The Comatose Billionaire's Shotgun Bride: Now They Kneel to Me

"Ms. Fuller, you're pregnant."

The words slammed into Natalie Fuller so hard her mind went completely blank. Meeting the doctor's eyes, she blurted, "What do you mean I'm pregnant? That can't be true."

For three years, she and her boyfriend had barely gone beyond innocent kisses and holding hands. Sleeping together had never happened. Not even once. How the hell could she be pregnant?

"Doctor, there has to be some kind of mistake."

The doctor calmly slid the lab report across the table. "Your results are very clear. You're approximately one month pregnant. Come back next Wednesday for another checkup."

With fingers wrapped around the report, Natalie walked down the stairs in a haze. Her thoughts felt scrambled, as if her entire world had tilted sideways.

Then her phone suddenly rang, yanking her out of the fog.

"Natalie, Mark's birthday party already started. Where are you?"

The moment she heard her boyfriend's name, a memory crashed into her mind.

Nearly a month ago, she and Mark Barton had attended a business dinner together. The event had dragged on late into the night, and she had drunk far too much, eventually staying at the hotel afterward.

Natalie vaguely remembered Mark supporting her as he escorted her to a room, but everything after that was completely blank. The alcohol had wiped the rest of the night from her memory.

A cold shiver ran through her chest. Could something have happened that night? Had she and Mark actually slept together?

Anxious panic clawed at Natalie's throat. She needed to find Mark immediately and get the truth out of him.

Located in the center of the city's busiest financial district, the Lakeside Club buzzed with nightlife and luxury. The instant Natalie pushed open the private room door, deafening music and drunken laughter slammed into her from every direction.

She froze at the entrance, her fingers tightening around the doorknob as her gaze locked onto the scene inside.

Across the crowded room, Mark sat at the center of the party with a woman clinging sweetly to his side while their friends cheered around them.

Curving her arm possessively through Mark's, the woman practically shimmered beneath the warm golden lights. A streak of cream lingered on her cheek from the birthday cake, somehow making her look even more charming.

A crease appeared between Natalie's brows.

The woman was Marissa Dixon-Mark's childhood sweetheart. Four years earlier, Marissa had left the country to chase both her ambitions and the man she loved.

Conversations and laughter filled the room until someone suddenly called out teasingly, "Mark, now that Marissa's finally back, what are you planning to do about Natalie?"

"Natalie? Come on. Let's be real. If she hadn't been chasing after Mark this whole time, do you really think he would've even noticed her?"

Heads turned toward Mark in unison.

Sprawled lazily across the sofa, the man swirled the wine in his glass with his long fingers, looking completely at ease.

"We were only friends," Mark said with a careless shrug. "It was never anything serious."

An icy chill swept through Natalie from head to toe.

So in the eyes of Mark and his friends, all the love and devotion she had poured into him had been nothing more than her embarrassing one-sided obsession.

And the man who had once held her hand so gently and promised he wanted a future with her had apparently never seen her as anything beyond a casual friend.

A stabbing ache twisted through Natalie's chest so hard it nearly stole her breath. Unsteady on her feet, she staggered backward and accidentally slammed into the door behind her.

The noise instantly drew everyone's attention. One by one, their gazes locked onto her.

The second Mark recognized Natalie, the relaxed look in his eyes cracked for just a split second.

Frozen in the doorway, Natalie felt every ounce of color drain from her face.

Looking into Mark's eyes, Natalie found nothing there except cold indifference.

Curling her hands into tight fists, she forced the words out through trembling breaths. "What you said just now... was that actually true?"

Catching the shocked look on her face, Mark huffed without a trace of sympathy. "What do you think?"

Around them, the crowd traded amused looks, openly savoring her humiliation.

"Did she seriously believe tagging along after Mark all day made her his girlfriend?"

"Someone should've told her sooner-people in our circle care about status and family when it comes to marriage."

"But honestly, Ms. Fuller, with a pretty face like yours, finding a rich guy willing to fool around with you shouldn't be hard at all."

Those cruel words cut straight through Natalie, sharp enough to leave her shaking with rage.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she fixed her stare on the smug, careless grin sitting on Mark's face.

Biting down hard, she drove her nails into her palms, using the sting to keep herself from completely falling apart.

Every moment from the past three years rushed through her head in messy, painful flashes.

After standing there in silence for a few seconds, she suddenly snatched a wine glass off the table and hurled it straight at Mark.

Red wine splashed across his face and soaked his hair instantly. The easy smile he wore disappeared on the spot, replaced by raw anger. Around them, the entire room went dead quiet.

An ear-piercing shriek escaped Marissa before she could stop it. "Natalie, have you lost your damn mind?"

Without answering, Natalie smashed the empty glass against the floor. The violent crack of shattering glass made several people jump in fright.

"Mark, it's over between us. Starting today, we mean absolutely nothing to each other anymore."

Though the betrayal had blindsided her, Natalie knew dragging things out would only hurt more. It was better to cut ties cleanly and walk away now.

Without another glance, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room.

The door slammed shut behind her with a deafening bang, and the noisy private room instantly fell into an uneasy silence.

Disbelief darkened Mark's face as he stared at the closed door.

Who the hell did Natalie think she was, talking to him like that?

Sensing the dangerous mood around him, one of Mark's friends carefully broke the silence.

"Women get scary when they're jealous. Relax, Natalie will come running back before long. Everybody knows she's been obsessed with you for years, Mark."

"Seriously, don't give in too easily when she comes begging this time."

Upon hearing that, the icy anger on Mark's face eased just a little.

They had a point. Natalie had always been hopelessly devoted to him. She probably lost control for a moment and said those things out of spite.

With a worried look, Marissa reached for his sleeve. "Mark, you're drenched. You should go change before you catch a cold."

Brushing her hand aside, Mark forced down the restless irritation clawing at his chest. "It's nothing."

Deep down, he remained convinced Natalie would calm down soon enough and call him first.

...

Out in the hallway, Natalie leaned heavily against the wall, her body trembling faintly.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined the relationship she treasured so deeply would fall apart in such a humiliating, ridiculous way.

Minutes quietly slipped by.

A faint cramp suddenly twisted through her lower abdomen, making her freeze. Only then did she remember the baby growing inside her.

Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly that she had completely forgotten to ask Mark what had really happened that night.

Almost instinctively, she lowered a trembling hand to her stomach. Her thoughts tangled painfully together as she stared numbly at the polished floor beneath her feet.

This child couldn't have arrived at a crueler moment.

Dragging her exhausted body out of the club, Natalie walked unsteadily into the cold night, her mind drowning in confusion.

By the time she reached home, she still felt detached from reality. Crossing the front yard, she pushed open the heavy doors of the mansion.

A dazzling crystal chandelier glimmered overhead, scattering warm light across the luxurious living room while cheerful laughter drifted through the air.

"Mom, one of my friends specially brought back this imported supplement for you," Joslyn Fuller, Natalie's adopted sister, said sweetly with a bright smile. "They say it's amazing for your skin. You should definitely give it a try."

"Oh, sweetheart, you're always thinking about me," Rhonda Fuller, Natalie's mother, replied with a pleased smile.

The conversation flowed easily between them while Natalie's three brothers lounged nearby, watching the scene with amusement.

Standing by the entrance, Natalie swept an indifferent gaze across the family gathering.

Her father Greg Fuller noticed her first, and his brows immediately furrowed. "Why are you only getting home now?"

At the sound of his voice, Rhonda and Joslyn both turned toward the doorway, and the previously cheerful atmosphere instantly stiffened.

The warmth faded from Rhonda's face almost at once, yet she didn't say a word.

Natalie's eldest and second brothers offered curt acknowledgments, while her youngest brother barely lifted his eyes from his phone before dropping his attention right back to the screen.

By now, she had long since grown accustomed to the icy indifference. "Something came up," she explained.

Greg didn't bother asking further. Instead, his stern gaze hardened as he steered the conversation elsewhere.

"You still remember the marriage agreement between our family and the Gilberts, don't you? The time has come to fulfill it. But with Wesley's situation the way it is now, Joslyn can't possibly marry into that family. So you'll take her place."

Natalie felt those words tear through her like sudden thunder. Her thoughts froze completely, leaving only a sharp ringing in her ears.

"A month ago, Wesley Gilbert-the head of the Gilbert family-got into a serious car accident. He's been in a vegetative state ever since. Even the best specialists in the world haven't been able to wake him up. And now you expect me to marry him?" she demanded sharply.