THREE

RILEY 

TWO WEEKS LATER

“We’ll launch the new product in a week after having tested it. That will be all for now,” I announced, rising from my seat and dispersing my employees.

They say the best way to take our mind off certain things is to focus on a completely different thing. To ease the hurt that was weighing down my heart after the incident, I dedicated all my time to launching a new product here in my company. It was a drug we had gotten approval to produce but had been taking things slowly. However, being the CEO, I was able to push the production forward and here we are, after two weeks we were almost ready to launch it.

Getting back to my office, I lowered myself onto my seat and rested my head on my desk.

“You should go home and get proper sleep, you've been sleeping here for over a week now,” my assistant, Nancy’s voice resonated from a corner of my office.

“I have nothing to do at home…”

“You've been saying the same thing since forever. I don't know what went wrong, you don't deserve to get stressed like this over whatever went wrong, please Riley,” she walked over to me and took my hand into hers.

“I'll go home once the new product has been launched,” I assured her.

“As if sleeping here will have any impact on the product. Anyway, since you won't listen to anything I say, it's obvious you don't want me as your assistant anymore. I'll just stick to being your best friend,” she mumbled and handed an envelope to me.

“Nancy, you…”

“I just resigned…”

“Nancy….”

“You know what, I'll go home tonight,” I sighed, ripping the envelope apart.

The emotional blackmailer of a friend laughed and pinched my cheeks.

“That wasn't so hard after all,” she giggled.

Eying her unpleasantly, I rose from my seat and she instantly packed my bag and handed it to me. Not saying a word to her, I walked off.

I've been avoiding staying alone all these while, so I wouldn't relieve my pains but then that seemed inevitable right now. Getting to my car, I turned on the radio before driving off.

“Nathan Martinez has launched a new airline…” The one name I've spent weeks trying to forget was called, followed by lots of praise as to how hard-working he was.

“Bastard,” I growled, aggressively turning off the radio.

The rest of the drive was in silence till I got home only to meet two figures seated right outside my home.

Getting down from the car, I approached the. It was my sister, Leah and Nathan’s mum.

“Leah, Aunt…” I muttered, bringing their attention to me.

Leah was the first to rush over to me and engulf me in a hug. 

“You've been avoiding me, Riley. Did I do anything wrong?” she cried, clinging onto me.

“You did nothing wrong, Leah. I just needed some time alone,” I pulled her hand away from myself and cupped her face.

“You would never do anything wrong. I'm sorry I made you feel like you wronged me,” I earnestly apologized.

“Why haven't you been answering my calls then? You moved without telling anyone, Riley. You paid agents to come get your things at home and worst you refused to see me when I came to your workplace. Something is definitely wrong with you,” she insisted.

“Look, Leah, I'm fine,” I smiled, even though the last thing I wanted at the moment was to be here answering these queries.

“Riley, you…” she tried saying again but was cut off by Nathan’s mum.

“Leah, let her be, she looks exhausted,” she said from where she stood. I locked eyes with her and she gave me a small smile before walking over to where I stood, with an inquisitive Leah clinging onto me.

The moment she got to me, something hit my nose, it was the scent of her perfume. It made my stomach so bad that it made me want to puke.

“You okay?” she asked, getting even closer to me.

I couldn't hold it anymore. I ran to a side and puked all over.

“Riley…”

“I'm fine,” I cut a worried Leah off.

“This is nothing. Aunt Hailey’s perfume made me puke.”

“You're sick, Riley. We're going to the hospital,” Leah announced.

“Leah…”

“Don't give me that shit about you being okay when you're not. Aunt Hailey’s perfume made you puke, really? Haven't you always used the same perfume as her? A scent you love suddenly makes you puke and you want me to believe that you're okay?” She yelled.

“Aunt get into the car. We’re going to the hospital,” Leah muttered.

I didn't utter a word and just let her pull me into the car. I was okay, this might just be the after-effect of spending too much time at the company and working with those chemicals.

Soon, we arrived at the hospital. It was our family hospital, so I was instantly attended to. 

After a series of questions and answers with the doctor, she handed me a pregnancy kit. 

“You'll need to take a pregnancy test before we go ahead with any other test.”

My heart skipped multiple beats upon hearing this. I've been so caught up in wallowing in self-pity that I forgot that after pills existed. 

“I can't be pregnant,” I muttered.

I took the kit from the doctor and stood there staring down at it.

“Let's go in together,” Leah offered, locking hands with me. But then I moved aside.

“I'll be fine.”

Minutes later, it was crystal clear that I had just become a soon-to-be mother.

“Congratulations,” the doctor announced as I handed the kit back to her.

I was too speechless. I didn't know how to react. Getting pregnant outside of marriage was something I've never imagined myself doing and worst of all, I was pregnant for a jerk.

“I won't keep the baby, I'm getting an abortion,” I declared.

“I'll be back,” Aunt Hailey excused herself at my outburst.

“You're being impulsive right now,” Leah tried to talk me out of it, but I was hearing none of it.

“I think the father deserves to know before you make this big decision,” Leah said in her bid to make me change my mind. But her words enraged me.

“What do you know about the father? What the fuck do you know about him to tell me to inform that jerk before making a decision!” I raised my voice at her for the first time.

“Riley, you…”

“Do not say my name,” I shunned her.

I turned to the doctor.

“I want an abortion.”

“Slow down, Riley,” Aunt Hailey’s voice sounded behind me.

“I've made up my mind…”

“No one is getting an abortion,” she cut me off. “Nathan get over here,” she growled.

Nathan walked in with his head bowed, much to my detest.

“I don't want to have anything to do with that bastard!” I yelled, pointing at him.

“Sorry, Riley, but I won't let you get rid of my grandchild.”

“The both of you will get married and raise the child together…”

“Aunt…”

“You're not cold-hearted, Riley. You wouldn't hurt an innocent child, Riley. You won't deny an innocent child her father's love. You'll get married to Nathan. If not for anything but for the baby growing inside of you.”