ZaraIt’s Saturday and for me ,that means deep cleaning. Only, this time, it’s aggressive cleaning.The nerve of that man!I wasn’t exactly expecting him to kiss my feet and make me a path of rose petals but I also was not expecting to be treated like a bug…You can get dressed and leaveHa!I was dumbstruck for a few minutes after he not so rudely told me to leave . He had proceeded to walk into the en suite bathroom like he did not just trample on my dignity. You give a man your virginity and he does not even have the decency to thank you…Last night may have been my first time but I know enough to not get treated like that. Tears prickle the back of my eyes. I wipe at it furiously. I haven’t cried over a man in my entire existence, I’m not going to start now…It doesn’t exactly help that I am sore all over. Imagine my surprise when I got up to stomp out of the jerk’s place and couldn’t walk straight. I had to limp all the way to the elevator and into the waiting cab outside.W
Zara The past few weeks have been hectic. After the events of that night, I threw my self into work the next week and in the weeks to follow. The only time I had to unwind was when I met with Valerie and Emily. The thought of my new friends brings a smile to my face. I never thought I’d be so open to having other people in my space but I seemed to like it so far. The girls had teased me endlessly on the first night we met. It was definitely hard to keep up with the amount of profanities Valerie dropped in each sentence. The girl swore like a sour grandma but I found myself smiling whenever she spoke. I would say she is a ray of sunshine but she puts the entire sun to shame, that one. Emily on the other hand is gentle, with the prettiest smile. They balance each other out perfectly. A knock sounds outside my office and in walks my Secretary, Leslie. My position in the company is not the highest but being a Senior Associate meant I was entitled to my own assistant. “ Ma’am , the
ZaraThe train ride to the hospital was nothing short of a nightmare. I almost puked all over the train and the innocent passengers. Why?A certain man decided to squeeze every drop of juice from my stomach , with his strong cologne. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it ‘cologne’, death trap was more like it. I was enjoying the scenery and loving the wind on my face when said man got into the seat beside me. I felt my stomach churn in a worse manner than I had experienced at the cafeteria.So, the whole trip, I had to give myself a pep talk, yunno, not to embarrass my family and all, with my fingers plugging my nose.The moment I walked into the hospital, I ran straight for the restrooms. I proceeded to puke out everything I had eaten in the last two days. Now, waiting for my name to be called, I revel in the smell of antiseptic. Have hospitals always smelled so good?I chuckle lowly. It’s funny because the few times I had accompanied my mom to the hospital for her routine examinat
ZaraI walk in a daze up to my apartment and slot in the key. Everything in the background is a blur. I drop my bag and keys on the kitchen island and slide down to the floor, my back resting on the wall. This all seems like a bad dream. Maybe if I sleep and wake up, it’ll be gone.I stare down at the tiny photo card in my hand. The Sonogram…Dr. Meyers had handed it to me on my way out. I stare at the black and white image of what seems like a blob. So, this tiny human is currently growing in me. I move my hand to my stomach and rub unconsciously . I don’t have it in me to get rid of an innocent life but I am at a loss of what to do. Maybe the girls can help…I push myself up and walk to the bag I discarded earlier on the island. I fish out my phone and dial Valerie and Emily. Valerie answers first in that chirpy tone of hers “what’s good, mama?”I immediately burst into tears. “ Help me”It is Emily that says “ We’re on our way”***********Less than an hour later, the girls ar
Zara“What do you mean you’re doomed?”I look up at the concerned faces of my friends. “ I meant I’m doomed, as in D-O-O-M-E…”“We know how to spell doomed, you idiot. You know, I’m beginning to question how you got a degree in Law.” Valerie says and proceeds to roll her eyes .Emily chimes in “ I thought you’d be happy that we finally have a clue as to who the baby’s father is. What’s the problem?”I lift my hands in exasperation. “ The problem is, just today, a man from Paradise group visited the firm and my boss just happened to assign me to him. That’s not the crazy part, he said he was representing MARCELLO ANDRES! Does the name sound familiar?”Emily hums in understanding. “ So, you’re scared because you think you might lose your job for getting hot and personal with a client?”“Isn’t that obvious?”Valerie rolls her eyes again for what seems like the hundredth time. She walks closer and squats in front of me, until she is at my eye level. “ According to you, you had no idea wh
ZaraLast night, I had tossed and turned for hours before sleep caught up with me in the early hours of this morning. I had come to a decision; go to Paradise Group and tell Marcello Andres to take responsibility.Only, it was easier said than done.The moment I walked into the magnificent architecture, I felt like an impostor. Paradise group stood towering over several buildings in the area and that was saying something, considering that this was New York .The interior is decorated with polished wood floors and marble walls. Fancy light fittings span the reception and lobby. Men and women in all kinds of corporate wears walk up and down the place, going about their business of the day. Thankfully, I am also in my work outfit; a black tuxedo dress and a pair of black stilettos. Black makes all the difference in a look. It could take you from plain to downright majestic. I walk up to the receptionist, a dark skinned lady wig beautiful eyes. "Good morning, I’m here to see Mr. Marcel
Marcello Pregnant for me?And I thought the anonymous woman libeling my name on the media was the devil. This same reason was what propelled me into getting a vasectomy. Wait a minute...She mentioned that it was her first time.Flashback;I walk back into the room to see that she had already left. Good. I hated clingy women, especially those who had to force affection for me just to get a taste of my money. I pull back the covers to get some needed rest when a patch of colour catches my attention. I turn on the flashlight on my phone and move closer to inspect it and am surprised to find a patch of blood.Shit. Was she a virgin? Did I just take her virginity like some heartless bastard ? I didn’t even get her name.*******I should have been nicer to her. Who gives a fuck anyway? I only took her virginity not get her pregnant. Who knows where she’s been since then?The door to my office opens and Michael walks in. Just the person I need to see. He catches the look on my face
Marcello Michael picks up on the third ring. “ What’s up?”“I need Zara Parkinson’s contact details.”“ And why would you need that?”“Actions first, questions later”“That’s why you’re still a hot tempered knucklehead”I chuckle. “ Alright dumbass, I just want to apologize to her. I may have said some mean things earlier”“Try rude”“Seriously bro”He hesitates for a moment then says “ Fine”. The line goes dead.I have an idea in mind and if I play my cards right, I could uplift the company’s image and still escape my father’s wrath. It’s after work hours , so I decide to head home. I haven’t seen my mother in about two weeks . It’s best not to piss her off and have her call me herself . I may be a grown man almost in my thirties and over a feet taller than her, but trust me when I say I’ll never be too old for my mama’s chanclas.Was it when I was Seventeen? I made the mistake of talking back to my mother and stomping out. She watched me walk out without as much as a peep. That’s w
Marcello’s POV I have never experienced fear like I did today. One minute I was smiling at the brief conversation I shared with Zara, and the next, I received a call that a strange man had abducted her. I ran like a mad man all the way to the control room and when I saw the video, I was paralyzed on the spot. Because there was no time to waste, I started barking out orders to track the vehicle that the abductor left in. After an unsuccessful hour of searching every security camera on the roads leading away from the company, did I receive a text. The text contained an address and a note to come alone. I tire out of there like a mad man to the garage. I barely got into the driver’s seat before Michael stopped me. I had punched him square on the jaw then but he quickly regained his balance and stopped me. “ Cello! Listen to me , man. You’re in no state to drive.”“ They took her, Mike. I don’t even know who did this. It’s all my fault. What if something happens to her?”But, he was q
Zara’s POV “Okay, Beatrice, am I supposed to know who you are?”She maintains the wide grin on her face but I see her left eye twitch a little. She flips her hair and continues. “ It’s Brenda”“ That’s what I said”She looks like she wants to slap me. The feeling is mutual. She gives me a cursory gaze from head to toe. " you're quite the plain Jane. I wonder what he sees in you."" excuse me?"“ you're excused.""Look here, you..."she raises her palm as if to signal me to stop talking.Marcello will be here soon so why don’t you run along and wait for him inside?”“Let me out of here and I promise I won’t make you pay for it.” She cackles loudly, dry and scratchy, like nails on a chalkboard. I have to physically restrain myself from wincing. She traces a line down the side of my face with her nail and lifts my chin with one finger. “I don’t think you quite get it , honey. I call the shots around here , not you. I’ve been very civil with you so far. We don’t want that to change, do
Zara’s POV The thing about regret is that it comes so belatedly. It waits until you’ve gotten so caught up in your actions , then it shows it’s face. I should have listened to him . I should have stayed home when he asked me to but I wouldn’t be Zara Parkinson if I became pliant.After I left Marcello’s office, I decided to go home because I had had enough for one day. My feet ache and there was a dull throbbing in my temple. It wasn’t until I got to the underground parking lot that I noticed something was off . I felt a presence behind me but when I turned , I saw nobody. Still, I couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling.I rushed to Mercedes C300 that Marcello let me use and searched frantically for my car keys in my handbag. But, just before I could insert the key, a heavy body slammed into me from behind. In the process, I slammed my belly against the car. Pain like I have never felt engulfed me, from my stomach to every part of my body. I scanned the vicinity for an escape opening
Marcello’s POV We sit in silence as the minutes go by. I am hyper aware of the passing minutes, of the sound of cars and people below. The scenery outside does nothing to calm my beating heart. I look at the woman opposite me . She is staring at the floor, fingers tracing the material of her dress nervously. I want to push her to tell me but I know she needs time to gather her thoughts. The chime of a clock, buildings away, breaks the silence. She looks up at me and meets my gaze already trained on her. I smile softly at her, in a bid to give her a semblance of reassurance. It’s all I can do to not think about what she called me earlier. Baby …The words left her mouth so easily but my pulse has been thrumming quietly since. I want to ask her who the clown outside is and why she looks so unlike herself. I also am in a dilemma, as to whether I am ready for what her endearing term entails. Yes, I know I call her some names but only because I enjoyed her reactions at first. Now, it h
Marcello’s POVAt this point, not listening to me is a full time job for Zara. She always feels the need to counter everything I say and blows little things out of proportion at any given time. She makes me want to pull out all my hair in frustration or preferably spank the attitude out of her. With this lunatic moving free, all I want to do is keep her safe but she just had to take my good intentions and spit on it. I don’t know what to do to make her listen to me but one thing’s for sure, it’s gonna be fucking difficult. Yesterday, after she stormed out like a brat, I had to put a secret security detail on her ass. He reported her every movement to me and even though it’s not the way I wanted it, she actually stayed out of the office yesterday, for which I was thankful.The landline rings and my secretary informs me that my 12 o’clock appointment is here. If I had my way, I wouldn’t meet him. He was one of those startup business owners who felt like big conglomerates you owed them
Zara’s POVMarcello intercepts me at the foot of the stairs as soon as I step off. My heart almost jumps out of my chest at his sudden appearance and I trip over my feet but he catches me just in time for any major damage to occur. “ Hey! Pregnant woman here. Don’t just jump out of places”He scans my face “ You okay ,Sugar? I didn’t mean to scare you”I scoff at his ridiculousness. “ Am I okay?” Hitting his chest with balled fists, I step out of his embrace. Stupid hard chest. Stupid handsome face. Scaring me so early in the morning.Regarding him, I notice his scrunched brows and the tension in his shoulders. He wears his usual brooding look but something tells me all is not well. I hope not. Still, I can’t help but worry.“ You good? You ran out earlier like your ass was on fire. What’s the reason you almost caused me to have a premature birth?”He regards me with bored eyes . “ Very funny, Sugar.”He says nothing further but by the look in his eyes , he is debating whether to t
MARCELLO’S POV I thought I would catch up on a bit of work before I have to go to the office but the thought of Zara keeps filtering through my mind. Acquiring a company seems like roses and extra profit on the surface, but so much work has to go in to make sure everything works without any hitch. So far, I have done some major balancing on the accounts through the merger. I know that the company employs only competent hands but I cannot afford to have mistake. Those are expensive and that’s why I have been working myself to weariness. She is fast asleep and has been for hours now but I can’t seem to catch a wink of sleep. She acts like she hates my guts most of the time but her actions tonight were on the contrary. Going as far as cooking meal when she can hardly stand on her own was what got to me the most. And that little peck on my lips earlier? Goddammit! I’m acting like a hormonal teenager. I have tasted every inch of the woman’s body but it’s that little kiss that has me ac
Zara’s POV I open my eyes to a silent room. The lights in here are dim and the atmosphere of the room feels cozy. I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Marcello wasn’t exactly gentle with me; not that I’m complaining. I heard him leave some minutes back, and that’s after he made sure to wipe me off with a wet rag. That was embarrassing as hell but it felt…nice.Sitting up, I scan the room in search of my clothes and find them folded neatly on one corner of the bed. I pick up my sore body and get dressed. I choose not to dwell on what transpired earlier in this place. The last few times were filled with me questioning my decision but this time, I’m just going to let it be. I can’t claim any innocence on this matter; after all , I reciprocated just as much as I was given. And I’m definitely not going to overthink the onslaught of emotions I felt today either. If I ignore it, maybe, just maybe , it’ll go away. I walk the hallway quietly as if there are other people on this floor
Zara’s POV Thankfully, the whole tabloid thing dies off in days. The company has been doing well , judging by how much Marcello has been cooped up in the office. And when he comes home, he barely sleeps, throwing himself into more work. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit worried for his health. He’s riding the wave of the recent increase in revenue that he’s neglecting himself. What the man does may not be my business but he has done his best to make sure that I do not want for anything during my pregnancy journey. So, I’m going to try to re turn the favour. I ask Mr. Phillip to stop by the local mart, so I can pick up a few things I may need. Last time, he cooked me a Mexican rice dish that I very well remember the taste of but can’t for the life of me, seem to remember it’s name. I just remember that it was rich in protein and veggies. So, I stock my cart with a healthy serving of beef and every other vegetable that looks good. On my way to the counter to check out the items I picked,