His Destined

Chapter V

The bar felt cozy that afternoon. Glasses clinked and soft jazz played in the background. Carla hurried behind the shiny counter. She arranged clean glasses in neat rows. She also listened to the quiet talk among the staff.

Sarah entered through the swinging door. She took off her jacket and looked around the bar. Her shift had just begun, but something was already bothering her.

She made her way behind the counter, tossing her apron on. “Where’s Esme?” she asked casually, although her tone had a pointed edge. “She was on the schedule today.”

Carla paused, then glanced at her carefully. “She called in.”

“Again?” Sarah raised an eyebrow. “That’s like the third time this week.”

Carla hesitated, her fingers slowing on the wine glass she was drying. “Yeah, I know. She called in sick.”

Sarah looked at her suspiciously. “You know something.”

Carla sighed and leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice. “You can’t tell anyone, alright?”

Sarah folded her arms. “I’m not some gossip blog, Carla.”

“It’s Esme… she found out she’s pregnant,” Carla said in a whisper, her voice heavy with the weight of the secret.

Sarah blinked. “Wait….Esme?”

Carla nodded. “I was there. She passed out during our shift a few weeks ago. The manager told me to take her to the hospital, and they ran some tests.

Sarah’s face shifted into something unreadable. “She didn’t say who the father is?”

“No. But she looked terrified, like the ground under her had disappeared.” Carla leaned back and resumed drying the glass, though her movements were slower now. “She told me she….. wants to terminate it.”

Sarah stayed quiet for a moment. Her jaw was tight, and her thoughts raced. Esme had been skipping work and hardly texting back. Now, this news hit her hard. It felt like solving a puzzle, but the image it showed was not what Sarah wanted to see.

After a long silence, she said flatly, “Well… that’s something.”

Carla frowned, catching her tone. “You okay?”

Sarah forced a tight smile. “Yeah. Just surprised, that’s all.”

Carla narrowed her eyes. “You two used to be close. I thought maybe you'd be worried.”

“I am,” Sarah lied, adjusting her apron. “Just… let me know if she says anything else.”

“Sure,” Carla said, though her brow wrinkled as Sarah walked away, too calm.

******

That night, Sarah met up with Tom at his apartment. He opened the door shirtless, pulling her into his arms before she could say a word.

“You smell like whiskey and perfume,” he murmured, kissing her neck.

She laughed but came out of his grasp. “I have something to tell you.”

“Uh-oh,” Tom said with a smirk, collapsing onto the couch. “What now?”

Sarah tossed her bag onto the coffee table and sat beside him. “It’s about Esme.”

The smirk faded. “What about her?”

“She’s pregnant. One of the co-workers told me. She said Esme passed out at work, and she was taken to the hospital to run some tests.”

Tom knocked over a half-full beer bottle. The bottle crashed on the hardwood floor. The sound was loud and surprising. Sarah jumped when she heard it. She didn't say a word, though.

“Pregnant? That b***h has some nerve.”

Sarah stayed frozen by the edge of the couch, arms crossed tightly across her chest.

“She disappears, doesn’t answer my calls for weeks, then turns up pregnant?” Tom scoffed bitterly. “And I’m supposed to believe there’s even a chance that kid’s mine?”

Sarah spoke carefully, “You did sleep with her, just before you and I got serious.”

Tom turned to her with anger in his eyes. “Don’t say that like I’m the only one she was sleeping with. You think I don’t know what kind of girl Esme is? She’s always had her nose in the air, acting better than everyone else, meanwhile she’s getting passed around like a damn party favor.”

Sarah's face twisted with discomfort. “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” Tom hissed. “You think she didn’t hook up with half the guys at that bar back when she was working the night shift? Esme’s just a pretty face and a pretty mouth, but deep down she’s nothing but a damn prostitute.”

The word hung in the air like a gunshot.

Sarah’s throat went dry. “You don’t have to talk like that….”

“Why not?” Tom shouted, eyes wild. “She ruined my life once. She made me feel like I wasn’t enough, like I wasn’t good enough for her. And now she’s out here getting knocked up like some street rat, pretending she’s got it all together.”

He grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair and shoved his arms into the sleeves. “If I ever see her again, God help me, I swear I’ll make her regret every damn second she made me feel like nothing.”

Sarah blinked. “What does that mean?”

Tom turned to her, jaw clenched so tightly the veins in his neck popped. “It means I’ll put her in her place. No more sweet Esme. No more pity. She wants to play games? I’ll remind her who she’s messing with.”

“Tom…..” Sarah stepped forward slowly. “You’re talking like you’d hurt her.”

He didn’t answer right away. He just stared at the door, fists balled at his sides.

“I’d ruin her,” he muttered finally. “Emotionally. Publicly. Whatever it takes. She wants to humiliate me? I’ll make sure she knows what that feels like.”

Sarah felt a knot in her stomach. She was not just angry; she felt obsessed and resentful. Her pride was hurt, and it made her feel bad. For a moment, she thought about whether telling him was a mistake. She wanted to make Esme pay a little bit. Esme had drifted away, always took the spotlight, and kept secrets. But Sarah did not expect things to turn out this way.

“She’s not even sure what she wants to do yet,” Sarah said, voice trembling. “She talked to Carla about… terminating it.”

“Good,” Tom said coldly. “It’s probably not even mine anyway. I’d be doing her a favor. That kid doesn’t need to be born into her mess of a life.”

Sarah swallowed hard, suddenly regretting every word she’d shared. “Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

Tom looked at her with a half-smile that made her skin crawl. “Don’t worry, babe. I never do anything stupid. Only calculated.”

He grabbed his phone and keys and marched toward the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

“Out, I need to get something real quick,” he snapped. The door slammed behind him.

Sarah sat there, staring at the door Tom had slammed. She pulled out her phone with shaking fingers… and scrolled over Esme’s contact. Should she warn her? Or had she already made things worse than they could ever be fixed?