WILSON'S MANSION, 7:30 PM.
Freya's trembling hand slowly pressed the doorbell. Despite the late hour, she had arrived directly at her family mansion, devoid of any belongings. After a few persistent rings, a maid, her eyes wide with shock, opened the door. "Miss," the maid gasped, immediately ushering Freya inside.
"I'll talk to them tomorrow," Freya murmured, her voice weary. "You don't have to wake them up." The maid nodded and departed, leaving Freya to seek solace in her own room, where sleep soon claimed her.
NEXT MORNING
Freya emerged from her room, a yawn escaping her lips as she made her way to the kitchen. The maids bustled about, immersed in their morning chores. Upon entering, she found the maid who had greeted her last night preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Miss," the maid greeted, seeing her. Freya smiled and offered to help. By the time they had finished and set the table, her parents were already downstairs.
A shared gasp of surprise rippled through the room. It had been a year since their last encounter, a year Freya had spent meticulously guarding her identity to safeguard her marriage. But that chapter was closed. Freya rushed into their waiting arms, her tears soaking their shoulders. The embrace was a balm to her wounded soul. Their moment of reunion was broken by the arrival of Alina, who merely rolled her eyes at their display, earning a scoff from Freya.
Alina, the adopted daughter of the Wilson family, had been made acting president in Freya's stead. To Alina, she was merely a shadow, always protecting Freya, yet demanding to be treated like a deity. Despite this, Freya's parents had kindly welcomed her after she was abandoned.
After breakfast, they retreated to the living room, a silent tension hanging between them until Alina finally broke it. "Why are you back? I mean, when did you get back?" The question was expected; Freya had mentally prepared for it since last night. She took a deep breath before beginning to recount the events.
30 minutes later
Alina rolled her eyes after Freya finished her story. "You could have stayed begging him rather than being here," she blurted out, causing Freya's mother to flare at her, silencing her abruptly. Alina stood, dismissing them with a wave of her hand. "Wish you the best of luck," she said, before retreating to her room. Freya had hoped Alina might have matured, but it seemed some things never changed.
Freya knew she had been introduced to Henry as a simple girl from the countryside, a deliberate act to prevent him from thinking she had married him to forge a greater alliance between his and her father's companies. As the heiress to her father's company, ranked second among the USA's billionaires, Freya had yearned for Henry to love her for who she was, not for her family's wealth, but for his sincerity.
From the very beginning, her father had been hesitant about the marriage, believing that arranged unions were relics of a bygone era. However, Henry's grandfather had promised that no harm would come to her and that she wouldn't regret it, which was why they had decided to keep her identity private. Freya had felt it was a betrayal, but her father insisted it was necessary for Henry to grow to love her, and crucially, to protect her identity.
"Dad, Mom, I'm pregnant," Freya announced, the words carefully chosen after much deliberation. "And I'm keeping the pregnancy." Despite the prospect of raising a child without a father, Freya was resolute. She promised herself that her child would never feel that void.
"You know we'll always support you in whatever you do," her father responded, "but I suggest you keep it a secret. You need to leave the country for a while, until everything cools down."
"Yes, Father," Freya agreed. "And please, keep my pregnancy a secret from Alina. I don't want her going behind our backs to inform Henry." Her father had been using his resources to restrict Alina from contacting Henry, let alone revealing Freya's true identity, which had ironically made it easier for Freya to maintain peace for three years.
"I will do that," her father assured her. "You should freshen up and rest now. I'll have Richard prepare your flight for tomorrow before you wake up."
Freya hugged them again, finding comfort in their presence. Even if they weren't always together, at least no one could bully her here. After disengaging, she walked towards her room. She encountered Alina by the staircase, an evil smirk playing on her lips. Freya hoped Alina hadn't overheard their conversation.
"So, you're divorced now," Alina smirked. Freya scoffed. Alina was nothing more than a devil's pawn; exchanging words with her was futile. "You never know what life throws at someone," Freya shrugged, pushing past her. Alina hated being ignored, and responding with a proverb was something she despised even more.
Entering her room, Freya found it as pristine as ever, a testament to her mother's diligence in ensuring the maids cleaned it daily. Her wardrobe was neat and sparkling with her clothes. She hadn't been able to properly examine it last night due to her exhaustion. Her eyes fell on the mirror beside it, and she sighed, looking at her reflection.
She chose a simple floral gown, picked out her undergarments, and slipped out of her dress, gently tying a towel around herself. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the water cascade over her body. Henry's words echoed in her mind, making it impossible to concentrate: "LEAVE."
Her eyes snapped open with a gasp. She realized she had been under the shower for too long and her body was starting to shiver. She stepped out, changed into the new gown, and sat before the mirror. "Will he ever come back?" That was the only question tormenting her mind. She rose and went to bed, hoping for a short rest, her thoughts swirling before she finally drifted off to sleep.