Unpredictable Betrayal : A Sweet of Revenge

Aurora sighed wearily as she stared at the pregnancy test she held. The two red lines she had been hoping for seemed nowhere in sight, despite her numerous efforts.

She wondered how many times she had tried this. It had been almost six months since she married Alden, but signs of pregnancy had yet to appear.

Honestly, Aurora had been worried. There was a fear lurking in her mind that the rumors about her difficulty in conceiving might be true.

“Don’t judge Alex. Who knows, maybe you also have difficulty getting pregnant or having children,” Aurora remembered Savana’s words vividly. Although they were long ago and she had initially dismissed them, recalling them now felt painful. Perhaps this was the curse Savana had given her.

“Just wait until after you get married. I’m sure you’ll also have difficulty having children. So, don’t think you’re so great by blaming Alex as the reason you don’t have offspring and eventually your marriage falls apart,” Savana had said.

Yet, Alden had tried to reassure her many times. He had tried to convince her that having children was not a priority in their marriage. Even Zendaya had done the same, urging Aurora not to burden her son with the desire to have children immediately.

“Mama never gave you and Alden a target of when and how many children to have. Besides, offspring are purely God’s right. No matter how much we force it, if it’s not in God’s timing, what can we do?” Zendaya had said.

Aurora had been unsure how to respond at that moment. On one hand, she felt relieved. But on the other hand, she still felt uneasy with her mother-in-law. Truly, she was afraid that Zendaya might become bored and change her attitude like Savana did in the past.

“Aurora is just afraid, Mom. Besides, it’s also worrisome for Alden. Afraid that he and Mom will become the subject of gossip among close friends,” Aurora said.

Zendaya shook her head. “It’s actually more pitiful if you force it too much, Aurora. Just so you know, Mama was in your position once. From the beginning of marriage, it was already predicted that it would be difficult to have children. In those days, there was no IVF program. Alden’s late father and I had to patiently wait for five years before Alden was conceived. That’s why Mama understands what you’re going through. All the pressure, fear, anxiety, and sadness, Mama understands that. That’s why now Mama won’t force or burden you to do this or that.”

Aurora should have felt ashamed. Zendaya had even patiently waited for five years to finally have children. And what about her? She had just reached six months of marriage. But she was already making a fuss and overthinking things.

“Why so gloomy? Did you eat something bad or what? Your face looks terrible,” Velia asked when they were already at the hospital. Sensing something was wrong with her coworker, she became curious and asked. Velia didn’t like seeing Aurora gloomy, let alone being silent. It felt like talking to a wall. Boring.

“My pregnancy test result this morning was negative again,” Aurora replied.

Velia clicked her tongue. Approaching Aurora, she handed her a box of fruit salad she had bought that morning.

“Oh dear, just eat first. Let’s improve your mood.” Then Velia sat right in front of Aurora. “How many times have you tested?”

Aurora rolled her eyes. Seemingly thinking, she tried to remember.

“It’s probably more than six times. Because every month I sometimes check two to three times.”

“Oh my,” Velia exclaimed.

“Although, I was hoping it would be positive this time.”

“How many days late are you?”

“Just ten days.”

Velia laughed at Aurora’s words.

“Oh dear, Aurora. You’ve only been late for a week and a bit.”

“I usually test if I’m already seven days late. And this time I deliberately exceeded by three days. Yet, the result is still negative as usual,” Aurora sighed. Her tiredness was evident on her face. “This is how it feels to want to have a child.”

Meanwhile, Velia continued to smile. Not out of pity, but she responded casually. After all, she knew very well that her friend tended to overthink, which often caused unnecessary stress.

“Aurora, you’ve checked multiple times with Alissa and the obstetrician from other hospitals, right?”

Aurora nodded. Out of fear, she even had herself checked at other hospitals to use as a basis for comparison.

“Yes.”

“Then, what did they say? Is there a problem with your reproduction?”

Aurora shook her head. There was not a single issue found during the examination process.

“Normal and healthy.”

“In that case, what do you need to worry about?” Velia asked impatiently. She knew Aurora might be impatient by nature. But what was wrong with waiting for a while.

“Stop worrying about it. Besides, you’ve made efforts and prayers, right? The doctor also confirmed that there’s nothing wrong between you and Alden. So just be patient and wait for the right time. Maybe now God wants you to enjoy each other first. Who knows, you might get pregnant tomorrow, and then later be given triplets all at once. No one knows.”

There was truth in Velia’s words. Basically, Aurora was just being impatient and blowing this problem out of proportion. Just like Alden, he had asked Aurora to patiently wait. It didn’t matter if it took longer.

“Okay, let’s not think about it anymore. Instead of sulking, let’s go out for lunch.”

Aurora nodded. After all, it was time to rest from work.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“How about the mall?” Velia suggested. “I’ll treat you.”

Aurora couldn’t possibly refuse. No matter how rich she might be, if she’s invited for a free meal, she’ll gladly accept.

Together, they went to the mall. Amidst the many dining options, Velia chose a Korean restaurant and cuisine for their lunch menu.

“What do you want to order?” Aurora opened the menu the waiter gave her. Looking through it, she then made her choices.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Just Beef Belly and Ramyeon for me,” she said.

Velia nodded. “In that case, I’ll order the suki tomyam and Belly. Two dishes should be enough, right?”

Aurora glanced back at the menu in front of her. Seeing several tempting items, she added a few more.

“Sure, also add kimchi, Gyoza, and the chicken dim sum.”

Velia shook her head at the many items Aurora had just ordered. She wondered if her friend would actually finish all this food.

“Are you sure this will be finished? You’ve ordered so much.”

“Don’t worry,” Aurora said casually. “I’ll make sure it’s finished. Plus, it’s free. That’s why I ordered a lot.”

“Damn!” Velia muttered, annoyed at Aurora’s taking advantage of the situation.

Then they both waited for about fifteen minutes. Several waiters appeared, bringing all the dishes Velia and Aurora had ordered.

“Wow… are you hungry or what?” Velia exclaimed. “Seriously, that’s a lot.”

Aurora didn’t care. She enjoyed each dish she had ordered. It was evident she had a good appetite as she finished all the food laid out on the table.

“So delicious, oh my,” Aurora murmured with each bite. Then, she offered Velia a chicken dim sum so her friend could taste the food she had ordered. “Try this dim sum. It’s really good. I’m not lying.”

Aurora fed Velia a piece. She waited for her friend’s reaction after she finished chewing.

“Tasty, right?”

Velia nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. How did you know the dim sum here is good?”

“I’ve eaten here many times.”

“Alright, how about we add some more to nibble on later at the hospital?”

Aurora certainly agreed. If it’s being offered, why refuse? If necessary, she would even ask Velia to buy more for her stock at home. Since it’s free, might as well.

“Sure… sure. Just get plenty.”

“Done. What wouldn’t I do for you.”

Aurora was extremely happy this afternoon. Her stomach felt full from the food Velia had provided. With a joyful feeling, after finishing their meal, they decided to head home.

However, being the foodie she was, before actually heading to the basement, Velia suggested they stop to buy ice cream first.

“What flavor do you want?”

“Just Oreo.”

Velia nodded and placed the order. Meanwhile, Aurora decided to step outside to call Alden. Her husband had said he had a meeting and work outside the hospital that needed to be done this afternoon.

Aurora just wanted to make sure if Alden had already had his lunch or if he was still busy working.

However, her phone calls were not answered at that time. Two attempts yielded the same result.

So Aurora decided to stop. Perhaps her husband was still busy and would contact her later.

But as she finished buying the ice cream and was about to walk to the lobby, Aurora’s eyes caught sight of Alden sitting in one of the restaurants. She wanted to follow, but her steps halted. From her eyes, Aurora saw her husband sitting with another woman.

Now, who could be with Alden at that moment?