HIS GREATEST BETRAYAL

Chapter 58

JANE'S POV

After two weeks , l went back to City hospital for another checkup. My gynaecologist told me that they are holding classes for pregnant women and l decided to join in. I was shocked to see Silvia attending the class. She too was shocked to see me there.

After the class , the two of us went to the same coffee shop behind the hospital building. We drank our tea in silence. I put down my mug on the small table and made up my mind to ask her the question which has been bothering me for weeks.

"Is it Claudius's baby?," l asked her in a cautious voice.

Her reaction confirmed my hunches. Her big brown eyes widened like saucers. I gasped in shock. I wondered when the two of them got so close to each other and now they were having a baby. I had suspected it on that day in the restaurant. I had never seen Claudius so angry like that. He was even more angrier than on the day l told him l was getting back with Ferracco.

My eyes trailed to her still flat stomach and l couldn't believe inside that tummy slept Claudius's baby. Silvia carefully laid down her coffee mug with trembling hands. She held my hand and looked at me with tears welling inside her eyes.

"Please, don't tell Claudius !," she pleaded.

I furrowed my eyebrows into a frown.

"But why not? You have to tell him. He is the father and he has every right to know," l argued in defence of my friend .

Two lone tears spilled down her cheeks. This new version of Silvia terrified me. I was used to seeing her hurling insults at every direction. I guess they were pregnancy hormones kicking in. She stared down at the hands in her lap.

"He doesn't love me," she replied in small voice.

My heart twisted in pain for her. I knew how painful it was to feel unloved. I had felt the same when Ferracco took off days after our honeymoon.

"Claudius is an honourable man. He will think he has to take responsibility by marrying me and l don't want that. I don't want to end up in a loveless marriage like my mother. I don't want to live the rest of my life waiting for my husband to fall in love with me. Claudius will think it's the right thing to do and l can't let that happen. If it happens , he will eventually end up hating me for using the baby to tie him down."

Her words made a lot of sense. No woman wanted a man to marry her simply because he felt responsible for her.

"Do you love him?"

Silvia lifted up her head. She stared at me through a veil of tears smiling sadly.

"A lot!"

Her hand wiped away her tears. She chuckled to herself.

"I am pathetic right?," she asked me.

I placed my hand on top of hers.

"You are not! Being in love is the most beautiful feeling ever. You don't have to be ashamed about it. I was also confused when l first realised my intense feelings for Ferracco."

"I don't know when and how it happened. I have spent my whole life running away from love."

"Trust me, l know the feeling," l told her with a fond smile.

"But you will have to tell Claudius at some point."

"I will," she promised me.

~****~

CLAUDIUS'S POV

I listened to the steady beat of rain against the window as l sipped on my cognac. Instead of soothing my nerves , l felt my agitation mounting with each second. For the past month , l had felt so empty and restless.