POV: Eloise
It felt like the universe was against me, I felt like I’d done something terrible as a child and God deemed it fit to punish me by making me childless for the rest of my life. I was so angry and frustrated that I had to distance myself from family and friends because they were beginning to think that I was crazy.
I was at a point in my life where nothing seemed right, I was slowly slipping into depression and also causing pain to everyone around me too. And to make it even worse, Austin chose this trying period of my life to cheat on me with my sister. I was out there looking for a solution for us, whereas Austin was busy fooling around with my sister Vera. I think I chased him into the arms of my sister because I took out my frustration on him.
But that’s not a good treason to cheat, is it?
I was determined to forget all about him and just get on with the adoption process and get me a child that I would love with all my heart, a child that would keep me company and take away my sadness. I envisioned a life with my little one, a life filled with joy and laughter. I had the money, I could make it happen. But the fucking hospitals and orphanages just wouldn’t let me have a child.
Why won’t they let me have one, why won’t they just give me a child?
Is It my fault that I cannot have a child of my own?
As I thought of my problems, My mind strayed to the first person who reminded me of my real diagnosis in a long while. I’ve instructed my doctors never to tell anyone about it, not even my daughters. I was so shocked to hear Raphael’s words to me when he brought Victoria home after their weekend getaway.
“I know you’re not Victoria’s mother, Elizabeth. And I know you have been lying to her all these years.” He told me firmly, looking straight into my eyes. I’d been stunned by his words and I was ready to pull the girls away and take them far away from this lace. But he made a deal with me and promised to keep his mouth shut. So I decided to stick around for a little while and find out what he really knew about me and my girls.
“How… How… How did you know?” I asked him, my eyes filled with fake tears.
” I pay your hospital bills, Eloise. Don’t you think I would find out what is wrong with you?” he less out sternly, making me glare daggers at him because I thought he knew the truth about how I got the girls. But his next words put my mind at ease immediately, he said,
“You have endometriosis, Eloise, and I know all about your condition.” He told me firmly, trying to scare me with his stern gaze. I scoffed within me because he has no fucking idea what I’m capable of. I’ve dealt with people far tougher than him, who the hell does he think he is?
I agreed to his deal because he did not tell me that he knew about the girl’s real background. If he had said that, we would be planning his funeral this minute. He only said that he knew about my condition and that is not a big deal so I decided not to mother with him for now. I thought that was the only problem I had, I didn’t know I would be dealing with Miguel Myers so soon.
Raphael is right though, I have Endometriosis, which is a progressive and chronic condition that would get worse as it progresses. I feel Pain in my lower abdomen, lower back, and my vagina. In fact, sex was like a difficult chore for me when I was with Austin, I felt severe during sexual intercourse and even while defecating.
As if that was not enough, I had abnormal menstruation, sometimes it’s a heavy menstruation that makes me nauseous all the time, and it not even regular. It’s an irregular menstruation that is so damn painful whenever it decides to show up. It comes with constipation and nausea sometimes I just feel this fullness in my abdomen that comes with cramping.
I could never figure out the source of this illness, not even the doctors knew the cause of my endometriosis. On several occasions I’ve been asked by friends and family members that want to know the cause of my infertility. But I have no answers to give, I could only hide my face in shame and face my problems alone.
Some already know about my endometriosis, but they have no idea that it can be very painful and can also affect fertility as well. It’s the reason why I could not have a child of my own. My womb is badly affected by this illness, and I have never had a child in my whole life, not one child. I’m never going to have one either, not unless I transform to a magician and perform a magical trick. Having my own baby is a luxury that I simply cannot afford.
Having endometriosis is the only reason why I was given the family wealth to manage. It affected my life for many years before I lost my parents. If affected my education, work, sporting activities. What am I even talking about?
I had no life!
I never had a life!
I never went out for fun or anything else. This is one of the reasons why I was not able to run the company and I handed it to my ex-husband to run it for me. I have been sick for a very long time, and it’s affecting my mental health. Its probably why my marriage failed too, I was too sick to take care of my husband, and Austin is a damn pig who hates my guts. I mean, who would want to be with a liability like me?
Certainly not Austin Kendall!
To think that that we went to damn hospital together the day I saw Victoria. Like I said earlier, she was my first. I’d gone in to see Doctor Lizzie to fill out some paper works from social services. I was told there was a possible surrogate for us and I was so excited about it, even Austin loved the idea of a surrogate too. I was waiting for Doctor Lizzie when I witnessed the most annoying family ever.
I’d watched as this baby was brought to the hospital with a terrible rash all over her body. It was so bad that every slight movement of her body brought tears to her eyes. She wailed in pains while the doctors tried everything possible to put her to sleep and treat the terrible rashes all over her body. It hurt me so bad to see a baby in so much pain. If only she were mine, I would never have let this happen to her.
I’m childless, I’m never going to have my own baby, it’s been confirmed that my cancer has affected my womb and I can never have a child of my own. That’s a painful reality that I have to live with. Seeing that child in that condition made me so furious at her parents. I knew I had to take her away from them, they do not deserve such a beautiful child. They are bad parents, they can’t be allowed to go home with that amazing girl. I took one look at her and I knew she is going to be my daughter. I walked out of the office and put a call across to Luke,
“Find me some nasty information and secrets I can use to blackmail Lizzie Goodwill, I want to buy her silence and I need some leverage.” I told him sternly, paying a huge sum of money for his work. Then I confided in my lawyer, Matt, and I told him to cover my tracks and make sure I’m never caught up in this act. I gave him enough money to pay anyone that saw me sneaking into the baby’s ward and I had him pay the security guards to get rid of the camera footage too.
To be fair, Austin was kept on the dark all this while. I knew he would never let me do it, he would try to talk me out of it and get me to follow the due process. But I couldn’t wait any longer, I couldn’t let him stop me either. So I put my plans in motion and got everyone on board, paying them huge sum of money to buy their silence and cooperation.
“I want that baby in the ICU, Lix. I love her and I want to take her home with me today!” I told my doctor friend, threatening her with some illegal businesses she was engaged in at that time. She was too scared to say no, she didn’t want to go to jail. To be fair, we didn’t even know the child’s background at that time, I didn’t bother about her family name.
I just sneaked into the baby’s room and carried her in my arms as if she were mine and I walked put of the hospital without any trouble because I looked like a mother who had come to the hospital with her child. Nobody suspected me of stealing a child, the little girl did not even cry to attract attention. She clung to me like her mother and everything looked so perfect.
It was when Austin found out about the huge transfers I made to my lawyer and private security guard that he confronted me with his discoveries and furiously asked for explanation. I had no choice but to tell him the truth. And then he went back to the hospital to help the doctor to cover my trail and hide our secrets. He had no choice at this moment but to help me keep my daughter, our daughter safe.
It was two days after that we got to find out the name of the family who’s baby I had stolen, and by then, it was too late to take her back because I’ve bonded with my child already.