The Fake Heiress’s Unexpected Pregnancy

When my wealthy parents finally found me, the backstabbing family drama Id braced myself for never happened.

Instead, both the real and the fake heiress were married off in strategic alliances.

But after the wedding, despite being in perfect health, I couldn't get pregnant.

Meanwhile, Ivy, the one diagnosed with a condition that made conception nearly impossible, quickly gave birth to a daughter with her husband, a man known to have his own fertility issues.

Outside the delivery room, my private doctor mistook me for Ivy and tried to comfort me.

"Everyone has their own fate," he said gently. "Your sister has a strong constitution, but that doesn't mean there's no hope for you."

I forced a smile and corrected him.

The doctor's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then how is it you're still not...?"

His unfinished question was a dagger to my heart. I became convinced I wasn't trying hard enough. I went home and threw myself into a punishing regimen of diet and exercise. I even took Ivy's recommendation and started IVF treatments.

I had just gotten off the operating table, the pain so intense I could barely stand, when I received a text.

Ivy, whose first pregnancy had been called a medical miracle, was pregnant with her second child.

1.

I stared at my phone, frozen.

Envy and indignation washed over me like a tidal wave.

For some reason, my mind flashed back to the day I was brought home. I stood in the lavish villa in my grey, threadbare clothes, a ghost at the feast. Ivy, dressed in an exquisite designer dress, showed no hostility. Instead, she took my hand.

"Sister," she said warmly, "we're a family now."

My parents, their faces etched with guilt, sat me down. "Noelle, we are so sorry. We promise we will make it up to you."

"We've arranged marriages for both you and Ivy. Take a look and see which family you'd prefer."

Compared to a lifetime of working-class struggle, what was a corporate marriage?

I agreed without a second thought.

A few days later, our medical results came back.

The doctors expression was grim. "Ms. Noelle Prescott is in excellent physical health, very active. However, Ms. Ivy Prescott, you have a condition that will make getting pregnant extremely difficult."

That night, Ivy came to me alone.

"Sister, the Crestmont family is incredibly powerful, but their heir, Donovan, has low sperm motility. You'd be miserable if you married him," she said, her voice full of concern. "But since I have my own fertility issues, if I marry him and can't conceive, no one can blame anyone."

I was deeply moved. It seemed so unfair to her.

She just smiled softly. "I've lived your life in the Prescott family for twenty years. I've enjoyed everything that should have been yours. This is the least I can do."

My parents urged me to agree. "Noelle, listen to Ivy. The Crestmonts are a complicated family. You should marry into the Ashworth family. Our families are social equals; we know them well."

At that moment, I felt like my life of hardship was finally over. I had a family and a good marriage waiting for me.

I had no idea it was the beginning of a nightmare.

Nathaniel Ashworth was truly good to me. He was a steady, kind man who deferred to all my wishes. But after a year of marriage, my womb remained empty.

In these circles, producing an heir is everything.

The already tense atmosphere in our home exploded the day we heard Ivy was pregnant. My mother-in-law, who had once been so warm, grew colder by the day.

"We married a hen that can't even lay an egg," she would mutter. "I should have had my son marry Ivy. At least she could have given me a grandchild..."

I was furious and hurt.

Nate always stood up for me. "Mom, Noelle is doing everything she can. It's not her fault we haven't conceived yet. These things take time."

His mother shot me a venomous glare. "How can I not be anxious? Look at the Crestmonts! They used to look down on Ivy, and now that she's pregnant, they treat her like a queen. Everyone says she's blessed with good fortune. And then there's our family..."

I gave up every food I loved. I worked out, regulated my sleep, living with a discipline that felt archaic in the 21st century. I was so paranoid I stopped using my favorite skincare products, terrified some chemical would affect my chances. Nate and I went to the doctor countless times.

The reports always came back the same: we were both perfectly healthy.

No one could explain why I couldn't get pregnant.

My thoughts snapped back to the present. I tucked my medical file into my bag, ready to go home, when a voice stopped me.

"Sister! Are you here to see me?"

2.

I looked up. Ivy was standing there in a loose maternity dress, one hand cradling her belly, the other held tightly by her husband, Donovan Crestmont.

This was the same Donovan who used to be so cold and arrogant toward her. Now, his eyes were full of adoration.

"Slow down," he murmured. "Don't rush. What if you trip?"

Ivy smiled and patted his hand. "It's fine. I'm not that fragile."

She turned to me, her eyes filled with manufactured concern. "Sister, what are you doing at the hospital? Another check-up?"

I hid the IVF report behind my back, my voice flat. "Yes. Just finished."

Just then, my parents emerged from a nearby consultation room. The smiles on their faces froze for a second when they saw me, then they immediately turned their fawning attention to Ivy.

"Ivy, you're carrying your second child now. You have to be careful with everything."

Donovan immediately chimed in, his tone respectful. "Don't worry, Mom, Dad. I'll take good care of her. She's the hero of our family."

Ever since Ivy had given Donovan, the man with fertility problems, a daughter, her status in the Crestmont family had soared. Donovan's mother was constantly bragging to her friends that Ivy had a "golden womb" and was sure to give them a boy this time. Our own family had secured several major business deals thanks to her marriage.

My parents, who once felt a sliver of guilt toward me, now orbited Ivy like she was the sun.

My mother held Ivy's hand, beaming with pride. "Our Ivy is so blessed. She's the pride of the Prescott family."

Then, she turned to me, her voice cooling several degrees. "Noelle, how were your results? Still nothing?"

A knot formed in my stomach. I clutched my file tighter. "No."

My mother's brow furrowed in disgust. "You're so healthy, how can you not get pregnant? Are you even trying?"

My father sighed. "Noelle, don't be so stubborn. You need to take this seriously. The Ashworths are waiting for a grandchild."

Ivy quickly stepped in to smooth things over, taking my arm. "By the way, sister, did you try that special herbal remedy I gave you? It's supposed to be very helpful for conception."

The mention of that remedy made my blood boil. "I tried it," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "It didn't work."

Not only did it not work, it made my face break out in angry acne. I touched my cheek, where the inflammation seemed to be flaring up again.

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Ivys face before she feigned surprise. "How could that be? It worked wonders for me. It really stabilized my pregnancy."

I wasn't in the mood for small talk and made an excuse to leave.

I walked aimlessly until I found myself in front of the maternity ward's nursery. I stopped, staring at the tiny, perfect babies, my heart aching with envy. I had always loved children. I thought they were the most precious things in the world. And now, I couldn't even have one of my own.

"What do you think you're doing?"

A shrill voice cut through my thoughts. A woman in a hospital gown stormed over, shoved me, and glared at me with feral eyes.

"Who are you? Are you trying to steal my baby?"

3.

Stumbling from the push, I rushed to explain. "You've misunderstood. I'm just a patient here for a check-up. The babies are so cute, I was just looking."

The woman clutched her baby tighter, her expression still hostile. "A patient? How do I know you're not lying? What if you have some contagious disease? What if you infect my child?"

"I don't!" I cried, my voice trembling.

"You don't? Then show me your medical file!" she demanded, lunging for the papers in my hand.

I instinctively hid the file behind my back. The words "IVF Report" felt like a brand, a mark of my failure that I didn't want anyone to see. Especially not now, not when I was already so humiliated.

But the more I resisted, the more certain she became.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" she sneered, then lunged again, snatching the report from my grasp.

She scanned it quickly, then yelled to the gathering crowd. "Everyone, look! This woman is doing fertility treatments! She can't have her own kids, so she's trying to steal mine! She's a monster!"

A sea of eyes turned on me. Curiosity, disdain, a few with pityeach glance was a needle pricking my skin.

I clenched my fists, my voice dropping to an icy calm. "That's a ridiculous accusation. If I wanted a child that badly, I could adopt. Why would I need to steal yours?"

Just then, Ivy and my parents arrived.

Ivy, cradling her belly, took in the scene. A calculating look flashed in her eyes. She rushed to the woman's side, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Ma'am, please don't be angry. My sister just can't get pregnant, and she's very distressed. She saw how lovely your baby is and couldn't help but look. She didn't mean any harm."

The woman shot me a contemptuous look. "Look at her face, covered in zits. She's clearly twisted and full of resentment. A person like that couldn't raise a child even if she could have one! Who knows what she was really planning?"

I was shaking with rage, about to tear into her, when my mother grabbed my arm.

"Noelle, you were in the wrong first," she hissed, her voice laced with impatience. "Stop making a scene and embarrassing us."

I stared at my mother in disbelief. I had been insulted and falsely accused for doing nothing more than looking at a baby, and my own family was telling me I was the problem.

Ivy patted my back. "Sister, Mom is just looking out for you. Don't let it get to you. She's not worth it."

I looked at my parents' cold, indifferent faces, at the judging eyes of the strangers around me. All my anger and hurt evaporated, replaced by a crushing sense of powerlessness.

I bit my lip, forcing back the tears, and walked away without another word.

As I turned a corner down the hall, I heard a familiar voice. It was the new mother. She was standing with her husband.

"Honey," he said, "I don't think that woman meant any harm. Was it really necessary to go after her like that?"

The woman hesitated before confessing. "It... it was another pregnant woman, a Mrs. Prescott. She paid me to do it. Said she'd give me good money if I cooperated."

"I was just thinking about how hard you work," she mumbled. "I thought it would be easy money for diapers and formula."

Her husband was stunned. "But... aren't they family? Why would she do that?"

The woman shook her head and pulled him away, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Keep your voice down! It's easy money, who cares?"

I felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. I stood frozen, the world tilting on its axis.

Ivy... why would you do this?