Professor Dearest

CHLOE

"I'm pregnant," I whispered, softly, unable to stop my fingers from sliding over the other.

Nathan looked at me like I was speaking French. "Come again," he said coldly. "You're what?"

I licked my lips tentatively, trying hard not to look down on the blue carpets. "Nathan, I know that this is hard to accept but I'm pregnant and..."

He chuckled as he moved closer to me, his fingers suddenly groping my chin, causing me a slight discomfort. I swallowed the lump in my throat, hoping he'd stop.

"This is a prank, right?"

I tried to shake my head, but I couldn't move, thanks to the pressure he had on my chin. I tried to plead with my eyes for him to stop. "I'm not joking around. I'm carrying our child. I'm a few weeks gone and the doctor..."

He shoved me back harshly and I struggled to maintain my balance. Nathan growled and I could hear his fist connect to the wall, causing a shudder to rock down my spine.

"Please, don't do this," I cried, straightening up. "I know that you said your family won't accept me, but now I'm having the heir to the empire, they would care for me and we would have a future together. You just need to see it... I mean, we just need to try..."

"You. Fucking. Bitch," Nathan's cold voice, rang like ice through the room, stopping my babbling and making me flinch like he had physically struck me across the face.

I angled my face to look at him and noticed how the sun made his eyes more menacing. This wasn't the man that I loved. It felt like he had been replaced with someone else. Surely, this was a bad dream.

"You really are so smart. I wonder whose brilliant idea it was that you could trap me with a fake pregnancy."

I slid my fingers together, wringling it slightly like it would solve anything. "It's not..."

"Too bad, Chloe," he whispered easily, pushing his hair off his eyes. "I'm not as foolish as those men, who would believe everything a whore says and ruin their lives for them."

I shook my head. "I won't..."

He stared straight at me, causing my words to die on my tongue. "We can't continue this anymore. It's too bad though, because it was a damn good run. But, you've proven to be too much work, so I'm letting you off."

“What do you mean?” I asked, dread filling my gut. Surely he wasn't saying…

"Don’t act dumb Chloe. I'm breaking up with you.” He said, voice cold and detached.

Nathan stepped closer into my space and I couldn't bring myself to step back. My muscles felt locked in. His fingers tapped my cheek and he lowered his head, so he could be a breath away from me, and I could scent was his musky perfume.

"One more thing," he whispered conversationally. "Not a word of this ill-fated relationship to the public. And, make sure that my parents don't get a whiff of this with your fake pregnancy or you'd definitely wish we hadn't crossed paths with each other. Do I make myself clear?"

My lips quivered and I could only look at him with misted eyes. He smirked and there was nothing warm about it. And, then he gave a nod and stepped away from me, as though he was pleased by whatever he saw in my eyes.

I watched him walk out of the door, straightening his white suit like nothing had happened. When, all he'd done was break my heart into two and give it to me to eat.

I could hear the sounds of a clock nearby, ticking as I looked on at the now closed door. He wasn't coming back to tell me that he was pulling my legs and he would be so ready to be a father. I was just alone.

I was fucking alone, again.

My knees doubled over, and I held the hem of my blue gown tightly over my knees with my shoulders haunched over. A lone tear slid down my lids and a few more treacherous tears followed suit.

What could I have done to make him so angry?

He wasn't supposed to be this man...

I could still remember, when I was about eight years old and Mr Willis brought me here, to their home for the first time, after my parents death. They had told me that Nathan and his twin, Sebastian were my new brothers and I should be comfortable here. I hadn't questioned anything because it seemed normal when my parents worked for the Willis for a long time.

Life was okay, until it all changed on my fifteenth birthday. I can't even remember what had happened because I had an accident that made me get this head injury. But, everyone told me Nathan had saved me from his brother and I was safe now.

I thought that he was my hero, and I... I foolishly fell for him. Of course, he knew, and asked me out. And, like a lovesick teenager, I said yes.

Looking back, our relationship was supposed to be the most beautiful thing ever, but Nathan tainted that by telling me it should be a secret relationship. He never made me feel like I was worth being on his arm because I was a servant's daughter, and by extension I was a servant.

I know, I should have taken it as a hint. But... my head slid back... you can't blame me for it. I always saw him as my hero.

But, I won't lie. I hated the fact that despite being my man, he would move around with other women and his face would be plastered all over the newspapers with him.

Oh, my God!

I placed a hand on my throat, stilling myself from throwing up. I was such an idiot. Why did I ever think he would look at me like I was meant to do this life with him because I told him I was pregnant?

He was never the hero that I thought he was.

Nathan's changed and I was just a fucking fool because I couldn't see it. I couldn't see all the lies. I couldn't see that using his parents all the time was an excuse. Yes, his mom is a classist queen, but having a child would have changed it all. But, it didn't change him...

It didn't...

I choked back on my sob, at the same time, the faint sound of feminine music tickled my ears. It sounded so far, yet near at the same time.

Taking two breath, I staggered back to my feet, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. I went over to my vanity mirror, using one of the powders on my face. I didn't care what it was though, as long as it didn't make me look like I had been crying.

I took another shaky breath and stepped out of the room to the quiet hallway. The music grew stronger with each step I took, but I tried not to think too much.

This was Nathan's 24th birthday, and I needed to find him. I needed to talk to him again. My fingers subconsciously moved to my stomach. This wasn't for me, but my child.

Nathan didn't handle challenges easily and if I reasoned with him again... he could....

My thoughts spiralled to a stop as I stared at Nathan. I didn't realised I'd almost reached the front of the ballroom till now.

He was smiling, his fingers sliding over a woman's waist as she placed her hand covetly on his chest.

I knew that woman...

Jessica Kale.

She was always after me, and so mean to me. A bully that I had cried to Nathan about. And, yet, she was with him, like she belonged there.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Nathan announced, his voice booming through the room. “It's been a long time coming, but I'd like to introduce my fiancée, Jessica Kale.”

I gasped in shock as my blood turned to ice. Fiancee?

He smiled widely, eyes never wandering to me as he turned and kissed her on the lips. The room erupted in applause, but I stood frozen, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

This couldn't be happening.

But it was. On the podium, Nathan seemed to bask in the praise, a smile on his face. Jessica did the same, her arms wrapped around him. It made me feel like I was suffocating.

I wanted to throw up.

I stilled myself, begging mentally for Nathan to look at me, so I could see the truth.

I don't know what truth I wanted, but anything other than what was staring me in the face.

But, he never did.

Instead, bodies shoved me sideways, as they moved to congratulate the couple.

This wasn't a nightmare.

This was real.

Nathan... I looked at him once more, and noticed he was kissing Jessica Kale... He was not mine anymore.

Something cold snapped in me, and I turned around and ran.

I had no idea where I was going, but all I knew was I couldn't breathe. My chest was tight.

My mind kept replaying the X-ray, Nathan's words, he and Jessica locking lips over and over again like a broken record.

"Hey!"

I paused then and realized I was standing in the middle of a deserted road with a car coming full force towards me.

Am I going to die?

My hands moved to my stomach at once, as I hit the tarred road with a thud.

"Hey! Are you okay?” A deep, masculine voice queried.

Dazed, I slid my lashes up to see a figure looming over me. Against the lights, I couldn't see him, but then he stepped to the side and I realized it was...

Sebastian Willis.

Nathan's twin brother.

The man that nearly killed me years ago.