My Ten Million Dollars Or Marry Me

Thorns on my flesh

Amber’s pov

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that Dave would betray me. He was the person I loved with all my heart. As I buried my face in my grandmother’s lap, I poured out all my pain. My grandma was someone I couldn’t hide anything from, so I confided in her about my frustrations and the mistake I made in sleeping with a stranger. She didn’t scold me; instead, she gently patted my back as my tears soaked her gown. Little did I know that my aunt was standing at the doorstep, eavesdropping on our conversation.

From the moment I entered my grandmother’s house, I knew my aunt and uncle would be a thorn on my flesh. The only thing I didn’t reveal to my grandmother was that I had sold my inheritance. I didn’t want to appear foolish, as it was a foolish act to be so blinded by Dave’s love that I sold what was rightfully mine. If it weren’t for me, Dave would have been bankrupt and even homeless, as the banks were ready to seize all his belongings. Despite all my efforts, he discarded me like trash. Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t bring myself to visit my parents’ graves when Dave handed me the divorce papers. It felt as though I had disappointed my parents. How could I admit that I had sold what they had left for me out of love? It was the dumbest thing I had ever done, and each time I reflected on it, the pain was just as intense as my broken marriage. Where would I go from here?

As I contemplated my next move, I heard a knock on my door. It was too early for it to be my grandma, and as I prepared to get up from the bed, the door opened, revealing my Aunt Eunice. My heart raced, and I knew this encounter wouldn’t end well. It was the first time I had slept in my own room; on previous nights, I had shared a bed with my grandma.

“I overheard what you said to your grandma. None of us here are responsible for your broken home. It’s the second night, and you’re still here. We know your parents left you an inheritance. Why don’t you go to their house and continue benefiting from the pharmaceutical company your mom left you? We despise having you here. Have you come to remind your grandmother that we have no desire to work?” Eunice spoke to me without any trace of emotion. I was at a loss for words, and all I could do was gaze at her until she left. She was my mom’s younger sister. If my mom were alive, something like this would never have happened.

After Eunice’s hurtful words, my enthusiasm to take any action was crushed. I sat on my bed, contemplating what my life had turned out to be. After some time, I heard another knock on the door. This time, the day was brighter, and it was none other than my uncle, Anthony. He entered my room just as Eunice had done, standing before me and posing a single question.

“When are you leaving this house? This is not your house. When are you leaving?” He asked again.

My initial thought was, why were my aunt and uncle being so cruel to me? They didn’t even consider what I had been through, and Anthony was still there when I heard my name being called.

“Amber…!” My grandmother’s voice resonated, and she was approaching my door, and I saw confusion in Anthony’s gaze and I guess he wasn’t expecting my grandma.

“Amber.” My grandmother pushed the door open, and to my surprise, Anthony quickly took a seat beside me as soon as he realized his mother had entered my room.

“How many times will you dwell on your unfaithful husband? He’s a scumbag. We are here for you,” he spoke with genuine emotion, portraying it so convincingly that my grandmother nodded in agreement. Then he stood up and added,

“Amber, feel free to come to me when you need comfort. What a shame on your ex-husband.” He adjusted his expression to match the nature of his words. I was astonished by how he could switch his tone so effortlessly, but for me, he was just as much a scumbag. With that, he turned and left the room, leaving my grandmother and me alone. She stared at me intently and took a seat beside me in the same spot Anthony had occupied.

“What happened today? You were stronger yesterday than you are now. At least you joined me in the kitchen, and I thought you would do the same today. Being alone will only worsen your situation.” She placed her right hand on my shoulder and waited for a few moments, perhaps thinking that silence was the best course of action.

“Should I tell her about the inheritance I sold?” I pondered, looking at her. The tips of her grey hair gracefully rested on her shoulder, and each time I looked at her, it felt as if I were seeing my late biological mother. Just as I was about to speak, I quickly remembered how my aunt had overheard me. Who knows if one of them was lurking by the door? My grandmother immediately assumed I wanted to say something.

“I truly understand your pain. Please stay here as long as you need to, especially until you’ve overcome this emotional trauma. Someone more handsome and wealthier will come and seek your hand in marriage. You are as beautiful as your mum.”

“Grandma, I don’t think I’ll ever fall in love again.” Tears came up in my eyes as I felt an overwhelming emptiness. I had lost the man I loved, sold my inheritance, and was now jobless since I had been working in Dave’s company.

It had been three weeks since I returned to my grandmother’s house, and I had been silently enduring the verbal attacks from my aunt and uncle, who would stab me with hurtful words whenever my grandmother was out of earshot.

The four of us—Eunice, Anthony, my grandmother, and myself—were gathered around the dining table having breakfast when suddenly, I felt an intense urge to vomit. I quickly stood up and rushed towards the bathroom, with all eyes on me. It was only my grandmother who stood up and followed me. She comforted me, patting my back as I emptied my stomach. When I was finished, she said,

“Get ready, let’s go to the hospital.”

As expected, Anthony and Eunice remained seated, continuing to eat. My grandmother held onto my waist, realizing I was weakening, and guided me back to the dining table.

“Anthony, please, we need to take Amber to the hospital. Could you drive us there?” my grandma requested.

“Can’t you see he’s eating?” Eunice was the first to respond.

“I wasn’t speaking to you. I was talking to Anthony. Since Amber arrived here, he’s been the one offering her kind words, unlike you. Your focus is on eating, sleeping, and going out with men.” My grandma said angrily.

“You’re here to remind my mom again, Amber. I knew it wouldn’t take long for something like this to happen.” Eunice became upset, stood up and left her food.

“Anthony, can we go now?”

“Mom, as you can see, I’m in the middle of eating. Unless you and Amber are willing to wait.”

“Wait…?” She interrupted him angrily, then turned to me. “Let’s go.” She took my hand, and we left, entering the car. Despite my grandmother being in her mid-seventies, her eyesight was still intact. I sat in the backseat of the car, feeling increasingly weak.

Around thirty minutes after arriving at the hospital, my blood had been taken for tests, and my mother and I were waiting for the results when a young nurse approached us and said.

“The doctor would like to see you in his office.”

My initial thought was that the doctor would recommend rest from the emotional trauma I had experienced.

We sat in front of the doctor, and this is what he said:

“Miss Amber Cooper, you are pregnant!”

Those words hit me like a tolling bell. How was this possible? For the past month, my ex-husband Dave had avoided any intimacy, claiming he was tired whenever he came from work. I didn’t need to contemplate further. I had been impregnated by the stranger I mistakenly slept with.

On the way back home, my grandmother asked, “Is there any way you can track down the stranger or recognize his face if you see him?”

“No grandma. When I woke up the next morning, I was in shock, and he was facing the wall, so I couldn’t see his face. Moreover I didn’t want to see his face because I thought I was dreaming.”

The following day, after my aunt and uncle learned about my pregnancy, they came to my grandmother’s room to confront me. Eunice was the first to speak.

“Amber, we’ve heard about your pregnancy from a stranger. What is your plan?”

“Do you even need to ask about her plans? I won’t be a granduncle to a bastard, a child who doesn’t know their father. This is our family, and we’ve decided to terminate the pregnancy.”

“And who made that decision?” My grandmother stood up, her gaze shifting between Anthony and Eunice. Then Eunice added,

“Anthony is right. I can’t be a grandaunt to a bastard.”

“Both of you, stop using such terms. Amber has the right to her baby,” my grandma’s expression changed. Silence followed, and it was in that silence that I spoke up.

“I am keeping my baby, regardless of whether I know the father or not.”

“She must have been cheating on her husband, why can’t she know the man that impregnated her? Her husband must have found out and that was why he decided to date her best friend. karma is real,” Eunice said sarcastically.

There was nothing I could do but I felt ashamed, then covered my face and wept silently, while my grandmother asked them both to leave her room. After Eunice and Anthony exited, my grandma returned. I quickly wiped away my tears and I didn’t want her to say anything about that and she said,

“Whatever decision you make, I’m with you. Let me go and prepare breakfast for you and your baby.” She kissed my forehead and left. Once my grandma was gone, I decided to join her in the kitchen thinking that Eunice or Anthony might come back to the room when they saw only my grandma cooking. As I passed by Eunice’s room, I overheard her speaking to Anthony.

“That baby must be terminated. Our mom loves Amber so much that she’ll inevitably allocate part of her wealth to that child because the baby has no father, and we can't allow that to happen.”

“Only if I’m dead will that baby come out of Amber’s womb alive. Our mom’s wealth is meant for both of us,

and Amber already has her own inheritance.”