"Hey, Elysia! Miss me already?"


    Elysia sighed. “Janelle fainted today."


    Winona froze. "What happened to Janelle?!"


    Elysia recounted the story about Beatrix. Winona was stunned silent for a long moment before finally speaking.


    "So someone really is carrying Keaton''s baby! I guess couvade syndrome is real after all!"


    Just that afternoon, they had been joking about it. Both she and Elysia had thought Keaton was just sick, that there was no such thing as sympathy pregnancy symptoms.


    And now, tonight, the bombshell of Beatrix''s pregnancy dropped.


    Elysia said,


    "We don''t know for sure if it''s Keaton''s. We can''t just take her word for it. She won''t even let him get a paternity test. I think something''s fishy."


    After a moment, Winona picked up the thread.


    "Yeah, something''s definitely fishy. If it was really Keaton''s, she''d let him get the test without any fuss."


    "But you have to admit, Beatrix has guts, threatening Keaton like this. It seems like their rtionship is moreplicated than we thought."


    "Last time, Keaton had proof against her, but he was willing to go to jail for a false rape charge rather than expose her!"


    "And now she''s daring to use a baby to threaten him. She''s only this bold because Keaton lets her be! What is the story between those two?!"


    Elysia frowned.


    “I asked Tarquin, but even he doesn''t know."


    Winona felt a pang of regret. "...”


    That night when he told her Clementine''s story, she should have seized the chance to ask about Beatrix. But afterward, all she could think about was jumping him, and shepletely forgot.


    Elysia added,


    "Tarquin said that part of the reason Janelle fainted was because of you."


    "This whole pregnancy scandal that''s been blowing up... you were the star!"


    "Janelle thought you and Keaton were together, that you were the one pregnant with his child. She was over the moon!"


    "Then today, Beatrix told her it wasn''t true. That you weren''t with Keaton and you weren''t pregnant."


    "Her dream was shattered, and then she got threatened. It was a double blow, which is why she reacted so strongly and just fainted."


    Winona was shocked. "Me, pregnant with Keaton''s baby?! Why would Janelle think that?"


    Elysia shrugged helplessly. "I''m not entirely sure of the details."


    Winona muttered, "...No wonder Janelle kept texting me, reminding me to rest and sending me pregnancy meal ns..."


    "I just thought she was sending me healthy recipes because she wanted me to take care of myself. I had no idea she thought I was pregnant. This is.


    Panic began to set in for Winona. If、 Janelle ought she was pregnant


    with Keaton''s child did that mean she knew they had slept together?


    If she knew, how could they ever act normal around each other again?


    Her head was spinning. Pushing thoughts of Janelle aside for a moment, she asked,


    "How is Janelle doing now?"


    Elysia sighed.


    "Tarquin said she''s been crying ever since she woke up. This whole thing has hit her really hard. I''m going to see her tomorrow morning after I drop off the kids I''ll get more details then."


    Winona frowned. "I''ll call and try tofort her in a little while."


    "That''s a good idea."


    The two friends talked for a bit longer before hanging up.


    The tiramisu in Winona''s hand had lost its sweetness. She set it aside on the table and found Janelle''s number.


    But after thinking it over, she didn''t dial.


    Instead, she found Keaton''s number, wanting to ask him first if he had told anyone


    what happened between them.


    But after another moment''s thought, she didn''t dial that number either.


    She curled up on the sofa, her mind racing.


    Thinking of Keaton made her anxious.


    Thinking of Janelle made her worried.


    And thinking of Beatrix just pissed her off.


    After stewing for a while, Winona''s brow furrowed. She decisively booked a red-eye


    flight back to Jindale City.