Chapter 4 Buying a Pregnancy Test

"In peace? You must be out of your mind again. Is it because I haven't satisfied you these past few days, and now, you're feeling lonely? You're putting on this dramatic show just to get me to love you more, are you not? "Fine, I'll do as you wish. Don't complain if you can't get out of bed tomorrow." As Jeremiah spoke, he started tugging at my clothes and landing his scorching kisses on my body. I struggled against him with all my strength, but he pinned me down harder and reached for my pants. Sensing his intention to force himself on me, panic surged. I desperately managed to free one hand and slapped him hard across the face. While he was stunned, I shoved him away and wrapped myself in the covers. Then, I curled into a corner of the bed. My eyes burned with fury as I threatened, "Forcing sex upon me is considered rape even in marriage. If you do it again, I'll file a lawsuit! If you don't want your reputation ruined, sign the divorce papers now!" Jeremiah's eyes locked on me. The ferocious look in his eyes hinted at a wolf ready to devour its prey. Then, he let out a bitter laugh. "Fine, you said it yourself. Don't regret this!" With that, he stormed off the bed barely dressed and slammed the door as he left. I huddled in the corner, trembling uncontrollably. The thought of his kisses made my stomach churn with disgust. A wave of nausea overtook me. My face turned pale as I covered my mouth and rushed to the bathroom. There, I retched violently over the toilet. Despite the intensity of my nausea, nothing came out. The housekeeper, Sara Wallace, heard the commotion from our argument. She rushed in and found me gagging. Sighing, she handed me a glass of water and lamented how we were fighting again. Then, she asked, "Mrs. Cornell, are you pregnant?" I froze halfway through rinsing my mouth and was startled by her words. I recalled that shortly after my birthday in my past life, I discovered that I was just over two weeks pregnant. But the child didn't survive. It seemed fate had other plans. Now that I thought about the timeline, the child shouldn't exist yet, but I panicked. What if I was pregnant? I brushed Sara's concern aside with the excuse of a recent upset stomach, but I couldn't sleep a wink that night. The next day, I bought a pregnancy test. The results showed a single line after an agonizing wait. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness I wasn't pregnant, or things would be far more complicated. This wouldn't work. I had to finalize the divorce as fast as I could. This child wasn't meant to be, and that was a good thing. Bringing a child into this marriage would bring them misery, and I didn't want to give birth to Jeremiah's child either. While I was lost in thought, the door to my room opened. Elsa walked in, and her eyes fell on the pregnancy test in my hand. I snapped out of my daze and tossed the test into the trash. Then, I washed my hands. Elsa eyed me in surprise. "Jane, are you pregnant? Does Jeremiah know?" I hid the emotions in my eyes and didn't bother to explain. Instead, I gave a vague response. "It's too early to say. There's no rush telling him." Her expression shifted slightly, but that didn't escape my notice. I left the room and sent Sara to make some juice. Then, I settled in the living room with Elsa. The thought of the manipulative and disgusting woman hiding behind her frail facade made my skin crawl. Elsa was the first to speak, and her words dripped with fake sweetness. "Jane, you should tell Jeremiah about the baby soon. It's not something you can delay. He's mentioned he's young and doesn't want kids yet. Since you're still in the early stages of your pregnancy, you two can discuss whether to keep it. It'll be harder to decide once you get further along. If you both can't make up your mind, the child is bound to suffer."