The dining room was tense, Sarah fell silent, her chest pounding. Finally, as they finished their dinner, Sarah cleared her throat and turned to Joshua, a soft smile on her face.
“Joshua, Rose,” she began, her voice filled with excitement, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you both.”
Rose, who had been sipping her wine, paused and turned her attention to Sarah, though her smile was more of a polite mask than anything genuine. Joshua, too, looked at her curiously, raising an eyebrow.
“What is it, Sarah?” Joshua asked, his voice calm, though a slight hint of concern flickered in his eyes.
Sarah placed her hand gently over her stomach, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. “I... I’m pregnant.”
Joshua froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. He glanced from Sarah to Rose, who had suddenly stopped moving, her glass halfway to her lips. The room fell into a heavy silence.
Pregnant? Joshua’s mind raced. It wasn’t possible.
They had been so careful. He had been careful. He had been so focused on his plan with Rose that he had overlooked something as simple as this. How could this happen? His eyes flickered back to Sarah, trying to mask his shock.
Rose, on the other hand, felt a surge of anger boil beneath her calm facade. "How could she be pregnant now?" The timing was disastrous. She clenched her glass tightly, but she forced a smile to her lips. She had to play this carefully.
“Oh, Sarah! That’s... wonderful news!” She set her glass down and stood up, walking over to Sarah, wrapping her arms around her in a tight, almost too enthusiastic hug. “I’m so happy for you, really.”
Joshua watched this interaction closely, his thoughts whirling. He needed to keep his composure. This wasn’t part of the plan, but he couldn’t let Sarah know anything was wrong.
Not yet.
He couldn’t afford for this to spiral out of control before everything was in place.
He cleared his throat. “Sarah, that’s... unexpected,” he said slowly, He smiled, but it was a strained, forced expression. “But, I'll make sure everything is taken care of. You and the baby.”
Sarah beamed, thrilled by their responses, still unaware of the turbulence brewing beneath the surface. “Thank you, I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while, but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”
Rose pulled back slightly from the hug, her eyes briefly narrowing before she forced a smile back into place. Why now? she thought,
The plan with Joshua had been so close to succeeding just a few more steps and Sarah’s wealth would be theirs. But now, a child... a baby? This complicated everything.
“Well,” Rose began, her voice deceptively calm, “a baby is certainly a big responsibility. But I know you’ll be a great mother, Sarah. And Joshua will be a great father.” She turned to Joshua with a smile,
Joshua nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. 'A baby... this was not part of the plan. What do I do now?' He had been so focused on getting his hands on Sarah’s assets and kicking her out once the transfer was complete. A child complicates things, and it wasn’t supposed to complicate things.
Sarah, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing behind their words, smiled at both of them, her joy lighting up the room. “Thank you. I’ve been feeling so happy, and now I know it’s because of this little one.”
Rose’s heart sank, but she kept her smile intact. 'No. This cannot be happening,' she thought. She needed to think fast. The plan had been so close to succeeding, now she had to find a way to still get what she wanted. Joshua couldn’t back out now.
“I’m so glad and i really lucky to have you in my life.”
Rose gave a tight-lipped smile, her mind racing. 'I can’t afford to let this baby ruin everything. I’ll need to make sure Joshua stays focused. He needs to stay on track.'
---
Rose stood up and grabbed her bag nearby, "Okay, I have to go," she said. Her eyes turned to Sarah and stopped
“I’m so happy for you, Sarah. Truly,” she said, “You’re going to be a wonderful mother. I’ll see you soon.” She pulled back, stepping away from Sarah with a practiced smile before heading for the door.
“Thank you, Rose. I’m really happy you’re here.”
Joshua followed Rose to the front door, offering a polite smile before walking her out to the yard.
Once they were outside, Rose whirled around, her anger boiling over. “How could you let this happen?” she hissed, her voice low but seething with rage. “You promised me, Joshua! We were supposed to be together you were supposed to make sure that she didn’t have any leverage!”
“I know, I know,” he said, trying to calm her down, “This wasn’t part of the plan. I didn’t expect this either.”
Rose stepped closer, her eyes flashing with fury. “I can’t believe this! She’s pregnant now, and everything we’ve worked for could be ruined. We can’t have a baby complicating everything!”
Joshua ran a hand through his hair, looking around as if searching for a way to fix this. “We will fix it. You know we can’t let this ruin everything.” His voice was low, almost threatening. “I’ll handle Sarah. I’ll get rid of this problem, once and for all.”
Rose narrowed her eyes. “What are you going to do, Joshua?”
He paused, locking eyes with her. “I’ll divorce her. I’ll make sure the assets transfer to me, and once they’re in my name... I’ll make sure Sarah’s baby is no longer an issue. I’ll make sure she loses the child. We don’t need any complications.”
Rose’s eyes widened, a wicked smile slowly spreading across her face. “You’re really going to do it? You’ll make sure she doesn’t have the baby?”
Joshua nodded, a cold resolve in his eyes. “Yes. I’ll make sure of it. It’s the only way we can get everything we need without any distractions.”
Rose let out a small laugh, her expression darkening. “I knew you’d come through, Joshua. You always know how to fix things. Let’s make sure Sarah gets what she deserves.”
Joshua glanced back at the house, his gaze hardening. “I’ll make it happen. You won’t have to worry about her anymore.” His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “She’ll be out of the Mansion.”
