The Unplanned Legacy

Chapter 3

Six weeks later

"It's not funny, Fiona! I can't believe you're laughing."

"You worry too much." She said and wiped the tears that had spilled from her eyes in the cause of her laughter.

I dragged the pregnancy kit from her hands and stared at it. This is what determines the future of my life. If I find out I'm pregnant after this test, I'm done for! It's going to be the end of my life.

"Chill!" Fiona said when she saw how I squeezed the kit. Sweat broke out on my forehead as I stood on my feet and walked to the bathroom slowly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked from where she lay on the bed.

"I'm fine."

"You sure? I don't trust you, Avery. If it comes out positive, please don't do something crazy."

She warned.

"Don't wish for it to come out positive!" I whined and turned to give her murderous stares.

She smiled and blew a kiss at me. "I wouldn't mind being a godmother."

Gosh! So much for being a best friend. I entered the bathroom and followed all the steps Fiona had lectured me on. With the test done, I held the kit up and watched out for the lines.

"Ahhhhh!" I screamed out loud and broke down in tears as two lines came up.

Fiona rushed into the bathroom and her hands were all over me as I slowly slid to the floor.

"Hey, baby. Is going to be alright." Her reassuring words were far from reassuring.

"Hh... Ho... How??" I tried to voice out as hot tears poured from my eyes. "I don't even know the father of this baby!!" I screamed out in pain.

She rubbed my shoulders and shushed me.

I pushed her hands away. "Let me be, please."

"Come on! Don't be like this."

"I shouldn't be like this??" I flared up in anger and turned to face her. "If only you had let me be that evening!! If only I hadn't followed you to that stupid club. If only... Gosh!" I didn't even know what else to say.

"Are you blaming me now?" She asked in disbelief.

"Just get out, Fiona! Leave me alone." I moaned in agony.

*****

I rubbed my hands together as I stepped into the elevator. I pressed the buttons for the eighty-sixth floor and it began to move.

My hands rubbed my stomach, scared a baby bump had begun to protrude. My stomach was still flat. Good. A glass where I could see my reflection was in front of me so I stepped forward to check my face. My hands combed my hair as I stared at my reflection. No swollen nose, eyes, or lips, yet, but they are all going to come. I sighed out in distress. How did my life move from bad to worse?

I barely have enough to cover for my family and me, and now an extra mouth is coming in. Fiona had advised me to abort the child but I can never do that. Why would I kill an innocent child? I'm ready to take full responsibility for my actions and my unborn baby. I don't think I would ever see Joe again. We had discussed at length that night at the bar, joked, laughed, and at the end, got laid. I don't remember how everything happened, but I woke up n***d in a hotel room the next morning, with a headache, and beside me was a two thousand dollar bill and a business card he left for me to send my CV to, instead of the man I had s*x with.

I had told him that night that I got fired from my job and instead of crying my eyes out at home, my best friend had dragged me to the club. That explained the business card which I made good use of and ended up with a new job here at Pinfrost Groups. The money made me feel like a w***e and I was so ashamed of myself that morning.

He left no contact on how I could reach him and it dawned on me I had a one-night stand with a total stranger. While Fiona is ready to support me, I can't help but feel disappointed in myself. I can't imagine the look of disappointment in my parent's eyes when I would break the news to them that I was about to be a single mother.

The elevator stopped and I walked out, down to my office.

"Good morning, Mr. Rich," I said to my boss as I got into the office.

"Good..." He stopped when he looked up at me. "Are you okay?"

"Huh…?"

He looked me over and a slight frown creased his face. "You look like you've been crying."

I rubbed my hands over my face and gave him a smirk. "I'm good."

"You're not." He insisted.

I never knew what it meant to have a kind boss who was patient and calm till I began to work here.

Mr. Rich has made himself likable and I'm always grateful for this privilege. However, the

privilege is now tainted with single motherhood looming.

"If you say so." He said with a shrug.

I walked over to my desk and placed my bag on it.

"There's an emergency meeting in ten minutes with the board of directors and the CEO of our department. I want you to get together as you would accompany me."

"Alright, boss," I said and swallowed.

The last thing I want right now is to sit at a meeting and capture what's being said when I'm far from my right state of mind. Well, I have no choice. I have to do the damn job if I want to receive a paycheck at the end of the month to cater for myself and my unborn, I thought and rubbed my stomach.

I gathered what I needed for the meeting. My laptop, a flat file some A4 papers, and a pen along with some important documents Mr. Rich requested and matched behind him to the conference room.

We walked into the conference room and we found it empty.

"Good thing we are here in time." He said, walking over to a seat while I sat beside him. The room was wide with a large round desk in the middle and chairs around it. A chair was at the head of the desk which is for the CEO. I placed my laptop on the desk and the file folder then inhaled and exhaled to calm my racing heart.

Rich places his hands over mine. "I don't think you're fine, Avery. We will talk about this after the meeting."

"I'm..." The door opened and a troupe of men walked in. Rich stood to his feet and I followed suit as they walked in to take their seats. The last man walked in and my eyes widened in shock.

Fucking Joe from the club!