Chapter 4 She Is Pregnant

Harriet felt as though she were melting beneath Tristan's intense gaze. 

She bit her lower lip hard, using the sting to steady herself. 

She couldn't let herself fall for him again. This loveless marriage had to stop.

Absolutely not!

Her phone rang, shattering the tension in the room. 

Tristan ignored it at first, but the relentless ringing eventually grated on his nerves. 

He picked up the phone, glanced at the caller ID, and released Harriet immediately.

She caught sight of the name on the screen—Lark.

In the past, if someone called during their intimate moments, Tristan would ignore it and silence his phone. But if Lark called, he would answer without hesitation.

Harriet listened as he spoke softly into the phone. "I'm at home... She's not after you, don't worry... Alright, I'll come over soon..."

Harriet sat up, her hands trembling as she buttoned her shirt. 

Tristan hung up and turned to her with a smirk. "In such a rush to get dressed—afraid I'll devour you?"

Harriet remained silent.

Tristan reached out to help with her buttons. "If you don't want me undoing these again, come downstairs and have dinner with me."

Thinking about what had almost happened, Harriet didn't refuse—resisting felt pointless.

In the dining room, the maid Rhea had set a table full of delicious dishes.

"Mrs. Lancaster, you've lost weight. You really should eat more," Rhea said.

Tristan watched Harriet as she ate daintily across from him. 

He noticed she had indeed lost weight. She had always been slim, but after returning from prison, her jawline looked even more pronounced. She was still beautiful, but something about her seemed different.

Rhea placed a piece of steak in Harriet's bowl. The smell made Harriet's stomach churn, and she gagged.

"Mrs. Lancaster, are you okay?" Rhea quickly poured Harriet a glass of water. "Do you feel unwell?"

"I'm fine," Harriet managed to say, calming herself. She stood and added, "I'm full."

Tristan watched her leave, his appetite completely gone. He put down his knife and fork and stood up.

"Mr. Lancaster, you haven't eaten yet," Rhea said.

"I need to go out," Tristan replied as he put on his coat. "The food in prison is bland. She's not used to greasy food. Make her some porridge."

Rhea nodded. "Yes, sir."

Harriet had barely reached upstairs when she heard a car engine start. 

She smirked. Tristan had promised Lark over the phone that he'd see her, yet he was leaving without finishing his meal. True love, indeed.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Harriet watched the car drive away and closed her eyes, utterly exhausted. 

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her eyes widened as she remembered her recent symptoms.

Feeling nauseated at the smell of meat—this had to be a sign of pregnancy!

Harriet was stunned. She didn't need to think hard to realize it was from the time Tristan had returned a month ago. 

Tristan never liked using condoms, claiming they felt restrictive, so she had always relied on the morning-after pill. 

That day, she had planned to take the pill after visiting Cleo at the hospital, but Cleo's sudden death left her so heartbroken that she completely forgot.

Harriet's mind swirled with a whirlwind of thoughts. 

Once she calmed down, she decided to buy a pregnancy test to be sure.

The two clear lines on the test confirmed it.

She couldn't believe that missing the pill just once had caused this!

Harriet gently placed her hand on her abdomen.

Just as Harriet had finally decided to divorce Tristan, she discovered she was pregnant.

Life certainly had a twisted sense of humor!

Feeling restless, Harriet tossed and turned until the early hours, finally drifting off to sleep. When she woke up, it was already daylight, and Tristan hadn't come home all night.

She went downstairs for breakfast, and Rhea hurried into the dining room, excited yet hesitant.

"What's going on?" Harriet asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you win the lottery or something?"

"Mrs. Lancaster, it's you who won! How long were you planning to keep this from me?" Rhea pulled out a pregnancy test. "I found this in the trash. You're pregnant! This is wonderful news!"

Harriet stayed silent.

Seeing her lack of joy, Rhea asked anxiously, "Mrs. Lancaster, aren't you happy?"

Harriet sipped her porridge. "Rhea, I've already filed for divorce."

Rhea was shocked.

"Mrs. Lancaster, you want to divorce Mr. Lancaster? How can that be?"

"Why can't it?" Harriet responded calmly. "Rhea, don't you think he and Lark seem more like a real couple? They were together before I came along and assumed the Mrs. Lancaster title, stopping them from being openly together."

She had foolishly hoped Tristan would fall in love with her—it was laughable and pitiful.

Rhea's eyes filled with tears. "Mrs. Lancaster, even if you don't say it, I know how much you've suffered in prison this past year. But now it's all over. You should focus on building a life with Mr. Lancaster. I believe he'll see your worth eventually."

"Now that you have a child, everything will change. A child should grow up in a stable environment. For the baby's sake, you can't get divorced."

Harriet was taken aback. She had lost her parents at a young age and had been raised by her grandparents.

Though they gave her all their love, she envied other children who had their parents.

She knew a child should grow up in a complete family.

"Mrs. Lancaster, men change when they become fathers," Rhea continued to persuade. "Many men settle down and focus on their families once they have children. For the baby's sake, you should give Mr. Lancaster another chance, don't you think?"

Harriet nodded faintly.

Rhea was right—for the sake of the baby, she should give it another try.

As long as Tristan kept his distance from Lark, she was willing to let go of the past and try to rebuild their marriage.

After breakfast, Harriet took a cab to the Lancaster Group.

Their marriage wasn't public knowledge, and few at the company knew she held the title of Mrs. Lancaster.

Harriet called Tristan's assistant, who came down to guide her upstairs.

When she entered the CEO's office, she found Tristan on the phone.

Seeing Harriet, he showed no surprise; after all, she always cooled down after a night's sleep.

The assistant handed Harriet a glass of water and then left.

Tristan hung up the phone and looked at Harriet. "Why didn't you sleep a bit longer?"

"I've had enough sleep." Harriet pointed to the thermos beside her. "Rhea asked me to bring you some soup."

"Thanks, I'll have it later."

Harriet looked at him. "Tristan, where were you last night?"

Tristan didn’t hide the truth. "Lark wasn't feeling well and was admitted to the hospital. I stayed with her."

Harriet's fingers trembled. After a long pause, she asked, "Tristan, if we had a child, would you be home more often?"

Tristan frowned slightly. "You want a child now?"

"Don't you?" Harriet countered.

Tristan lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said in a low voice, "Harriet, now isn't the right time for a child."

Harriet was stunned. "Why not?"

"Lark's health hasn't been good lately. If you became pregnant, you wouldn't be able to donate blood to her."