Chapter 214

Harrison had no choice but to turn to her closest confidante for guidance.

Ding!

Gabrielle's response flashed on the screen. [That means your friend failed to satisfy her husband in bed. He lost interest after just one night.]

What? Could that truly be the case?

Harrison pondered this. For a marriage to thrive, compatibility in all aspects was crucial - especially physical intimacy.

She knew men like Nathaniel had exacting standards when it came to pleasure. He required a woman who could match his intensity between the sheets.

Had she disappointed him last night? Had Nathaniel grown bored after their first encounter?

Ding!

Another message from Gabrielle appeared. [Harrison, don't tell me this "friend" is actually you! Have you and Nathaniel slept together?]

Harrison hesitated, then quickly deflected. [Of course not.]

Setting her phone aside, Harrison drifted into a restless sleep.

Morning came, and she mechanically went through her routine. Then came the horrifying realization - Nathaniel hadn't used protection!

They'd gone at it three times, each session more passionate than the last. He'd lost control, she'd surrendered completely. And each time, he'd finished inside her.

To make matters worse, she'd forgotten her birth control pill yesterday.

Panic set in. Given Nathaniel's current attitude toward their relationship, children were definitely not in the cards. He wouldn't want her pregnant either.

With no time for homemade remedies, Harrison dashed to the nearest pharmacy.

"May I help you, miss?" the pharmacist inquired.

Her eyes locked onto the emergency contraception display. Though allergic to one ingredient, she had no alternatives.

"That one, please."

She swallowed the pill dry and hurried back to Willowridge University.

Rosalind spotted her on campus. "Harrison! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Harrison's face had gone ghostly pale. The morning-after pill was triggering a violent allergic reaction.

Rosalind watched in horror as sweat beaded on Harrison's forehead. Her breathing grew labored, her entire body trembling.

"Harrison! What's wrong?" Rosalind's voice shook with alarm.

Before Harrison could respond, her vision darkened and she collapsed.

"Harrison! Someone help!" Rosalind screamed.

Frantic, Rosalind half-carried Harrison to the campus clinic. "She just passed out! I don't know what's happening!"

The nurse reviewed the preliminary tests. "Severe allergic reaction to medication."

"What medication?" Rosalind demanded.

"Emergency contraceptive. She's highly allergic."

Rosalind's jaw dropped. She hadn't realized Harrison had taken such drastic measures.

Now Harrison lay curled in a fetal position, drenched in sweat, clutching her stomach in obvious agony.

Without hesitation, Rosalind dialed Nathaniel.

At the hospital, Nathaniel sat beside Isabella's bed. The clingy woman rested her head against his chest.

"Would you like some fruit?" Victoria offered a plate of sliced mango.

Isabella pouted. "Feed me, Nathaniel."

He speared a piece with a fork and brought it to her lips.

Just as she leaned forward, his phone rang. Rosalind's frantic voice came through. "Nathaniel, where are you?"

"At the hospital with Isabella," he replied absently.

"Harrison is seriously ill, and you're playing nurse? Get to Willowridge now! She took emergency contraception and had a severe allergic reaction - she collapsed!"