Laura
I sat on the floor, my back resting against the door as tears streamed down my cheeks. I stared at the DNA test result and the message from the doctor about my pregnancy. How will I be able to raise my child without Lorenzo?
I grew up in a poor but loving family. Dad didn't have a job and mum had to do three jobs a day to pay our bills and provide for us but it wasn't enough. She didn't have money to put me in one of the best schools in the country but she tried her best to put me in a middle class school. I was a victim of bullies. I lost my self confidence and became scared, naive and timid. Every time I came back home, I came back with bruises. My mum would notice them and ask me what happened to me and I would lie that I fell off the stairs or fell into a pit. She would cry and tell me 'I'm sorry, sweetie. But you don't have to lie to me'. Dad would suggest I drop out of school so he could open up a farm and we could work in it but I wanted to go to school.
Years later, my dad got a well paying job and enrolled me into the best high school in Atlanta Bergen and that was where I met Paula, Lorenzo's cousin. I was continuously bullied in high school until the fourth year. Paula caught some girls bullying me and stood up for me. They were afraid of her. That was the last time I got bullied in high school.
I became friends with Paula. She invited me to her birthday party which took place in her home. Never had I thought I would meet a guy I would eventually fall in love with Lorenzo at that party.
I was pushed into a pool by a group of rich and popular girls. I couldn't swim. I was screaming for help and thought I was going to drown. But then, a tall and handsome man pulled off his shirt and jumped into the pool to rescue me. That was Lorenzo. Before he could swim over to me, I fell unconscious. It was the feel of his mouth on mine that woke me up. He was performing CPR. And that happened to be my first kiss. I was scared and couldn't say a word. He scolded the girls who pushed me into the pool.
Later on, Paula told me Lorenzo was interested in me. He was the son of one of the richest men in the country. How could he be interested in someone like me? He came to pick me up from school one day which got all the girls in high school talking. He took me on a surprise date. After some dates, he asked me out. I fell in love with him. Two years later, we got married. I was nineteen at that time. He had asked me to drop out of school because of his reputation. I didn't want to do it but I had to because I loved him so freaking much.
"Hey. Are you okay?" a gentle knock at the door pulled me out of my reverie. I tasted the saltiness of my tears.
"Laura," the voice called out again and I recognized it was Shawn's voice. "Say something. Roberts is worried."
"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound convincing but my voice must have given me out.
"You don't sound fine."
"I am. I…" I wiped the tears off my eyes and stood up. "I'm so good."
"Can I come in?"
I opened the door.
"Good morning," he said, his piercing green eyes staring at me, as though they could see right through me. "Did you cry overnight?"
"No." Oh well, yes. I didn't sleep a wink. I just couldn't.
"Your eyes are pale."
"Um… I just couldn't sleep," I finally said and gasped.
He arched his eyebrows. "You can talk to me. I know you need someone to talk to."
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to hold back my tears. The only person I needed to talk to was Paula.
I felt his fingertips wiping away my tears and opened my eyes, slowly. "It's okay to cry. It doesn't mean you're weak. It only means you have been hurt. It's a human thing."
Tears began to stream down my cheeks, again and I sniffed. He gently drew me in for a hug and caressed my hair. "Everything is going to be fine."
How was everything going to be fine when I just got divorced from the man I loved so much? We could have worked things out. I would definitely have forgiven him for infidelity. For better or for worse. That was the marriage vow we took. To be with each other for better or for worse.
Shawn led me to the bed and made me sit. "A problem shared is a problem half solved. But if you don't wanna share, I'm not gonna force you."
"I caught my husband in bed with my sister and that was on our anniversary day." I still considered her my sister.
Years ago, the bell had rang. I went to open the door and saw a girl crying at the door with her luggage. She asked me who I was but before I could reply, dad intervened. He called out her name, Victoria, with a shell-shocked look. She cried and walked into the house with her luggage. Dad never asked about her mum, he couldn't muster the courage. Years later, I woke up one morning to see dad was gone with Victoria. Mum kept on crying. Victoria had left a letter in my room. She wrote she had taken her dad back and we'd never see him again.
"I'd never have believed he'd cheat on me. He loved me so much and never gave me a reason to think he'd ever cheat on me. I should have realized—he was becoming distant…" I choked on my tears. "I asked for an explanation but he showed me divorce papers. We could have sorted things out. Why did he have to bring up divorce?"
Shawn's face became smug. "It's obvious he never deserved you," he bellowed. "No man should ever treat a woman like that. God help me but if I should ever come across your ex husband, I'll beat his ass up for what he did to you. Dry your tears, Laura. He isn't worth it. You have to be strong for your unborn child."
I wished I could just dry my tears and act strong but I couldn't.
"Only a foolish man would let go off a woman like you," he sighed, averting his gaze from me. "You were too good for him," Shawn whispered.
"No, I was—"
The ringtone of my phone dismissed me abruptly. I glanced at the caller ID. A gasp escaped my lips.