Chapter 237 - Non Evasive

The following day.

Afternoon.

Caroline was dressed up ready to go to her house on Eastwood Subdivision. Catherine had texted her that she will spend the rest of the day together with her mother and siblings.

"Sweetie...I will drop you at your house while I will meet up with a business partner. I will come to your house as soon my business meeting is over," Mike said.

"No problem, hubby. If you are in a hurry, I can always ride a taxi going to my house," Caroline offered.

"No, it's okay, I'm not in a hurry though. I will take you to your house," he concluded.

"Alright, as you wish," Caroline said no longer wanting to insist.

Mike wore casual attire and picked up his leather attache case.

"Let's go now, hubby!" Caroline beamed excitedly.

The couple exited their abode and went inside the elevator going down to the ground floor, they boarded the car in the parking lot and left the building.

While the car was moving.

The couple were both silent, lost in their thoughts.

Caroline's mind was preoccupied. Yesterday, her homecoming went well more than she expected. Her husband welcomes her with open arms and he was genuinely happy after learning that she's carrying their first child. Her fears and worries vanished instantly 'coz his treatment of her never change, he was still a loving husband and sweet to her.

They haven't talked about the reason why she disappeared, he didn't ask her yet. But she knows that deep inside him, he was just waiting for the right opportunity to question her.

But she's more than ready now to tell him the alibi that she was cooking in her mind. If he starts asking, she will answer all his questions the best way she could.

She glanced at him sideways, his face looks serious. "Hubby, you look serious. What are you thinking?" she asked.

Mike glanced at his wife's face briefly. "I'm concentrating on my driving sweetie..." he answered with a smile.

Caroline smiled at him. She was half convince with his answer, but she no longer pressed him, fearing he will get angry and snapped at her.

She remained silent for the entire journey.

Thirty minutes later, they finally reached their destination.

Mike dropped his wife in her house in Eastwood Subdivision and chatted with his mother-in-law for a few minutes then left to proceed to his business meeting.

Caroline was greeted with loving hugs from her mother and siblings.

"Sister, where have you been?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Please, tell us, sister, why did you leave us all of a sudden?" Lily added her question.

Thelma, Catherine, and everyone else was observing Caroline's face expectantly eager to know the reason why.

Caroline released a deep sigh and suddenly felt emotional. "Guys, I suffered depression and anxiety all of a sudden. You know that I suffered trauma due to what Joseph has done to me. The trauma came back in full force after the honeymoon. I suddenly felt like my husband is too good to be true and I don't deserve him. I find myself dirty and not fit to be his wife. The insecurities are killing me inside and I have to go away to sort out my feelings...but now I'm back and even though I don't deserve my husband I'm willing to give myself a chance to be happy with him and leave my trauma behind. Please don't ask me again what is the reason why. It's up to you to believe me or not," she explained misty-eyed on the verge of breaking down.

Thelma and Catherine locked eyes, exchanging glances of disbelief in their eyes, but they were quick to hide their doubts when Caroline studied their reaction.

Catherine went to her sister's side and rubbed her back soothingly. "We believe you, sis!" she said gently and looked at her younger siblings for confirmation.

"We believed you, sis," Lily said.

Jacob looked at his sister Caroline and shrugged. "I don't care about the reason, what matters most to me is that you're finally back," he said nonchalantly.

Caroline was pleased with her siblings' support. She looked at her mother, she wants them to believe in everything she told them so that they will no longer pester her for the truth. They will feel horrified and ashamed of her if they will know the real reason why she disappeared from their view.

There's no need to tell them the truth. She will keep the truth hidden to her grave.

Allison is already dead, she regained her freedom back. She will no longer go back to that twisted family! Ever!

Thelma was also studying her daughter's face intently. If she was trying to hide the truth then only time can say if it's true or not. Right now, her daughter was trying to sound convincing, and if she was not entertaining of other things, her daughter's alibi is believable. She opted to believe her daughter because she was afraid of the truth. If she keeps poking for the truth she might stumble on something horrible and she might not able to stand it.

"I believe you, daughter. Let's leave everything behind. What matters to us right now is that you are finally back to us, alive and healthy," Thelma said gladly.

Caroline was feeling relieved. Now she can continue her life the way it should be. There's only one person she needs to convince with her lies and alibi...her husband. If she can make her husband believe her lies then her future looks brighter from now on forward.

"Caroline, when are you going to see an OB? You know to check the baby's health condition?" Thelma asked looking at her daughter's tummy.

"Tomorrow or the next day, I haven't decided yet. I will ask my husband," she finally said.

"Okay, do you want me to come with you to the OB?" Thelma offered her assistance.

"I will let you know, Mother, if my husband is busy and can not accompany me, then I'll call you right away," Caroline answered.

"Okay, you do that, daughter," Thelma said.

"Sis, if you haven't an OB in mind yet, I can refer you to my previous OB," Catherine suggested.

"Thanks, sis. Give me her address so that I can call for an appointment," Caroline replied.

"Alright," Catherine typed on her phone the details of the OB and sent it to her sister's phone number. "I already send the details to you on your phone," she informed her.

The family chatted merrily with each other while the delicious dishes that Catherine ordered from her favorite caterer to celebrate her sister's homecoming were already displayed in the dining table.

~0~

Meanwhile at Susan's office.

Mike, John, and Susan were facing each other on the couch inside the office.

They were discussing Caroline's' sudden return and her good news of pregnancy.

"John, do you believe that Caroline is indeed pregnant with Mike's baby?" Susan asked her eldest son.

John wasn't able to answer right away. His sister-in-law's pregnancy is a delicate matter and he was trying to figure out everything that happened to Caroline.

Susan looked at her other son. "Mike, do you honestly believe that your wife is carrying your baby? Or it can be somebody's child? I don't want to entertain doubts and suspicion but you can't blame me, she has been away for more than two months and we don't know anything about her activity outside and the people she had contact with. I just want to be sure. I hope you guys understand my point of view...."

Mike scratches his head with his hand. His mother just voices out the nagging suspicion in his mind which he dared not reveal to his wife... fearing he could be wrong and it might create a rift between them.

"Is there anything we can do to know the paternity of the child in Caroline's w.o.m.b? I'm talking about DNA testing? Can we do that to an unborn child?" John finally spoke.

"Yes, I wanted to have DNA testing as soon as possible!" Mike agreed right away.

Susan smiled. "Well, that's what I also have in mind. I contacted my friend who is an OB and I ask her if DNA testing to an unborn child is possible without the mother's knowledge, and she answered me yes, it's possible. We just need to bring Caroline to my OB friend and she will do the rest and the father's blood sample is also taken to complete the process," she elaborated.

"Is it safe for the baby and mother's health?" John asked worriedly.

"Yes, my friend told me that it's Non Evasive Methods of Paternity Testing while pregnant. The process is simple, just take a blood sample from the mother's arm because the baby's DNA can be found naturally on the mother's blood due to the exchange of nutrients and supply of blood between the mother and the baby," Susan explained.

"I'll agree to the Non Evasive Methods of Paternity Testing, Mom!" Mike said with finality in his voice. "Just make sure Caroline won't know about it," he added.

"No problem, son. My friend and I already talked about it. She can be trusted and know what she's doing," Susan assured her son.

"Okay, Mom. Set an appointment with your OB friend. I will bring Caroline to her clinic," Mike said.

"How long we will wait for the DNA test result?" John interjected.

"The result will come out after one week," answered Susan.

"Alright, let's do it!" Mike said in full support with his mother and brother's suggestion.

John looked at his brother's face. "And what will you do if the paternity test comes out negative and you are not the father of the baby?"

Susan also observed her son's reaction to the question.

Mike groaned and covered his face with his hands for a few seconds, then he looked at them in the eyes without blinking. "I will kick her out of my house and I'll file an annulment right away on the ground of a.d.u.l.tery," he said sporting a serious face.

Susan and John exchanged glances.

They talked more about Caroline's condition.

A few minutes later they finally adjourned their meeting and the two brothers left their mother's office. They boarded their respective vehicles going to Eastwood Subdivision to join their wives.