#35 An eventful day

My new daily routine and my relationship with Sebastian kept me busy for the next couple of weeks.
I was in the eighteenth week of my pregnancy, so we could finally have an answer about the baby's heart development. All the previous check-ups didn't show anything unusual. My unborn child was growing without any complication, and my baby bump became more prominent with every passing week.
Sebastian was very optimistic about the results, but I tried to remain neutral. I knew very well what could go wrong; I had experienced it firsthand. Thus, I wanted to hear that nothing was abnormal before I could let my guard down.
If it wasn't for my job at the publishing house and my friends keeping my company, I'd have gone crazy. Sebastian always came back to have lunch and dinner together; Sophie and Nickolas would visit us whenever they could. The two Leclair brothers seemed to tolerate each other's presence just fine, or at least they tried to for my shake.
Besides Sophie, Nickolas, and the people working at the house, we tried to keep our relationship a secret. It might sound foolish, especially since almost everyone knew that we were engaged. However, we didn't want to give Clara the satisfaction that her plan had worked. At least, not yet…
The day of our appointment at the hospital finally came. Sebastian decided not to go to his office that day and stay with me instead. I was anxious as hell, and despite his efforts, nothing could make me feel better.
I vaguely remember the conversation with Dr. Hunt, the ultrasound, and the rest of the examination. It was like watching myself and everything happening around me from above.
But then these magic words came, and I couldn't stop my tears. They were tears of happiness and relief. My baby was fine and healthy with a strong heart and no malformation.
Sebastian looked genuinely satisfied, too, even though the doctor confirmed that our baby was indeed a girl. His bright smile and his glistening grey eyes made my heart swell with joy.
The way Sebastian changed in just a few weeks was remarkable. When we first met, he was a man heartbroken and afraid to love another person ever again. Yet now, the billionaire cared for me and loved our baby so much already. He wasn't afraid to smile and laugh; he didn't hide his emotions anymore. He was ready to move on and be happy, or so I thought…
"Just imagine what my mom will say after hearing the news," Sebastian chuckled when we got into his car.
I frowned a bit, imagining Clara's reaction.
"We're certainly going to give her another reason to disown me," he shrugged.
"You enjoy making her angry, don't you?" I asked, eyeing him from the corner of my eyes.
Sebastian smirked, driving the car into the busy streets of the city. "She started it; I just won't let her win that easily…"
"She might be truly concerned about us and trying to protect us, but her way to express her worry is very infuriating."
"You sound very fond of your future mother-in-law," the man said with a lopsided grin.
A gasp escaped my lips, and my eyes widened in surprise. "Well, for now, Clara is my pretend to be mother-in-law. Besides, I don't recall you proposing to me…" I tried to reply calmly.
"I remember quite well that I asked you two times to marry me," he retorted.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and glared at him. "I'm still trying to forget that awful contract. Plus, the fake proposal before our so-called engagement party doesn't count…"
"I found the latter quite romantic."
"For future reference, a candlelit dinner, some flowers, a heartwarming declaration of your affection would be my preference for a romantic proposal, Mr. Leclair."
"This sounds very cliché…"
"Of course, you can improvise. But I'd like to see you with one knee down, asking me the question…" I replied with a smirk.
"I shall keep that in mind," Sebastian chuckled.
We were fooling around like two love-struck teenagers. I needed this time to relax and enjoy myself after all the anxiousness I'd been through the past few days.
"Where are we going?" I asked when I realized we weren't heading back to his apartment.
"We need to start decorating the nursery room," Sebastian replied nonchalantly.
I tilted my head to the side, trying to comprehend whether he was kidding.
"Really? We're going shopping?" I asked him as a huge grin appeared on my lips.
Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes. "This is your way to torture me," he grumbled.
"You don't have to come if you don't like shopping…"
"No way, I'm leaving you alone. Besides, it might be fun."
I chuckled, patting his arm lightly. "Of course, it'll be. Just imagine all the cute, pink things we're going to buy."
Sebastian's features softened, and he turned to look at me when the car stopped at a traffic light. "I'm happy that we're going to have a baby girl…"
I smiled brightly and laced my one hand with his.
"I only wish she looks exactly like you," the billionaire muttered and brought my hand to his lips to peck the back of it.
I blushed hearing his words. Sebastian was so sweet and gentle sometimes.
Our shopping was the best treat my baby's father could give me. I squealed excitedly, looking at all the pink bodysuits, the small clothes, and the cute hair ribbons. Sebastian literally bought everything that made me smile or exclaim with joy.
When I got a bit teary, looking at the framed photos of other babies, the billionaire was there to console me. However, he couldn't stop the smile that stretched at his luscious lips; he found my mood swings quite amusing.
We also bought a crib, a rocking chair for me to sit while breastfeeding, dressers, a bookshelf, and a changing table. We picked up a few sets of bed sheets, some towels, and blankets. A baby car seat and a stroller were the last things we purchased.
Sebastian informed me that he would make sure to set up a monitor system in the nursery room. We still hadn't even chosen the room's color or wallpaper, but it wouldn't be that difficult. Everything we picked was in neutral colors with a few pink pastel details, so the room would be painted either pink pastel or a soothing white color.
We only bought what was necessary since we could always come back to get more stuff. We had four months to get prepared for our daughter's arrival. Besides, I was sure that our mothers and Sophie would want to come for another shopping spree...
Sebastian went to take care of the bill, and I looked at a few other stalls while waiting for him. Afterward, we had agreed to go to a restaurant for dinner since I was hungry and exhausted.
"I knew you looked familiar," I heard an annoying high-pitched voice saying.
Turning around, I found a middle-aged woman with brown hair scrutinizing me.
"That explains how you managed to get betrothed with him so soon," the woman continued, her eyes landing on my baby bump.
A chill ran down my spine when I finally remembered who she was.
"We're happy to start our own family," I replied, giving her a fake smile.
"Of course, a little whore like you had to find a way to keep a man like Sebastian bound with her," the woman named Janine accused me.
"I must admit, I never expected a woman of your class to talk so inappropriately," I retorted.
The woman chuckled and then cast her brown eyes at me. "Darling, just because you're going to give him a child, it doesn't mean that you've earned his heart. You might have sex with him or even marry him, but Sebastian will always love my daughter…"
My wonderful day had turned into a nightmare only in a few seconds. How I wish this woman would vanish and never bother me again…
"Sebastian's ready to move on, but no one said he'd stopped loving your daughter, nor that he'd forgotten her."
"And he never will. I know all too well what women like you want, his money and a secure life. You can pretend to love him, but you can't fool me. I've seen him happy and in love, and I can assure you that he's also pretending," the woman hissed.
Her words were like a knife twisting in my chest. I was sure about my feelings. I loved Sebastian but hearing that his emotions might not be real was very disturbing. I wanted to believe that Sebastian was honest with me, that his confession and apology were sincere. But then again, what if I chose to see what I wanted to see? What if he was pretending because, deep down, he wanted an heir and nothing more from me?
"My love for Sebastian and his affection for me is something that shouldn't concern you," I shot back.
"He can't love someone like you. You're nothing compared to my daughter!"
Why on earth was this woman so obsessed with not letting Sebastian move on?
Why did she mingle in our lives?
"Sebastian has a different opinion, and you can't indicate him whom to love," I told her, my tone tired but my irritation still visible.
"Sebastian won't ever be happy without Liv; I'll make sure of that if needed," Janine threatened, an evil smile plastered on her lips.
"Why can't you be happy for him?" I asked blatantly, unable to tolerate her madness for any longer.
"Seeing him with another woman would break her heart…" the woman replied, her eyes almost tearing up.
"You couldn't be more wrong, Janine…" Sebastian's cold voice startled both of us.
"Sebastian, how lovely to see you again. I didn't have the chance to greet you at your engagement party. But don't worry, I met your substitute wife," the woman snickered.
"I wish I could say the same, Janine. Evelyn's going to be my wife and my queen, so I'd suggest you watch your tone next time you'll address her," Sebastian stated, his grey eyes glaring at the brown-haired woman.
The woman chuckled, unfazed by Sebastian's threats. "How quickly you forgot the love of your life…"
"If you knew Olivia better, you'd know she wanted my happiness above all. Now, I really can't understand why you can't let it go," the billionaire replied, wrapping his arm around my waist.
Despite his physical support and the way he defended me, I felt extremely vulnerable and sad. My cheerful mood was all gone, and I just wished these past few minutes were only a bad dream.
"I thought you were smart, Sebastian. You won't be happy with her, not now, not ever," Janine hissed and then turned on her heels and left the store.
Sebastian caressed my back softly and helped me sit on one of the sofas inside the store. He looked concerned about my state and angry with this woman's attitude.
"Are you okay, love?" he gently asked me after a few moments of silence.
"I'm just tired…" I replied with a small nod.
"Okay, love, we can go back home if you want," he suggested.
I nodded, and after we thanked the store's employees once again, we headed outside the mall.
"What else did she say to you?" Sebastian questioned as he fired the engine of his black SUV.
I looked outside my window, not willing to talk to him about what happened. To be honest, I wanted to forget this incident and move on. But what if Janine was right? What if Sebastian wouldn't be happy with me?
I was afraid to confess to him everything I've been through since the moment I was born… What does this say about our relationship?
Can we find happiness when I'm afraid to talk to him?
"It doesn't really matter, Sebastian. Besides, I don't think she has a way to keep us apart or destroy our lives," I replied after a while.
"I'm sorry she ruined our good mood," the billionaire muttered, giving me an apologetic smile.
"It's okay; I can look at some of the things we bought and cheer up," I said, and we both laughed.
Sebastian let out a sigh after we sobered up. "I was engaged with Liv for almost two years. Janine was going to be my mother-in-law. I really can't understand her actions…"
"She might believe that you're betraying Olivia by being with another woman," I replied as Janine's words replayed in my mind.
"This is crazy! Liv is dead. I have come to accept that after all these years. I was also afraid to move on with my life, but I just had to meet the right person. The one person that made me believe again…" Sebastian said and bore his grey eyes into my blue ones.
Just like that, I was on full crying mode once again, making the CEO worry even more. My pregnancy hormones and his tender words were to blame for my endless tears.
"I hate you," I murmured between my sobs.
The billionaire smirked and laced his hand with mine. "I hate you, too…"
Once back at Sebastian's loft, I took a shower while the billionaire worked for a while. Martha prepared our meal, and we finally ate together after this long and eventful day.
We discussed a few more things about the nursery room and the changes we could make in the loft. Sebastian told me that he wanted to buy another house with a large garden for our kids to play at. I couldn't stop smiling and imagining how beautiful our life would be. We had been through a lot, and I wanted to believe that this will be our chance to find our happily ever after.
After dinner, we watched a romance movie together. The billionaire fed me my favorite ice cream flavor. Once the movie was over, he carried me into our bedroom and placed me on our bed softly.
Sebastian kissed me fiercely, leaving me breathless. The billionaire sucked and bit my lips until they got swollen and then trailed soft kisses on my neck. I felt his lips brushing against the red line on my chest, and I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply.
"I haven't talked to you about this…" I whispered with a hoarse voice. I craved him, yet at the same time, I needed to tell him my story.
Sebastian stopped kissing me and lifted his head to look at me. A small frown formed between his eyebrows, and his grey eyes looked at me curiously.
"Do you feel like hearing a story? My story?" I asked, looking deep into his eyes.

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A.N. Thank you for reading! As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments! Stay tuned for more!