Selena's eyes searched for a particular woman dressed in glittery golden gown and masked her face with that of her famous sugar coated smile when she approached her, finding her all alone.

"Looking at the man with whom you are knotted in the bond of marriage dancing with someone else, what a shame, isn't it?" Selena picked up a glass of red wine from the passing by waiter and offered one towards Stella.

Stella declined her offer politely without speaking a word and shifted her gaze back in the direction where her husband was dancing with a beautiful lady.

"Jealous! When you watch Albert with another lady, do you feel that emotion Stella?" Stella was a bit taken aback by her question and couldn't make up her mind for what to reply. Why is she being so friendly with me?

"You don't! I knew it. You don't because you don't love him and neither does he."

What the hell! Stella looked at her ridiculed by her words and exaggerations. She looked around just to get a way out of here.

"But I on the other hand, I feel like killing the woman in his arms when I see him with another woman. God! It's such a worst feeling dear." Selena dramatically exaggerated her fake love towards Albert and even tried to fake cry in front of Stella who looked confused about how to handle this overrated female.

Albert who was dancing with Miss Greyson, who is a cousin of Ethan, suddenly caught sight of Selena talking to Stella, who from the way she was speaking and moving her hands all around her was the sign of a trouble.

Albert tried to free himself from the ridiculous slow dance he was doing and approach the ladies, but it seemed to him like Miss Greyson was intentionally trying to stick to him.

"Sorry Miss Greyson, but I need to talk to my wife. Hope you don't mind." Before the other party could dare to contradict, Albert left her behind and went to look after the matter between Selena and Stella.

"Hey Man! Where are you going? Come here, have some drink with me." Ethan was checking on the pair and when he found Albert approaching them, he immediately made a move to stop him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Ethan? Seriously, you invited Selena on your birthday party. Why haven't you informed me about it earlier?" Albert looked annoyed to be said least. He couldn't understand why did Ethan invited Selena in his birthday party when they both clearly hated each other.

"Don't blame me man, it's all my father's doing. He invited Mr. Stevenson and his family. I too came to know about her arrival the moment you did, believe me."

Ethan showed his genuine side and tried to look more innocent than he really was. He looked at the side noticing the pair still talking and kept Albert involved with him in the opposite side.

"It pains me Stella...when I watch him with another woman and especially now when he is got stuck into an arranged marriage, when it should be me the one married to him."

Selena was crying to show how much she was affected with all this arrangements, where love of her life is married to someone else and side glanced to make sure that Stella was still listening.

"But he can't go against his father will. He respects his father too much and I appreciate it, but I never thought he will force him to marry someone else, that too when....."

Selena stopped speaking mid sentence which left Stella feeling suspicious about what she really had to say.

"When what? What are you trying to say?" Selena pursed her lips resisting the urge to roll her eyes in front of her. That question was exactly what she was hoping.

"I don't know how to say it..." Selena played on and was intentionally building up the plot of suspense which on hand was making Stella more uneasy .

"Stella.....I am pregnant!" Stella stumbled back, putting a hand on her heart and not believing what this woman was saying.

No this can't be happening. She can't be pregnant. Albert would never deceive me in such a cruel manner. She is lying. She is trying to fool me.

Selena's last parting words kept on repeating inside her mind. Her declaration about her pregnancy was like throwing an atom bomb on her and waiting for it to blast and destroy her completely.

She was pacing around on the terrace of the party venue. Her mind filled with so many questions and her heart filled with immense pain of betrayal, which she should really not be feeling.

Why should she feel so bad? It was not like Albert was ever faithful to her. He has openly declared about his mistress when they first met. Then why? Why was all this making her so uneasy?

"Stella...."

His voice. He is here. His presence made her heart stop along with her steps, halting for a beat and then she continued with her exploration around the terrace without any response.

Why has he come here? Why don't he just go back to her and leave me alone.

"Stella, stop. I am calling you. Atleast acknowledge my presence." Albert who has been searching for her all around the party hall for the past half an hour went crazy when he couldn't find her.

First, her being in the same place where Selena is present was a big risk. Second, watching Selena converse with her was a double crap. And last, when he couldn't find her was the last straw to break his cool demeanor.

He crossed the ground, got a hold of her by placing his hands around her shoulders and turned her around, facing him. "Dammit, I am talking to you. What the hell are you doing walking here all alone. This is a god damn party Stella, where hundreds of drunkards are present in abundance watching for their prey."

"What if someone misbehaves with you?" He looked down at her, placing his index finger under her chin and making her look up and meet his gaze. But nothing in the world could have prepared him for the emotion he witnessed in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Hey....Why are you crying, sweetheart?" Stella couldn't control any longer and the evidence was her non stop falling down of tears dropping down her soft cheeks and getting caught by Albert in his hand, making hiding her emotion all too difficult with his sweet gesture and she clutched him and started crying more.

"You...you.....promised me." She was crying so hard, calming her down was becoming difficult for Albert. If he thought what he felt when he losses a business deal is bad, watching Stella cry was the worst feeling ever. It was like puncturing his heart with a screw driver and repeating the action again and again. He never wants to witness this again.

"Sweetheart...please don't cry. I beg you. Tell me love, what did I promise you? I'm sure I can make up to it." If watching him console her in such a gentle manner was so heart warming for her, listening him say those loving endearments was unreal, which on hand made her cry more.

He shouldn't be acting so sweet and loving now.

"Albert....you promised me.....when you visited me.....after my parents funeral.....you promised me.....you said I was the most beautiful girl you ever saw.....that I will always be the one who will reign your heart and soul....you kissed me....you said you love me....you said you will always be there for me.....that I will be your princess....that you will marry me when I grow up into a beautiful young lady.....that.....that.....I will...be the mother of your kids ."

"Stella!" Astonishment was a small word, he was completely and utterly shocked.

"You took that away......you took that away from me Albert.....you took everything away from me."

Listening her say the promises he made to her when his family visited them in the christmas time after her parents recent death, when she must be around twelve, made Albert go back to his train of thoughts and remember the exact moment which Stella was portraying.

But he thought she forgot it?

Wasn't that what she said him when he visited her after his completion of higher level studies?

And what a fool he felt of himself. Waiting for her, dreaming about her all those day in the wait of completing his studies and then go straight to her to make her his.

But she directly refused him.

"I wanted to be the one.....the one to bear you kids in my belly......to feel them grow....to love them to......"

She detached her body from him and took the support of the railing, controlling her riled up emotions.

It is not worth it now. I am not worth it now. He has started his family with someone else. He has moved on.

Those words...Those were the exact words he always wanted to say her and wished them to even come true someday.

She wants me. She expects a future with me. God...this is some cruel joke. I am dreaming.

"Stella....look at me. Darling do you really mean what you said? Do you really....."

"Congratulations!" She shouted in her hoarse voice and wept her tears off, giving Albert a mean look, making him look at her in confusion.

"Congratulation Mr. Albert Weill. You are going to be a father."

Now that made him shout out with a 'what' at her.

Stella looked up at the sky covered in the darkness and smiled, uttering the last blow.

"Selena is pregnant."

Quote: I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.
-Anne Frank

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