Not My Wish

Episode Three

He wished he hadn't agreed to all this from the start, as he had always known his father to be a manipulative entity.

Henry’s voice took on a sharper edge. “This isn’t about convenience; it's about strategy. You know how important it is to strengthen our ties within the business community.”

“Beyond myself or your selfishness?” Mike replied, "Do you even consider my feelings?" You are asking me to trade my happiness for a business deal! How heartless can you be?

“That’s my final say, Son.” Henry responded and ended the call.

Mike leaned back on his chair, breathing heavily as he processed the conversation. With frustration coursing through his veins, he thought, "I won't let someone's definition of success trap me."

He agreed to the first condition two months ago because he thought his dad would waive the second condition when he saw his input in the company, but the old man only thinks of himself.

The second option necessitated him to either donate thirty percent of his shares to his father or marry one of the daughters of the board members.

Mike stood up from his desk, pacing around his office. He needed to find another way to save his company—one that doesn’t require sacrificing his happiness.

*****

Mike walked violently into Lizbeth's office right after she came back from lunch. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing in front of her desk with a mean look on his face.

“Is there anything you would like me to help you with, sir?"

With his arms crossed, he stated, "I want you to oversee the TECO project and give me a weekly report on it. You also need to write a report for all the departments and submit it the first week of the preceding month."

“I have multiple projects under my sleeve already; I thought you said the project manager would handle it.”

“Since you’ve resumed, I have not seen any result; I want you to step up,” he retorted loudly.

Hurt washed over her like a cold wave. “You can’t be serious; I have been working my hardest.”

Watching him walk out of her office,. Lizbeth felt anger burning in her. She wanted to scream at him and tell him his demands were unreasonable; she had put her all into work, and now he was making her feel incompetent.

She took in a deep breath in an attempt to push her emotions aside. She needed a clear head to decide what to do about the pregnancy–she had no idea what step to take next. The doctor’s words kept echoing in her mind.

“Congratulations, Ms. Lizbeth. You’re eight weeks pregnant.

Those words hit her like a tsunami. She had gone to the hospital with a mix of hope and anxiety, but hearing the confirmation made everything feel too real.

“What will I do? Who is even the father? Those questions loomed larger, overshadowing her thoughts. She had always envisioned starting a family with Sam but not like this—with another man’s child.

She could envision Sam's disappointment upon discovering the truth. “I made the rule for us to be loyal to each other always,” but now she broke the rule.

Taking a deep breath, Lizbeth tried to calm the storm inside her. “You can handle this, she told herself.”

"She needed to share this burden with someone who could help her navigate the chaos swirling inside of her and the only person suitable for this conversation was her elder sister, Emerald.

Lizbeth inhaled deeply as she pulled her car into the garage and then dialed Emerald’s number. Immediately the phone rang, Emerald picked up.

“Hey! What sup Liz?” Emerald asked, her tone light and cheerful.

Lizbeth tried to keep her voice steady by swallowing hard.

"Emy, are you available? I need someone to talk to.”

“Are you okay Liz?” Emerald asked with concern in her voice.

“Please come, I will explain when you get here,” Lizbeth responded.

"I am in your neighborhood at the moment, I will be with you shortly," Emerald responded.

Emerald arrived at Lizbeth's apartment a few minutes later but found her sitting helplessly and drowning in her thoughts.

She sat close to Lizbeth on the pavement and asked, "What's wrong, Liz? You are scaring me."

Lizbeth sighed and responded, “I'm pregnant, Emy, but Sam is not the father".

Emerald's eyes widened in shock, her lips wide opened. She couldn't believe what she had just heard from her baby sis. "What?" the word escaped through her mouth.

Tears welled up in Lizbeth’s eyes, she tried to hold it but her tear gland just wanted to be a tear.

Emerald felt so sorry for her sister, her face softened as she drew Lizbeth closer to her bosom. She placed Lizbeth’s head on her shoulders ‘’ We will get through this together, sweetie,” Trying to console Lizbeth.

Emerald hates to see her baby sister helpless, she wishes things could be different. “Do you have any plans yet?” Emerald asked

Lizbeth shook her head like a baby in distress. “I don't know; so many things are happening simultaneously; I’m so confused right now.”

“Just try to be fine first, then we can decide later. One step at a time,” Emerald whispered as she wrapped her arm around Lizbeth.

"Thank you, Emy. You are the best big sister on earth." Lizbeth was glad.

Speaking with Emerald helped her release the weight from her chest. However, the uncertainty was still there, looming in the dark.

Talking to Emerald gave her hope; she had no clue what to do next but with her sister's support, she knew she could face anything that came her way.

As the night grew darker, Lizbeth had a quick flash of an idea, the idea startled her, yet it made sense. She pulled out her phone to research the possibility of running a DNA test for an unborn child.

A smile crept across her face after finding out answers to her questions. The feeling of relief she got was like letting go of a heavy load.

She deeply yearns that her unborn child belongs to Mike and not Maxy.

But how do I handle Sam in this situation, with her head banging and her heart racing fast? She picked up her phone to call him.

After a few minutes of ringing, he picked up the call.

“Hey,” Sam said.

“Hey Sam,” Lizbeth responded with her heart pounding harder than ever.

But as she opened her mouth to speak, a shadow of doubt flickered in her mind, leaving her with uncertainty. “What would Sam say? Would he forgive or break up with her?