Chapter 2 Fleeing from home

Elena remained silent, ignoring the driver's questions as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

A flood of unanswered questions swirled through her mind.

So Carlos has been deceiving me all this time? How long has he been involved with Vivian? she wondered, biting her lower lip tightly while sniffling.

She glanced down at the pregnancy test results clutched in her hand, then replayed the painful scene she had just witnessed. Words escaped her; only tears fell.

What could she do now? Announcing her pregnancy to the family might mean nothing, they would never accept a child born from what they considered a cursed woman from a cursed family.

When they arrived at the mansion, Elena went straight to her room and began packing her belongings. There was no reason for her to stay in the house any longer.

She was certain Vivian would soon move in, and she could not bear to live under the same roof with a friend who had betrayed her.

Meanwhile, at J-tech Group, Rita was leaving the office with her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law when they spotted the secretary.

"Please take care of my office. I'll see you tomorrow," Carlos instructed.

The young woman nodded but scanned the area, looking for the woman she had met earlier-the CEO's wife.

When no one else emerged from the office, she called out to Carlos.

"Excuse me, sir! Is your wife still inside?" The innocent question stirred tension.

"My wife? What are you talking about? No one is in that office!" Carlos snapped coldly before turning away with his family.

The secretary felt uneasy. She knew who she had seen earlier and wasn't going to let Carlos dismiss her so easily.

"Your wife came here earlier and walked into that room. Didn't you see her?" she pressed.

Carlos's patience snapped. "What's your problem? Are you imagining things? If you keep this up, consider your job over!" he threatened angrily, trying to protect Vivian's feelings.

He refused to hear any explanations, Elena would never come to his office unannounced.

"She's not even dead, and her spirit is already haunting this place!" Rita sneered.

Vivian suddenly stopped, as if a thought had just struck her.

Turning to the secretary, she asked softly, "You said the CEO's wife was here earlier, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," the secretary confirmed confidently.

A sinister smile crossed Vivian's face as she glanced at Carlos and Rita.

"Something's not right. I think she's snooping around."

"Call security at home. Find out where she is. If she's at the mansion, make sure they watch her closely!" Rita ordered. At this point, anything Vivian said carried weight.

Back at the Jones mansion,

Elena had packed everything. She wanted to leave before Carlos returned-she didn't want him to know about the pregnancy or have any part in their child's life. After all, he had never been genuine with her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't leave the compound in a cab. You either go with the driver or wait for Mr. Carlos to come home and take you," the chief of security told Elena as she reached the gate.

Elena didn't suspect anything unusual. Since she got married to Carlos and moved in with him, she had never left the house in a cab.

She looked at the driver, who was ready to take her wherever she wanted.

"If I go out with him, my location will be tracked," she muttered under her breath.

"What did you say, ma'am?" the security officer asked, trying to hear her clearly.

"Nothing. But I really need to leave now. You don't have to call Carlos-he knows about this trip. He even arranged the cab for me," Elena said, forcing a smile.

The security officer found her explanation believable. He knew how inseparable Elena and Carlos appeared, but there was an order he couldn't break.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you leave unless you want me to risk my job," he pleaded.

Elena glanced at her watch. It was almost Carlos's usual closing time, and he never came home late.

"Fine, I'll go with the driver," she said, hoping to find a way to escape once outside the estate.

No sooner had their car pulled away than Carlos arrived home.

"Elena! What were you doing at my office today? How dare you come without notice, and leave without telling me!" he demanded furiously.

Carlos burst into the room, shouting as he flung open the bedroom door. "She's not here!" he yelled, his voice full of frustration. Rita and Vivian, who had followed closely behind, hurried inside to see for themselves if Elena was truly gone.

Vivian had been eager to ridicule Elena; she wanted to confront her with the pregnancy test results and reveal just how long she'd been involved with Carlos's husband. Rita, meanwhile, wasted no time in voicing her contempt. "That useless woman! She's probably out with another man. I warned you she couldn't be trusted!" she snapped.

Trying to keep his emotions in check, Carlos pulled out his phone and dialed Elena's number, desperate to know if she was at least safe. When she didn't answer, he threw his phone onto the bed in anger.

Carlos was anxious. Instead of feeling jealous that Elena was with another man, part of him worried something bad had happened to her, especially since she'd been unwell that morning. "Maybe she's in the hospital-you've been sick lately," Carlos finally voiced his concern, even though he knew his mother and mistress wouldn't appreciate it. As expected, Rita snapped, "She's healthy! I don't know why you keep defending her in front of Vivian, who will soon be the mother of our heir!" With that, they all left the room.

Meanwhile, Elena's driver waited outside the hotel, ready to take her home. Elena had booked a room, needing time to plan her next move. She couldn't go to her mother's, Carlos would find her there. She tried calling her childhood friend Selene in Florida, but the number was disconnected. "I stopped talking to her after marrying Carlos. Maybe she changed her number," Elena muttered, holding back tears and trying to stay strong for herself and her unborn child.

She pushed thoughts of Vivian and Carlos aside, knowing they would only break her further. She needed to act quickly, especially as Carlos kept calling. Elena decided to book a flight to Florida. Even if she didn't find Selene, she could start a new life with her baby-a life free from lies and betrayal.

she gasped, realizing the next flight would leave in thirty minutes, and the only other available one wasn't until 10 p.m.

"Oh no! I wish I'd booked earlier!"