Presidential Affairs

《LXV》

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"Felicity, I do not have time-"

"I'm pregnant! And I know that we both know that it's Nikolai's. So don't try to gaslight me into believing it's not-"

"My son is dead", comes his hard angry voice.

I gasp as a sob makes its way into my throat, "n-no, no he is not. Vladimir where is he!? What are you not understanding, I'm pregnant. We-we can go to a doctor to get blood work if you want-"

"Whoever got you pregnant can take you. I want no part in foolery or with that bastard you carry. It is a disrespect for an unwed widow to bear another man's child-"

"Can you just stop! Stop! Please, just shut up. I need you to tell me-"

Something bangs in the background of where he is, "while I'm working to provide for you and my son's children you are spreading your legs for another man? Did my son mean nothing to you? Honestly, I don't have time for this and nor do I care".

I harshly wipe the tears from my eyes, "if this child is not Nikolai's then you won't care if I abort it, right? It's a bastard after all. But if it is his, I know you'd rather paralyze me, then allow me to walk into that clinic".

Without waiting for him to respond I end the call and book for an abortion. I'm not actually going to follow through, Lord knows I'd never. But Vladimir doesn't. In his head, I'm unstable, unpredictable and not trustable. And that's what I want him to believe because if he does stop this abortion, that means the child is Nikolai's. Vladimir is messed up for sure but family means pride for him so i know he'd never let me kill a heir of his, that I know for sure.

From a young age I understood that money is important but connections are better. You can have the money but no connections to give you the opportunities to grow more money. But if you have connections, you can get opportunities to grow money.

My name gave me the privilege of scheduling an abortion in one hour. I knew the doctor through connections with another doctor who I was close with so I told her I wasn't really going to go through with the abortion but to plan it out as if I was. She didn't ask any questions, just cleared her schedule and replied that it would be kept low key. Word of mouth travels fast and the last thing I need is the nurses telling others and soon the media find out.

After preparing a bag, I have the drive drop me off at the clinic fifteen minutes early and pray that Vladimir shows up. Five minutes pass without sign of him so I climb out the car and head in through the back door.

I check in at the front not missing the surprised looks the receptionist gives me which she quickly clears away. She directs me towards the bathroom where I make my way to calm my nerves. Before I can enter a stall, someone walks in behind me. 

"If you weren't pregnant with my blood I would have killed you for disrespect".

My eyes water with tears at Vladimir's familiar voice. Overjoyed, I leap into his arms ignoring his stiff posture with his hands by his side.

"You what I like about you felicity? Your stubborn, now most could take that in a bad sense but you have a persistent type of stubbornest in you, it makes you fight. Nikolai can be stubborn and hard headed, that's why I always told him to go for a dolce girl. But of course he said those weren't his type, he likes girls that know how to put up a fight. Even when his life depended on it he was too hardheaded to listen to me. Now look he got you pregnant after all the troubles I've gone through saving him and keeping him hidden".

I wipe my eyes with the handkerchief he hands me, "I need to see him".

"That's not up to me. You'll see him when he's ready. But what is up to me is the safety and health of my grandchild. Your seeing a doctor in half an hour, I will not loose another heir felicity, do I make myself clear?"

I tune him out as my mind goes back to what he said. Nikolai is not dead, he saved him and kept him hidden. All the tears I have shed, the pain I have grieved, the anger that consumed...all of those things did not matter. Not even the question as to how he survived and how they faked his death. All that happened was written in history and questioning them won't change the outcome. The only thing I care for now is the future, our future.

"There is a God", I whisper to no one in particular.