The Contracted Stripper

I nodded, bracing myself for whatever he had to say.”I’m sorry I had to leave suddenly,” he began. “There are some things I need to explain.”I crossed my arms, not trusting myself to speak. My emotions were too raw, too close to the surface.

“Bella is pregnant,” he said bluntly, watching my reaction closely.

I felt a cold wave of nausea wash over me, but I kept my expression neutral. “I know,” I said quietly.”I didn’t want it to happen,” Ryan said, running a hand through his hair. “It was a mistake, and I regret it deeply. But now I need to take responsibility for the child.”

“And what about me?” I asked, my voice trembling. “What about our marriage?”Ryan looked pained. “Iris, I care about you deeply. I made a terrible mistake, but I want to make things right. I’ll support Bella and the baby, but I don’t want to lose you.”

His words were a jumbled mess in my mind. Could I really trust him? Could I forgive him? Before I could respond, Skylar’s phone rang, and she stepped out to take the call. The room fell into an awkward silence.

Ryan reached for my hand, but I pulled away. “I need time to think,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, looking defeated. “I understand. I’ll give you space.”As he left, Skylar returned, looking concerned. “Iris, we need to talk.”

“What is it?” I asked, feeling a new wave of dread.”It was a call from Mrs. Rose. She wants to meet with you. She said it’s urgent.”I felt my stomach drop. What could Mrs. Rose possibly want now? My mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.”I’ll go,” I said, standing up.

“I need to face her sooner or later.”Skylar nodded. “Do you want me to come with you?”I shook my head. “No, I need to do this alone.”As I left the hospital and headed to the Kendrick mansion, my mind was a whirlwind of emotions.

Betrayal, anger, fear, and a glimmer of hope all fought for dominance. I had no idea what awaited me, but I knew I had to be strong

. Mrs. Rose greeted me with a cold smile as I entered the mansion. “Iris, thank you for coming.”

“What do you want, Mrs. Rose?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

She motioned for me to sit. “We need to discuss the future. Specifically, your future in this family.”I felt a chill run down my spine.

“What do you mean?”Mrs. Rose leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with malice.

“Bella is pregnant with Ryan’s child. You understand what that means, don’t you?” My heart sank. “I understand.”

“Good,” she said, her smile widening. “Then you know that it’s time for you to step aside. Ryan needs to focus on his future with Bella and their child. There’s no place for you here anymore.

“I felt a surge of defiance. “I’m still his wife. You can’t just push me out.”

“Oh, but I can,” Mrs. Rose said, her voice dripping with venom. “And I will. You have two choices, Iris. Leave quietly and spare yourself the humiliation, or stay and be destroyed. The choice is yours.”

My mind raced. I had no intention of leaving quietly. But I needed a plan, and I needed it fast.”I’ll think about it,” I said, standing up.”Take all the time you need,” Mrs. Rose said, her smile never wavering. “But remember, the clock is ticking.”

As I left the mansion, my mind was already working on a plan. Mrs. Rose wanted to destroy me, but she had no idea who she was up against. I was done being a victim. It was time to fight back.

And with that, I headed back to the hospital, my resolve stronger than ever. The next steps would be crucial, and I couldn’t afford any mistakes. The battle lines were drawn, and I was ready to face whatever came next.

Iris left the Kendrick mansion, her heart heavy with pain and hurt. Lost in thought, she walked aimlessly down the street, almost getting hit by a speeding car.

The driver, with quick reflexes, managed to brake in time. Iris flinched in fear, collapsing onto the pavement.

The driver, a young man in his early thirties with piercing blue eyes, rushed out and helped her into his car.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

Iris could only nod weakly before she collapsed. The man quickly drove her to the nearest hospital.

She was attended to immediately, and the doctors stitched up a small bruise on her head. A few hours later, she woke up in an unfamiliar room.

She tried to get up, pulling at the tubes connected to her. A nurse hurried in. “Please, relax. You need to rest. Your blood pressure is dangerously high. It’s not healthy for your condition.

“Iris frowned. “What do you mean by ‘condition’?”

The nurse gave her a gentle smile. “You’re four weeks pregnant.”

Iris’s world spun, and she fainted.

Back at the Kendrick mansion, Ivy and Mrs. Rose continued their conversation.”Go on, I’m listening,” Mrs. Rose said, her tone curious.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Ivy snapped out of her thoughts where she had already told her mum she paid for it; well, there was no need to lie; Iris was going to be thrown out of their family soon.

“Well, Mum, the sketches weren’t mine. I took them from Iris,” Ivy confessed.

Mrs. Rose raised an eyebrow. “Iris? Did you steal her designs? How? When?”

“I found the sketchbook in her room and took it; I went through them and saw amazing sketches. She must have known at the fashion show but couldn’t confront me. Maybe she was too distracted by her fight with Ryan,” Ivy replied.

Mrs. Rose chuckled. “Good for her. You did the right thing. Those designs were wasted in her hands. Now they’re where they belong. Well done, honey.”

“You’re not mad at me?” Ivy asked, relief evident in her voice.”Mad? No way. I’m proud of you, dear.”Ivy sighed with relief and smiled.

“Now, let’s focus on getting Ryan to marry Bella,” Mrs. Rose said, her eyes gleaming with determination.

“Mum, isn’t that too fast? Ryan hasn’t made a decision yet. Shouldn’t we let him decide?” Ivy suggested.

“No, dear. We’ll decide for Ryan. He’s too confused to make the right choice. Bella needs to move into his house. I’ll go shopping for my grandchild later.”

“Mum, isn’t it too soon to shop? We don’t even know the baby’s gender yet,” Ivy pointed out

.”It doesn’t matter. I’ll buy for both genders, just in case they’re twins,” Mrs. Rose giggled.

Ivy shook her head, smiling. “You’re something else, Mom. I have an appointment at 4 PM, so I can’t go shopping with you.

“Mrs. Rose pouted. “I thought you’d come with me.”

“No way, Mum. I have things to do. Bye,” Ivy said, kissing her mother’s cheek before leaving

. Mrs. Rose picked up her phone and called Iris for the first time. “Hello, meet me at home now,” she said before hanging up.

*******************************

. Iris woke up again, remembering where she was and what the nurse had told her. Pregnant. How could she be pregnant with Ryan’s child when he was expecting a baby with Bella? Mrs. Rose had just told her to stay away from Ryan.

Her life seemed to get more complicated every day. She decided to keep the pregnancy a secret. Telling Ryan would only make things worse. He would think she was desperate. No, she would deal with this on her own.

The nurse came in to check on her. “Do you feel any pain?”

“I’m okay,” Iris replied, her mind elsewhere.”You can leave soon,” the nurse said.”Who brought me here?” Iris asked.

“A young man. He paid your bills and left,” the nurse replied. Iris nodded and left the hospital, ignoring the nurse’s advice to rest more. She walked down the street, tears blurring her vision.

She was carrying a child for someone who didn’t care about her. How would she navigate this mess? She decided to end her marriage with Ryan and get paid off so she could leave with her mother and unborn child.

But the thought of raising their child alone was unbearable. She loved Ryan, despite everything.

As she walked, she felt someone trailing her. Each time she looked back, no one was there. It must be her imagination, she thought.

She needed to clear her head. She spotted a bar with a club ahead and decided to go in.

She sat among the crowd, a waitress approaching her. “What would you like to drink?”

“Your strongest drink. I want to be knocked out,” Iris replied, her voice heavy with despair.

The waitress hesitated, seeing the dried tear marks on Iris’s face. “Are you sure?”

“Just bring the bottle,” Iris snapped.

The waitress returned with a bottle and placed it on the table. Iris began drowning her sorrows in the alcohol.

A man at the other end of the bar had been watching her for a while. He noticed her ordering another drink and decided to intervene.

“Please, don’t give her another bottle,” he said to the waitress, who nodded in agreement, giving Iris a pitying look before she walked away.

“Do you want to kill yourself? Why are you drinking so much?” the man asked his tone a mix of concern and frustration.

He finally joined her at the table.”You, what are you doing here?” Iris slurred, looking up at the stranger.