November 2020
My sight was becoming blurry with every second that passed, my hands trembled unable to bare the weight of what I was looking at. It didn't make sense, how could it be possible? It was just one night, one stupid drunken night.
Two red lines stared back at me. I was pregnant.
The tears ran down my cheeks, how was I going to deal with this? How was I going to tell Asher about this considering that I hadn't seen him ever since that night. What would people think? I sat on the bathroom floor unable to comprehend all that was happening around me.
...Later that day.....
"I need to speak to Asher," I said to the receptionist. She looked at me with annoyance like she had to deal with this everyday.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No but he knows me," I said knowing that it all sounded fake as I said it, how could I know a man like Asher Sterling, a very well known respected CEO.
"Yeah right, no appointment no seeing Mr. Sterling. Please leave before I call for security," she said giving me the stern gaze while her hands lingered over the telephone.
"Call him and ask if he knows a Zaliyah, please it's urgent."
"If he knows you why don't you call him and ask him to come and fetch you," she said rolling her eyes as she stood up folding her arms. I tried, I texted him, called him but that jerk wasn't picking up any of my calls and not replying to my text messages. I gave her one more look and pretended to walk away, but once she was sitting down I quickly ran jumping the tripod turnstiles gates, "Security! Somebody get her," the receptionist shouted. I made my way to the lift and once I was in, I had to remember what floor his office was. I pressed the 15th floor and as the lift ascended I started thinking about what I would say and how I would say it.
I stood before his office door, I was nervous, my mind was telling me to go back and not do this but my heart despite drumming so loudly told me to get in and tell him the truth as I was contemplating everything I heard a commotion behind me and I knew that the security guards were looking for me. I opened the door and found Asher sitting behind his desk, his deep dark hair was neatly brushed to the back with only a single strand caressing his forehead, his features were sculpted in hard, precise lines , a straight, aristocratic nose, high cheekbones, and a jaw that looked chiseled rather than grown. His brows were dark and cleanly defined, giving him a composed, unreadable expression.
His eyes shifted from the documents he was deeply focused on to my tiny frame, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown appeared on his face. I looked around and he wasn't alone, he had another man with him, Jason, his secretary. Before I could speak I felt hands grabbing my arms, "Leave me alone," I said as I tried to release their grip but they kept apologizing to Asher and pulling me.
"Stop, release her," he said as he rose from his seat, walking towards us. The guards quickly let me go, Asher stood before me, he was tall and as he looked down at me I couldn't help but feel so small.
"Everyone leave," he said in a stern voice, his eyes looking deep into mine. It made my heart drum, this time not from anxiety alone but from something else too.
As soon as we were alone he tore his eyes away from me and walked to his desk, he leaned against it, folding his arms as he looked me up and down.
"You have not been answering my calls or texts," I said folding my hands to try and show him I wasn't intimidated by him. "I have been busy," he said in a dead tone.
"Okay but didn't you think that just maybe my so many missed calls and text messages saying 'Call me it's an emergency' really meant it was an emergency," I said feeling frustrated as I thought about everything I went through to get to talk to him but here he was acting like all I was saying was garbage. It's like I was just some background noise.
"Now that you are here, say what your emergency is," he said.
"I am pregnant," I finally said, i felt the tears coming back again, trying to escape but I pushed them back. I wasn't going to cry here, especially not in front of him. His gaze changed, surprise? confusion? I couldn't tell which one was it but I knew a lot was going on in his head because all that surrounded us was silence. After a minute he looked back at me and this time I could see some of the pain I saw that night we mistakenly spent together.
We had mistakenly met at the bar, I had gone out with my friends for some drinks and he was there alone looking drunk and his eyes full of pain. I hadn't asked much but all I know is that we got drunk and the next thing I knew we were in a Uber being taken to his place and one thing led to another.
"You are pregnant?" he asked.
"Yes, I took a test last night and it was positive, here," I said taking the pregnancy test out of my purse. He took a hold of it and stared at the two red lines, again silence fell before us. "If you are really pregnant... I will take care of things," he said placing the test on his desk.
"How? I am not planning on get rid of it," I said.
"I know, I will take responsibility." I felt a little bit at ease, at least I wouldn't be alone but still it didn't make things easy. I was now carrying my sister's lover's baby, how would I explain everything to everyone who asked.
"We will get married," he said. I froze, what did he mean get married? We couldn't get married? It was bad enough I was pregnant for him, now he was talking about marriage like it was a small matter. He was still my sister's lover even if she left without a trace, even if she abandoned all of us she was still his and he was hers, I could tell by the pain in his eyes.
"What?"
"Yes, you will be my wife."
"Asher do you hear yourself? I can not just marry you?"
"Why not. You are carrying my child and the next responsible thing to do is to marry you and take responsibility," he said standing straight and burying one of his hands in his pocket while the other held the pregnancy test before my eyes. " Yes but this is complicated, we can't just get married. You are my sister's boyfriend," I said as if he didn't know that, "Ex, remember she left us all. No explanation whatsoever."
"Yes but still, what would people say. Everyone knew you and my sister had a thing."
"And it ended and I don't care what people say. This is my private life."
"You don't know what you are saying, I can't just marry you."
He walked closer to me, folded his arms as his gaze fell on me, "What do you propose we do then?"
"I don't know, not get married and co-parent."
"Co-parent? I am not doing that. Our child will be raised in a proper home. Your sister left and she is not here, and you are here, carrying my child and we are going to get married. You will be my wife and you will have our child will have a proper functioning family, to hell with what people will say."
Our child... that is all it took for me to get me convinced on this marriage deal. He cared about the child and he wanted what was best for the child and deep down I knew this was the next best move. It had to be, my parents would not be able to face another distressing situation. One daughter ran away without a trace or explanation and the other pregnant out of wedlock.
"Okay, let's get married. Nothing big or fancy. Something simple," I said.
"That is exactly what I had in mind," he said his eyes looking at the pregnancy test like the results would change and all this didn't have to happen. I wish it changed, I wish i didn't have to do this.