(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Ariana shook her head. “I got married a few months ago,” she admitted.

Gina’s forehead wrinkled again. The woman looked at Ariana in disbelief. “So, you married a widower with a child?” she asked, curious.

Ariana raised the corner of her mouth. “That’s right,” she said softly.

“Do you really love him so much to marry him?” Gina inquired. Ariana responded with a smile once again. “As far as I know, marrying a widower, especially one with a child, is not easy. This is Indonesia, not a Western country that easily accepts the status of a man or a woman. What I know about this country is the social perception of those who are widowed or widowers, virgins or not. Am I wrong?” the woman asked hesitantly.

Ariana smiled again. “No, you’re not wrong. Some people-some communities do indeed make a big deal out of such things. But others-those with open minds, don’t see it as a problem,” she replied. “And to answer your first question, yes, I love them very much. My husband and my child. I love both of them deeply,” Ariana answered confidently.

Ariana could see a wide smile spread across Gina’s Oriental face. “I can see it,” she said. “So, because I see you love the little one so much, does that mean you wouldn’t mind having your husband and your child as adorable babies like Kenzo?”

Ariana smiled. “If only I could, I would love to do that,” she said, her eyes wandering.

“Why? What are you doubting?” Gina asked. The woman now sat beside Ariana, letting Ariana still hold Kenzo with both hands. “Are you afraid of giving birth?” she asked. Gina then shrugged nonchalantly.

“Okay, I have to admit that being pregnant and giving birth is not pleasant. Morning sickness, continuous dizziness, not to mention the back and waist pain when the belly gets big, and swollen feet. Plus, your face will change due to hormonal effects,” the woman shuddered.

“Being a pregnant woman feels like being the ugliest woman in the world. Afraid that our husbands would turn to other women because we can’t fulfill their needs and look unattractive in their eyes. And the moments of giving birth…” the woman fell silent.

“I can’t say it’s not painful. People say giving birth is a battle between life and death, it’s not a lie. But hearing the baby’s first cry, then when they put the baby on your chest for early breastfeeding initiation. All that pain, those exhausting months disappear. Even when the paramedics are stitching you up,” she pointed to Ariana’s lower body. “The pain doesn’t make you lose focus on this divine gift,” she said, stroking Kenzo’s eyebrows with her index finger. “And spending days with them from morning till night, makes you fall more and more in love and amazed at God’s miracles,” she continued.

Ariana just smiled listening to the woman’s story. Afraid? Yes, that’s what she felt. But not afraid of the pain Gina described. Afraid of the fate of the child in her womb. Kenzo was incredibly lucky to have a mother who praised him so much. But what if her unborn baby’s fate was the same as his older brother, Axel’s? What if the baby inside her couldn’t get his love because God took him away?

“What makes you hesitate?” the woman asked again, bringing Ariana’s attention back to the present.

Ariana handed Kenzo to his mother. “Nothing makes me hesitate,” she said then. Unconsciously, she stroked her stomach, whispering the best prayers for her baby in her heart. Gina noticed the movement. The woman looked at Ariana with a wrinkled forehead.

“Are you pregnant?” she asked hesitantly. Ariana winced, then nodded. A smile formed on her face. “How many months? You look small for a pregnant woman,” she said.

Ariana stroked her stomach again. “Twelve weeks,” she said.

Gina was wide-eyed again. “You didn’t experience morning sickness?” she asked, curious. Ariana shook her head. “Lucky you. Just feeling tired, hungry, and sleepy. Besides that, this baby is really good to me,” she replied.

“Your husband?” Gina asked again. Ariana looked at her puzzled. “When I was pregnant with Kenzo, I was just like you. No morning sickness. But him,” Gina nodded her head towards the door. “He had severe morning sickness. Even up to a week before I gave birth, he still vomited and felt nauseous in the morning,” she said.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Really?” Ariana asked curiously. Gina nodded.

“My mother-in-law said it’s not uncommon. While for me, I just considered it some sort of karma for him,” she said, laughing. “I’m grateful that God gave him morning sickness; at least he could feel that being a pregnant woman is not that enjoyable.” She continued. “During my pregnancy, what he liked was sleeping on my lap every morning. Or else, he would sniff my scent. You know, hugging the clothes I wore? Disgusting, right?” Gina teased with her unique chuckle. Ariana laughed along.

“Weird,” she replied, agreeing. Then she remembered the moment when she didn’t know about her pregnancy. Gerald’s strange behavior. When she saw him nauseous and dizzy and thought he just caught a cold. Gerald hugged her and asked her to wipe his forehead. The man then calmed down. And Ariana also remembered when he wanted something that should have been asked by a young pregnant woman. Mrs. Rosaline then suspected that Ariana was pregnant. And she finally knew. The fact that gave her two conflicting feelings.

She wasn’t-wasn’t ready to be a mother, but she was happy because God entrusted her to be a perfect woman. And then, she felt afraid. Because her condition wasn’t a normal woman’s condition ready to conceive and give birth. Although from the outside she seemed fine, but not from the inside. Not mentally, but physically. She was flawed. Yes, that was the fact. Although she didn’t want to admit it from the beginning, but now she knew for sure that she wasn’t healthy. Death haunted her and her baby.

“Honey, are you done?” a voice at the door made both of them turn simultaneously. Gina’s husband appeared at the doorway, looking at his wife inquisitively.

Gina nodded her head. The woman quickly got up from her seat and grabbed her child’s belongings. Before the bag was placed on her shoulder, Ariana took over and carried it to the door, handing it to Gina’s husband.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. Ariana just nodded.

Gina then extended her free hand and touched Ariana’s shoulder. “I really like you, you know?” she said, which Ariana answered with a smile. “I hope we can meet again, is that possible?” she asked hopefully.

Ariana smiled and nodded. “You know where to find me,” she said as an answer.

“Oh, of course, even if I can’t find you here, my husband can find thousands of ways

to find you. You know, he’s a mafia,” the woman said with a mocking tone that made Ariana chuckle. Meanwhile, her husband could only roll his eyes in exasperation.