Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 23

Janina instinctively glanced down at her own flat stomach. She was almost three months along, but it didn't show at all.

She couldn't let anyone in the Aurelius family find out she was pregnant. If they did, she'd never escape this gilded cage.

Looking up, she met Old Mrs. Aurelius's disdainful eyes and forced a faint smile.

"Of course, Grandmother. I'll get myself checked."

"In your dreams", she thought.

Old Mrs. Aurelius's expression softened slightly. It was her husband's birthday, after all, so she couldn't press the issue too much.

But when it came to the family line, she couldn't resist adding a few more words.

"Just because Julius doesn't push you doesn't mean the family isn't anxious. If you can't conceive soon, you'll have to try IVF. You must get pregnant within the year. Consider it your duty."

Janina bit her lip, swallowing the retort that rose to her throat.

They were putting all the blame on her.

But how could she explain that Julius was either busy with work or with Yvonne? How was she supposed to get pregnant by herself?

Every time she came to the estate, she was pressured about having a baby.

She was the one bearing the weight of the family's expectations.

Meanwhile, her husband was off with his mistress, who was already carrying his child.

An idea suddenly sparked in Janina's mind.

If she told them Yvonne was pregnant, would her divorce go more smoothly?

Just as the thought formed, Julius arrived.

He slipped into the role of the perfect husband, taking her hand with a look of deep affection.

"Grandmother, we're still young. We're not ready for children yet. When we are, we'll have them. You can't put all the blame on Janina."

It was only in front of his family that Julius pretended to love her.

Suddenly, it all clicked into place for Janina. This was why Julius had insisted she stay home after they married, why he never wanted her in the public eye.

She wasn't his wife; she was a prop, brought out for family gatherings to put on a show of affection, all for the sake of the company shares Old Mr. Aurelius controlled.

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