Pregnant and Abandoned, I Returned as a Hidden Heiress

ANNA'S POV

"Anna, where are you? Have you heard the news?" Clara's voice came through the phone, bright and full of excitement. 

I pressed the phone closer to my ear, frowning. Clara was my colleague from the pharmaceutical company where I work, and she only called me when something big happened.

  "What news?" I asked, wiping my hands quickly on my apron. The smell of butter and sugar still lingered on my fingers. It was one of my off days from work at Greenleaf Pharmaceutical, so I was standing by my small roadside cake stand watching cars zoom past, hoping someone would stop to buy something before the cakes got cold.

  "James just got promoted and was awarded a huge sum of money!" Clara almost screamed. "I heard it was because of the new drug formula he submitted, it got approved by Davenport Group and the company is holding a promotion ceremony for him."

  For a moment, I froze, my heart thumping so loud it drowned out the sound of traffic. My throat went dry.

  The drug.

  I swallowed hard, gulping down my saliva. "Clara... you mean the one I worked...?"

  "Yes," she cut in, almost whispering now. "The one you created. But his name was on the file, right? So of course, they're giving him the credit."

  I leaned against the wooden counter of my cake stand, my chest tight. I had stayed up nights for five whole years, pouring my whole brain and soul into that formula. James had told me to put it under his name so it would "look more official." He said the company wouldn't take me seriously since I was still just an assistant researcher.

  He had promised. Promised me that once he got promoted, he would propose, and we would build a future together. He said we were a team.

  My lips curled up in a huge smile, even though Clara couldn't see me. "Oh.. my God! This is good news, right? If he's promoted, it means our plans are closer now."

  There was silence on the line. Clara hesitated before saying, "Anna... just be careful. Sometimes men..."

  "I trust him," I said quickly, cutting her off. My voice cracked a little, but I tried to hide it. "He's doing this for us."

  After I ended the call, I stood there staring at nothing. My little cake stand looked smaller than ever, with the cracked wooden table and the faded umbrella shielding me from the harsh sun. My heart was racing, not with doubt but with excitement. This was it. James had finally made it. 

Soon, he'd keep his words. Soon, I'd be more than just the girl selling cakes as a side hustle to save up money for a dream wedding with the man that I deeply love.

  "Excuse me, how much for one?"

  The voice pulled me out of my thoughts. A young lady in a business suit had stopped, eyeing the cakes. I hurriedly straightened up.

  "One is five dollars,"