Rejected Hearts

Chapter 3

It's been four years since I left Nick and my old life behind.

It was difficult at first as I was used to being with him, but looking back now, I did try.

My heart broke when I heard of his marriage on television. Most of the dollars had headlines like, BILLIONAIRE DIVORCES FIRST WIFE TO BE WITH TRUE LOVE. Whenever the news came up, I switched off the television.

I explained to my mother that it wasn't my fault that he fell out of love with me and I told her that I couldn't stay in that then anymore as it reminded me of him. She didn't sound convinced but later had to give in. She came with me and we started a new beginning.

Two billion dollars was a lot of money and combined with the money I had saved, I thought of what I was going to do. I couldn't start any business nor invest it anywhere because I had no idea about any of that and I didn't want to lose the money.

I began to apply for jobs again and it reminded me of how I had been before I met him. Due to my qualifications, there was no good job and I didn't want to go through any of the harassment I went through in the past, so I gave up and decided to get a high school diploma in order to go to college. I decided that since I had the money now, I would further my studies. I had always wanted to be a lawyer and I felt that it was an opportunity.

"Mommy," my daughter's voice broke through my reverie and I glanced at her with a smile.

"Yes, Courtney?"

"Can I have Ice cream?" She pouted her lips as she glanced at me with those olive-green orbs that reminded me of him.

It was a month after I had left Nick that I realized that I was pregnant. I was beyond horrified, but there was nothing I could do.

Nick was already married and I had already collected money from him in return for not showing myself in front of him anymore.

I cried for days, but when I realized that there was nothing I could do, I accepted the child and decided that I was going to keep her. She would be mine and mine alone.

I knew that even if I told him about the child, he wouldn't bat an eyelid as he had already moved on so I made the tough decision to be a single mother.

It was very tough between the child and my education, but with the help of my mother, I had been able to pull through.

Looking back now, it was the best decision I had made. She was my motivation and I was always grateful to her for coming into my life. She was the light in my world and her existence brought me great joy.

"Mommy!" She whines again, breaking my chain of thoughts.

"No! No Ice cream for you today," I said sternly.

She was becoming spoilt and I feared she was going to become addicted to ice cream. She took a lot of ice cream it was alarming.

She pouted her lips as if she was going to cry and I pulled her towards me, wrapping my arms protectively around her as she rested her head on my shoulder.

She suddenly raised her head and I knew she wanted to ask one of her questions. She was overly inquisitive and the way she made her face when she questioned me reminded me of him.

"Mommy, where's my daddy? Is it Uncle Toby?" She asked innocently as her green orbs stared into mine.

I swallowed hard. I didn't know what to say to that. She was a curious and smart child and I knew I had to say something believable to her.

She had never questioned me about anything regarding her birth and I wondered why now.

"Why are you asking?" I said after a long silence had passed, lots of thoughts running through me as I thought of what to say.

"Everyone in kindergarten has daddies that come to pick them up from school and on Father's Day, their daddy came, but it was only you that came for me." She pouted her lips as she spoke.

"Oh—" was all I could manage as I quickly formed a word to say.

"And Carol said her father bought her toys on her birthday."

Her innocent words struck me as I thought of what to quickly say.

I pulled her closer to me, hugged her softly, and gently patted her head.

I knew she was going to ask about him someday but I wasn't ready. It was just too soon.

I couldn't even begin to explain to her the predicaments surrounding her birth. No, I didn't even want her to know about him. It was bad enough that she was his spitting image and anytime I stared into those green orbs, I was reminded of him. I couldn't hate her because of that. She was just an innocent baby.

He would never get close to her. He had made his decision. He had cast us out and we were going to be fine without him.

Toby Morgenstein was my boss at the law firm I worked at.

After what happened with Nick, I had stayed away from the opposite s*x, I had to for the sake of my baby and the fact that I couldn't take any more heartbreak.

I used Courtney as an excuse to chase most of them away as I believed that no man would want to be with a single mother.

My mother had urged me to consider one of them as I was still young and beautiful. She just wouldn't understand. I wanted to be there for my daughter and I felt like being with a man wouldn't help me.

Toby was just kind to me and I thought he just wanted to be my friend until the day he asked me to marry him. I turned him down immediately but that didn't stop him.

And so was it that for the past year, he kept making advances at me, not bothered about my constant rejection.

I had used my daughter as an excuse, but that didn't stop him as he would buy her gifts and sometimes even opt to pick her up from school on the days I was busy.

He was handsome and well mannered and I had seen the women at work openly ogle at him but he's never given them the attention they crave.

He always had his eyes on me, despite my attitude towards him.

Maybe it was time to finally give him a chance. I really had no answer for my daughter and I know that sooner or later I have to tell her something.

Maybe if I found a good man like him to live and care for me and treat Courtney as his, the way he's doing, maybe I could finally be at peace and make her happy.

She was still looking at me expectantly and I smiled at her. I would explain to her later.

"Sweetie, let's talk about this later, right now,we have to get you to school."

At work later that day, I kept thinking about Courtney's question and the only solution I had in mind.

I was looking through some paperwork when my phone beeped and I sighed as I opened it. My heart skipped as I saw the content of the message and the sender.

"Free to go to the movies this weekend?"

The decision I had made in my mind hovered in my mind as I stared at the screen.

Without thinking about anything anymore, I sent a single one-word reply.