Chapter2:The Offer
1077 Words
(Claire's POV)
—
Day 5 since I last ran the pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant for my ex boss.
I was damn broke and in debt already.
I couldn't afford to bring a child into this world and have them suffer.
There was only one option left.
Confront the man responsible for this. Something about that made me shiver.
I already knew how Alex was, but it was all worth a try.
There was nothing more humiliating than getting sacked at work and I could handle another cruel rejection.
My heart broke at the thought.
I had no one to turn to. My best friend and ex-boyfriend had not called since that night.
Not even to apologize at least.
I was alone in all this, and that meant I had no choice but to meet with the cruel Alex Newton.
Atleast to take responsibility? I wasn't asking for too much.
—
I walked into Kingston enterprise with my heart pounding in a steady rhythm. The receptionist looked at me, confused, but I didn't stop.
Mia was always a sweetheart, but we never really spoke.
“I need to see Mr Alex,” I said confidently. “It's important.”
“Sorry, Ms Claire, but you need to have an appointment with Mr Alex to meet with him. He'd be so mad if I let…”
“It's fine, Mia, I'd take full responsibility.”
She hesitated before picking up the phone. A few minutes later, she informed me I could go to my surprise.
Alex sat behind his massive desk, looking the same as always—smart, polished, confident, annoying and, well, hot, now I thought of it.
Or was it because we—
“Claire,” he said. “Didn't expect to see you here again." What do you want?”
I exhaled, walking into the office. I stood right in front of him. Poised and confident yet shaken.
“Have a seat.”
“I don't think I have the luxury of time to sit right now, Alex, considering the news I'm bearing.”
He smirked.
“News? What news could you possibly—”
“I'm pregnant.” I said abruptly.
He froze, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Then, as if to mask his fear, he smiled.
“Pregnant?”
“Yes, and it's yours.”
He was silent for a while as his eyes continued to search mine. For what? I wasn't sure.
He suddenly let out a long humorless laugh. “I'm sorry I laughed.”
He kept laughing like there was something funny about this whole situation, or perhaps he thought I was bluffing? Why the hell will he think I'm bluffing? I wouldn't come all the way here just to joke around.
“You must be joking,” he said.
“No, I'm not.” I almost staggered. “I thought you should know.”
He stopped laughing, then just stared at me, shaking his head. “ So, what now? You want money? Child support? What's the plan, Claire?”
My blood boiled from his demeaning reactions and statements. But I managed to hold it in. I tried.
“I don't want anything from you, Alex. I just thought you had the right to know before I made any decisions.”
“Decisions?” His tone came as slightly angry. “There's only one decision to be made here.”
He reached for his drawer, took out some large bundles of dollars, fixed them in an envelope and tossed it my way. I stared at me, my blood boiling even more.
“Take this,” he said. "Let's assume the baby is really mine." Get rid of it. And let's all pretend this never happened.
I felt like I had been slapped.
Alex had not only accused me of pinning a pregnancy on him but had asked me to get RID of my baby.
Slowly, I reached for the envelope and opened it. The thick bundle of cash stared back at me. My fingers trembled as I closed it and dropped it back on the table.
I looked up at him, my eyes burning with unshed tears, anger, frustration and regret. “Is that really all this is to you? Just a problem you can throw money at and get solved?”
He clenched his jaw.
“Claire, you and I know this wasn't supposed to happen. We both made a mistake. "I'm just handling it the way it should be handled.”
I laughed but I wasn't even excited. “Wow. "You are really this heartless, aren’t you?”
Alex didn’t blink an eyelid. Didn’t say a word. Just watched me, waiting for me to take the money and walk out like he expected.
Because after all that was the problem, I needed money.
But I wasn’t going to. I needed the money, but not with this insult he had thrown at me.
Get rid of my baby? Ridiculous.
I picked up the envelope and threw it in his face. “I don’t need your money,” I yelled. “And I sure as hell don’t need you.”
He was shocked at my utterance but just smirked instead. I didn't care, I wasn't under him and I didn't care what happened next.
I stormed out of his office, slamming the door shut behind me as I scurried out of the building. Fighting back the tears.
“Ms Claire, how did it—” Mia's voice followed me, but I didn't wait.
The tears were already falling off, and I didn't want anyone to see me in this shattered state. Sorry, Mia.
I left the building, dropping everything behind me. The guilt. Anger. Regret and pain.
I wasn't deserving of sympathy and that was fine. I was going to fix myself. Rebrand and have my kid.
I wasn't going to get rid of it no matter the difficulty. Alex Newton may have ruined my life, but as long as I still had breath in my nostrils, I had hope.
He had made it clear that he didn't want anything to do with the baby and that was fine.
I had made the mistake, and I was going to fix myself and get back up.
But first I had to leave this town that held so many memories. No more Sarah, no more Daniel and no Alex.
I was going to fix this broken part of me.
- Writer
