"Surprised?" Tricia raised her brows, her face carrying the weight of an evil smile just like her wicked mind.
She took a step closer, her eyes scanning the object in Janice's hands
"No need to hide it anymore, Janice. I've seen everything!" She scoffed.
"You've seen nothing, Tricia." Janice objected.
"Eww no!" Tricia screamed irritably, squishing her face with disgust while trying to cover her nose as the unpleasant smell from the messy floor hit her nostrils.
"Wow! You really think I've seen nothing, huh? You're pregnant, miss Capuno." Tricia scoffed.
"That's none of your business even if I am." Janice replied wittingly and went ahead to spill the water on the floor which almost splashed on Tricia's legs.
"So, tell me. Is the pregnancy Nelson's?" She asked impatiently and continued to rant even without waiting to get a reply.
"Well, I bet not. That's because Nelson told me of how he hasn't touched you in months due to his sickness. Which means, you've been cheating on that innocent man all this while, huh?" She snapped and pouted her lips, her hands wrapped over chest.
"Oh, my poor Nelson. See the same woman you always sing praises of her faithfulness! But not to worry, I've already gotten a clear picture of you and your lover while seated at the table. And I think that's exactly what Nelson needs so that I can prove my point to him when I always insisted that no woman stays comfortable without sex from her husband for up to a month! In fact, I need to get a picture of you and this mess you've created on the floor as evidence as well."
She continued and took out her phone to point the camera at Janice, but before the light flashed, she felt a sudden grip on her wrist.
"Don't you dare, Tricia!" Janice roared, seizing Tricia's phone abruptly as her hands rushed to hold the collars of her shirt, almost choking her to death.
"If you try any nonsense with me, I won't hesitate to hit this phone on the floor and match it with my heels!
Now, give me your password so that I'll delete every picture you've taken or I'll be forced flush it down the toilet sink." Janice threatened, her eyes filled with rage.
Tricia struggled to get herself out of Janice's grip, but she couldn't.
With the way Janice was looking pale and weak at the table, Tricia never expected she'd suddenly get all the strength to fight her.
With no option than total surrender, Tricia did as instructed and watched with utmost despair as Janice deleted not only her pictures, but every picture she had snapped with her phone for the past three days.
"I'm done." Janice growled, her voice stern and indifferent as she forced the phone into Tricia's hands.
"One last warning, Tricia. I didn't do this because I am afraid of Nelson or anyone.
Yes, we're divorced already and there's nothing he can do about it even if he sees me in bed with another man, but I just want to tell you to trade me with caution, because you might not always get away with everything. You stupid home wrecker!" She ranted and shoved away.
"I am not a home wrecker!" Tricia didn't know when those words escaped from her lips, but when she met Janice's deadly gaze, her mouth went silent instantly.
"Wow! You're not a home wrecker huh? Then, tell me, who are you?
"A home fixer? A commercial sex worker, or a prophetess and a marriage counselor? Which of them, Tricia? Because only a woman practicing such occupations can have a deep discussion with a married man that can lead to him revealing all his marital and sexual affairs to her!"
"Now, excuse me." Janice hissed and shoved Tricia out of the way to pass, almost making Tricia to slip to the floor.
Back to the table, Janice sat down quietly, her eyes almost swollen with fake tears just to calm Lucas's rising temper.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, Lucas. I don't think I have much strength to sustain this discussion further. I'll just drop you my conclusion via WhatsApp and I'll expect yours as well." She explained politely, and for the first time, Lucas nodded in agreement without complaint.
****
Returning to the small but exquisite penthouse with Dian, Janice heaved a deep sigh of relief and threw herself into the long couch.
"Com'on Janice. We've been out all day under the scorching sun. Shouldn't you at least take a bath before jumping to sleep?" Dian queried.
Immediately, Janice jumped up as she remembered the second test strip in her bag.
"Please, let this one not be true." She cursed beneath her breath as she lazily walked herself to the bathroom, carrying the test strip along.
Deep down her mind, she prayed and hoped earnestly for the result to counter what she had first confirmed at the restaurant, but...Oh–my–goodness! Fuck!
Janice became utterly disappointed when she gazed at the two lines staring at her.
The result is still positive! She is truly pregnant– with Nelson's child!
She squeezed her eyes shut to dismiss every weight of resentment she's starting to develop towards the unborn child in her womb.
Janice's strength almost left her immediately as she struggled to scrub her body for a proper bath due to disappointment.
She placed her hands on her belly, caressing it gently while she whispered, "dearest baby, I know you're innocent in all this, but you know, the coming of every child is supposed to be a thing of joy to the bearer, right? If truth be told, I can't tell how I feel about your coming. And I don't want to say you came at the wrong time, but all I want to tell you is to please, pray for mummy to make the right decision. I don't want to hurt either you or myself by any decision." She concluded and smiled weakly before grabbing the towel to clean herself up to join Dian at the dinning shortly after she was done dressing.
****
"I made your favourite. Egg and cheese sandwich. I hope you still like it as before." Dian said with a smile as she set the plates before Janice.
"Of course I do. They're still my favourite up till today." Janice replied happily, and went ahead to get a bite with much enthusiasm.
The moment the food landed on her tongue, she began to retch and had to run to the bathroom to throw up before she returned.
"Janice, are you sure you're okay?" Dian asked, her voice laced with concern.
"The test strip, you need to check yourself quickly." She suggested.
"I did already." Janice replied, her expression unreadable as her voice tinged with sadness.
"So, what's the outcome? Are you pregnant?" Dian asked.
Janice maintained silence and only nodded weakly.
"Oh my goodness, Janice! So what are you going.." Dian exclaimed, but Janice cut her short before she finished expressing herself.
"I don't know what to do, Dian. I'm more than confused right now. But I can't draw conclusions yet, until I get myself checked at the hospital."
Before Dian could say anything, a knock came at the door persistently, startling the peace of the two women as they looked at each other.
"Are you expecting someone?" Janice asked.
Huh? Dian frowned. "Not at all. Besides, nobody knows that I live here aside from you and my parents." She said and lazily walked towards the window to peep who's at the gate.
The moment her eyes landed on the huge figure standing outside, her breath ceased.
She turned to Janice. "Guess who's at the gate?"
"Who?" Janice asked.
"Your husband. Sorry, I mean Nelson, your ex." Dian revealed.
