Tasha
His expression showed mixed feelings about what I just told him. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't betray Henry like that. His silence made me continue, "Nic, we discussed about this and we agreed. I also told you about what I feel towards Hen....." I didn't get to finish because he interrupted.
"STOP!" His voice growled making me flinch. I've never seen Nic this angry and he has never used this tone on me ever. "Hold it right there, Tash." He controlled his voice but it still held some anger in it though it was low than before. "Listen, I love you Tash but you're now crossing the line. I understand we had sex under the influence of alcohol but that doesn't give you the right to deprive the baby his/her own life. And I'm not going to let some pathetic good for nothing dude to become the reason of my child's death. Do you understand? That ain't gonna happen." He stood up and stormed off.
My parents stood up and rushed in the room after seeing Nic storming off.
"What did you say to him?" My father asked.
"I just told him, I want an abortion done." I replied thinking of ways to convince Nic.
"WHAT?!" my parents said in unison and my dad continued. "Are you fucking insane? Is this what we have raised you to be, Natasha? Despite being a mother for two, how could you say that? You want to take an innocent life... Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening." My father looked pissed.
"Dad, I've said this before. I can't do this. Hen..." A slap across my face stopped me from continuing and it made my mother gasp. I couldnt believe my father just raised a hand on me. He has never done that before. Why is everyone not understanding me at all?
"How dare you bring his name up?!" My father growled. "I'm disappointed in you Tasha. You, " he turned to my mother "Talk some sense into her." With that he walked out.
"Mom," she stopped me by her hand.
"Natasha, Why do you bring shame to us all the time, huh?" Her tears were rolling freely down her cheeks. "How can you say that you want to take an innocent baby's life? What has the baby done to you to deserve death huh?"
"Mom." I tried to speak but she cut me off again.
"Stop. I'm very disappointed and this time you went to far. Do you even know how happy he was upon hearing that he's going to be a father?" She sobbed. "You want to kill a baby for what? Henry? The Henry who is busy arranging his own marriage to another woman. When are you going to stop this madness, Natasha? You need to stop now and move on before its to late." She said and she was about to go but stopped. "Please come to your senses, child. This decision of yours isn't right. Think this through. If not for Nic, then do it for the child."
"But mother, please hear me out." I tried to reason with her but she raised her hand to stop me and left.
I was discharged from the hospital and Hank took me to my house. When I reached the house there were two women assigned by Nic probably to keep an eye on me. They had already prepared some food for me to eat. I freshened up to remove the hospital smell and went downstairs to eat.
I've tried to get in touch with Nic but he wasn't answering until he decided to switch off his phone. I guess he was still upset so I gave him some time to cool off.
After five hours, I called again and he picked on third ring.
"What?" His voice was hoarse as if he was crying.
"Nic, please let's talk. You need to hear me out." I said.
"I don't want you to try and convince me Tash and I'm not gonna change my decision. So unless you want to talk to me about our marriage and the wellbeing of the child, don't call me or try to talk to me." He hung up.
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A month passed and no one was talking to me even my parents. I could sleep but see the same nightmares. If I refused to eat, the two women could force the food down my throat so refusing to eat was not an option. But I realized they were doing this for the child growing inside me. I was going to work but Nic was nowhere to be seen. They said he took a medical leave. Was he sick? I don't know. He wasn't answering my calls at all.
I woke up and went for a shower. I wore a black dress which had a slit on my right thigh and it ended just above my knees. It was not too tight covering the baby bump which was already showing. I paired the dress with a four inch platform heel. With that I left for work.
Nic was working from home and he could just email any important work he wanted to discuss with me. I knew he was avoiding me because of what happened at the hospital the other day.
I was tired of people ignoring me and I made a decision to keep the baby. I had no choice. My mother was right. The baby was innocent. As for Henry, he had married Anya the week after I was discharged from the hospital. I don't know why they were such in a hurry to get married. My heart wept upon hearing the news.
I was sitting in my office when I called Nic and answered on second ring which he never did before. Nic always picked my phone calls on first ring.
"I hope this is not about killing my baby." He said as soon as he picked up.
"Can we meet up and talk?" I asked ignoring what he just said.
"Okay." He agreed. "Where should we meet?" He asked.
"McDonalds Cafe at 12." I replied.
"Okay, i will be there." He said and I hung up the call.
I went to the Cafe earlier and ordered water only as I waited for Nic. I decided to go to the restroom. When I opened the door so that I can go out, i bumped into someone and I quickly apologised because I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings lately. I completely blamed myself because my mind would roam somewhere else while my body was somewhere else since my divorce.
When I raised my head, I came face to face with,
Cleo!
Cleo
McDonald's was my favorite cafe where I could come to relax without the baby. My baby can be a handful sometimes so I leave him with his nanny and come here.
On my way to the rest room, I bumped into Tasha. I was in a hurry I wasn't looking so it was my fault as well but before I could apologize she apologised first. This was not the woman I knew for 25 years, she looked different. I waited for her to start begging me for forgiveness as she did for the past month whenever she saw me but it never came. She just apologised and left.
I hurried in the restroom and came out only to find her sitting alone in a booth drinking some water waiting for someone I guessed. So I decided to sit in the next booth to see what she was doing here. Tasha never liked cafes.
Minutes later, Nic walked in wearing a checked trousers and paired it with a shirt which revealed his chest since some buttons were open. Ive to admit he looked good. Some waitresses were drooling over him as he walked towards her and sat in front of her.
"So what is it that you want to talk about?" He said as soon as he sat down.
"About the baby." Tasha replied. Baby? What baby? I frowned. No one has a baby as far as I know except for me but they can't be discussing about me, right?
"I hope you've changed your mind Tasha because I won't accept that decision of yours. I will only support you if you agree to marry me and let us raise the baby you're carrying." Nic said. Tasha's pregnant.
Tasha remained quiet making Nic continue, "Look, Tash. I know we were under the influence of alcohol but please I don't like forcing you to get married me like this. That baby is innocent and I can't let you take its lif.. .." What? Tasha doesn't drink. I thought but everything made sense. They had sex while drunk and now she's pregnant against her will.
"Let's get married." She cut off Nic and surprised me. My eyes widened.
Nic continued with his runt but stopped when he realized what she said. This was definitely not the Tasha I knew. She has changed so much.
"Good choice." Nic said smiling at her. "I promise, you will not regret this."
"I will take my leave now. I need some time alone." Tasha stood up and left. Nic followed after her. I too followed unnoticed.
When I reached, I heard Tasha asking for the car keys from some man probably her bodyguard. But he was refusing. Nic nodded his head at him and he handed over the keys to her. Whats going on here?
Tasha left.
"This is not right, Nic." The guy who handed over the keys said to Nic.
"I don't care. I'm tired of seeing her like a lifeless being just because of Henry who is oblivious to how much she loves him."
"But forcing her to marry you."
"I've no other choice and the baby she's carrying has given me a chance and I can't loose this chance, Hank. I will make sure those who made her life like this will regret ever ending their relationship with her and it will be too late for them to get her back. I will make her forget that they ever existed in her life. Talking things with her didn't help so I had to force her and look she agreed to marry me."
"Really?" Hank asked.
"Yes so I want you to call Sachin and tell him to organize my engagement party at my house in Beverly hills. Oh and find a wedding planner for me. I'm getting married." Nic smiled.
"Okay sir."
"Do you still have that tracker on her?" Hank nodded. "Don't you dare lose her." Nic warned and Hank opened the door for him and he left.
I decided to go home and when I reached there I found Isabella playing with my baby.
"Hey gal." Isa chirped once I stepped. "You don't look good what happened?" She asked.
"Hey Isabel. I saw Tasha today." I replied.
"Oh, did she beg you again." Isa asked giving Octavia, my child's nanny, the baby.
"No, she didn't. She seemed different like something is eating her from inside. "
"Yeah, i know."
"What? You were seeing her all along."
I frowned at her.
"What did you expect me to do, Cleo? You both are my best friends." She shrugged. "As for Tasha, the divorce is eating her up but she doesn't want to talk about it. I've tried to discuss the issue with her but she just changes the topic."
"That's the problem, I agree. So what's going on i overheard her conversation with Nic talking about the baby, having sex while both of them drunk and abortion." I asked her concerned because I was really regretting breaking my friendship with Tasha. She was there in my life when I was facing difficulties but I'm not there in hers and I'm just ignoring her just because of a silly slap. I knew how much she loved Henry but I went on to reveal their affair at the wrong time and I didn't have any proof. What did I expect?
"Well, the night she got divorced she asked Nic to take her to a club and she got herself drunk. The night went well until she suggested Get Nic Drunk so that explains why he also got drunk and they woke up in bed naked with after sex effects. Tasha was on a pill but it was going to expire the day of the divorce so she was sure she wouldn't get pregnant. They talked it out and they decided it was just a one night stand. And then she fainted in the office as result the hospital brought out that she's pregnant. So Tasha told Nic she want an abortion and Nic is against the idea since the DNA test proved the baby was his. Her parents are on her neck asking her to get married to Nic yet you know Tasha she still has feeling for her ex hubby. I just wish she agrees to marry Nic. He loves her so much." She took a breath and continued. Isa can talk. She is so talkative. "Do you know she hardly smiles nowadays? She just give small smiles nothing else. I really feel sad for her. All I want is her happiness and I believe Nic can give that and help her forget about that good for nothing man."
"Wow, well your prayers has been answered she agreed to marry Nic today at the cafe. I was eavesdropping on their conversation with Nic." I told her.
"Really?" I confirmed by nodding and she squealed with happiness. "But why a cafe? Tasha has never been fond of cafes."
"I was shocked too to see her there. But who told you all of this"
"She told me herself and I'm sure she used her currently life to divert me from talking about Henry. I've to tell you, she's no longer the fun Tasha and think the divorce has left a deep wound on her."
"I agree. The problem is Tasha was deeply in love with Henry and still is so its going to take a while to remove him from her head."
"Yeah sure but we have to help her remove Henry from her mind and pave way for Nic." Isa sighed. "I really wish we can be together again like old days"
"You're right." I responded. "As for us getting back together, I will call her tomorrow and discuss about it. I will also forgive her."
Isa squealed as she came over and hugged me.
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