Who is Jayson going to choose? Love or presents? If you are enjoying this story, please consider giving it a gem or two in appreciation :) Thank you for your support!
[Jayson]I'm bored and I don’t want to be here. This stupid suit itches."Stop it," Mama Evelyn swats at my hand as I reach up to scratch my neck underneath the jacket. "Stop fidgeting.""But I'm BOOOOOOORED," I whine, holding up my tablet that keeps blinking at me. It's almost out of power and I tell her that. "The new Samsung has a 7 hour battery and..."I know she's not listening, but I keep going on anyway. The room is too bright and the words make no sense and the wifi sucks. I can’t play my favorite game, and my video keeps glitching. If I'm this uncomfortable, she should be too. “Fix it,” I grump as I shove it on Mama Evelyn’s lap slamming it down hard on her round belly. She looks like a pink flower watermelon the way the dress stretches over it. I told her that this morning and she almost slapped me. Mama Evelyn gives me a very stern look, the one she usually gives me right before she says, “I'm done with my bullshit” and wants me to “shut the fuck up.” She'd never say that
[Addison]Dear God, what should I do?This is one of those moments where the decision I make right now, in this moment, can affect the rest of my life. Pivot one way or another, there will be consequences and lost possibilities. Either way, I'll need to decide soon, before all of my options are gone. Frowning, I take a seat in a thickly cushioned chair. Staring at the pills in my hands while absently listening to Tracy remove all traces of what happened here, I feel like I'm gazing down into a dark abyss. I'm so untethered. How do I make this choice? A baby is something I've wanted for a long time--ever since I was a child I knew I wanted to be a mother someday. Pregnancy is a marvel. Creating new life from an act of love, and then spending the rest of your life taking joy as you watch that little life develop into someone new and unique. Jayson is my son, and no child born of my body would change that. He won my heart the first time I held him after Michael found him abandoned in
[Addison]My best friend hands me a little plastic cup. “I brought my medical kit,” she explains. “I didn’t want there to be anything to trace back to you. We can easily flush or burn a test strip, but one of those little plastic wands are impossible to destroy. Once you pee on them, it’s like they never go away.”She’s right. If I were to use a traditional test strip and throw it away, the press would find it. If I put it in my purse, it could be discovered during a search of my belongings. Even if I managed to get it home, it would only be a matter of time before it was discovered by somebody, maybe a servant or a security guard needing a bit of extra cash. And once the press, or even worse, the enemy, got hold of it, the damage that knowledge could cause to my family is immeasurable. Our image has already been tainted enough between the speculation swirling around the house fire and the press coverage my divorce has brought onto Grant Corp, with the gossip about our relationship sp
[Addison]What should I say? How can I make sense of the last 4 months of my life? “Let me handle this,” Reggie places a gentle hand on mine and his warm smile reminds me that I have people who love me on my side. “It’s what I’m here for. To defend you.” “I can do this,” I insist. I am a lawyer after all. Part of what I do is defend others. Why shouldn’t I defend myself?“I know you can,” Mr. Carter nods. “You are a very capable litigator. But this is your life, your family. Your emotions may be high.”Looking across the room I see my son sitting next to Evelyn in the seats just behind Michael’s. They look like a family. Seeing Evelyn smugly patting her belly, the diamond on her hand flashing as she glares, bothers me more than it should. “Do you trust me, Addison, to do this for you,” Reggie slips from his usual professional demeanor, his face drawn with worry. He wants to respect my rights and autonomy, but he's also concerned. He's a good friend, and an excellent lawyer. I trust
[Addison]Except for the faint faint snapping of cameras and the dull buzz of whispering the crowd goes silent as I turn to face an all too familiar speaker. Turning, I found myself face-to-face with someone I knew I’d have to see, but didn’t look forward to facing. Michael Stone, my ex-husband and the one I’m here to negotiate with for the love of my child. Leaning on Michael’s arm, with a very familiar diamond on her hand, is Evelyn, her round belly near bursting, proof of his infidelity. How dare he come here accusing me of things when he is the reason our marriage fell apart? I wonder how long he waited after our divorce was final before giving her my ring. Not that it matters. I’ve moved on and so have they, apparently. I just…it’s one thing to know everything is over and it’s another to see the commitment someone else had for you shining on someone else’s hand. Looking at her smile as she makes the light shine on it just so, I know she did this on purpose, maybe to set me off
[Addison]No, that doesn't make sense. If Mr. D wanted to poison us, I'd be dead right now not questioning whether or not he had done it. Poison isn't his style. He prefers a more direct approach. But the last time I felt this sick I...No, impossible. That's almost less likely than poison. I was told I'd never conceive again, or at least my odds of conceiving would be the same as anyone conceiving on birth control because my uterus was so damaged by the miscarriage. But what if they were wrong? With everything else that happened, I never went in for a second opinion, nevermind a follow up visit. And Hunter and I have been having unprotected sex for weeks. Lots and lots of unprotective sex. "Oh God," my hands are shaking as I slowly stand. Holding onto the wall I barely keep from falling over. I feel so weak. Last time this happened I knocked myself out and ended up in the hospital. No, I need to be careful in how I proceed. Because either poison or pregnancy, it doesn’t matter–ei