Stuck in The Marriage Pact
Chapter 70: Isabella is getting more and more confused

Chapter 70: Isabella is getting more and more confused

In a simple wedding room, precisely in a marriage department hall, Isabella stood beside Joe. The white dress she wore looked stunning, but her body appeared weak. A faint smile graced her beautiful face, but a sense of unease enveloped her heart.

What am I doing? I’m marrying him, yet I’m not even sure if I truly love him. He has provided evidence that we were once in a relationship, but why do I still have doubts? It feels like something is missing. She monologued in her heart, then glanced at Joe, who looked dashing and handsome in a gray suit.

"You’re so beautiful," Joe murmured with a smile.

Isabella only gave a faint smile and turned back to face the priest, who was dressed in a black suit and holding a holy book.

"Do you, Joe Fernandez, take Isabella Quinn to be your lawful wedded wife, in good times and in bad?"

Joe glanced at Isabella, his smile growing wider with confidence. "I do," he answered firmly.

The priest then turned to Isabella. "And do you, Isabella Quinn, take Joe to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Isabella opened her mouth hesitantly, then glanced at Joe, who kept smiling at her. She recalled how he had always been kind and caring toward her, even though she often felt disappointed for not being able to remember him.

"Miss Quinn?" the priest called.

"I do," Isabella said softly and quickly.

Joe let out a relieved sigh as the priest declared their marriage official and allowed them to exchange rings.

Joe took Isabella’s right hand, noticing the diamond ring still adorning her ring finger. It reminded him of Hunter.

"We need to replace it with this wedding ring," he said as he reached to remove it.

Isabella stayed silent, watching as the ring was about to leave her finger, but she instinctively pulled her hand away.

Joe frowned, noticing Isabella’s anxious expression.

"I... I really like this ring. Besides, it’s from you, isn’t it? It has meaning too," Isabella murmured.

"All right..." Joe smiled and switched to her left hand. "What’s important is that you wear this ring." He gently placed the wedding ring on her left ring finger.

Isabella frowned, her heart pounding erratically, and her body felt hot and cold at the same time. With trembling hands, she reached to place the ring on Joe’s right ring finger, but her vision blurred. The world around her spun. Before she could finish, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor.

"Isabella!" Joe shouted in panic, catching her before she hit the floor. "Isabella!" He cradled her face, looking at her with deep concern. Her complexion was alarmingly pale.

The room filled with commotion as the venue staff hurried to call 911 for immediate assistance.

At the Hospital

Joe paced back and forth outside the ER, his face pale and anxious. His mind kept replaying the moment Isabella fainted before she could place the ring on his finger.

It’s okay... The important thing is she’s officially my wife now. No one can take her from me—not even Hunter! he thought tensely, his attention snapping to the doctor who emerged from the ER.

"Doctor, how’s my wife?" he asked.

The doctor took a deep breath. "Isabella is in serious condition. Apart from being physically weak due to emotional and physical stress, we’ve discovered that she’s pregnant."

Joe was stunned, his face turning pale as his eyes widened. "Pregnant?"

"Yes... approximately nine weeks," the doctor explained.

Joe swallowed hard, his chest tightening as he recalled Isabella’s past marriage to Hunter.

No... This won’t be a problem. I’ll say she’s only been pregnant for a month. Everyone will believe me. Yes, I’ll make sure of it so that Hunter can’t take her away, and Isabella won’t trust him... Of course, she doesn’t remember anything!

"There’s another issue," the doctor said, interrupting Joe’s thoughts.

"What is it?" Joe frowned.

"We also found a small blood clot in her brain, likely from previous trauma—possibly from an accident. This could be life-threatening if not treated promptly. She needs intensive care, and surgery might be necessary," the doctor explained.

Joe froze, his mind consumed by guilt as he recalled forcing Isabella out of the hospital when she wasn’t fully recovered.

God... Did I make a mistake? he wondered.

"We’ll conduct further tests to determine whether surgery is necessary," the doctor continued.

"Do whatever it takes to save her, okay? Just... save her. I love her so much!" Joe pleaded.

The doctor nodded and allowed Joe to visit Isabella.

In the Emergency Room

Isabella lay weakly on the hospital bed, her face pale but her breathing stable. Joe sat by her side, gently holding her hand, staring at her as memories of their love story flooded his mind.

"If only I weren’t a poor man, maybe you wouldn’t have to go through all this. Maybe I wouldn’t have let you pay off my debt by agreeing to a contract marriage, only for you to choose him and carry his child... This will be bad if you choose him again because Lady Juliana won’t stay silent. She’ll do anything to hurt you, to get rid of you! I’m sorry..." Joe sighed and kissed the back of Isabella’s hand. "I hope you’ll never remember your past again... Be mine forever. I don’t mind raising that baby as my own... It’s okay, as long as you stay safe by my side."

Isabella slowly opened her eyes, glancing upward until her gaze landed on Joe, who was still holding her hand.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"We’re at the hospital," Joe replied with a smile, brushing her hair gently. "You fainted after our wedding. I was so scared... but not anymore," he added.

Isabella stayed silent, her eyes filled with confusion.

"I have good news," Joe whispered.

"What?"

"You’re pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Isabella frowned, her heart racing. "How... How am I pregnant? I mean... we’ve never..."

"Honey..." Joe interrupted her. "Before your accident, we were lovers who deeply loved each other. We’re adults... Spending nights together wasn’t new for us. So it’s only natural for you to be pregnant," Joe explained calmly.

Isabella remained silent, her face showing confusion. She glanced down at her still-flat stomach.

So... I really had a relationship with him before? And I’m carrying his child. But why do I feel unsure about being with him? If this is truly his child, shouldn’t I feel a strong desire to be with him, not doubt? But if it’s not his... then who’s the father? Did I have a relationship with someone else? she wondered, her head suddenly throbbing. "Ugh..." She clutched her head.

Joe immediately stood up. "What’s wrong?"

"No... I..." Isabella shut her eyes. "I don’t know. My head hurts so much! My stomach doesn’t feel right either!" She opened her eyes again.

"It must be because of our baby," Joe said.

"No!" A loud voice suddenly rang from the doorway.

Both Joe and Isabella turned to see Hunter entering the room, using a crutch under his left arm.

"Don’t you dare say that’s your baby!" Hunter declared. "That’s my child!"

Joe swallowed hard, his heart racing as he stared at Hunter.

Isabella stayed silent, her eyes fixed on Hunter. Faint, unclear flashes of intimate memories flooded her mind, making her headache worse.