Another Heart Calls

Charlotte went to a small café after having spent the last two hours looking at all kinds of flowers for her wedding. As excited as she was to have her dream wedding, she was beginning to get exhausted at having to decide on so many small details. Who knew there were so many decisions to make for a wedding?

She sat down and gave the waitress her order when all of a sudden she heard a familiar, annoying voice coming from behind her. She turned her head around to see Janelle’s back facing her, talking to someone across the table from her.

“Thank you so much for giving me your sonogram picture, Traci,” Janelle told her. Charlotte froze for a moment, the words and their meaning sinking in.

“No problem,” Traci smiled. “But, what did you want a picture of my baby for?” Traci asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to show someone,” Janelle said with a wave of her wrist.

Charlotte’s jaw hung open, as she realized she needed to tell the others what she had overheard. She immediately got up, telling the waiter not to bother with her order, and she sped to Meredith’s apartment.

After beating on the door for a few moments, Meredith finally opened it and let Charlotte in. “Char, what’s the matter?”

“Janelle’s not pregnant!” she blurted out.

“What?” Meredith asked, confused. “What do you mean she’s not pregnant?”

“Exactly what I said. She’s not pregnant,” she said repeating the words slowly.

“Of course she’s pregnant!” Meredith exclaimed. “She went to the doctors. She had a sonogram,” Meredith told her.

“The sonogram was fake,” Charlotte explained.

“Charlotte, I want to believe that she’s lying as much as you do, but come on! Janelle’s not that bad of a person. She wouldn’t lie about being pregnant,” Meredith said, giving Janelle the benefit of the doubt.

“Meredith, you have to believe me. I was at lunch when I heard Janelle talking to some other girl. She thanked her for letting her have the sonogram picture. When the other one asked why she wanted it, she said that she just wanted to show it to someone,” Charlotte told her.

“Char, it’s probably all a misunderstanding. Janelle’s pregnant, whether you and I believe it or not,” Meredith said.

“But, she’s not!” Charlotte cried. “Listen, just pick up the phone and call Patrick. Tell him what I told you!”

“Charlotte, she’s pregnant. I’ve accepted it. Patrick’s accepted it. And, now you need to accept it.”

“I’m going to prove to you that she’s lying about all of this,” Charlotte promised, walking out the front door and down to her car.

Once she arrived back at her apartment, Charlotte decided to call Marty and see what he thought about all of this. The guys were currently on a road trip. Charlotte looked down at her watch and knew Marty wouldn't be busy right now, so she picked up her phone and dialed his number.

After the third ring, Marty picked up. “Marty, hey,” Charlotte said.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?” he questioned.

“I have some pretty big news,” she told him.

Marty was quiet for a minute, waiting on her to continue. When she didn’t, he asked, “Well, aren’t you going to tell me?”

“Janelle’s lying. She’s not pregnant,” Charlotte stated.

“What do you mean she’s not pregnant?” Marty asked slowly. “Of course she’s pregnant!”

“No, she’s not. Marty, she got someone else’s sonogram to show Patrick. Come on, this all makes sense. It’s the reason she didn’t want Patrick to go to the doctor with her. Marty, she’s not pregnant,” she reiterated.

“Char,” Marty began.

“Come on, you have to believe me!”

“Why would she do this, though?” Marty questioned.

“You’re seriously asking me that?” Charlotte asked. “Obviously, she wants Patrick in her life, and by saying she’s pregnant, she thinks he’s going to have to stay with her,” she explained.

“But what happens in a few months when everyone realizes that she’s not pregnant?” Marty asked.

“I don’t know,” Charlotte admitted. “But I do know that she’s not pregnant. Marty, I heard her talking today when I was at lunch. She was thanking someone for giving her their sonogram picture.”

“That doesn’t prove anything, though.”

“Why won’t you just believe me?” Charlotte asked.

“Char, I don’t want to fight with you. I love you. But, you really need to just leave it alone. We’ll all know the truth in a few months. If she is pretending, she can’t do it forever,” Marty informed her.

“Fine,” Charlotte sighed.

“Thank you,” Marty told her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said before they hung up.

But, Charlotte wasn’t going to let this go so easily. Janelle had already ruined too many people’s lives, and Charlotte wasn’t going to let her get away with lying about being pregnant. No, she was going to confront her about it and figure out the truth.