Faking a Pregnancy to Destroy the Man I Loved

I held my newborn son tightly against my chest as I continued running the hospital floor. I heard heavy footsteps echoing behind me. Men were shouting.

Find her! She went this way!

They were my fiances men.

I turned the corner too fast, making me crash right onto someone. I almost dropped my baby, but strong hands grabbed my shoulders and steadied me.

I looked up. A tall familiar man stood in front of me.

"Please," I begged. Tears spilled down my face. I grabbed his jacket with my shaking hand. "Please, you have to hide my baby. They are going to take him."

The man looked down at me.

"I was kidnapped three days ago. I was heavily pregnant. They locked me in a warehouse. I managed to escape into the woods tonight. I gave birth to my son in the dirt. But before I ran, I heard the kidnappers talking."

I took a shaky breath. The memory made my heart hurt.

"They said George hired them," I told the stranger. "George is my fianc. He never wanted to marry me. He only wanted me to have a baby. He planned to steal my son and give him to Danica, his first love and his best friend. She cannot get pregnant. So George used me to give her a child."

"Please," I sobbed. I held my son out to him. "If they find him, they will give him to Danica. I will never see him again. Please save my son."

The shouting grew louder. The men were getting closer.

"She must be down this hall!" a rough voice yelled.

The tall stranger looked down the hallway. Then, he looked back at me.

He opened his mouth to speak. But I never heard the rest of his words.

My vision blurred, and the handsome stranger faded away as the world turned completely black.

I woke up to a bright light. I was lying in a hospital bed. A machine beeped slowly next to me.

I opened my eyes. My body felt heavy and weak.

"You are finally awake."

I turned my head. George was standing next to the bed. He wore a clean gray suit. His hair was perfectly styled. He did not look worried. He looked angry.

Before I could even speak, George raised his hand.

He slapped me hard across the face, making my head turn to the side from the force of his hit. It burned my cheeks.

"You are completely useless!" George screamed at me. "You cannot do anything right!"

I touched my stinging cheek. I looked at him. The man I thought loved me. The man who bought me flowers and promised me a happy family. It was all a lie.

"Where is the baby?" George demanded. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Where is he, Stephanie?"

I stared at him, confused. My heart started to beat very fast. "You... you do not have him?"

"What do you mean?" George yelled. He let go of my shoulders. "My men found you passed out in the hallway. You were bleeding. But there was no baby. We searched the whole hospital. We searched the woods. There is nothing. The doctors said you already gave birth. Where did you leave him?"

My breath caught in my throat.

No baby? We searched everywhere?

My mind raced back to the hallway. The tall stranger. I gave him my son. But I passed out before he could promise anything. Did he get scared and run away? Did he drop my baby? Was he even real, or did I imagine him because I lost so much blood?

If George did not have my baby, and the hospital did not have him...

My son was gone. He was so small and weak. He was out there somewhere, lost, or worse.

A raw, terrible pain ripped through my chest. It hurt more than the bleeding. It hurt more than the slap.

"No!" I screamed. I covered my face with my hands and let out a loud, painful sob. "My baby! My baby is gone!"

George stared at me. His face twisted with disgust. He did not comfort me. He did not care about my broken heart.

"You lost him?" George asked. "You left my child in the dirt to die?"

"I did not mean to!" I sobbed, shaking my head wildly. The grief was eating me alive. "I was running from your men! I was trying to save him!"

"You are a stupid woman," George said. He took a step back from the bed. He looked at me like I was trash. "I spent so much time taking care of you. I gave you everything. And you lose the only thing that mattered."

"Do not talk to me," George snapped. He turned around and walked toward the door. "You make me sick. Stay here and recover. I have to go fix this mess."

He opened the door and walked out.

The door clicked shut.

I was left alone in the quiet room. I cried until my throat was raw. I cried for my tiny, quiet son who never even got a name. I cried for the life I thought I was going to have.

But slowly, the tears stopped.

I lowered my hands and looked at the closed door. My cheek still hurt from his slap. My body was broken. My child was dead.

I placed my hand on my empty stomach. I took a deep breath. The crushing sadness inside me began to turn into something else. It turned into cold, hard anger.

George caused this. He used me. He let men kidnap me. He planned to steal my child. Because of him, I had to run. Because of him, my baby was gone.

I will never forgive him.

Two days later, the hospital let me go. George drove me back to his large estate.

The car ride was completely quiet. George did not speak to me. He did not hold my hand. He only stared at the road with an angry look on his face. I kept my head down and looked at my empty hands.

When George unlocked the front door, we walked into the grand living room. Someone was waiting for us.

"Oh, Stephanie!" Danica cried out. Her voice was loud and sweet. She ran across the room and hugged me tightly. "I am so sorry for your terrible loss. George told me everything. I am moving in for a while. I am here to comfort you through this dark time."

George smiled at her. It was a soft, loving smile. He never smiled at me like that.

"Thank you, Danica," George said gently. "You are a very good friend. Stephanie needs someone to watch over her."

George looked at his watch. "I have to go to the office and fix the mess she caused. Stay with her, Danica."

He turned and walked out the front door. He did not even say goodbye to me.

The heavy door clicked shut.

Instantly, Danica stopped hugging me. She pushed me away hard. I stumbled back and almost fell. Her sweet smile disappeared completely. Her eyes turned dark and mean.

She stepped very close to my face.

"You stupid, useless woman," Danica whispered. Her voice was full of hate. "You ruined everything. You were supposed to give me that baby. George promised him to me. Now he is dead in the dirt because you are clumsy and weak."

I looked down at the floor. I forced my shoulders to shake. I acted like I was crying.

"I am sorry," I whispered.

"Sorry will not give me a child," Danica hissed. She grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her. "George never loved you. You were just a vessel. An incubator for my baby. Now you are nothing. You are just trash taking up space in my house."

She let go of my face and wiped her hand on her dress, like touching me made her dirty.

She rolled her eyes and walked away, heading straight for the master bedroom.

I stood alone in the hallway. My hands formed tight fists. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit her. But I knew that would be no point.

I walked slowly to the small guest room at the end of the hall. George did not even let me sleep in the main bedroom anymore.

I went inside and locked the door. The room was dark and cold. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my small hospital bag toward me. I reached inside the bag. Under my dirty hospital gown, my fingers touched something hard and cold.

I frowned. I pulled it out.

It was a small, black phone. It looked very expensive and new. I did not own a black phone. George took my real phone away when I was kidnapped.

I stared at it. My hands shook slightly. I pressed the power button on the side. The screen lit up brightly in the dark room.

There was one unread message.

I opened it.

My breath stopped completely. My heart pounded so hard it hurt my chest.

It was a picture. In the picture, a tiny baby boy was sleeping in a beautiful, high-tech crib. He wore soft, warm blue clothes. He looked healthy. He looked safe.

It was my son.

He was alive.

Hot tears of pure joy fell down my face. I covered my mouth with both hands so I would not scream out loud.

Suddenly, the phone buzzed in my hand. A new text message popped up on the screen.

Text: "He is safe. My name is Matt. I slipped this phone into your bag at the hospital while you were unconscious."

I stared at the name. Matt. The tall man in the sharp suit.

Another message appeared.

Text: "George Harrington is my rival. I want to destroy his company and take everything he has."

I wiped my eyes and read the next text.

Text: "Help me destroy him from the inside. Be my spy in that house. Tell me his secrets. If you do this, I will protect your son forever. They will never find him."

I did not even have to think. I typed back as fast as my shaking fingers could move.

Stephanie: "Yes. I will do anything. I will be your spy. Please, just keep my baby safe."

The reply came seconds later.

Matt: "I promise. No one will ever hurt him. And I will not let them hurt you either."

I stayed in my dark room for three days. I cried loudly so they could hear me. I played the part of the broken, grieving mother.

Outside my door, I heard Danica complain.

"She is so annoying, George," Danica whined. "Make her stop crying. I cannot stand her voice."

The bedroom door opened. George walked in. A strange man in a white coat followed him. He carried a black medical bag. George looked at me with cold eyes.

"Stop crying," George ordered. "Since you lost the first baby, you owe Danica another one."

I stared at him. My mind could not understand his cruel words. "What?"

"You heard me," George said. "We will do the medical procedure again. We will use my sperm and Danica's egg. You will carry it."

My chest hurts. He never wanted a family with me. My whole life with him was a lie.

"Why?" I cried. Real tears filled my eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, George? I loved you! I gave you everything! You promise me everything yet when she came back"

"Because you killed my sister!" he yelled.

I froze. My breath stopped in my throat. I looked at him in pure shock.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered. "I do not know anything about your sister. I never killed anyone!"

"Do not lie to me!" George screamed. He grabbed my arm and squeezed it hard. "Three years ago, my sister died in a terrible car crash. The driver was drunk. The driver left my sister in the burning car and ran away into the dark."

I shook my head wildly. "George, that was not me! I do not even know how to drive! I was never in a car crash!"

"Stop lying!" George hissed. He pushed me back against the pillows. "Danica told me the truth. Danica was walking near the road that night. She saw you. She saw you crawl out of the driver's seat and run away. She told me everything."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"That is why I found you," George said coldly. "That is why I made you fall in love with me. It was all a trap. You took my sister's life, so I decided you will give a life back to my family. You will be our vessel until we have a child."

I wanted to scream the truth. I wanted to tell him that his perfect Danica was a liar and a murderer. But I looked at George's angry eyes. He would never believe me. Danica had him completely trapped in her evil web.

"Give her the medicine," George told the doctor.

The doctor stepped forward. He opened his bag and placed three large, ugly bottles on my table.

"These are aggressive fertility pills," the doctor said. "They will force your body to prepare for a new pregnancy immediately. They will cause severe pain and heavy bleeding. But you must take them every day."

George looked at me. "You will take them. Or I will lock you in the warehouse again."

He turned and left the room. The doctor followed him.

I was alone. I grabbed my hidden black phone from under the mattress. My hands shook with anger and fear. I typed a fast message to Matt.

Stephanie: "George wants me to have another baby for Danica. He brought a doctor. They left aggressive fertility pills. They want to force my body to get pregnant right now. The doctor said it will hurt me."

I sent another message right away.

Stephanie: "George thinks I killed his sister in a car crash three years ago. I did not do it! Danica lied to him. Danica told him she saw me run away from the crash. That is why George is torturing me."

I waited. The screen lit up almost instantly.

Matt: "Do not take the pills. I will fix this. Give me one hour."

I hid the phone under my pillow.

Exactly one hour later, my bedroom door opened very quietly. A young maid walked in. She opened the ugly medicine bottles. She poured the dangerous pills into her bag. Then, she took out a different bottle from her pocket. She filled George's bottles with small, pink pills.

"Mr. Matt Blackwood paid me," Anna whispered softly. "These are just sweet vitamins. They will not hurt you. I will throw the bad pills away."

"Thank you," I whispered back.

Ten minutes later, the door banged open. George and Danica walked in. Danica crossed her arms and smiled a mean smile.

"Time for your medicine," George said coldly.

He picked up the bottle. He took out two pink pills. He poured a glass of water and handed it to me.

"Swallow them," Danica ordered. "We want to watch."

I took the pills with a shaking hand. I put them in my mouth. They tasted like sweet candy. I drank the water and swallowed them down.

Then, I acted.

I dropped the glass. It shattered on the hard floor. I grabbed my stomach and bent over. I let out a loud gasp of fake pain. I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned loudly.

"It hurts!" I cried.

Danica laughed. It was a cruel, ugly sound.

"Good," Danica said. "It is supposed to hurt. Your body is waking up. You will be my incubator very soon."

George looked at me with disgust. "Take them every day. Do not make me force you."

They turned around and walked out of the room. They locked the door behind them.

I stayed bent over until I heard their footsteps fade away down the hall.

Then, I slowly sat up. I stopped groaning.

I wiped the fake tears from my face.

Three weeks passed slowly. Every morning, I swallowed the pink sweet vitamins. Every day, I pretended my stomach hurt. I acted tired and weak. I stayed in my dark room and kept my head down.

George and Danica watched me closely. They treated me like an animal in a cage. They thought the dangerous medicine was working.

They thought my body was breaking down to become their perfect vessel. They did not know I was completely healthy. They did not know I was just waiting.

One morning, Danica kicked my bedroom door open. George walked in behind her. Danica held a small white box in her hand. She threw it hard onto my bed.

"Take it," Danica ordered. "It has been long enough. We want to know if the procedure worked. We want to know if you are finally useful."

I picked up the box with shaking hands. I looked at George. He crossed his arms and stared at me.

I walked into the attached bathroom and locked the door. I turned on the sink so they could hear the water running. I did not use the test in the box. I reached under the sink. My fingers found a small, hidden plastic bag taped to the pipe.

Anna, the secret maid, put it there this morning. Matt planned everything perfectly.

Inside the bag was a fake pregnancy test. Matt paid a lot of money for it. It was designed to always show a positive result, no matter what.

I waited three minutes. I unlocked the door and walked out. I kept my head down. I handed the plastic stick to George.

George snatched it from my hand. He looked at it. Two bright pink lines. Positive. He showed the test to Danica.

Danica clapped her hands loudly. "Finally!" she cheered. "I am going to be a mother! I am finally getting my baby!"

George looked at Danica. His eyes were full of pride. "Put on your best dress," he told her. "We are going to the most expensive restaurant in the city. We need to celebrate our success. We will be gone all afternoon."

"Stay in your room," Danica snapped at me. "Do not ruin my happy day."

They turned and left my room.

An hour later, I heard the heavy front door close. I heard George's car engine start. I walked to the window and watched his expensive car drive away down the long driveway.

The large house was completely quiet. I was alone.

I moved fast.

I stood up straight and ran down the hallway to George's home office. The door was usually locked tight. But Anna left it unlocked for me before she went to clean the kitchen.

I pushed the door open and went inside. The room smelled like George's expensive cologne. It made me feel sick. I walked straight to the large metal safe hidden behind his heavy wooden desk.

My hands were shaking. If George came back early, he would kill me. But I had to be brave. I had to do this for my son.

I took out my secret black phone. Matt sent me a message yesterday. He used his highly paid computer experts to find George's private safe code. I looked at the numbers on my screen. I typed them into the safe keypad.

The heavy metal door swung open.

Inside, there were stacks of cash and expensive jewelry. I ignored all of it. I reached for a thick red folder at the very back. Matt told me exactly what to look for.

I opened the folder. I used my phone to take clear pictures of every single page. I made sure every number, every date, and every signature was perfectly visible. I took fifty pictures.

When I finished, I put the folder back exactly how I found it. I closed the safe and made sure it locked. I wiped my fingerprints off the keypad. I ran out of the office, closed the door, and hurried back to my dark bedroom.

I opened the messages with Matt. I selected all the pictures and pressed send.

I waited in the quiet room. The silence was heavy.

Five minutes later, the phone buzzed in my hand.

Matt: "I got them. These are perfect, Stephanie. You did amazing. I have all the proof I need. His company is completely finished."

Stephanie: "They think I am pregnant. They went out to celebrate. What happens now?"

The phone buzzed again.

Matt: "Tomorrow night is George's big company anniversary party. All his rich investors and powerful friends will be there. That is where I will spring the trap. I will expose his crimes to everyone. He will lose his money, his company, and his freedom."

I read the words again. Tomorrow. It was finally ending. George and Danica were going to lose everything.

Then, another message appeared on the screen.

Matt: "I have a beautiful room ready for you and our son. I am coming for you, Stephanie."

I stared at the glowing screen. I read the message over and over again.

Our son.

He called my baby his own.

George forced me to attend his massive company anniversary gala.

I wore a heavy, expensive red dress. The diamond engagement ring was cold and heavy on my finger. Danica stood right next to George. She wore a beautiful white gown. She smiled for the cameras and laughed with the rich investors. She looked like the real wife.

I kept my head down and stayed quiet. I played the part of the obedient, weak woman one last time.

"George," I whispered. I touched my stomach and made my face look pale. "I feel sick. The pregnancy medicine is making my stomach hurt. I need to use the restroom."

"Go," George snapped. "Do not ruin my big night. Stay in the restroom until I am done."

He raised his hand. Two large security guards walked over.

"Watch her," George ordered the guards. "Stand at the door. Do not let her leave."

I walked away quickly. The guards followed right behind me. I went inside the private restroom and locked the heavy wooden door.

I unzipped the heavy red dress and let it fall to the cold floor. I pulled the diamond engagement ring off my finger and dropped it on top of the dress.

Then, I opened my small purse. I took out the fake positive pregnancy test. I placed it right next to the ring.

I wanted George to see it. I wanted him to know his entire plan was a joke.

I reached under the sink. Anna hid a small black bag there this morning. I opened it and pulled out black leggings and a soft, warm sweater. I put them on.

I walked to the small window at the back of the restroom and climbed out into the dark, empty alley behind the hotel.

A sleek, bulletproof black car was waiting in the shadows. The back door opened, so I climbed inside.

The car finally drove away fast.

"Mr. Blackwood wants you to watch this," the bodyguard said.

I took the tablet. It showed a live video feed from the gala ballroom. On the screen, I watched George walk onto the large stage. The crowd clapped loudly. He held up his hands and started to speak.

Suddenly, the giant screens behind him turned black.

Then, a loud voice played over the massive speakers. I recognized the rough voice immediately. It was the man who kidnapped me.

"George Harrington hired us," the voice echoed through the ballroom. "He paid us to lock the pregnant woman, his fiancee, in the warehouse."

The crowd gasped in shock. Then, a hidden video played on the giant screens. It was a video of George and Danica sitting in their living room.

"She is just a vessel," Danica said on the giant video screen. "I will take the baby. She is completely useless."

"Yes," George said on the screen. "She owes us. We will take the child and throw her away."

In the ballroom, the rich investors looked horrified. They stood up from their tables. They started shouting.

It was not done yet. The giant screen flashed red. A new audio recording started to play.

But I didnt bother listening to the rest. I turned off the tablet.

All I want right now is to see my son.

The car finally stopped in front of the grand doors. Matt was standing there. He stepped closer and gently took my hand. He pressed a soft, respectful kiss to my knuckles.

From inside the grand mansion, a soft, sweet sound floated through the open doors. It was a baby cooing.

Hot tears of pure joy filled my eyes.

"Welcome home. Our son is waiting for you."

We walked inside the grand house and went straight to the beautiful nursery.

My tiny son was awake. I picked him up carefully and held him tightly against my chest.

Matt stood next to me. He took off his dark suit jacket. As he rolled up his white sleeves, I saw something terrible on his arm. It was a long, ugly scar. It looked like an old, deep burn.

I reached out and touched his arm gently. "What happened to you?"

"Three years ago," Matt whispered, "a drunk driver crashed into my car on a dark road. Danica hit my car. She was with George's sister. She left her to burn in the car. But I crawled out of my vehicle. I pulled George's sister out of the fire before the police arrived."

"You pulled her out? They said she was dead."

"She was in a secret coma for three years. I hid her in my private hospital to keep her safe from Danica."

Matt walked to the heavy wooden door and opened it slowly.

A nurse wheeled a chair into the bright light. A pale, quiet woman sat in the chair.

"She woke up yesterday," Matt whispered. He stood close behind me and put his hand on my waist. "And she finally told me why Danica crashed the car on purpose to kill her and about your identity, too."