CHAPTER 4: PREGNANT !!!

~ANNIKA~

I tried to return my dad's call, but it went straight to voicemail. I listened to the message, and my heart skipped a beat at his urgent tone.

"Annika, where are you? Come home, it's urgent!" he said.

I quickly got dressed and prepared to leave. Pa James was nowhere to be found, but Jessica handed me a credit card.

"Use this as needed," she instructed.

Without leaving a note or message, I asked the driver to get ready, and we sped away from the mansion. The driver sensed my haste and didn't ask questions.

We soon arrived at dads house, as I stepped out of the car, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The small playground on the corner reminded me of my childhood days.

I remembered my brother Jesse and I playing together, with our mother's loving presence. But the present reality hit me hard, my mother's absence and my brother's distance.

I hadn't visited home in a while, but the memory of my dad and I arguing about my marriage to Angelo still lingered. He had opposed the marriage due to a past feud.

I entered the house, finding my dad lying down. "Dad, what's wrong? How have you been?" I asked, concerned.

He replied, "Well, as you can see, I'm not feeling well." He didn't seem his usual self.

I asked, "Since when? Did you call Doctor Ken?" Doctor Ken had been our family doctor since I was a child and was also my dad's best friend.

My dad replied, "He just left a while ago. He said it's just a normal fever due to high blood pressure.”

As I gazed at my dad, I felt a surge of concern. We hadn't been close, and I regretted not being more supportive. I realized I needed to reconcile with him; I didn't want to lose him.

"Where's Maggie?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"She's fixing lunch," my dad replied weakly.

My dad, Werner Larson, was 68, but I knew he was a strong man. He had survived a lot since my mom passed away.

“But that wasn't why I called you. I had heard disturbing news, I heard your husband dumped you for his mistress," my dad said, concern etched on his face.

I sighed, feeling guilty. I had ignored my dad's warnings about Angelo.

The weight of my past decisions crushed me.

"I guess you're heartbroken," my dad said empathetically. "But this gives me a chance to try making you independent."

“I hope you are still aware of our agreement?” He asked, my dad had forced me to sign an agreement with him before my marriage with Angelo.

"Yes, I remember," I replied, recalling the condition he had set.

My dad suggested that if things didn't work out after two years, I would return home to him. But I extended my stay, thinking I could still get Angelo to love me, but look at how it ended.

"Here we are now," my dad said gently but firmly.

"Well, your marriage didn't work out," he continued. "And now, my company is facing bankruptcy with $20 million in debts. I need your help to rebuild it."

"I know you're resourceful," he said, his eyes pleading. "You can do it, right? You will do it for me?"

It was a lot to take in, but I saw sincerity in his eyes. He wasn't just asking me to save his company; he was asking me to help restore his purpose and pride.

"Dad, I don't know if I can," I said, shaking my head, feeling overwhelmed.

"How did you end up facing bankruptcy? My name is all over the internet... I wish I could help, but Angelo left me with nothing. No assets, except for my jewelry box, which wouldn't even fetch $5 million.”

"I can't, Dad. I need to fix my marriage," I continued, tears welling up in my eyes. "Besides, I'm pregnant."

A teardrop rolled down my cheek as I spoke, my voice cracking with emotion. I felt like I was drowning in my own despair, unable to help my dad or myself.

The weight of my failed marriage, financial struggles, and unexpected pregnancy felt like too much to bear. I broke down in tears.

"Please, Annika, for your child's sake," my dad begged, coughing violently. "I need you to help me save the company."

I yelled for Maggie to bring water as my dad struggled to breathe. "Dad, please, hang on!"

"For your child's sake, Annika, you must help me," he pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation.

I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed Angelo's number, no longer caring about the consequences. I needed to tell him about our child.

As soon as he answered, I paused, collecting my thoughts. But before I could speak, he yelled, "Why are you calling me? What's the matter?"

His tone was abrasive, but I didn't let it intimidate me. I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Angelo, I'm pregnant with your child," I said bluntly, my voice shaking with emotion.

But instead of shock or concern, he burst out laughing. "What? You're very funny!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

His words cut deep, and I felt a sting of humiliation. I tried to hold back tears, but they began to flow anyway.

"Angelo, I'm serious," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "It's your child. I've never been with anyone else. You're the only one."

But Angelo's response was cold and detached. "The only person who can bear my child is Lissa, not you."

Before I could respond, Lissa snatched the phone from him. "Hey, you bitch!" she yelled.

"Go find the real father of that bastard in your belly, because I'm already two weeks pregnant with Angelo's child!"

Her words felt like a slap in the face. I was taken aback by her venom and the shocking revelation.

"What? You're pregnant too?" I stammered, my mind reeling from the news.

Lissa's laughter was manic and cruel. "Yes, stupid! And my child will be the only one Angelo acknowledges."

I sat in stunned silence, my thoughts whirling with uncertainty and disbelief. Was he the same man I married three years ago?

Just as I was processing the unsettling chat with Angelo, my phone vibrated with a fresh message from an unknown sender.

I hesitated before opening it, and my heart sank as I read the words: 'This is Melissa. Let's meet at Brownies Hospital by 5 pm today. Angelo wants a DNA test.’