his own child.
And she was beginning to fear the same thing would happen to her baby.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in."
Chief Benedict entered.
Maryjane quickly wiped her eyes.
"Darling."
He smiled.
"How is my son today?"
She forced a smile.
"He's active."
Benedict placed his hand on her stomach.
"Strong boy."
Maryjane looked away.
He noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You've been distracted lately."
"I'm just tired."
He sat beside her.
"Well, I have good news. My lawyers are preparing a trust for the baby."
Maryjane's heart raced.
"Really?"
"Yes. But they'll need the proper documents after the birth."
She swallowed.
"What documents?"
"Birth registration, confirmation of parentage where appropriate, all the usual legal requirements."
Maryjane felt cold.
"Confirmation of parentage?"
Chief Benedict laughed.
"Don't look so frightened. I'm simply protecting my family and my businesses."
She tried to smile.
"Of course."
He kissed her forehead and left for a meeting.
The moment the door closed, Maryjane burst into tears.
For the first time, she understood that she had placed her unborn child inside a dangerous bargain.
That afternoon, she secretly left the mansion.
She asked the driver to take her to a shopping center, then dismissed him.
From there, she took a taxi to a small restaurant where Daniel was waiting.
He stood when she entered.
"Maryjane."
She avoided his eyes.
"Don't make a scene."
Daniel looked at her stomach.
"You're almost due."
"I know."
"Have you told him?"
"No."
Daniel sat slowly.
"Maryjane, we need to find out whether this baby is mine."
She folded her arms.
"And if she is?"
Daniel stared.
"She?"
Maryjane began crying.
"The baby is probably a girl."
Daniel reached across the table.
"Why are you crying?"
"Because Benedict thinks he's getting a son."
Daniel looked confused.
"Then tell him."
"You don't understand."
"Help me understand."
Maryjane took a deep breath.
"I've seen how he treats Rita. He believes daughters are useless."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"And you married him?"
Maryjane lowered her head.
"I thought money would solve everything."
"Money doesn't make a cruel man kind."
She wiped her eyes.
"I know that now."
Daniel sat back.
"I won't pretend our relationship was perfect. It wasn't. But if that baby is mine, I want to be part of her life."
Maryjane shook her head.
"I don't even know whether I trust you."
"Then don't make promises. We can establish the truth legally when the time comes."
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Maryjane whispered, "I've done terrible things."
Daniel looked at her.
"Then stop doing them."
Meanwhile, Rita was helping her mother arrange fabric samples when her phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
She answered.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice whispered.
"Rita?"
"Yes?"
"It's Maryjane."
Rita immediately became tense.
"What do you want?"
"Please don't hang up."
Rita frowned.
"Why are you calling me?"
Maryjane's voice broke.
"Because I think I made a terrible mistake."
Rita almost laughed.
"Which one? Humiliating my mother? Slapping me? Or helping my father throw us out?"
Maryjane began crying.
"All of them."
Rita fell silent.
May you like
Then Maryjane said something that made her grip the phone.
"Rita, I need your help. Your father doesn't know the truth about this baby."
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