Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 44: Closure III

"I'm sorry..."

"Thank you for apologizing to me although you didn't need to. At this point, a simple apology is not enough to fix things." She smiled — a sincere smile this time. "I don't hate you. Even though this relationship did not work out as I wished, it was still the best thing that happened to me. At the very least, now I know what it feels like to be in love."

"Sarah, please..." Brandon covered her hand on the table with his, but she freed her hands from his touch. The distance and alienation in her eyes made his heart ache even more. He only looked at her with eyes full of emotions; despair and helplessness dominating. "We can still make this work... I'm willing to change..."

"No." she took a deep breath and continued, "I think this is also good. You did what you did, I felt what I felt. There were lessons for both of us. In the future, I should choose my friends wisely and you should cherish those you love before it is too late."

"Have you fallen for him?"

Sarah's hand on the cup stiffened for a split second before relaxing. Although it was only for a short moment, Brandon still caught it. She averted her eyes and took the last sip of her already cold tea. "Brandon, from now on, what I do with my life has nothing to do with you." She picked up her backpack and stood up. "Thank you for the tea. I've already said all I needed to say. I need to go now."

Brandon watched the departing back with a heavy heart. He sat in a daze for a long time, staring at the direction she had disappeared. What had he done? Had he really lost her just like that? Had he persisted a little longer in the past, talked a little more, and tamed his ego a little more, would things have turned out differently?

He regretted it. He regretted all his selfish decisions. But what was the use of regretting it now? He couldn't get her back no matter how painful it felt.

Eventually, he walked out of the café after some unknown time had passed. He got into his car and drove off.

***

When he got to his apartment, he found a pale Clara lying on the sofa. She looked like she hadn't had a good sleep for days and her usual elegance was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't dressed in her regular beautiful dresses; she had one of Brandon's t-shirts and a pair of loose shorts. Her hair was disheveled, some strands covering a part of her face and her usually soft plump lips were pale and chapped.

On the table, there were two whole raw mangoes, a half-eaten mango, and a knife beside it. There was a plate with chili powder too, Clara dipped the mango in the powder before eating. Lemon peels and what seemed to be pickles lay on a disposable plate, which seemed odd because Clara hated pickles.

They hadn't seen each other since that moment at the business gathering. Brandon was shocked because he hadn't expected anyone to be in the house. He wanted someone to comfort him but also wanted to be alone at the same time. He did not know whether he was relieved or irritated to see her.

His arrival awakened her and she looked disoriented when she woke up. Out of concern, he gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Hun, what's wrong?"

Clara hesitated before answering. She did not know how Brandon would receive the news, especially after he declared last time that they weren't a couple. She feared that he would throw her out immediately. "I haven't been feeling well these past few days. I went to see a doctor today and..." she trailed off and went quiet, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"And what?" Brandon could feel his heart pounding. Clara's unusual behavior was scaring him. He'd had a long day and couldn't handle anything else going wrong in his life.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" Brandon refused to believe what he just heard. "You are kidding, right? You are just testing me to see my reaction, right?"

"Why would I joke about something like this?" Clara struggled to say as a wave of nausea assaulted her. She took a bite of the sour mango — as she had done the previous times.

"Oh shit!" Brandon cursed as he sank on the couch. Why? Why did this have to happen now? He had been with Sarah the longest yet nothing happened. He would have been over the top if Sarah had given him such news. But now, the same words he'd wished to hear made him feel like the world had collapsed. He wasn't ready to be a parent now, especially not with Clara.

Even before he could say more, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Brandon offered. The person standing at the door made Brandon feel like his day couldn't get any worse. He regretted coming back early. He should have gone to the club and come back past midnight like always. All he wanted to do now was to slam that door and pretend nobody was home. Too late for that now. "Mom! Why didn't you call first?"

"Good evening to you too, son." She walked in briskly while Brandon followed her. "About calling, we both know you wouldn't let me come." She said with a shrug as she took off her shoes and put on a pair of red slippers on the rack.

"Son, I'm here to talk about..." she paused midsentence when she saw a disheveled woman on the couch eating a mango. She turned abruptly and Brandon, whose mind was busy making up an excuse, almost collided with her. "Who is she?"

"Mom, about that... please have a seat." He placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her to a chair. His mom searched his face with her eyes and all she could see was a flattering smile on his face. He did not want his mom to find anything amiss. "it's complicated."

"Hi Mom," Clara said, barely audible.

"Who are you?"

Clara opened her mouth to say something but a strong wave of nausea hit her. She dashed into the bathroom, leaving a stunned woman on the couch.

Looking at the raw mangoes and lemon slices on the table, coupled with Clara's action just now, his mother put two and two together. Her grip on the cushion tightened and her eyes turned cold. "I shouldn't have slapped her. You are indeed to blame for this!" his mother muttered under her breath, fixing her eyes on him.

"Mom, who did you slap?"

"That girl, Sarah. I thought she disgraced you that's why you canceled the wedding."

"What did you say?" Brandon suddenly erupted, more frustrated than angry, "how could you do that?" He covered his face with both his palms. "No wonder Sarah doesn't want to see me again."

"Stop blaming me for your mistakes. I was wrong to slap her but, even without me, she still wouldn't want to see you." She took a deep breath and stayed silent for a few seconds as Clara returned with a glass of water. She turned her attention to Clara, her eyes focused on her lower abdomen. "How far along are you?"

"Ten weeks."

"Brandon, what is your plan?"

"I don't know." He massaged his eyebrows, not daring to make eye contact with his mom. "I just found out the news too."

"It's a good thing I didn't cancel the wedding," his mother said, smiling.

"Mom, what do you mean?" Brandon dreaded her response.

"I postponed it." She smiled as she focused her attention on Clara's tummy. "My eldest grandson can't be born out of wedlock."

It took a while for both of them to process the information. Clara's face lit up while Brandon was horrified.

"Mom, no! You know damn well I don't love her!"

"I don't care. You had the perfect chance to marry the one you loved and you screwed up. Now it is time to face the consequences of your actions."

"But mom—"

"No buts. It's decided. You have a wedding to attend in two weeks." She grabbed her purse and left in a hurry. "I got to go, there's a lot to plan.

A/N: whew! Talk about having a long day.

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