MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE
Grief

(JARED'S POV)

It was all too much to bear-the painful acceptance of all I heard back in the room.

I stumbled through the hospital's hallway, my feet moving involuntarily. Somehow, I found myself in the elevator, descending to the first floor. The mirrors on the wall reflected an image, one that I wasn't surprised to see. A pale, heartbroken, and distorted man. Outside, the hot afternoon sun stung my skin and eyes, but I didn't care. I was too caught up in my emotions to worry about sunburn or getting tanned.

I reached my car, grabbing the door handle. The metal was cold against my palm, the opposite of the burning sensation in my heart.

I slid into the driver's seat, and fisted my palms tightly on the steering wheel. "You two killed my child!" Arielle's words echoed in my head. The accusation cut deep because it was my child too.

My eyes grew bloodshot, as a result of unshed tears, and bottled pain. How could I not have known? The signs were there- Arielle's fatigue, her unusual increased sleepiness. I should have been more attentive. Should have insisted that we visited the hospital when I first noticed her new sleeping pattern. But maybe she was right after all; I was aloof and nonchalant.

"Shit!" My head rested on the steering wheel. I wanted to scream, yell, and question the universe, but the sound was trapped in my throat. The weight of it suffocating me. My child, my unborn child. I wouldn't even know if it was male or female because it was gone, and I had contributed to its loss.

In my head, I tried to envisage what a baby would look like. A little, and fragile human sleeping in a cot like I would see in movies, or a mischievous little one running around and causing troubles like I used to do as a little boy. But the image was not enough, would never be compared to seeing my child for real.

Time seemed to fly in a blur, as I sat there, miserable. I thought of Arielle, of the pain she must be feeling. I thought of my dead child, of the life that would never be.

I thought of Arielle again, and I knew I'd return to see her again when she was more receptive. She was hurting, and I needed to offer my support. But for now, I just need to gather myself and thoughts together.

My phone in my pocket began to ring, and I groaned, wishing for whomever it was to stop. But the phone persisted, and I took it out of my pocket.

A glance at the screen and I saw it was Sofia. I should have known, only her called in that manner.

If I didn't answer her calls, she would keep calling. Sofia had always been like that since she was young, undaunted until she achieved her goal. I had long grown accustomed to it, but I didn't feel like answering her call today. Not with everything that had happened, and the state of my mind.

However, Sofia didn't seem like she would give up. The phone continued to ring loudly, the sound making my head throb. At last, I answered the call. "Hello?"

"Jared, where are you? Why aren't you answering my calls? You left me alone in this big house since morning, and now it's noon, and you're still not back. I had an antenatal appointment, and you've made me miss it. Have you gone to the office?"

I shut my eyes, wishing she would stop rambling. But I know she wouldn't, unless I gave her answers. I took a deep breath and replied, "No."

"Then why aren't you answering the phone?"

It felt like my head was going to split into two now, as my headache intensified. I winced and grabbed my temple with one hand, while holding on to the phone with the other. "Sofia, can you let me be for a while?" (SOFIA'S POV)

I was taken aback by Jared's cold response. He had never asked me to leave him alone, no matter how unbearable I become. What was going on?

"I don't understand what you mean

by that. Shouldn't you be apologizing to me for the mean things you said to me earlier? As if that was not

enough, you made me lose an

important appointment. Do

you

want the lives of myself and my

child to be at risk?"

I heard him sigh, and his next words threw me off balance. "If that's all you called to say to me, I'm afraid I will have to end the call."

At this point, I knew something was

wrong. And to that effect, I had to

thread carefully. "Fine, I'm sorry," I mumbled the words reluctantly.

"What's going on, Jared?"

"I found Arielle."

I paused, and almost let out a scoff. Was that supposed to make headlines? I can't believe he was being cold to me because he found Arielle.

But I took a deep breath, trying to contain my anger. "So? Is that the reason you are this irritable?"

"No."

"Then what is the matter?" I half yelled. Jeez, I was getting riled up by his perfunctorily responses.

"She was in an accident," he announced.

My hand flew to my mouth. "Accident? Is she dead?"

"No."

I let out a not-so relieved sigh. "Then what's the fuss?"

"She's in the hospital, Sofia. She was pregnant all along, but lost the baby from the accident."

Now, that was the real shocker. I almost lost my footing, my grip on the phone tightening. "Did you just say pregnant?"

"Yes."

I imagined Arielle pregnant, with a

baby bump. I imagined Jared's

attention shifting fully to her, knowing that one of the major reasons he doted on me was

eason

because of my pregnancy

A chill ran down my spines and I shuddered at the thoughts. If the picture I painted would have been reality if Arielle had not lost her baby, then I was glad she did.

"I'm so sorry, Jared. That's such awful news," I said, forcing a sympathetic tone. "Where are you now?"

"I'm outside the hospital."

"Why don't you return home and let me comfort you? That's quite news to digest alone. You need some shoulder to cry on. What do you think?"

There was a pause on the other end that I feared he might have ended the call.

But his voice filtered in. "I'm coming..."