CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE: FAKE HEIRESS

Celeste’s POV

The world felt like it was closing in on me.

Since that morning at the Black mansion, I hadn’t slept properly. Every whisper in the city, every headline that mentioned the Blacks, somehow had my name tangled in it.

The mistress...The pregnant traitor....The woman who ruined a family.

Someone seems to be targeting me on purpose, I can’t even go out without people pointing at me and whispering.

I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror, my skin looked pale, my eyes were hollow. There was no trace of the confident, flawless heiress I used to see.

The mascara wand in my hand hovered in midair, trembling slightly before I dropped it into the sink.

Raymond had been thrown and out just like that, my plans were ruined.

One sentence from Grandpa Black and the whole house has turned against him as well.

The staff looked at him like a stranger, the guards refused to open the gate for him, like he was some peasant.

I could still hear Raina’s words echoing in my head.

"You homewrecker! You will never belong here!"

Now Raymond was staying at some apartment downtown, he was completely cut off and didn’t want anything to do with me since our last quarrel.

And me? I was sitting here with his child inside me, surrounded by silence and bills.

My phone buzzed on the counter.

When I saw Dad flashing across the screen, my stomach dropped.

"Celeste," he barked before I could even say hello.

"What the hell is going on over there? I have been trying to reach Raymond but his phone is off." He asked me angrily.

"He’s... not available right now, Dad. There’s been some... family trouble." I replied as I exhaled slowly while gripping the counter for support.

"What kind of family trouble? You were supposed to secure your position! Now I’m hearing rumors that he has been disowned. Is that true?" His voice turned sharp

My silence said everything, as I couldn’t lie.

A loud curse echoed through the line. "You useless girl! Do you have any idea how much I have invested in this? Do you know how much money I have borrowed because of this project? The investors are breathing down my neck!"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Dad, please... "

"No, you listen to me," he snapped. "You better get Raymond to release that money. I don’t care how you do it. Cry, beg or fake a miscarriage for all I care! I need that transfer today."

I felt something twist painfully inside me. "Dad, I told you, he has been kicked out of the Black family! He doesn’t even have access to the accounts anymore."

The line went silent for a second, then, his tone dropped to pure anger.

"Then what the hell are you good for?"

"Dad... "

"You have embarrassed this family enough," he spat angrily.

"You think you are clever? Playing mistress to a married man? At least if you had succeeded, it would have been worth it! But now? You are carrying a bastard child, and we have got nothing to show for it." he continued, his voice becoming harsher and sharper with each word.

Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. "You think I wanted this? You think I planned for him to lose everything?"

"You are damn right you did," he snapped.

"If you hadn’t fought with his wife and daughter, maybe we would still be benefiting from them! But no, you had to open that stupid mouth of yours and ruin everything." he added furiously.

Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that this shameless and greedy person was my own father.

My chest tightened. "They came at me first... "

"They were your ticket, Celeste! Raina was our cash cow before you got greedy. We could have bled her slowly, her shopping addiction, her charity fund, her trust money.. it was all under your influence! And now? You’ve destroyed that too." he shouted.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "So what do you want me to do now?"

He exhaled heavily, as his voice turned cold. "Get rid of that baby."

My heart stopped. "What?"

"You heard me, it’s over. The Black family won’t take Raymond back and that child won’t get you a penny. We can’t afford another mouth to feed." he said flatly

"Dad! You can’t be serious... "My voice broke.

"Oh, I’m very serious, You are not bringing shame on this family again. Do it quietly, and send me the hospital papers when you are done." he said with an authoritative tone.

I couldn’t breathe and my hand shook so hard the phone nearly slipped. For a moment, all I could hear was my pulse hammering in my ears.

"I’m not killing my baby," I whispered.

"Then you are on your own," he said coldly. "Don’t bother coming home."

Then the line went dead.

I stood there, staring at the screen, the silence pressing against my chest like a weight.

On my own....That’s what he said.

Like I hadn’t already been abandoned by everyone else.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the cold marble floor.

My palms rested on my stomach, as tears streamed freely down my face.

"I won’t let anyone hurt you," I whispered to the small life inside me. "Even if I have to do this alone."

I couldn’t kill my baby, he was the only person that I feel connected to now and I will do everything to ensure his safety.

But I knew crying wouldn’t fix anything.

Money!

That’s what I needed, enough money to survive and keep this child safe.

And there was still one way to get it.

Raina, my sweet stupid little cash cow.

She still didn’t know everything. Maybe I could play the sympathy card one last time. Not directly, of course. She would never give me a dime again if I asked her myself.

But Mark could.

I stood up quickly, wiping my tears. Mark is my ally and Raina’s current boyfriend.

The same man who helped me manipulate her before things fell apart. He still owed me favors and I was going to collect.

I grabbed my purse and keys, heart pounding fast as I headed out.

Mark’s apartment was on the first floor of a modern glass complex downtown.

When I got there, the door was slightly ajar, and music was playing faintly from inside. I pushed it open and stepped in without knocking.

"Mark?" I called softly.

But before I could take another step, a tall brunette in a silk robe appeared from the hallway. She looked at me like I had crawled out of a trash can.

"And who the hell are you?" she demanded, folding her arms. Her long nails glistened under the light.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied coldly, eyeing her from head to toe.

"Where’s Mark?" I asked her with a frown.

She scoffed. "Probably in the shower and you better watch your tone, honey. I don’t know what kind of side chick you are, but this is my place."

My jaw tightened. "Side chick?" I laughed dryly. "Please... Mark doesn’t date women who wear high-end imitations."

Her face twisted instantly. "Excuse me?"

I tilted my head, smiling faintly. "You heard me, now be a good girl and tell him Celeste is here."

That seemed to piss her off.

She stormed closer, jabbing a finger toward my chest. "You better get your plastic self out of this apartment before I.. "

"What the hell is going on here?"

Mark’s voice cut through the tension as he appeared shirtless from the hallway, towel slung around his neck. His eyes widened the moment he saw me.

"Celeste?"

"Miss me?" I said flatly, crossing my arms.

The brunette glared between us. "You know her?"

Mark sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Callie, calm down, I will handle this."

"Oh, I bet you will, you didn’t tell me you had this kind of trash showing up at your door!" Callie snapped.

"Watch your mouth, Callie." Mark warned.

Mark stepped between us before it got worse. "That’s enough! Both of you!"

Callie huffed, muttering something under her breath as she stalked off toward the bedroom.

Mark turned to me, his expression hardening. "What are you doing here?"

I took a slow breath. "We need to talk."

He chuckled bitterly. "Let me guess...about money?"

I didn’t reply, the silence was enough.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "After everything that’s happened, you still think you can come to me for help?"

"I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t ruined everything!" I snapped. "You blew our cover, Mark! Raina found out about everything because you couldn’t keep your damn mouth shut."

"Don’t you dare blame me. You are the one who got greedy. You pushed me to keep using her even when I told you it was getting dangerous!"He laughed dryly.

"Because it was working! She would have given us anything we wanted!" I shouted.

"Yeah? Well, not anymore, she knows the truth now, about the thugs’ attack and using her as a cash cow, all of it. She hates both of us now." he said coldly.

My chest burned with fury. "You idiot... Do you have any idea what you have cost me?"

"I don’t care! You played me, Celeste. You made me believe we were partners, but you were just using me to get close to the Black’s and distract Raina. Don’t act like some innocent victim now." Mark snapped back.

Something inside me snapped and I slapped him across the face so hard the sound echoed through the apartment.

"You ungrateful bastard, If it weren’t for me, you would still be walking around on the streets without a place to stay or food to eat."I hissed.

Before he could respond, Callie stormed back into the room and without hesitation, she slapped me really hard.

I staggered back, as my hand flew to my cheek in shock. "You... "

"Don’t you ever touch my boyfriend again, you fake little wannabe," she spat.

Mark grabbed her arm. "Callie, stop... "

But I was already shaking with rage. "You are both pathetic. You think you are better than me? Look at you, living off Raina’s money and calling me fake?"

Mark’s eyes turned cold. "At least I’m honest about what I am. You, Celeste, you are nothing but a fake heiress. Everyone in this city knows it now."

The words hit me harder than the slap.

He opened the door and gestured toward the hallway. "Get out."

I stared at him, my jaw trembling in rage. "You will regret this."

"Doubt it," he said. "Now leave before Callie drags you out herself."

The door slammed shut behind me.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the number on his door through the blur of my tears. Then I turned and walked away.

By the time I reached the parking lot, the evening sky had dimmed to a dull gray.

I got into my car and gripped the steering wheel tightly, forcing myself to breathe.

Where had I gone wrong?

I used to have everything, luxury, attention and influence. Now I was nothing but a scandalous mistress in designer clothes.

"Fake heiress."

The words echoed like poison in my mind.

I touched my stomach again, whispering softly. "Don’t worry, baby. Mommy is not giving up yet. They’ll all regret underestimating me."

My tears blurred my vision as I started the engine and drove off into the dark.

I didn’t know where I was going, I just knew I couldn’t stop.

Not yet.

I must find a way to get everything that I deserve.