“In your dreams,” he hissed, standing as well, leaning over the table. “You’re carrying my child. This isn’t over. I will not let my son call another man Dad.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
“Get rid of it,” he blurted out. “Or have it and give it to me. I won’t let my child be raised by a mother who would marry a complete stranger.”
His words were like a shard of ice to the heart. This was the man I had loved and waited for for three years. He was a complete stranger to me now.
“Alex,” I said, my voice shaking with a mix of anger and exhaustion, “you disgust me.”
I turned and walked away, ignoring his furious shouts behind me. Outside the coffee shop, the sunlight was blinding. My legs felt weak, and I had to lean against the wall to stay upright. A sharp, cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen. I clutched my stomach, breathing deeply.
“Are you okay?”
A familiar voice. I looked up to see Leo standing nearby, a frown on his face. He was holding his car keys, looking like he’d just been passing by.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, straightening up.
“I had a meeting with a client nearby,” he said, walking over.
His eyes scanned my pale face.
“He gave you trouble.”
“It’s handled,” I said curtly.
“Do you need—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I can handle it myself.”
He studied me for a moment, then didn’t push.
“It’s the end of the day. I’ll take you home.”
“I’m meeting Maya.”
“Then I’ll take both of you.”
This time, he didn’t give me a choice. Maya’s eyes went wide when she saw me get into Leo’s car. I pulled her aside and quickly filled her in on my meeting with Alex.
“He said that? That you should get rid of the baby?” Maya was furious. “That bastard. He chased you like a lost puppy for a year and now he pulls this.”
“It’s over,” I said, getting into the car.
Leo was tactful enough to stay silent for the entire drive, focusing on the road. He dropped us off at the entrance to my apartment building.
“If you need me, I can…” he started, getting out of the car.
“Thanks, but no.”
I shook my head.
“Maya’s here with me.”
He nodded, didn’t say more, and drove off.
“He seems decent,” Maya said, watching his car disappear. “Better than that scumbag Alex, anyway.”
“We’ve known each other for a day. How can you tell?” I said, pulling her toward the building.
Back in the familiar comfort of my apartment, I started to relax. Maya did a full sweep to make sure Alex wasn’t lurking around before she finally settled down.
“What about your mom? What did you tell her?” she asked.
My scalp prickled. The inevitable. I took a deep breath and dialed her number.
“Chloe, what happened yesterday? Did everything go smoothly? Send me a picture.”
My mom’s rapid-fire questions hit me as soon as she answered.
“Mom,” I started, the words feeling heavy, “I got married.”
“I know you got married. As long as it’s done. That Alex, even though he can be unreliable sometimes…”
“It’s not Alex,” I cut her off.
The line went silent. A few seconds later, my mom’s voice came back an octave higher.
“What did you say? If it’s not Alex, then who is it? Chloe, you better explain yourself right now.”
“Alex didn’t show up,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “He stood me up. So I married someone else who was also stood up.”
A long, suffocating silence. Then a sharp intake of breath thick with rage.
“Chloe.”
My mom’s voice was trembling.
“Say that again. You married a complete stranger. Have you lost your mind?”
“Mom, let me explain.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
She shrieked.
“You go and get a divorce right now. This is ridiculous. What will people say? What will I tell the neighbors? That my daughter was so desperate she married some bum off the street?”
“He’s not a bum. His name is Leo Sterling. He runs his own company. He seems like a good person.”
“A good person? What kind of good person marries a stranger on a whim? He’s a con artist. That’s what he is. Did he scam you out of money? What did he take from you?”
“Nothing. We’re both just getting something we need out of this.”
