ISABELLE

Chapter 3

I was sick.

Terribly sick.

Until I couldn't get off the bed.

Everything seems to be in a blur. I know I have been lying on my bed for many hours but still, I didn't get enough rest. I kept waking up shivering. The whole house seems like a freezer and I was still feeling cold no matter how thick my duvet was on me.

I vaguely remember someone came to check on me. Took my temperature and fed me some medicine. It took me almost two days to be able to sit up and by the third day, I was able to get off the bed.

Nothing seems to change since the first day I came to this house; I was still the same girl but with more bruises covering my thin body. I have lost some weight as I do not have appetite since that night.

Looking around my bedroom, I felt emptiness despite I do not lack any necessities. I have everything I needed at this moment. I have food, I have a roof over my head.

But something is missing.

What was it?

Heaving a sign, I opened my bedroom door and went out. My footsteps came to a stop when I saw someone at the living area.

Him.

It was broad daylight. He has never once come to the house during the day. Did he come to visit me because I was sick?

I do not have a good feeling for this visit.

Before I have the chance to turn back to my bedroom, he turned around as if sensing my presence. My feet stayed glued to the floor. I was too afraid to make a move.

Standing up from the sofa, he walked over until he was two feet from me. He raised his hand and touch my forearm. He didn't grab me like how he used to; it was a gentle touch. But maybe it was my subconscious fear, I retracted my hand away from him.

I looked down on my feet and was kind of expecting him to get angry and drag me to the dark room again. But instead, he speaks so softly that I thought I was imagining it.

"Let's talk." He says and proceed to walk back to the sofas.

I followed him and he gestures for me to take a seat beside him.

We sat there for a moment. Neither one of us says anything. I kept my vision on my tangled fingers on my lap. What did he want to talk about? Does he want to get rid of me already? Is he going to send me to somewhere? Do I want him to send me off to elsewhere where he isn't around?

My mind starts to think of various scenarios that might happen to me. And luckily before my haywire mind starts to spiral, he starts to speak.

"You are ..." He pauses and turned to look at me.

"I had a blood test on you when you were sick." I don't even remember that.

I nodded and saw him taking a deep breathe before speaking again.

"The blood test has come back this morning and it was confirmed that you are pregnant."

I looked at him blankly.

What did he say again?

His hand came up and covers my dainty hands. It was supposed to be comforting, but I didn't feel any of that at this moment. I didn't feel anything.

I can't feel anything.

This time I didn't retract my hands from his touch. I let his big hand covers mine.

I wasn't expecting this news after recovering from my fever. And I wasn't expecting him to break this news to me.

Somehow, I understand this pregnancy will happen to me eventually because we were having sex almost everyday and it has been two months since I was in this house. He didn't wear any protection and he didn't withdraw himself. So, unless I was infertile, this baby is going to come to me sooner or later.

I guess I wasn't mentally prepared yet.

We continued to sit on the sofa until the main door open and the two women came in with trays of food.

"I..." I stood up abruptly and point to my bedroom. Without continuing my sentence, I walked off towards my bedroom.

I closed my door and lean against it.

I am having mixed feelings.

I have no idea how to be a mother because for one, I do not have one to begin with. Secondly, I have no idea who the father of my child is. I don't even know his name. Lastly, how long is he going to keep me in this house?

I have so many questions but with so little answers.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was already night time. I must have fallen asleep. I am still recovering from my fever and receiving such news was exhausting for both my mind and body.

I am feeling hungry as I haven't had a proper meal since this morning and so I went out of my bedroom. When I reached the dining area, I was surprise to see him.

Was he here the whole day?

He was on his phone and the moment he saw me; he ended the call and placed his phone on the dining table. He came towards me and this time, he didn't touch me.

"Let's eat." He says and I nodded.

It went back to the very first day when I have my first dinner with him. We ate in silence. He cut the meat into bite size for me. When I looked at him, I do not see the anger in his eyes anymore. He looked different.

Is he back?

Ever since learning I was pregnant; he would come to the house at random timings. Someday I would find him early in the morning working out in the gym. Or he would be on his phone talking in the living room.

One thing I am glad is that we have gotten back to our dinner routine. He would have dinner with me almost every day. I still haven't found the guts to ask him those questions I wanted to know and I have came to realise that he was a man of few words. He hardly speaks.

Lastly, he didn't drag me to the locked room anymore. We haven't had sex since I know I was pregnant with his child. Most importantly, he wasn't drunk when he's in the house.

Is this how it was going to be?

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