Happily Never After

Chapter 36

8 Weeks Later

"I am not going to that," I protest at the sight of the white and red invitation card Carter holds in his hand. "No way in hell will you get me to change my mind and to go to that."

"Why? You get to dress up in a beautiful gown and hang off my arm all night," Carter explains, crossing the space of the office in his simple black suit, white shirt and matching black tie.

"In case you've forgotten, I am five months pregnant and all eyes will be on my bump the moment I enter the room. I'm sorry, but I'm not going."

"Sarah, you kinda have to go."

"And why would that be?"

"You're married to the majority owner of the company and it's compulsory that you attend."

"Says who?" I ask, grabbing the invitation out his hand as he stands at the side of the desk. "And if you say any member of your family, I will kick your ass."

He chuckles and sits down on the edge of the desk, intensely looking down at me. "Every powerful male has to be escorted to the annual Romero Foundation charity dinner/dance. It's traditional and I will breaking it if I turn up alone without my wife."

"Not my fault, nor is it my problem." I place the invitation down on the desk and turn my attention back to the computer, typing things into the Google search bar on the screen. "I don't know why you'd think I'd change my mind in the space of twenty-four hours."

"I just thought you'd have a change of heart and come to accompany me on our first official outing as a married couple."

I dart my eyes off the screen to look at him and move away from the computer. "You see, we haven't actually been anywhere together as a couple and Alyssa's wedding doesn't count."

"All the more need for you to accompany me tonight!" Carter beams, flashing me his prefect smile.

"Face it, we moved so fast in our relationship that there was no time to go on proper dates."

I rise to my feet and walk away from Carter and the desk, heading for the room door.

"So you're really not going tonight?" Carter calls after me.

"Nope!" I answer from my walk towards the staircase. "And will you please fix your tie! It's doing my head in!"

I hear him laugh before I start to walk up the stairs. I am adamant I'm not going and I will stay adamant on the matter.

When Carter left to go to the dinner/dance, I was happy and content where I was sitting in the nursery. We still didn't know if it was a boy or a girl we were having but the colour scheme the room had going, worked for either.

There was few new things that we had bought for the baby, clothing wise, other than that, we didn't need to add much to what was there already.

Holding a simple white baby grow in my hands, I get up off the floor and stand by the floor-length windows of the nursery, looking out at the quiet street. Now and again, a car would pass on its way to a house further down the road but that was all. No pedestrians.

The small baby grow I held was just that. Small. It was soft under my touch as I look down at it and to think, in four months, our baby will be wearing it. It will fit our baby no matter if it's a boy or a girl.

Muffled voices from outside, bring me out my stare at the baby grow and I turn my attention back to outside. A black car had come to a stop by the pedestrian gate of the house and two dark figured men were standing by the back of it.

I couldn't get a good look at them and if they had to look up at the window, they'd see me looking at them. I step back from the window, far enough so I could still see the men.

Minutes passed and they hadn't moved. Neither had I to be fair. A part of me is too scared to go anywhere at the thought of not knowing what they were planning. Their voices stayed muffled and before I knew it, they moeved and started to make their way towards the house.

I turn on the spot and move as fast as I can towards the stairs, baby grow still in hand. "If you feel unsafe, go to the lower ground floor and stay in the staff living quarters." Carter's words echo through my head as I hurry down the stairs to the ground floor.

I stop on the ground floor and look along at the front door, dark shadows moving in front of the glass inlay panels. My eyes widen before I continue down the stairs to the lower ground floor.

When my feet come in contact with the cold floor of the lower ground, I stand for a couple of minutes to get my breathing back to some sort of normality. However, a heavy thud and footsteps from above make me start moving again.

Turning to my right, I wall along the small hallway towards the staff living area. I open the door quickly and slam it shut, turning the lock and making sure it was secure. I bypass the darkened living area and walk straight for the bedroom, closing the door when I'm safely inside the room.

I reach to the side of the wall by the door and flick the ceiling light switch on.

The bedroom was small but still contained a double bed, decked out with simple white bedding and a light brown faux fur throw over at the bottom. Everything was basic and because no one was staying the the quarters, it was able to stay that way. There was no TV or table lamps.

There was, in fact, a phone sitting by the bed it could be used by the staff if there was any. Moving away from the closed door, I reach for the phone and start to dial Carter's mobile number.

It rang out the first time I dialed the number but on the second time, he answered.

"Sarah, what is it? Is there something wrong?" Carter asks quickly as he answers.

"There's people in the house," I whisper down the phone, my voice starting to shake as I watch the bedroom door.

"What do you mean people?" The sound of glasses being placed on trays, echos through the phone from Carter's end. "I put the alarm on before I left."

"Carter, please." I begin to beg. "I-I-I'm scared. I don't..."

"Sarah, are you in the staff area?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay. Phillip, we need to go." I hear Carter instruct. "I'll be home soon. I'm only about fifteen minutes away."

"Carter, please-" I start, tears forming in my eyes as I fall to the floor and place my free hand on my bump.

"I'll be there soon."

"Pl-"

"Sarah, don't move from where you are. I'm coming to get you."

"O-okay," I stutter.

I hear Carter sigh and I know he's stopped moving briefly. "I love you, Sarah."

I smile weakly. "I love you too, Carter."

The line goes dead and I slowly place the phone down where I got it from. With my now free hand, I place it above my other hand on my  bump and curl up into a ball as best I can.

"Daddy's coming to get us," I whisper to my bump, my tears falling freely from my eyes now. "He'll protect us."