Pretending to be Pregnant

Seventeen

"What am I going to do?" I asked Luke. I was in such a big mess and now I was panicking. I had no idea what I was going to or how I was going to handle the situation I was in.

"Depends, what do you want?" He turned away from me, his formal business voice creeping into the tone of his speech.

"I want you." I whispered quietly as I flushed bright pink. He turned towards me and our eyes locked, sharing words that could never be said aloud.

"Ryan's on his way. You've got to tell him you lost the baby Esme, you can't continue like this. Especially when, well especially when he plans to marry you and then run off with his new girlfriend with the assets to your father's business."

Oh.

So that's what else Luke wanted to share with me at the cafe, right before I collapsed. Tears stung my eyes at Ryan's betrayal, but I hastily wiped them away, not wanting Luke to see and get the wrong idea.

"Luke I can't tell him I lost the baby."

Luke huffed and puffed and even hit the wall in frustration.

"No, I mean, I can't lie any longer. I can't keep up this act, I have to tell him it was all fake. I was never pregnant, I only pretended to be because I thought he was going to leave me."

Luke shook his head. An expression of confusion flitting across his face. Silently, he gained some composure.

"You pretended to be pregnant so that he wouldn't leave you? That's really shallow Esme. Really shallow and selfish. Why you'd do that to keep a moron like him I have no idea? This was never going to work, I don't even know why I thought it would. I love you Esme, but you're a total psycho. I thought you were pretending to be pregnant because you lost a baby, not because you couldn't bear the thought of being single. And to think, I was actually sympathetic with you."

"Luke please." He was picking up his jacket and flinging it over his shoulder.

"No Esme. I can't be with a liar. How can I trust you and put so much of my life at stake? I can't be hurt by you. I hope you and Ryan have a great life together." Tears dripped down my cheeks as I watched the man I love walk out of the hospital room and my finacee flounce in.

Ryan cautiously entered, his hands shaking with panic, not even noticing the millionaire leaving my hospital room.

"Baby are you okay? I knew you weren't well. I should have made you come here as soon as I saw that you were ill. I don't know why I didn't. What about the baby?" Ryan placed a hand on my stomach and I flinched.

"There isn't one." I spat at him. Tears still pouring down my cheeks as I realised that my chance at happiness and true love had left the room and were never coming back.

"You mean you've had a miscarriage? Aw sweetie, I'm so sorry. This isn't you're fault."

"No Ryan. There isn't a baby and there never was one, okay?" I screamed, ripping the fake bump from my stomach and throwing it on the floor. "I made it all up, when I heard about you and Tiffany." Slowly, Ryan was easing away from me his eyes widening in complete shock.

"You mean, you lied?" He muttered, the words barely audible.

"Yes I lied. But don't act all innocent Ryan, I wasn't the only one, you're well aware of that!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"You and Diana? My father's business? Ring any bells darling?" I muttered ironically.

"What are you on about, I love you?" Ryan whispered calmly, making his way over to the bed and grasping my hand. "I'm getting married to you because I love you and you love me and I know this is rough and you've really hurt me, but we can get through this. We can move on."

"What and continue the relationship of lies?" I screamed. "You're having an affair, I'm pretending to be pregnant and you only want to marry me because of who I am, not because of your feelings for me."

"Darling, I don't know who told you this, but it isn't true. I love you." I rolled my eyes, but before I knew it, Luke was running into the room and slamming his cold, hard, fist into Ryan's face.

"Woah dude, who are you?" Ryan asked through the spurts of blood that were pouring from his nose.

"Tell her the bloody truth. Tell her what you told me."

"You two know each other?" I asked, sitting up in the hospital bed.

"Of course we do, when I heard you were getting married I approached Ryan here and told him that if he hurt you, I'd make sure that he was hurt. He then told me his plans."

"His plans?" Oh yeah, his plans. I turned towards Ryan.

"Please, just tell me the truth." I whispered.

"I don't love you. I love Diana. I really want to take over your father's buisness, it has so many prospects and I never wanted a baby." I sank into the mountain of pillows propping up my back and shook my head.

"I'm sorry Ryan. It's over. I never want to see you again." And just like that I let him go and felt nothing at all. Silently, I turned towards Luke.

"Luke, I'm so sorry...." I trailed off as Luke placed his hand in the air.

"Esme, just stop. This really doesn't change anything." And just like that he walked from the room, leaving me alone and scared in a hospital, my heart breaking with sadness.