Love or Revenge

Ella Montgomery stared at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test, her heart hammering as a dozen emotions rushed through her.

Pregnant?

How on earth?

She and Lucas had only been married for half a year, and they'd only been...intimate once. And that one time didn't even count; he'd been as drunk as a sailor on shore leave. So, how could she possibly be pregnant?

Just then, a voice came from outside the bathroom door, making her jump. "Mrs. Montgomery, sir is back."

Ella's heart skipped another beat. She quickly tossed the pregnancy test into the trash, feeling absurdly guilty-like a thief hiding evidence.

But why should she feel guilty?

She was Lucas Montgomery's legally wedded wife, and she was carrying his child. If anyone had explaining to do, it was him.

After a deep breath to steady herself, Ella stepped out of the bathroom, determined to share the news, but as soon as she saw him, her courage faltered. Lucas was by the door, kicking off his shoes, looking like he had something on his mind. She opened her mouth to tell him, but he spoke first.

"Ella, I've been thinking," he started, his tone softer than usual. "You've always talked about wanting a family...so, I've decided I want to have a child. What do you think?"

Ella's jaw nearly dropped. "You...already know?" she blurted out, her mind scrambling.

Lucas blinked in confusion. "You know too?"

"Uh, yeah, I just found out," Ella said, feeling a rush of relief. So he wasn't going to be upset after all. In fact, he'd somehow known before she even told him! Her heart felt warm as she realized that maybe, just maybe, he did care about this little life they'd created.

"So," Lucas said, his eyes softening as he looked at her, "you're okay with keeping the child?"

Ella blushed under his gaze, nodding. "We were going to have a family eventually...if it happened now, maybe it was meant to be."

Lucas smiled, an expression that almost made her believe there was something real between them. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I was worried you'd be upset. But don't worry, I'll make sure the child sees you as his real mother."

Wait...what? The words jarred her out of her blissful moment. "What do you mean by 'see me as the real mother'? I am this child's mother, Lucas."

"Oh," he said casually, as though he were explaining the weather, "I was talking about the child. You know, from earlier."

The child? Confusion turned into a sickening feeling in her stomach. "Lucas...what child are you talking about?"

Lucas seemed surprised, almost as if she'd interrupted his train of thought. "Didn't you already know? Amy is pregnant. We had planned on keeping the baby, and I want to bring him here to be raised as part of our family. I'll give her a settlement and make sure everything's arranged."

The world felt like it was tilting around her. "Amy? Pregnant? With your child?"

Lucas looked slightly irritated, his brows drawing together. "Didn't you say you already knew? I thought we were on the same page about this."

Ella felt a chill rise through her body. Everything around her seemed distant, like it was happening to someone else.

For as long as she could remember, she'd known that Lucas wasn't in love with her.

He'd always loved his high school sweetheart, Amy, the perfect girl-next-door. They'd broken up ages ago, but Ella knew that Lucas had never moved on.

In fact, she'd suspected their marriage was just a way for him to get his family's company out of a rough spot.