MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE
She was pregnant.

(JARED'S POV)

I arrived at the hospital, and hurried into the reception area. A lady was behind the counter and I quickly stated my mission there.

"Hold on, i'll check through the records," the lady said pulling out a large book from a drawer.

I nodded and rapped my fingers impatiently on the marble surface of the counter while she went through the book.

"Yes, an Arielle Smith was brought in yesterday. Accident case and she's in room 95 on wing C, second floor of the hospital..."

That was all I needed to hear as I briefly thanked the lady before hurrying off. I got into the elevator and punched in two and it rode up. I alighted when it got to the floor and beckoned a nurse for direction. She was responsive, and armed with the information, I made my way to the room.

I soon arrived, and stopped in front of the door with number 95 on it. I clasped my hands together, unsure of what to expect. But I pushed the door anyway, and stepped into the room.

Seated on the bed conversing with Ashley, was Arielle. Inadvertently, I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that both women were fine. It was just 24hrs, but it felt like I had not seen my wife in months.

My gaze fleeting swept over her appearance and my chest tightened. She was in a blue pale hospital gown that accentuated her pale look. There were bright purple bruises on her arms and scratches on her cheeks, and her hair was tousled. Over all, she looked sick. "Arielle?" I called, cautiously approaching her. The look on her face when I first walked in was of surprise, but now, it was unreadable. Stoic. Cold.

"My goodness, I'm glad you're fine. I was so worried," I rambled, rushing to hold her, but her reaction was unexpected. It threw me off balance.

"What do you want?" she snapped, swiftly throwing my hands off her.

I recoiled in shock. Why was she harsh and unreceptive? Did I do something wrong? Then I recalled how she saw I and Sofia. Of course, she had every right to be angry which is why I have to explain to her that what she saw was not what it appeared to be. "Look, Arielle, things are not what they seem to be. What you saw was nothing-"

"How shameless can you be? I can't believe you came all the way just to tell me lies and justify your cheating ass. And oh, I know what I saw. You, Jared, left work for home just to fool around with the one person you call "just a friend!" Have you no dignity? She's a pregnant woman, Jared."

"I promise you, I was not doing what you thought I was doing with Sofia. It's just a misconception that I need to correct. Just hear me out, please."

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say because all you've done is tell me lies. To think I returned home early just to make your favorite, and was welcomed by the sight of you making out with another woman on our matrimonial bed. I would rather not see you, or speak to you. Just get out!"

My heart sank at this revelation.

Arielle had returned home to prepare

my favorite? That finally explained why she was home earlier

yesterday. My heart broke the more to think it was all my fault. She was in this condition because of me. I shouldn't have accepted the alcohol from Sofia, that way I wouldn't have been dizzy and drunk, and Arielle wouldn't have seen what she saw. Wouldn't have gotten into an accident.

"Babe-" I tried to reach for her hand, but she flinched like my touch could scald her skin.

"Don't touch me, and don't call me that. You never called me endearing names, it was always Arielle. Stick to that. Was it so hard?"

I blinked in confusion. "I don't think I understand-"

"Was it so difficult to love me? I know our marriage wasn't exactly about love, and I didn't push for it, even though I wanted it. I was okay with your respect and loyalty, but still, they were difficult to give when she returned."

I didn't bother asking who it was she was referring to because I knew who.

"I batted an eyelash even when it

was glaring that you still loved her. I

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badly wanted to believe your, "she's just a friend, mantra. I wanted to live in denial, clinging to the false hope that I just had to put in more efforts to make our marriage work. But she frustrated all my efforts, and do you know what hurts the most, you, Jared, abated it!" Arielle screamed. Her voice had cracked now, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes any moment.

"Arielle-"

"You neglected me for her. My opinion suddenly stopped being a priority while hers were. I should have known, and stopped fighting. Should have known that your love would always be with her, and maybe, just maybe I wouldn't have lost it. I wouldn't have lost the one thing that would have filled in the gap your absence created. I was so foolish, so, so foolish."

I was confused and filled with dread now. What was she talking about? "What did you lose?"

Arielle gave a laugh, except that it can not exactly be defined as one because it was a brief throaty sound that conveyed bitterness. "Of course you didn't know. Well, news flash, I was pregnant and I lost it."

I winced, my face contracting like a severe blow was served to it. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. The word echoed in my head until I felt lightheaded. "P... Pregnant?"

"Yes, pregnant. I was going to tell

you the night you ditched me during

our anniversary dinner just to go pick up Sofia at the airport. Remember that night? There were several other times I wanted to tell you, but Sofia always got in the way. All the while you've been giving her preferential treatment because she was pregnant, and the times she subtly called me barren, I was pregnant. But not anymore because all thanks to you two, I lost my child yesterday from an accident after blindly running into the streets because I saw you two. You two

killed my child!

I staggered backwards, almost tripping over. Arielle was pregnant? Has been pregnant? And I didn't know? And she lost the baby? No, this was too much information to process.

"Get out, Jared. I do not want to ever see you again."

I barely heard her, I was too dazed, too caught up in the shock of all I heard. My unborn child, my first fruit was dead in a gruesome way. He or she didn't even have the chance to make it to this world. I didn't even have the chance to know about its existence. "Leave!!!" Arielle yelled, her shrill voice bouncing off the room's wall.

I didn't refute. I was mentally tired to argue, so I simply turned around, and walked out of the room morosely.