4 Save your tears (4)

"That crazy woman. Why wouldn't she let go of him when he is already mine?" Beth heatedly questioned, venting her frustration as she entered the home Jack prepared for her.

"Welcome home-"

"I want a warm bath prepared immediately," Beth instructed the maid. "Put something in it to help me relax. I am stressed thanks to the delusional woman."

"Right away," the maid answered, rushing to do as she was told to keep the lady happy. It was her priority. 

"I need something to drink. Why did I say something about a child in the spur of the moment?" Beth asked herself, touching her flat belly where there wasn't a child. "I should have said something else."

Beth dragged her feet to the living room to take a seat. There was much to go over from what happened between her and Scarlet. 

Jack made a rule that she could have whatever she wanted as long as she never spoke to Scarlet, but how was she to not say something when the marriage was going on longer than it needed to?

The divorce should have been finalised by now as over a week had gone by since Scarlet declared she wanted to end the marriage, and Jack had come here drunk out of his mind.

"I should have asked him why he got so drunk over a marriage he didn't care about," Beth realised.

"It is still her fault," Beth whined, sitting on one of the chairs. She stared at her bare hand which was yet to be decorated with a ring. "Why is he waiting for the marriage to end? I should have the ring now. All of my hard work for nothing."

It was easier to get Jack when he was still married than she planned from the beginning. The night they first spoke she was drunk so it fueled her confidence she needed to approach him. Once it became clear how easily he could be swayed after meeting for a second time and he was concerned for him, she made her move.

Beth looked around the small mansion he bought so they could meet in private. It was fine in the beginning as their relationship was to be a secret, but now she wanted something larger to suit her taste and closer to where all the important people were.

The long ride to get there was annoying, but she did it since the mansion was bigger than where she previously stayed.

Beth placed her hand on her belly once more. "He is going to hear what I said. What should I do? I can't take back that there isn't a baby. He'll be over the moon."

A child was all he spoke about these days and she might face his anger if she told him it was something said in the moment to get Scarlet to sign the papers for the divorce to happen finally.

"I have a big mouth," Beth said, not knowing what to do. She didn't like to anger Jack as it would take hours before she could get him to calm down.

As long as she did as he wanted, then she could get whatever she wanted. She learned that Scarlet always spoke back to Jack, something he thought might have changed after marriage but didn't. 

"What do I do?" Beth was stumped on what to say to Jack so he wouldn't be angry with her. 

The sound of the front door slamming shut distracted Beth from thinking about a solution.

She stood up from her seat, ready to fire the servant acting as if the mansion was their own, but was surprised by the sight of Jack storming inside, angrily pulling on his tie to get it off.

"Welcome home,' she greeted him sweetly. "How did it go? Did you get everything?"

Beth helped him with taking off the tie. 

"How could I when that woman returned home before I could finish?" Jack yelled, fuming over his loss today. "She was to be having her tea longer."

Beth bit her tongue as Scarlet's early return to her estate was her fault. It didn't cross her mind that Scarlet would run home when she knew that Jack would be there. Scarlet was bold for a woman in her state. 

She failed to get Scarlet to go ahead with signing the divorce, but it was rewarding to know she had sent the heiress running home.

"I'm sorry," Beth apologised, feigning her best smile. She went behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders to massage them. "That was my fault. We crossed paths and it became a little heated."

Jack removed Beth's hands from touching him and turned to her, confused as to how she would be in the same space as Scarlet. "How would you be meeting with her? I told you to stay out of sight until this is settled!"

Beth flinched, frightened by him raising his voice. She had angered him before, but nothing like this. "It was accidental. I went to meet with a friend and she was there. I did something wrong."

Jack was already angered by not getting the documents he sought and now he had to deal with Beth creating a mess. As much as he wanted to yell, she was on the brink of tears. "Tell me, what did you do?" He questioned, softening his tone. 

Tears filled Beth's eyes as she placed her hands on her belly where the made-up child should be. "I meant to tell you first, but I let it slip that you will be a father. I am sorry. Please forgive me for telling someone else first. How could I do such a horrible deed?" She asked, her tears staining her face.

Beth covered her mouth with her hand, putting on the act that she was disgusted with herself. Her body shook as her cries echoed against her hand and became muffled.

Jack stared at Beth with a look of disbelief. "You're…pregnant?"

Beth nodded her head. This was the only way to calm his anger. He would send her out of the mansion should he know that she lied about being pregnant when it was something he yearned for. 

Beth would not end up like Scarlet. 

"Forgive me. I wanted to tell you first," Beth paused, choked up by her tears. "But that woman pushed me to reveal it. I can't sit still while she toys with you. You should be happy during this time."

Jack closed the space between them to embrace Beth. "Don't apologise. It's been hard for us this last week. You have to calm down for the sake of my child. Our child."

Beth rested her head on Jack's chest, relishing the way he ran his hand up and down her back to comfort her. "I'm sorry," she apologised once more, her tears coming to a stop now that her face was hidden from his line of sight. 

"I'll take care of this quickly so we can be a family. This child will come into the world with its parents married," Jack promised. 

On this dark day, there was still light at the end of it for him. 

"Please hurry," she begged him. "I need you right now," she whispered.

Like a puppet, Jack listened to her command and began to undress her. 

Beth's worries went away as there was nothing to worry about. There wasn't a child, but thanks to her seduction, it wouldn't be long before her words became true. 

Beth paid no attention to Jack's kisses as she lifted her hand to stare at her finger. A large ring was coming to decorate it.