Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

It was the middle of the night at Silverlake Villa. The servants, all startled awake, stood in a straight line outside the living room, not daring to make a sound.
Inside, Eugene sat calmly while Lorraine stood across from him. An empty weedkiller bottle sat on the coffee table between them.
Even through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Eugene could see the courtyard outside was in total chaos.
Eugene set his phone down with a cold chuckle. "Can't sleep, so you decided to sneak into my yard for a scavenger hunt?"
Lorraine nervously touched her face, her eyes locked on his phone. "So? What did the doctor say? Am I going to die?"
She didn't even dare snap back now. She'd be lucky if she made it out alive. Her head was spinning, and her whole body felt out of whack.
Eugene leaned back casually, his hand blocking the screen to hide Lorenzo's message with a laughing emoji, claiming Lorraine would be fine.
"He said you need to be kept under observation for a few days. There's no miracle cure for this. Whether you live or die, it's all up to fate," Eugene remarked.
"Don't try to fool me," Lorraine said, her voice trembling. "I've studied medicine, too. That weedkiller is dangerous, but eating citrus can help a little. I-I..."
"Have you looked at yourself? You're as green as a zombie. Who's the expert here, you or Lorenzo?" Eugene replied, seriously, clearly joking with her.
Lorraine was about to burst into tears. "So what am I supposed to do?"
But then Eugene shifted gears. "I thought we already had a deal."
"I said I'd think about it. I never promised I'd actually work with you," Lorraine said, feeling completely aggrieved.
"And did I ever say you could just walk away?" Eugene asked.
'Does she really think she could just wander off, like a kite cut loose to fly wherever she wanted?' he thought.
Meanwhile, Lorraine thought, 'Is he planning to settle the score later?'
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. "If you want to settle scores, fine, but at least let me live first. If I die, who are you going to argue with?"
Her body still felt hot and cold at the same time, and she was consumed by fear.
"So, you mean, as long as you survive, I can do whatever I want?" Eugene asked.
"Of course, whatever you want," she blurted out, just saying whatever came to her mind. Right now, staying alive was all that mattered.
Eugene stood up. "Remember what you just said, Lorraine." His sharp, unreadable eyes locked with her innocent gaze. He gave her a knowing smile and then headed upstairs.
Lorraine stood there, totally confused. 'So am I dying or not?' she thought, growling inwardly.
Lorraine spent several anxious days holed up in her room at the villa, waiting for the greenish tint on her face to finally fade.
She sneaked downstairs, only to be greeted by Daryl with some surprising news that Eugene was away on a business trip and wouldn't be back for a while.
Overjoyed, she decided to stay at the villa to fully recover and catch up on her studies, and the days passed by, never feeling dull.
During this time, the two of them didn't contact each other at all. It was as if she was just a tenant, and he was nothing more than a distant landlord.
Before they knew it, the first day of the new semester had arrived. Lorraine got to campus early, and Sheila was already waiting for her at the gate.
The two of them finished their registration and headed straight to their dorm room.
The tiny dorm bed, barely 4 feet wide, made Lorraine miss her own bed so much that she flopped down and rolled around for what felt like ages. "Well, I miss my bed."
"Are you serious?" Sheila asked, finishing unpacking and pulling Lorraine up. "We've got internships this semester, so let's make the most of it, Lorraine."
"You've already got yours all set, but I'm still looking," Lorraine said with a sigh.
Sheila was a law major, so finding an internship was a piece of cake for her. Lorraine, on the other hand, didn't have any connections, which made things much harder.
"Don't get discouraged. You'll land an internship for sure," Sheila said, guiding her in front of the mirror. "You've got the looks and skills. Don't stress."
In the mirror, Lorraine saw a slim girl with a ponytail and calm, big eyes. She definitely looked the part of a doctor. At least she'd make a great impression at interviews.
They chatted for a while longer until the rest of their roommates came back.
"Hey, Sheila, Lorraine, you guys are not going to the cafeteria?" a girl asked, opening a takeout box and waving it under their noses. "Look, I've got sweet and sour chicken today."
The sharp smell of vinegar hit Lorraine, making her stomach churn. She clapped a hand over her mouth and dashed to the bathroom.
"What's up with her?" another girl inquired, exchanging glances with others. "Is she not feeling well?"
"Maybe she caught a cold and can't handle the smell. You guys go ahead and eat. I'll check on her." Sheila hurried into the bathroom and locked the door.
She patted Lorraine's back and handed her a cup of water to rinse her mouth. Once Lorraine calmed down, Sheila asked, "Did you eat something bad?"
"No. I've just been eating plain oatmeal and veggies lately. I wouldn't dare eat anything else," Lorraine said weakly, feeling dizzy from throwing up and slumping against the wall.
Ever since she got food poisoning from those pesticide-laced fruits, she learned her lesson and stopped eating carelessly.
Sheila quickly did the math in her head, and her eyes widened. "Lorraine, did your period come a few days ago?"
Lorraine was so startled that she dropped her cup, not even noticing the water spilling. Her period was supposed to have come a few days ago, but now it was still nothing. 'It should be fine, right?' she wondered.
When she and Eugene had sex, it was during her safe period last month. As a med student, she knew the basics. There was no way she could've gotten it wrong. She just couldn't understand why her period was still late.
Outside, a roommate knocked on the door. "Are you guys done? I have got a run. I really need to use the bathroom. Hurry up!"
Sheila quickly dragged Lorraine out and led her to a quiet spot outside the dormitory downstairs. "Lorraine, what are you going to do now?"
She thought it was serious. Dealing with the Moore family and the Shaw family would be a nightmare.
"I..." Lorraine was completely freaked out. As a girl still in school, facing something like this was terrifying. If she really was pregnant, she didn't even want to imagine what that would mean.
"Hey, don't panic," Sheila said, hugging her even though her own hands were shaking. "Maybe you were just too stressed last month, and it's just a little late. If it still doesn't come in a few days, I'll go with you to get checked."
Lorraine couldn't help but panic. She was on the verge of tears. "I'm so scared, Sheila," she said.
"Don't be scared. I'm here with you. Do you want me to get you a few pregnancy tests first?" Sheila asked.
Lorraine nodded desperately. Right now, Sheila was the only person she could trust.
"Wait. Hold off on that. I saw online that those things are often fake. You'll just end up scaring yourself for no reason. Let's wait another week, and I'll go with you to the hospital for a blood test," Sheila said.
Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to stay calm, she added, "Are you planning to tell Eugene about this?"
"No way." Lorraine shook her head without even thinking. "It's not even confirmed yet. And even if I'm pregnant, I'll need some time to figure things out."
Telling him would only make things more complicated. She was still Eugene's niece's wife. If she was really pregnant, she didn't know how she'd cope with the web of complicated relationships.
Her life already felt like a hopeless mess. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't straighten it out.
"Well, well, look who it is. The Shaw family's little stray. What are you two doing here?" came a sharp, mocking voice from behind.
Lorraine turned around and saw Elsie flanked by her usual group of friends. Elsie was a sophomore here, too, in the art department.
"Sheila, let's go." Lorraine immediately pulled herself together, grabbed Sheila's hand, and started walking away.
"Did I allow you to leave?" Elsie reached out to block their path. "You got lucky I didn't kill you last time. You weren't with Stephen over winter break, and you didn't go home, either. So tell me. Where exactly did you disappear to?"
"Mind your own business!" Sheila shot back.
She thought, 'Damn, this girl just won't quit. We still haven't settled the score from when she left us under that bridge.'
"Why wouldn't it be my business?" Elsie sneered, giving Lorraine's flat stomach a pointed look. "Lorraine, I'm warning you. Don't go messing around and dragging the Shaw family name through the mud."
When she walked over, she'd caught a bit of their conversation about pregnancy tests. She found it was some juicy gossip.
"Before you start sticking your nose into other people's business, maybe worry about your own first," Sheila retorted sharply. "I heard all the guys in your art department love sketching you naked. Is that true? With an A-cup, you've got some nerve to strip."
"You!" Elsie stomped her foot in fury. "Which bastard started that rumor? I'll kill them!"
"No smoke without fire," Sheila said, pulling Lorraine along. "Come on. Let's go."
Elsie watched the two of them walk away. Once her anger faded, a sly grin crept onto her face. She pulled out her phone and called Raquel. "Mom, didn't you say Stephen was gay? So why do I get the feeling Lorraine might be pregnant?"
"No way. Are you serious?" Raquel was so shocked that her face mask slipped off, and she quickly sat up. "Whose baby is it?"
"No clue. Probably some random guy she's been messing around with." Elsie's smile grew colder. "So, Mom, what should we do?"
"Are you sure she's pregnant?" Raquel asked.
"I'm not totally sure, but it's pretty likely. I overheard her and her friend talking about pregnancy tests and stuff," Elsie replied.
Raquel thought for a second and then slapped her thigh. "Elsie, you can skip your classes for the next few days. Just follow her and keep an eye on her, but make sure she doesn't notice you."
"Why do I have to follow her? That sounds exhausting," Elsie complained.
"Silly girl," Raquel said, practically ecstatic. "Stick close to her and see what she's up to every day.
"If you find out she really is pregnant, this is your chance to score points with the Moore family's elders. Make a good impression, and you won't have to worry about marrying Eugene, will you?"
Elsie's eyes lit up. "You're right, Mom! Why didn't I think of that? Don't worry. I'll keep a close watch on her."
This was the perfect opportunity. She could ruin Lorraine and secure her own spot in the Moore family at the same time. Life was practically handing her a cheat code. There was no way she'd let this chance slip by.
'Just you wait, Lorraine. You're done for,' she thought.