MR.BILLIONAIRE, I AM PREGNANT

CHAPTER 05

I didn't even have time to dispose of the tests, and suddenly, here we were. I wanted to tell her, but first, I needed to sort things out. I couldn't burden her with more responsibility. She already took on too much for me.

"Okay," she simply said, and I followed her toward the exit of the house.

As soon as I got into her car, I sighed deeply and thought about telling her, but she beat me to it. "Look, if we're going to see Mrs. Lisandra, I need to tell you something."

"What?" I asked, knowing that Lisandra was the owner of the house I was renting. "Leti, you didn't..."

"I ran into her at the supermarket, and then... Sorry, I know you'll be mad, but Mabi..." She looked at me, touching the steering wheel. "You know how much I make, and this money..."

"It's not mine," I cut her off. She didn't need to say anything more. I knew I should have paid the two months of overdue rent. "I love you, but you can't just fix my life like that."

"That's what friends do," she said, looking at me with the sweet way that only she had.

She was practically my sister that life had given me. We had been friends for so long that I couldn't remember not having her. She had been there even when I still had my parents. "You would do the same for me, Mabi."

"That's beside the point," I shook my head, sighing deeply. "I want to... I just..."

"Okay," she replied, and thankfully, she didn't ask for more details.

She knew that I loved going to that place and staying there for some time. Fortunately, it was right next to Ian's farm, which was my real destination. But at that moment, she didn't need to know. In the end, she would understand me.

I found myself placing my hand on my belly, and suddenly, I knew that I felt like a mother. And I knew what my decision was from then on.

Leti was yelling along with the music, and I tried to keep up with her. For a few seconds, I tried to pretend that I was just riding in the car with my best friend and screaming along to the songs of our favorite singer.

But not even Taylor Swift could save my sanity in that moment.

In reality, each line of the song hit me like a punch in the stomach. Every romance I had dreamed of was left behind with each passing mile. At least for a while, I tried to tell myself.

I could create a fairy tale later, couldn't I?

"I was dying in a getaway car"

"Said goodbye in a getaway car..."

I noticed, as soon as the song stopped, and Leti parked the car, that I was indeed heading towards my getaway car.

"Do you need to be alone?" she asked, turning off the music and looking at me. I nodded, hating the fact that I was lying to her. "I am going to the city, and I should be back..."

"I'll be fine, just need some time here, and..." I swallowed hard, forcing a smile.

"It's written all over your face that you're not okay," she said, and I looked away. "You're not being honest, and you haven't even argued with me. What happened, Mabi?"

She knew me as well as I knew myself. I sighed deeply and tried to smile.

"I promise to tell you in a little while; I just... I need to figure things out on my own."

"When I come back, there's no chance of escape."

I nodded, and she pulled me into a hug. I just wanted to let it all out right there, but I held back. Leti didn't need me to become a burden to her again. I knew she would freak out because she would be the godmother, but I didn't want to make her feel responsible. I urgently needed to take control of my life.

I got out of the car and walked to the land that had once belonged to my family. When the vehicle drove away, I slightly changed direction and walked towards Ian's farm. When I arrived there, I came face to face with Lucas, and it seemed like the universe was conspiring in my favor.

"Have I told you that you're the best foreman in the region?" I found myself asking, forcing my best smile and pretending that I wasn't about to lose it.

"What are you doing here, chatterbox?" Lucas asked, scrutinizing me. "I know the boss just got back from his trip, but like this... you here, during the day, through the front gate..."

"Remember how I helped you with Gustavo," I said, and he blinked a few times, surprised.

He was crazy about Gustavo, to the point that their love story was one of those that inspired me to dream of my own fairy tale. But suddenly, it was all falling apart.

"Are we comparing the man I love to you and my boss? Is that it?"

"Lucas!" I said, biting my lower lip. "Just tell me if Ian is here and if I can see him."

"Just because you introduced me to Gustavo at that college party," he winked and gestured with his head toward the car that, months ago, had taken me away from here, secretly, and left me near my house. Somehow, it had worked. No one had known I had slept with Ian.

As soon as I got into the car, I found myself glued to the scenery along the path we took until we reached the imposing entrance. I hadn't really noticed the farm the last time I was there. It seemed bigger than ever, and the house where I had spent the night was actually the mansion from my childhood memories. However, it had been completely renovated and looked beautiful.

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage.

Come on, Mabi!

"The boss should be in the back, but..."

I just nodded, kissed Lucas on the cheek, and jumped out of the car. I found myself circling around what I believed to be the back of the place. I remembered very little about that area. In fact, I had only been on that side of the estate when I was a child/teenager because my parents loved spending time with the Torres family.

And now, I had spent a night in Ian's bed. And we were going to have a child. Fate was mocking me, and my carelessness.

As I got closer to what appeared to be a garden at the back of the house, I noticed a child, who couldn't have been more than seven years old, smiling at a rosebush. She had dark brown wavy hair, typical of the Torres family.

When she looked at me and a beautiful smile appeared on her face, I knew she could only be Olivia Torres' daughter – Ian's younger sister – who had been a classmate during school breaks at one point.

"Aunt," she said, and I stared at her, furrowing my brow. "Come on! Everyone's waiting."

I blinked a few times and, for some reason, accepted her hand and followed her along a path that suddenly led me to a massive table filled with people.

I would pay a million dollars to know what's going on here. If I had a million dollars, of course.

All the Torres family members were there, and they seemed focused on Ian, discussing something that seemed to displease him.

He ran his hand through his hair, lifting his hat, and I was frozen for a moment.

"And where is your fiancée?" I heard Olivia ask from nearly the end of the table, and there I was, still unnoticed.

"I found Auntie," the little girl shouted while holding my hand, making everyone turn their heads.

Suddenly, five pairs of identical eyes were fixed on me. I smiled, not knowing what to do. My cheeks burned and my legs shook, because each of the looks indicated a different emotion.

A realization in my mind made me understand it wasn't a mix-up, and they weren't mistaken. It was a charade. They believed I was Ian's bride. And to his luck, I was agreeing to play the role.

"So, it's true!" Heloisa, Ian's mother, spoke, and I found myself being guided by the little girl, whose name I still didn't know, and standing in front of her. "You look so beautiful, darling!"

"I... It's great to see all of you," I said, stepping into the role that I suddenly realized I had to play.