Chapter 13

Clara's POV

I felt my whole body freeze, regretting what I had said.

Just what had I done? Even so, where did that notion originate?

I yelled the first ridiculous thing that came out quickly because I didn't want him to fire me. Although it seemed to have worked, I was now more dangerous.

"And you're confident about this?" Derek's voice startled me out of my reverie.

I firmly nodded my head.

Why did I do that? Why was I strengthening my lie? That would lead to further problems for me.

Perhaps I could retract what I had just said and tell him that I wasn't pregnant—after all, how can you say "it's your kid" and then not mean it?

Derek walked the room before kicking the table to knock it over.

"You may be lying for all I know; how am I simply meant to think you are pregnant?" He said.

I had lied. However, it was now too late for me to retract this falsehood.

"I understand your feelings; I was taken aback, too, when I learned," I said.

I wasn't very adept at lying, so my voice became softer with every syllable.

"Go ahead; you don't need me to remind you of your line of work. I can't quite put you in my top ten list of individuals to trust. All of this might be a money-grabbing ruse." He became blunt.

"You don't have to make fun of me," I shot back.

How am I expected to accept that it's my child? For all I know, you may have slept with a hundred other males." He growled.

My cheeks flushed crimson, revealing my fury. It's possible that I earned part of it, but that was inappropriate.

You were a very eager participant in this, I'll have you know. That's how this baby was created." I pointed to my empty stomach and shouted.

My remarks seemed to be effective. His facial expression became more composed.

He stepped closer to me and leaned in. Once again, his body hung over my little frame, entangling me.

It's like he gets a kick out of seeing me freak out.

"Now tell me, what will the cost be?" With his breath blowing on my face, he muttered.

I whispered, "Excuse me," trying to get the strength to tell him that I wasn't bothered by his presence at all.

"Come on, I know a lot of people in your field. You care about money." He said.

He withdrew from my grasp.

Once again, he was there, insulting me more. And who had he thought he was?

He slammed the door behind him as he left the room.

Did that imply I could go at this point?

With what money could I possibly flee and take a journey to the furthest destination? If I believed that he was being unkind right now, I could only imagine his reaction if he discovered that I was lying.

Derek returned to the room before I could make up my mind on what to do. With a more carefree expression this time.

He took out a piece of paper, which he gave me. It was a banknote.

I questioned, "What is this for?" I was startled at the number on it.

It was a two-million-dollar cheque. Never in my life have I seen so much money.

He said, "I need you to get rid of the baby."

My pupils expanded.

How come? I muttered. I'm not even sure whether it was the quantity of money he was giving or his remarks that made me uneasy.

"Come on, you don't think someone my caliber would be married to someone like you and have a child, do you?" He said.

It resembled yet another blow to the face.

My rage only increased.

"Who are you?"

He interrupted me, covering my lips with his fingers, saying, "Shh."

How daring this man is.

"Give it some thought; you have two days. Right now, this discussion is not going anywhere since we are both heartbroken. Before we can have this discussion once again, we need to take some time to rest." He said.

Other than calling me a liar, this was maybe the most sensible thing he's said thus far. I could use the time to think of a more convincing lie or, at the very least, have the confidence to speak the truth.

I inhaled deeply as I tried to control the rage that was gradually rising within me.

Then he opened the door and motioned for me to get out.

With gratitude, I seized the chance to go, making a hasty exit from the premises.

It was some time before I comprehend the magnitude of what I had just done. I had made up for expecting a baby. I would get into more problems because of this.

It seems like a long time ago when Ivy departed the building.

My mother and Katy were in the kitchen baking cupcakes when I got home.

My luggage fell out the door. I waved at Mom and Katy in response.

I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

I needed to speak to someone because if I said the word "pregnant," my mother would slap me across the face, not to mention the fact that I had lied to them about being pregnant.

Ivy's number was in a phone book I had from years ago, so I took my mom's phone to my room and punched it in.

My phone still hasn't been replaced.

"Hello," I said as soon as Ivy responded.

"Hey, how are you?" Ivy enquired.

I breathed in deeply. It was going to seem absurd even to try to explain this.

I said, "I told Derek I was pregnant."

Ivy kept quiet.

I started by telling the remainder of the narrative.

It was uncommon for even Ivy to be left speechless.

I wait for her response, nervously biting my nails.

I don't see what you are scared about based on what you just stated. This is ideal for you since he wants you to get rid of it, and you aren't even pregnant." She clarified. "I would accept the money and consider this a victory if I were you." She went on.

Perhaps she was right after all.

I said, "It would be dishonest to take all that money simply."

"Go ahead, you're worthy of that cash. Considering what he said to you. Consider all the things you might do with that cash." She thought.

Perhaps she was correct; he mistreated me. In addition, we need that cash.

I was obsessing about nothing. Everything was going to come together just right for me. There was no baby, and he didn't want one. This is just ideal in every way.

"We'll have a conversation tomorrow morning before work. There's someone at my door." She said.

She hurried to her door as we said our goodbyes.

Ivy's comments comforted me, and I smiled.

The cheque slipped into my pocket. I didn't want to include it with my belongings since Mom and Katy would constantly go through them; if not to borrow anything, then at least to get personal history.

I had no idea how to tell my mother where I acquired all that cash. Before I could announce that I had won two million dollars, I would have first to declare that I would try my luck at the lotto. These days, does the lottery even pay that much?

I silently grinned. I had no trouble seeing myself as a multi-millionaire.

Even though my day had a horrible start, it didn't finish too severely.

I walked downstairs to return Mom's phone and fetch some water. Katy was working hard on her schoolwork, likely for a grade higher than her own, while Mom was now watching TV. She was always trying to outwit others.

"Please join me, my love, since I seldom get to see you these days," her mother said, touching the vacant chair beside her.

I sat down next to my mother.

She draped part of the blanket over my legs.

Mom said, "I'm sure you'll love watching this program with me." She gave me the popcorn dish.

I started eating popcorn as soon as we started the series.

Mom chuckled at the TV personalities.

"This female is out here acting pregnant to attract the man; you should see her." Some females have no shame. They'll do everything to get financial gain." Ma told me.

Her remarks struck a chord with me because it seemed like she was speaking to me personally. However, was what I was doing all that horrible compared to what those TV characters were doing?

In a sense, I was standing in the way of Derek's connection with Madison. Perhaps I was the antagonist in this tale because I also lied about stuff. She is pretty foolish. The truth always comes out about these things, and it becomes worse the later it does. A kid must finally be born; you cannot continue to lie about it." Mom went on.

I picked up a second handful of popcorn. What a guilt trip this was.

"I'm thrilled with how well I raised you ladies. You will discover that money isn't everything when you meet a guy who loves you one day. These kinds of lies seldom turn out well." She said.

There was no way this was a coincidence; maybe it was a sign. I was doing the wrong thing. If I had been in his shoes, I doubt that my response would have been much different. It would not be proper to exploit him in this way. My mother would be devastated if she learned about any of this, even if he did deserve it. Therefore, I couldn't do that to her.

Katy answered the home phone as soon as it rang.

"Someone is on the phone for you, Clara!" Some minutes later, Katy shouted.

Leaning away from the sofa, I sighed. I crossed the living room to the phone in the corner.

As she handed me the phone, Katy said, "You really should buy a new one."

Greetings? I picked up the phone.

"I've arrived at your door." The person spoke.

It took me some time to sign up. Was it, I thought, Derek's voice?

In a panic, I peered out the window and saw Derek leaning against the black Porsche parked outside my fence.

And what would I do? He said I had two days, didn't he? How on earth did he know my residence?

I had to keep him from my mother.

I hang up the phone swiftly.

"I believe I'll simply go to the supermarket, Mom. I need a few items." I talked frantically.

"At present?" Mom inquired.

"I'll be right back; it's only around the corner," I said. I was at the door already.

"Take care!" Mom screamed at me.

I felt the calm wind caress my skin as I left the home.

I tried to stay warm by crossing my arms over one another.

I sprinted over to his vehicle.

These kinds of automobiles are unusual in our neighbourhood; hopefully, the other residents won't start chatting.

"So, Ms. Owens, have you decided yet?" I walked up to him, and he asked.

That he was already familiar with my last name was a little unsettling.

"I assumed I had two days," I said, almost gritting my teeth.

"Well, I have a lot on my plate. Do you know whether you've made up your mind yet? He said.

I'm not sure whether I was prepared for the choice I was about to make. I knew it was the correct one, even if it may have been utterly foolish of me.

My sigh

"I apologise, but I am unable to take your money and I will not be able to complete the transaction." I reached out and gave him the check back from my pocket.

I said, "It's okay if you don't want to take care of the kid; you can simply act like this never happened and I'll take care of it on my own."

I think this was the best-looking lie I've ever told. All I can hope is that this was a sufficient excuse. I still have a chance since he doesn't want the child in the first place. Later, when I inform him that the baby died or was lost, all of my issues will be resolved. I just hope that I won't be let go.

As he took the cheque from my palm, he grinned.

That I had simply let all that money go is unbelievable.

"Well, I'm relieved that our opinions on this matter coincide. Our shared goal is to raise this child." He said. The cheque he shoved into his pocket.

How come? I muttered, stunned.

"Now that I am paying you all that money to get rid of the baby, didn't you believe that was the case?" He said.

I was still perplexed. That was his desire, wasn't it? What was the purpose of his not giving me the money to get "get of the baby"?

"I didn't believe you and I still don't trust you, so I simply wanted to see whether you would bite the bait or not. I was hoping you would simply accept the money and show that you are not even pregnant, that this is all just a money-grabbing fraud." He said.

I eventually realized what was going on, and I said, "So, you did all that simply to test me."

He nodded and put both hands in his pockets. "Yes," he said.

His remarks infuriated me. Even though I was lying, he had good reason to not believe me, but it still stung to think he would go to that extent.

"You know, I could have followed through with it," I cried out. I wanted to hit him because he almost caught me telling a falsehood.

You didn't, however. In addition, I assigned a bodyguard to watch over you." He went on.

I was not sure whether to call him a psychopath for having someone watch over me, or to praise him for not being utterly foolish.

This just makes things more difficult for me; why couldn't he simply be like all the other males and accept no accountability? I was in a bigger hole now.

"I'll come get you tomorrow morning to go for an ultrasound or whatever the doctor has to do." He said.

How come? I muttered once more. My brain was still processing nothing.

"We have to confirm that the infant is doing OK," he said. "Tomorrow I'll come collect you and we can go to the doctor together." He clarified.

My mouth fell open. He brings this up just before I felt like everything was coming together. My whole scheme was playing out in front of me very slowly. I was done for; I was definitely going to be discovered now.

When the doctor tells me I'm not pregnant, what will I say? Was I only meant to report that I got a false positive on the pregnancy test?

"Ms. Owens, I hope you have a wonderful evening," he sneered.

He waved a little to me before getting in his vehicle.

I was screwed now, if I wasn't before.

_______________________________ A/N: I really appreciate your reading. Please cast your vote and leave a remark. Kindly follow me to offer your support.