Episode 1

~Mia’s POV~

“I told you he’s no good,” my mom scowled as I watched David strut away with his newly wedded by his side, clinging to him like peanut butter would do bread.

I felt hot inside and a rush of shivers through my entire body as the world seemed to be spinning around me.

“Mia? Mia…” mama’s voice faded as everywhere went blank.

“Holy sh…” I freaked as I was going to be late for a very important meeting and thought I over slept.

I tried opening my eyes while sitting up but all I saw were blurred figures standing around my bed.

“Mum!” I yelled but immediately heard her voice right beside me trying to calm me down and that was when I felt a banging headache and I shrieked.

By the beeping sounds I eventually heard, I knew I was in the hospital.

“I don’t have time for this, discharge me now!” I yelled at the nurses and doctor beside me but I still couldn’t see them clearly as my vision was still blurred.

“Mia, relax. You’re in the hospital,” my mama said while caressing my arm.

“Yes mom and I need to leave now else I miss the meeting with the board!” the more I thought about it, the more I freaked out at missing that meeting.

“We’ll leave as soon as the doctors run a final check on you. They just need to ask you a few questions regarding their CT scans,” mama explained and I nodded while letting out a huge sigh of defeat.

“Where and how did this happen?” my head ached as I tried remembering the awful events from last night.

“I bumped into my fiancé’s wedding, we had a little argument then I found myself here,” I said and the doctors and nurses faces turned blue showing a sign of remorse for me.

“Last I checked, I’m here for me to get better, not to get pity from people who barely even know me!” I snapped.

“It was a bad experience and no one deserves to be treated that way but you need to calm down and tell us how you feel and the series of events before that one,” the doctor explained and I kept mute for a while before looking him in the face.

“Great, my vision has gotten better,” I said and they all flashed a quizzical look at me.

“It took till now to get a better vision?” the nurse asked and I nodded.

“Ma’am do you have any recent complaints about dizziness or light heads and blurry visions?” the doctor asked and I tried so hard, harder than expected to try to remember if I did.

“Yes, I have been feeling a bit off recently,” I replied while the nurse stepped in and asked me a rather personal question.

“When was the last time you had your monthly menstrual flow?” she asked and I kept mute in silent anger.

Thinking about it, I missed my period last month and it was the same month David and I planned on getting married. I was the happiest woman as the marriage plans were maturing. I had beautiful dreams every night of getting married to the only man I ever loved and cherished. It was a beautiful feeling and I was all in for it.

Suddenly, Daniel stopped all wedding preparations. He didn’t tell me directly but he stopped talking about it and it made me worry a lot. When I confronted him about it, all he could tell me was that he was having a bad day.

I was suspicious, yet devastated. He did seem to be a little bit too close to his niece at the time.

Oh what a fool I was!

How could I have known anyways? Now, seeing him get married to the same woman he introduced as his niece only made my belly knot and blood boil.

I loved him, I still do but I can’t have his baby!

“Two months ago,” I replied blankly, tears welling up in my eyes as I swallowed hard.

“Ma’am, you might be pregnant. Nurse Kelly, do an ultra sound,” the doctor said and flashed me a ‘I’m sorry but congratulations’ look then turned around to leave.

“You… are.. pre..gnant,” the nurse stuttered and I totally understood why she was un easy about it.

Mama on the other hand was completely quiet but I knew she was mad at me and mad at David. My mother has a reputation of making people pay for crossing her and I knew she was already plotting her plans for David.

“Mama, no” I said, looking her way.

“My Bonita, what do you mean no? Allow me to make his life miserable,” she said, clenching her fist.

“I’m not keeping the baby,” I said, patiently waiting for her reaction.

I’m a born and bred Christian and my mama taught me how to be a good Christian and I knew abortion was the last thing on her mind but I’m a grown woman and very capable of making my own decisions.

“You will do no such thing!” she said sternly.

“Okay,” I replied, knowing it wasn’t up for debate.

Apparently, the nurse understood the assignment and then asked my mom to leave, making up an excuse about a more private and confidential test.

“Before you try to talk me out of this, my mind has already been made up,” I said staring daggers at the nurse as soon as my mom left.

“I’m not here to talk you out of anything. I was in a similar situation as yours a year ago so I completely understand your plight so I asked your mom to leave so we can fix a date for the abortion,”

She was brilliant!

“I’ll be here on Tuesday, 2pm,” I smiled at her lovely face.

“Can I go now?” I asked while she nodded, prepping me for release.

*In the office *

“Ma’am, we’ve managed to get the board members to wait a little while longer for your arrival. They are all displeased,” my humble PA, Lilly explained with deep concern as she walked me to the board room.

I had no time to chit chat and explain anything to her so I only nodded without a word till we got to the door of the board room.

“I will let you in on what happened later but for now, they owe us,” I smirked as my PA shot me a confused look.

“Good morning ladies, gentlemen” I looked at all the faces in the room as I proceeded to take my seat at the high table, facing them all.

I said a short prayer, ruffled through my bag, brought out the files I needed, scanned through them for a couple of seconds, took out my glasses from my purse, threw it on and pretended to stare at the papers before me so I could take a peep at the faces before me.

They were all staring at each other in disbelief and at me with disgust except one fine, young man at the opposite end of where I sat. He was indifferent and I, puzzled.

“Can I meet you?” I asked, staring straight ahead at the man, breaking the whispers in between the silence.

“Mia, you’ve kept us waiting here for over an hour an…” one of the board members started while I interrupted.

“And yet you stayed,”

“Oh it must not be because of the incident of a few years back,” I added while the rest of the board were confused.

“No? well allow me to refresh your memories,” I said, pushing my chair backwards while I stood up.

“August 2020, your company was in a crisis,” I was slowly walking round the table while they followed me with their eyes.

“What does that have to do with the fact that you’re late,” the GM of their company stood up to me.

“What’s your name?” I asked the man who caught my attention earlier and he replied with “Derek” so I stopped in my tracks.

“Derek, you’re obviously new so you wouldn’t know but for your sake, I will move further since they’ve decided to live in denial,”

“15 million dollars suddenly went missing from my company’s records,” I stopped to look at their already uncomfortable GMs face.

“I don’t think th…” the GM, Mike started while I interrupted him.

“Hold on, later on, we got a rape report,” I said but this time, louder and I could see Mike loosening his tie a bit.

“No no, don’t even bother because what I’m about to say next will choke you more than that tie has ever choked you.

“The head of our financial department at that time was a lady! Which we regret now or not because Mike may even be into men,” I said, with overwhelming joy seeing the looks on their faces.

“She was raped and duped by your company!”

“She wasn’t raped, she totally consented to it,” he said while I stared at him in disbelief and let out a chuckle.

“Now that’s not what the court would say if we presented the case. I wonder why my father didn’t report the case! Oh wait, that’s right,” I pretended to have missed the point.

“Because he owed your company and that debt has been long paid even before he died, may his soul rest,” I continued.

“But your debt has not been paid and will never be till your company gets closed down and you, in jail, mister Mike,” I finished.

“I understa…” their financial secretary started but Derek interrupted.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to speak up at this point, Lea,” Derek said.

“Now, somebody understands the way I work but frankly, you have no right to talk now either,” I said, looking down on him.

“I’m the Managing Director of the company you speak so fondly of,” Derek said, standing up and staring me in the eyes while I stood there, unshaken.

“Of course, I read in the papers that your father would retire, I just didn’t expect it sooner,” I smiled wickedly at him while he regained composure and sat down again.

“I do hope you fix your father’s mess,” I finished.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“I want this meeting adjourned indefinitely. Two things may happen. It continues in court? Or it continues here under MY conditions,” I said, packing my things and left the room.

If there’s anything I got from my father, it was audacity and confidence that could shake tables anywhere and anytime. I had a lot against this company and I wasn’t afraid to use it.

“Mia, how did it go?” my PA popped out from nowhere as she always did that.

“Okay first, you need to learn to give me a warning signal before creeping up on me like that,” she giggled.

“You’ll get used to it,” she replied.

“Well, we were worried I was late, now they’re worried they might be folding up,” I smiled in fulfilment.

“Oh, the 2020 case! I thought it was long buried,” she said.

“Not anymore,” I smirked.

“You’re a real queen Mia,” she hyped.

“Thank you and bring me my favourite Chinese breakfast, stat,” I ordered.

“Yes ma’am,” she said as she scurried away.

As I sat in my office, I couldn’t help but think about how fast my life has changed in the past few hours.

From losing my potential husband to learning of my pregnancy to the whole charade at work. It was a roller coaster of events and mostly events I didn’t appreciate.

I was interrupted from my annoying thoughts by a gentle knock on the door.

“Come in Lilly,” I said while she walked in with my breakfast as Lily was the only one allowed in my office.

“There you go,” she said setting my meal table on the other end of my office.

I had a pretty comfortable office. I had my own restroom, a long comfy sofa at the left corner, my own coffee and water dispenser, a game area for video games and chess just beside my sofa and a dining area at the other right of the room then my working table right opposite my door.

I loved this place because I was comfortable doing what I love the most, business.

“Thank you Lily,” I said.

“Someone wants to see you outside,” she said pointing toward the door.

“Who?” I asked wondering why anyone would like to see me without an appointment.

“He told me to tell you that he’d do a better job than his father but refused to give a name,” she replied.

I giggled at the realisation of the fact that Derek was being a total baby and I found it cute so I asked Lilly to ask him in but set my security right outside my door for protection.

“I didn’t think you’d want to see me,” Derek said, walking slowly into my office, hands in his pockets while looking around in awe.

“I didn’t, I wanted to make you understand in case you didn’t the last time that we are not to cross paths until the date of the meeting has been fixed,” I defended, knowing it wasn’t entirely true.

“I’ve made a background research on you Miss Mia Cruise and I know for a fact that this office is like your secret lair, you still mourn the puppy you lost to a tragic accident three years ago even more than your late father and you are a huge fan of De Brans bar and go there every weekend to get drunk,” he said and caught his breath right on time.

I gave him a puzzled look which slowly turned into a wicked smirk.

“I’m sure this is an invalid case in the court of law,” I said, resting my head on my jaw.

“I know but it’s a valid ‘asking out’ moment,” he said, grinning.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” I said, folding my arms right below my chest and he nodded in agreement with that stupid grin on his face and his hands still in his pockets.

“You must have the nerves to step into my office to display such…” he brought out his phone from his pocket, touching the screen like he was texting which made me stop in my tracks and made me even more confused about the creature right in front of me.

“Check your personal account balance,” he said, putting his phone back into his pocket.

“Excuse you?” I said, but this time with more confusion and frustration in my tone.

“I just sent you a thousand dollars, we’re going to have a great time at De Brans and your favourite restaurant this weekend,” he still had that annoying grin.

“What?” I was still puzzled at everything.

“Come on Mia, it’s Friday, loosen up!” he said and turned to walk away.

I collapsed back into my chair after he was gone and that was when I received a credit notice in my account and it wasn’t a thousand dollars, it was 5000 dollars!