Filed to story: The Billionaire’s Replacement Wife (River & Noah) Novel Online Free
River said guiltily, “You might have caught a cold from the ski trip the other day. I shouldn’t have invited you to go if I knew.”
“I’m not that delicate. I overheated that day.” Paige waved her hand dismissively.
River said, “Or it might be because you got out of the car before you were fully awake. It’s easy to catch a cold due to the temperature difference.”
Paige thought about it. “I think I was wearing a jacket when I got out of the car.”
River heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry that I got you sick.”
“This is not your fault, River. I think I was being too sensitive to heat, which led to me catching a cold.”
River did not comment further, but she went with Paige to get her blood tested and returned to the. doctor with the test result.
The doctor frowned upon receiving the test result. “Ms. Watson, I suggest you get a virus screening.”
Paige was stunned. “Is the cold caused by a virus? Does it have any implications for the baby?”
The doctor said, “Get the screening first. I can’t be entirely sure now because I only have this one report. I need more detailed data.”
River patted Paige’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll get one.”
Paige nodded, her face ghastly pale.
She received Alex’s call on her way to the examination room and picked up with joy on her face, “Are you back, Alex?”
“Where did you go, darling?” Alex sounded anxious. “I came home, but you were not here. Why did you leave without telling me?”
Paige glanced at River. “I have a prenatal checkup today, but I forgot to tell you yesterday. So, I asked River to come with me.”
“Ah, alright then. I’ll pick you up from the hospital later!” Alex assured.
“It’s fine! I want to go shopping with River later,” Paige rejected Alex.
*Alright then. Be careful, and I’ll wait for you at home,” he said.
After hanging up. River asked, “Why won’t you let Alex know that you’re having a fever?”
“Better not. Alex has been really attentive to me during this period. He’ll be anxious if I tell him everything.
I don’t want to make it too hard for him,” Paige said, caressing her belly with a gentle gaze.
River placed her palm on Paige’s slightly bulging belly. “The baby will certainly be attentive, considerate, and responsible like its father.”
Paige smiled at River. “River, what do you think I should name it if it’s a girl? What if it’s a boy?”
River said, “It’s too soon. Plus, you need to discuss picking a name with Alex.”
Paige looked dejected. “He wants to name the baby Paige Price if it’s a girl and Watson Price if it’s a boy.”
River’s smile faltered halfway. “Uh…”
Paige said, “So… It’s a bad choice to discuss baby names with him! I’m not going to discuss it with him!”
At the examination room’s entrance, River had a strange feeling about coming to the same place as they did this morning.
However, she couldn’t explain the strange feeling, describing it as a sense of uneasiness in her chest.
She sat on the chair and waited for Paige.
Paige didn’t come out after 20 minutes, but her phone rang in the meantime.
River frowned when she saw Noah calling. Is he feeling better now?‘
River picked up the call and walked to the end of the corridor.
“Hello?”
1.3
“Where are you?” Noah asked in a deep tone..
River answered, “I’m at the hospital with Paige for her prenatal checkup.”
Noah kept quiet briefly. “Do you enjoy taking supplements?”
“Are you still hung up on the fact that Scott brought me supplements?” River asked.
“No! I just want to know if you enjoy taking them!” Noah said rigidly.
River sneered. “It seems that you still haven’t figured things out in the past two days, so you’re bringing this up again Noah, how would you like to explain it? Must I declare that something was going on between Scott and me? Will that please you?
Noah kept quiet.
River said angrily. “I’m just going to explain it to you one last time. Nothing is going on between Scott and me. None of those things you imagine have happened!”
Noah said, “Let’s put the past behind us! Just remember that you’re mine from now on, and no one is allowed to touch you!”
River chuckled in exasperation. “Do you really think that I’d still have something going on with Scott after being with you?”
Noah diverted the topic. “So, do you like taking supplements or not?”
River said, “Who doesn’t enjoy getting essential nutrients for health?”
“That’s good because I told Reuben to bring over some supplements to Bayview Villa. You have to finish them all! I’m coming over tonight to check!” Noah hung up right away.
River looked at the phone in confusion. ‘He told Reuben to bring over some supplements? Scott brought supplements, so he did, too? Why is he suddenly so insistent on this matter?”
River thought about it as her phone rang once more. This time, it was Eira calling.
“River! Our yard is filled with supplements!” Eira exclaimed in panic.
River asked in astonishment, “What do you mean it’s filled with supplements?”
Eira replied. “I don’t know! I just returned from grocery shopping and found a lot of supplements here!TM
“How much is ‘a lot‘? River couldn’t fathom Eira’s shock.
“There are probably dozens of boxes at a glance!” Eira exclaimed.
River was rendered speechless.
‘What did Noah say about me finishing them all? How can I possibly finish dozens of boxes of supplements in a night? What is he thinking anyway?”
“Get the bodyguards to move the supplement boxes into the warehouse. We shall distribute some to everyone tonight,” River decided.
“Alright… River,” Eira agreed.
River sighed after ending the call and headed to the examination room. She opened the door and noticed it slightly ajar. The doctor was inside, but Paige was not.
“Doctor, where is the pregnant lady you were examining?” she asked.
The doctor turned and said, “Are you referring to the patient named Paige Watson?”
River nodded. “That’s her. Why isn’t she here?
The doctor sighed and handed her the test report. “The patient left not long after she read the test report.”
River looked at the test report and turned ghastly pale.
The test report showed “HIV positive”.
River’s body shook uncontrollably. “How is that possible? How could Paige get such an illness?”
The doctor said, “Being diagnosed at such a young age has left her shattered. Find and comfort her quickly.”
After recovering from her surprise, River glanced down both sides of the corridor.
She rushed to the fire exit without hesitation, running downstairs at her fastest speed while calling Paige. Unfortunately, her call went unanswered.
Chills ran down River’s body, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Don’t let anything bad happen to Paige!”
She grabbed a passerby, asking. “Have you seen a woman in a white jacket, about my height, with long, curly hair and large eyes?”
The passerby pointed upstairs. “I saw her heading that way.”.
‘Upstairs?‘
River looked up abruptly. Her eyes widened in shock, and she sprinted upstairs, shouting. “Paige!”
There was no reply, only the echo of her voice.
River was scared out of her wits. She reached the top floor and saw the opened iron gate. “Paige?”
She felt relief finding Paige standing next to the railing. River approached and looked at her. sympathetically. “Paige?”
Paige stared into the distance, her hair blowing in the cold wind, resembling a puppet without a soul.
River grabbed Paige’s arm, hugging her tightly with tears in her eyes.
Dazed, Paige rested her chin on River’s shoulders. “You know, River, I was scared when I found out!
was pregnant. But Alex’s caring support after I told him helped me let go of my fear and fully embrace this child.
“Gradually, I felt a deep connection with the child, as if we were one and couldn’t be separated. I also eagerly anticipated the childbirth. He is my precious darling, and I’ll risk anything to protect him. But then, I didn’t expect to contract this disease.
“What do I do about the child? What will happen to him… River, the doctor said he will get infected, too.
He’ll carry this virus for life if I give birth to him.
“But I couldn’t bring myself to abort. I just couldn’t… Besides, if people find out about my illness, they’ll judge me unfairly. They might think I’m impure. But that’s not who I am…”
Paige poured her heart out, tears streaming down her face.
River also teared up. “Don’t speak like that about yourself, I know the real you. Let’s find a cure for his illness. There must be ways. Don’t give up on yourself, Paige. We’re all here for you.”
Paige leaned on River’s shoulder and shut her eyes tightly, disregarding River’s words. She allowed River to embrace her as she wept endlessly, consumed by excruciating pain.
Only one thing lingered in her mind: the feeling of wanting to die.
Silently, River stood by Paige.
After an unknown duration, Paige gently pushed River away. She hoarsely said, lowering her red, swollen eyes, “Let’s go back. It’s chilly on the rooftop.”
River felt a sense of fear when Paige behaved this way. She couldn’t fathom what would happen if Paige were left alone.
Clutching Paige’s hand firmly, River spoke slowly. “Come home with me, okay?”
“No.” Paige’s tone turned cold. “I’ll terminate the pregnancy.”