FATED BOND

Three months after dad’s death, I was already a shadow of myself. The only thing that kept me alive was the joy of becoming a mother soon.

I barely go out. I don’t dress up or do anything worthwhile, except to sleep, eat, and cry all-day.

Lizzy came to sympathize with me but I didn’t allow her in. I heard her telling aunt Susana that my attention was needed in the company.

I watched Lizzy from downstairs and I realized she had a baby bump too. It was not as little as mine.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and I thought about the possibility of dad having a child with his secretary. A posthumous son or girl.

Aunt Susana didn’t inform me of what Lizzy said to her and the next day, she got dressed and went to work. She began to go to the company daily. That was when I realized the essence of Lizzy’s visit. She wanted me to take control. But I was scared. I was just 16.

How can I control and manage a company at this tender age? I asked myself.

“Tender age yet you are pregnant?” My inner voice questioned.

Aunt Susana and I lived under the same roof but we were living worlds apart. We barely talked to each other, ever since the day dad died.

She never showed any concern for me or the welfare of the baby.

I made a decision then to go to the office the next day and I stood up from my bed, walked closer to the closet, and searched for an appropriate dress for the next day. When I came across a suit, I pulled it out and ironed it in my room.

I checked the phone I had abandoned for those two months and I saw several phone calls and condolence messages from different people. I didn’t go through them. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I put the phone off and threw it inside the bag I planned to go out with the next day.

I walked to the mirror and looked at myself in it. There were big blue bags over my eyes and my eyes look bloodshot. My nose was becoming bigger and so were my cheeks too.

My hair was disheveled and I picked up the comb. I combed it slowly, letting it fall to my side. After combing it thoroughly, I packed it up into a ponytail.

I need to get my life back, I told myself as I stood up from the stool.

****

My alarm clock woke me up from the bed as I grumbled in dissatisfaction. I needed more sleep.

The moment I remembered I have an office to go to, I opened my eyes sharply and scrambled out of bed. It was 7 am and I needed to be in the office by 8 am.

I was supposed to call and inform Lizzy but I guessed making it a surprise would be better. I smiled for the first time in two months.

I know Lizzy would be happy to see me. I hoped the company was in good condition. I took my bath and ran to the kitchen to toast some bread. I took the bread and the hot tea I made back to my room to eat.

I finished eating with my towel on me. Then I walked to the dressing mirror and applied my lotion to my body. When I was done, I wore my suit and applied a little makeup. I wore stiletto black heels and picked up in a bag.

I stood in front of the mirror to check myself out. When I was satisfied with my look, I picked up the plate and went downstairs. I thought of informing aunt Susana of my decision to go to the office as I entered the kitchen and kept the plate in the sink.

I walked out of the kitchen and went towards her room. I hit my left leg on my way and I winced in pain.

“Shit”, I cursed as I stopped walking and removed the shoe to massage my toe. I sighed and wore my shoe back before strolling to the door.

I raised my hand to knock to know if she was awake or still asleep when I heard her loud moans. I stood rooted to my spot.

This is a woman whose husband’s death isn’t up to a year yet, I said inwardly with disbelief.

She was supposed to be mourning her husband, not moaning in pleasure, I judged.

I guessed it was payback time as I remembered dad brought her into the house with pregnancy, a year after mom’s death. Which showed that it wasn’t up to a year when dad started having an affair with her.

After overcoming the shock, I opened the door and went in.

Mike from dad’s office was having sex with aunt Susana on her matrimonial bed.

“Mike”, I called and they scrambled to their feet.

****

“The company is in very bad shape, Daisy. Your dad’s death is so unfortunate”, Lizzy cleaned her tears.

“What is happening?” I questioned, trying not to get overwhelmed by my emotions.

“I don’t know, Daisy. The little I know, I can’t explain to you because you won’t understand it.”

“Why?”

“You don’t know how the system here works.” She explained.

I sighed and looked at her belly. She noticed and smiled. “I’m sorry about the other day. It’s not what you think.”

“You are a grown-up woman, Lizzy. I need no explanation. I’m pregnant too.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“What? How come I didn’t notice?”

“Yes.” Her eyes fell on my little baby bump.

She kept looking at me strangely and I felt ashamed of myself. I decided to change the topic before she would start asking me questions concerning any pregnancy.

“Mike and aunt Susana are together. I saw them having sex this morning”, I blurted out.

“What? Oh My God! I think I’ll have to leave this company. Your mother is in charge now and if she gets to know about what happened between your father and me, she will kill me.”

“She is not my mother”, I retorted, ignoring the fear in her voice. Why would she be scared of aunt Susana, I thought to myself?

She didn’t answer me. My gaze fell on her tummy again and I asked. “Is it dad’s?”

She didn’t expect the question. She looked away and smiled before nodding her head in response.

****

I got home late in exhaustion. I got down from the car and walked into the house as Andrew went to his quarters.

I opened the door, and dragged my legs into the house in tiredness, to see Mike and aunt Susana laughing heartily in the living room.

When they saw me, they both went silent. I ignored them as I dragged my feet upstairs.

“Daisy”, aunt Susana called, making me stop on the last staircase.

“Have you no manners? Why can’t you greet Mike?” I turned back to stare at her, then looked at Mike who avoided my gaze.

“You want me to greet you or him?” I demanded. She didn’t answer but kept eyeing me.

I folded my arms and laughed out loud and long. “If you want me to greet your lover, then tell him to look me in the face. If he can do that, I’ll gladly do as you say.”

“What?” She exclaimed. “Are you out of your mind?”

I was watching Mike. I expected him to raise his head up to look at me but he didn’t. “He can’t look me in the eyes, so goodnight”, I said and walked out on them.

I had enough problems already. Dad’s company was going bankrupt and there was no one to go to for aid. I was not ready to add Mike and Susan’s affairs to the list of my problems.

I felt like crying but I gulped down my spit and emotions, reminding myself that I would be strong… that I won’t cry again. I kept repeating to myself that it’s just a phase.

“If you don’t leave this house today, I’ll gladly pull that stupid child out of your womb”, aunt Susana burst into my room with a knife as I ran to the other side of the room in fear.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m not kidding. I want you out of this house or else I’ll kill you and the baby.”

“It’s my dad’s house”, I said stubbornly.

“Really? Where is he now? Tell him to come and claim the house”, she yelled at me.

“You killed him”, I yelled back. Her face turned red.

“Did you just say that?” She was moving towards me with the knife. I became scared when I saw the devilish look on her face. I knew at that moment that she was serious when she said she would kill me.

I jumped on the bed and crossed to the other side before running to the bathroom. Then I locked the door from inside, hoping she wouldn’t break the door and kill me like she said she would. My tiredness had vanished and my heart was pounding in fear.

She laughed. “I know you are smart enough to do the right thing”, she uttered and I heard her leaving the room.

Everywhere became silent but I didn’t dare to go out of the bathroom till the next morning, at dawn.