Second Lead’s Jump Halted: I’m Pregnant

When the gentle, jilted CEO in a romance novel was about to jump from a skyscraper, I stopped him, my hand on my pregnant belly.

Mr. Eckert, before you die, could you do me a favor and sign the consent form for my abortion? Im carrying your child!

He stared at me, his mind finally recalling a night months ago, when hed been drugged and spent a wild night with a stranger. That stranger was me.

1.

The moment I realized I was just a background character in a CEO romance novel was the exact moment the storys tragic hero, Owen Eckert, was standing on the rooftop of his sixty-six-story building, ready to jump.

He was heartbroken, publicly humiliated at his own engagement party when the female lead left him for another man.

None of this should have been my problem. As an insignificant character, my only role in this entire saga was a single, fleeting night with him months ago.

But just a few minutes ago, Id discovered I was pregnant. The test showed two solid lines.

Carrying a billionaires baby if I did nothing, Id be wasting the opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to completely change my fate.

He wanted to die, but I wanted to secure my future through this child. So, for now, death would have to wait.

Just as he lifted one foot over the ledge, I burst onto the rooftop and shouted, Wait a minute!

Owen turned, his brow furrowed in confusion. If this is about your salary, dont worry. The company will continue to pay all its employees after Im gone.

He closed his eyes, ready to take the final leap and end his unloved existence.

I glanced down at my hotel staff uniform and realized hed misunderstood. This hotel was one of his assets; he probably thought I was worried about my next paycheck.

With seconds to spare, I yelled again, Mr. Eckert, dont jump! What I meant was, before you die, could you sign my abortion papers? Im pregnant with your child! But Im an orphan, and the hospital wont let me sign the consent form myself.

To sell the performance, I put on my most pitiful, helpless expression. Id heard he was a man with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. I couldnt believe hed still jump after hearing he had a child on the way.

I was betting everything on his conscience, betting that for the sake of this child, he would put his suicide on hold.

A few seconds later, he turned back, his eyes wide with disbelief, trying to determine if I was telling the truth.

He had a child? When did this happen? How did he not know?

He studied my face, and a slow blush crept up his neck, turning him the color of a cooked lobster.

He remembered. He remembered the madness of that night.

That bastard Marcus Thorne, trying to steal his fiance, Olivia, had drugged his drink. And I, a hotel maid cleaning his suite, had become the antidote. Hed spent the entire night making the irreversible happen.

When he woke up, I was gone, leaving only a single crimson stain on the sheets.

It was his first time. And mine.

If I was truly pregnant, there was a very real chance the child was his. He had a duty to sign that form. With a sigh, he realized this baby had come at the worst possible time.

Just when he was ready to end it all.

But suicide would have to wait. The fate of the tiny infant inside me was more important than his own death. After all, his death was his business alone, but my child was tied to my future. He had already hurt me once; he couldnt bear to watch me face this alone.

He stepped back from the ledge. When is the procedure, and at which hospital? Ill sign the papers for you.

The rumors were true. He really was a responsible man.

My gamble had paid off.

2.

For the next two days, Owen meticulously arranged everything for my procedure. From choosing the best hospital and the most skilled doctor to planning my post-procedure recovery care, he handled every detail.

He was so worried I wouldnt have enough money to recover properly after he was gone that he gave me a debit card with a hundred thousand dollars on it, calling it compensation.

On the day of the surgery, he personally supervised me for the twelve hours prior, making sure I didnt eat anything. He held my hand, told me not to be afraid, and assured me it was a minor procedure. He promised to wait outside until it was over. Then, he would go and die.

After signing the consent form, he gave me a small wave, as if sending me off to a battlefield. Go on. If there are no surprises, we wont see each other again.

But my appearance was the biggest surprise of all. Five minutes later, the operating room door opened again. I walked timidly to his side and said apologetically, The doctor said Im in my second trimester. The procedure would be very damaging, and I might not be able to have children again.

Ive changed my mind. Can I can I keep the baby?

Im an orphan, I have no one. This child could be the only family Ill ever have. Ill raise him well, I promise!

I gently cradled my slightly showing belly, my eyes red-rimmed, looking up at him like a lost puppy about to be abandoned. My timing was perfect.

Owen hesitated. Keep it?

A child of his own blood. If the mother truly wanted it, then why not? He saw it as my decision, and he respected my choice.

Once again, the ever-agreeable Owen Eckert gave in. His gaze softened as it fell on my stomach. He nodded. Okay.

Success!

Now, all I had to do was dance on the edge of his patience.

I had discovered he was a complete pushover, nothing like the ruthless tycoon described in the media. When it came to this child, I could see the softness in his heart. He respected my choices and was willing to bend for them.

Now, watch me use this baby as my ultimate trump card.

3.

After I canceled the procedure, Owen, eager to get back to his plan of dying, started making arrangements for me again.

This time, it took him ten days.

In those ten days, he bought a condo for me and the baby near the citys best schools, a place for us to live. He also gave me another card, this one with five million dollars, enough to raise the child to adulthood.

He dismissed the nurse he had hired for my post-abortion recovery and instead booked and paid for a full-service stay at a luxury postpartum wellness center.

When I mentioned I had terrible taste and was worried his child would be dressed in ugly clothes, he waved his hand and had an entire room filled with baby clothes, from newborn to three years old, for both boys and girls.

A crib, a stroller, and a complete set of baby supplies all appeared. If they didnt expire, he probably would have stockpiled formula and diapers too.

After all this was done, he stood on that same rooftop one evening, his will to live completely gone.

Last time he had watched the sunset. Tonight, he watched the city lights flicker to life below.

When I arrived, he was sitting calmly on the outer edge of the parapet, his legs dangling over the abyss, swinging gently. He could fall at any moment.

My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn't tell him not to die. You cant reason with someone who truly wants to die.

You can only delay.

How long I could delay was up to him.

I gently tapped his shoulder. Sorry to bother you again.

He wasnt annoyed, just furrowed his brow out of habit, ready to solve whatever new problem Id brought him. What is it now?

I fidgeted. I heard the maids talking. They said you have a lot of money, and if you die, your relatives will inherit everything. The same relatives who treated you horribly and schemed against you.

I was thinking, instead of leaving it to them, why not leave it to our child?

Hes your only bloodline in this world, and hes never done anything to hurt you. And I have no grudge against you either.

You should keep it in the family. Instead of letting them benefit, why not let your own child have it?

I pointed to my belly, and at that exact moment, a small lump protruded. The baby was moving.

Hes kicking!

I figured if the baby could understand, he would agree with me. If Owen agreed, both of us could skip a century of hard work. The baby would be born into the highest echelon of society. Owens wealth was an accumulation of three generations; to say his family was rich was an understatement.

This time, Owen was silent for much longer. But eventually, he turned his head and gave a slight nod. Alright.

He was determined to die. After Olivia had abandoned him, he had lost all hope in the world.

But I hadn't. Neither had the baby in my womb. We wanted to live, and live well.

He felt I had a point. It was better to leave his fortune to his own flesh and blood than to his spiteful relatives.

He didnt need the money, but his child could.

He decided to give in to me one more time.

As he climbed back over the railing, I reached out to steady him. Careful! I was terrified he might slip, and my babys inheritance would vanish into thin air. Of course, there was also the fact that he was a good, responsible man. I didnt want him to die. I wanted him to live.

Once he was safely on the rooftop, he took off his overcoat and draped it over my shoulders. Its windy up here. Youre pregnant, you cant afford to catch a cold.

I nodded, pulling the coat tighter around me without hesitation. It carried a faint, pleasant scent, like a fresh, sweet body wash, reminiscent of morning dew on jasmine flowers.

4.

After having his assistant liquidate all his assets, Owen brought in a lawyer and signed the papers in front of me.

From now on, no matter what happened to him, everything he owned would go to the child in my womb. If the child didnt survive, it would all go to me. Until the child came of age, I was the sole custodian of his entire fortune.

In an instant, I went from being an ordinary woman to a top-tier billionaire. I moved into his mansion, drove his luxury cars, had a chauffeur at my beck and call, and a team of maids to cook and care for me. I wore designer clothes and ate gourmet food.

Though I wasnt his wife, the Eckert family staff treated me like royalty. Their future income now depended entirely on me.

The saying a mothers status rises with her son was playing out perfectly in my life.

When his relatives found out, they were furious. They stormed my home and his office, causing all sorts of trouble.

To shut them up, Owen spent the next ten days dealing with them.

In those ten days, I witnessed the thunderous power of a man at the top.

First, he leaked scandalous information he had collected, driving a wedge between his aunt and uncle. They were so busy fighting and heading for divorce that they had no time to bother us.

Next, he handed over evidence of his cousin embezzling company funds directly to the police. His cousin was arrested and would likely spend several years in prison.

Then there were his two troublesome maternal uncles. Worried they would harass me, Owen cut off their cash flow and, citing incompetence, transferred them to a remote overseas branch of the company. It was practically exile.

After all that, he took a shower, changed into his favorite black suit, put on the watch Olivia had given him, and once again, headed for the rooftop.

As he passed me, he even smiled and said, Good evening. The baby needs nourishment, so remember to eat more every day. Youre too thin.

He thought that this time, I would finally be satisfied and wouldn't bother him anymore. I had everything I could possibly want.

He could finally die in peace.

But he had underestimated my ambition.