His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 70

Four. Months. Later,

I swole.

Being six months pregnant was hard. Being pregnant with twins was harder. And it being a high-risk pregnancy because. apparently your uterus wasn’t getting big enough and one of the babies’ growth was restricted? The hardest.

Not to forget the number of hospital and medicine bills this was bringing.

I couldn’t find a way around my old insurance, and since I wasn’t on any insurance any more, I had to pay everything out of pocket. I always thought it was being pregnant that would be the hard part, but it was paying for the number of ultrasounds and blood tests and doctor checkups and injections that I required.

I did work for two months, and almost every last cent I earned from that and my savings was spent at the doctor’s clinic. The amount I somehow did end up saving was blown on buying two tickets back to my hometown, for me and Luna.

As nice as my new neighbours had been to me since my bump started showing, my first stance remained. This wasn’t the kind of place I could bring two infants to. Besides, between one room being mine here and the other being Luna’s, I didn’t even have the place to set up the cots.

I hadn’t even bought cots.

In the last week of my second trimester (after which I wouldn’t be allowed to travel), we flew back. We landed in the city, and then travelled four hours to reach my hometown.

My grandfather’s house, now mine according to his will but I was having a hard time coming to terms with that, was dusty. Being shut since the past six months had done that to it, and we spent the night cleaning up.

The rest of the week I spent changing the guest room into the babies’ room. I was putting off going outside the house, and Luna was the one who bought me paints. I painted it a very pastel blue with white clouds and stars. I know I wanted a hanging moon light and two cots kept close to each other, but for getting that, I would have to move out of the house and I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t want to meet people.

That night, after dinner, there was a knock on the door.

I exchanged a look with Luna.

Nobody knew I was here.

“Stay here,” Luna said, grabbing a knife and went to answer the door herself. I could have been careless coming back here after being kidnapped here, but if the person’s problem really was me being Gabriel’s wife. I wasn’t his wife anymore. I don think he would come after me now that the divorce articles had already hit all news channels months ago. But I had to still be careful, pregnant and all, which was partly the reason I hadn’t stepped out of the house much.

Luna answered. “Yes?”

Who are you?” A voice outside

come to my house. I should be the

ta

became increasingly familiar even though I was at a distance. My eyebrows knit and I got up from

You know her?” Luna

best friends. My name’s Sam. Look, if you have her

1/3

her? That’ll be

and Luna looked at

way. “Here? She’s here?” Sam’s

came in, looking

eyes flickered from me to my belly, and then back to

“Pregnant?” I offered.

He walked ahead, wrapping his

the city, to your house. L… I lodged a complaint

sorry. L. I just… Grandpa, and then the

He offers me a little smile, “I’m

smile back.

really hectic day at work. I just saw the lights were on a couple days ago and couldn’t stop myself from

Ismile.

yes? Tomorrow? You can fill me in about

hesitant, stopping him before he could leave. “You said you went to the

He nods:

you… Did you meet Gabriel by

thinned.

how my heart sank every time, breaking all

deserved you, Soph, Sam added. I try nodding or giving him a smile, but nothing comes. “What’re your

I have to go to pick out a

mom and me?”