From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 47

Peter watched Eleanor walk away, worry etched across his face. He’d just seen her clutch her stomach. Did she hurt herself when she fell?

Eleanor was so thin, it was hard to believe she was already more than three months pregnant. She didn’t look like an expectant mother at all.

“Daddy, what are you doing? Are you watching Mommy?” Olga piped up, her voice playful.

Peter ran his hand gently through his daughter’s hair, then turned to check Jessie for any signs of injury.

“Jessie, stay here with Olga for a bit. I’ll run downstairs to get you some ointment and be right back.”

Jessie tried to smile. “Okay.”

But she knew the truth. She’d seen that flicker of guilt in his eyes. He wasn’t going for ointment. He was going after Eleanor.

“Mommie Jessie, where did you get hurt? If you tell me, I can kiss it and make it feel better,” Olga offered, her little face earnest.

Jessie smiled, but her mind was elsewhere. “It’s nothing, sweetie, I’m not hurt.”

“Olga, looks like your mommy doesn’t want you anymore. How about I be your mommy from now on?” Jessie’s voice was soft, almost dreamy, and she looked at the little girl as if she could see Peter in her.

Olga’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, I’d love that! I like Mommie Jessie the most. But will Grandma say yes?”

Jessie grinned. “Let’s wait and see, maybe she will.”

…

Eleanor’s body was still weak from her recent miscarriage. She’d barely recovered, and with the stress of moving, the fight with Peter, and the ongoing lawsuit, she could barely keep herself together. She made it to the elevator, but her vision blurred, everything went black, and she collapsed into someone’s arms.

That familiar cool scent of white plum and faint tea drifted around her.

Peter rushed after her. He was quick, but in the chaos of the hospital, he couldn’t find a trace of her in the clinic or the parking lot.

“Hey, did you see that? A pregnant lady fell down the stairs. I hope she’s okay,” someone nearby whispered.

Peter’s chest tightened. “Where is she?”

Two janitors jumped at his intensity and pointed toward the emergency room. “She’s in the ER.”

Peter finally made it back to the hospital room, a mask covering his face.

Jessie’s eyes widened. “Peter, what happened to you?”

He just shook his head and glanced at Olga, who was dozing off. He couldn’t let his daughter know he’d just been in a fight—and lost.

Worse, he realized the whole thing was a massive, ridiculous misunderstanding.

It hit him then, just how much he wanted their second baby to be okay. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing the child.

But no matter how many times he called Eleanor, she never picked up.

Peter sat there, lost in worry. Jessie watched him, nerves jangling. She had no idea what had happened, and with Olga there, she couldn’t even ask.

“Daddy, why are you wearing a mask?” Olga mumbled sleepily.

Peter looked down, his voice muffled and tired. “Daddy caught a cold. I don’t want you to get sick. Be good, okay?”