BRIELLE
“Maybe she’s lying. I mean, we can’t put it past her right?” Dylan asked me hopefully as he paced about the living room.
His cheerful demeanor had suddenly vanished sometime after he had left my office, and he had cancelled out on lunch saying he had something urgent to tell me and that I should meet him at his place after work.
Oh, he did have something urgent to tell me alright.
I couldn’t believe Madeline Decker was pregnant!
“I really doubt that she’d lie about something as serious as being pregnant, Dy… but then again, she’s Madeline Decker, so I wouldn’t put it past her.” I philosophized.
“Why did I get myself into such a stupid mess? God, I’m so fucking stupid.” I walked towards my handsome hunk and halted his crazy pacing, heaven knows I was starting to feel dizzy. “Tell you what, I think you should meet up with her,” Dylan threw me a horrified look, “No, no, hear me out… You need to see for yourself if she’s lying or not.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea Bree, we’re giving her exactly what she wants.”
“This is going to happen one way or another, I think it’s best if you negotiate on your own terms instead of being forced by some other party.” I advised, drawing a huge sigh of despair out of Dylan. “I’m so sorry for dragging you into such a complete mess, Bree. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.” The six foot over giant told me. I gazed up at him with adoring eyes and pulled him down to my level for a kiss. “I love you Dylan, and that’s all that matters. We’re going to get through this.”
We just had to.
DYLAN
So here I was, meeting up with Madeline like I had promised Brielle, even though the last thing I wanted to do was be here.
I had chosen a very busy restaurant for the unfortunate meeting, and even though Madeline hadn’t been particularly thrilled about my choice of a venue, she had still agreed to show up, which was why I didn’t understand why the annoying woman was late.
A burst of hope soared within me;
Maybe she had been lying all along and had to bail out now that I wanted to meet her!
I sensed her even before I saw her enter the restaurant.
I guess the fates didn’t want me having a minute’s respite.
“Dylan! How lovely to meet you.” She greeted cheerfully after making her way over to me. I didn’t answer, my gaze stuck fully on her slightly protruding belly. This was no joke, the woman really was pregnant!
She collapsed tiredly into her seat, a small smirk on her face as she caressed her belly. “I know… completely took me by surprise too when I found out about it.”
“How long have you known about it?”
“About a month ago—”
“And how sure are you that I’m the father?”
Madeline shot me a wry look. “Believe me Dylan, I haven’t been with any man after you, and I didn’t want this, which is why we wore protection at all times, but it happened, okay—”
She tried reached for my hand, and I pulled away just as quickly. “— and I take that as a very big sign that we were meant to be after all.”
“Well, I’m sorry to break it to you, but this doesn’t change anything. You want to have the child, and I’m not that heartless to ask you to have an abortion.”
She blinked at me in confusion. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m only going to be a father to my child and nothing else.” I clarified. “You and I will never happen, not even if hell freezes over, so start getting with the fucking programme.” I stood up. “Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, we’re having a fucking DNA test when the baby’s born.”
“You’re doing all of this because of Brielle, right?” She asked as I turned to storm off. “I knew I should have killed her when I had the chance.”
Her statement had me freezing in my tracks. “What was that?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but I interjected. “Listen to me, if anything so much as happens to a single hair on Brielle’s head, I. Will. End. You.” I told her softly, methodically, completely meaning every word.
“I believe I also gave you a warning the last time we met, Dylan.” She continued unfazed, “I told you there’d be hell to pay if I found you happy with another woman who wasn’t me. Let me just reiterate that warning again, Thomas –but in fewer words this time— Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
“You’ve been warned Madeline, don’t make me do something stupid that we’d both regret.” I left my statement as parting words to her as I walked out of the restaurant, but she was equally determined to have the last word. “So have you, Thomas!”
BRIELLE
Savannah and I had come straight to Dylan’s after work, and honestly speaking, the woman was the only reason why I hadn’t gone crazy yet from worry. Dylan had left the office around lunch to go see Madeline, and he still wasn’t back. And I didn’t want to call him too.
What are all could they be talking about?
I don’t know, but the news of Madeline’s pregnancy had suddenly filled me with a lot of insecurities. I now felt like I was coming between a family, you know?
A child was supposed to grow up in a happy, loving family, and I felt like my presence was taking that away, which was ridiculous really, because there was no way in hell that Dylan would go back to Madeline.
You don’t know that.
I ignored the evil voice in my head, deciding to focus more on Savannah instead. “Should I get you some more food?”
Savannah laughed. “Only if you want me to pass out from over satisfaction.” I grinned. “Well, you can’t deny that it was a normal question to ask seeing as you were eating for three and all.”
“To be honest, sometimes I eat for five.” She whispered conspiratorially.
We all laughed.
“You’re going to be burning all of that when they are born just by taking care of them, so no harm done.” I told her amidst chuckles. We both settled into pensive silence as our gazes slipped back to the Telenovela playing on the flat screen TV. Savannah absently reached for my hand. “Bree, you know you can talk to me, right? What’s bugging you?”
Damn, she was perceptive.
I turned to face her and conveyed my somewhat crazy fears.
“They’re not crazy fears, Brielle.” She assuaged my worries after hearing me out. “I think it’s normal to feel that way, but let me tell you what. Dylan and your love runs so deep, so true… I don’t think this Madeline issue is going to come between that.” She told me confidently. I leaned my head against her shoulder and tucked my legs under me to get more comfortable. “Thank you, Savvy. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.” She touched her head against mine. “Anytime, love.”
The doorbell rang sometime after that, and I stood up to go answer it. I turned to shoot Savannah a wide-eyed look after peering through the peephole, the action causing Savannah to shoot me one right back. “Who is it?” She whispered.
“Your mother.” I whispered right back. The last time I’d seen her, things didn’t turn out so well. I wasn’t scared of her, but it felt a little offsetting to know that your boyfriend’s mother didn’t like you. “Let me answer it.” Savannah murmured, trying to stand up from the couch. I shook my head. “No, I got this.”
I pasted a fake smile on my face and opened the door. “Hello, please come in.”
Her look of disdain as she entered the large, spacious room was not lost on me. She looked radiant as usual in loose blue slacks and a peach coloured cashmere sweater with matching heels. “So what, you live here now?” I was spared from having to answer by Savannah. “Ma, leave Brielle alone. She doesn’t have to answer to you or anyone else.” She chided. The older woman ignored her, choosing instead to plaster a kiss on her daughter’s cheek.
“What are you doing here, Ma? I thought I was supposed to be the one meeting you and not the other way round.”
Patricia sat daintily on one of the couches, brushing her daughter’s many questions off with a sweep of her hand. “I have really great news, and it just couldn’t wait!” She announced.
Looks like I’m not needed.
“I guess I’ll leave you two to it then.” I muttered.
“No stay, stay.” The old woman ordered, stopping me in my tracks. “You of all people need to hear this even more.” She cleared her throat. “So I went to get lunch, and guess who I bumped into on my way out of the restaurant?” She paused dramatically.
“Ma, just get on with it.” Savvy interjected, and thank God, because I was just about to do same. “Alright fine, jeez you’re no fun anymore. I bumped into Madeline Decker, and guess what? She’s pregnant!”
“I’m guessing she told you Dylan was the father?” I retorted drily, causing Patricia’s gaze to shoot up to meet mine in surprise. “You knew?” The look of disdain was back, with an even worse intensity. “Wait, why am I not surprised. And yet, you’re still here.”
Alright, I’ve had enough.
“Look Patricia, I don’t know why you don’t like me, and to be very frank with you, I don’t care anymore, but what I’m not going to let you do is talk down on me and throw jabs my way like I have done something to offend you when I very well haven’t.”
She stood up. “You want to know why I don’t like you? Well, I’ll tell you. You tried to take my husband away from me, that’s why!” She screamed in my face, all trace of elegance and poise gone, she looked out for blood,
For my blood.
“Ma, what you’re saying doesn’t even make sense—”
“Stay out of this, Anna. You were gone for a very long time.” The raging woman cut her off, her attention shifting back to me. “Oh, you think I don’t know about your affair? About how you two used to sneak into The Windsor Court Hotel? Think about this, and tell me why I should like you!”
Just perfect. This again.
“Patricia, calm down—”
“Do not fucking tell me to calm down!”
Shit, wrong choice of words.
“Shawn and I weren’t having an affair!” I all but screamed in her face. “Now if you want the truth, I’d suggest you calm down and give me a chance to explain!” That seemed to do the trick, I mean the older woman was still seething, but she kept mute. I calmly and quickly explained to her why Shawn and I used to frequent the hotel in the first place. “…You can even go back there and check out the room we always checked into. The medical equipment and everything else is still there, I can also give you the contacts of the doctor and nurse we always dealt with if you still have doubts.” I finished.
At the end of my tale, Patricia was still not convinced, but her anger had mellowed somewhat. “I don’t care about you and Shawn, and I don’t care if you’re lying or not, but one thing I’m not going to let you do is come between Madeline and my son and their child, I’m not going to allow it.” She told me.
“Why do you want Madeline together with your son so desperately, huh?” I asked.
“At this point, it should be obvious to even you that any other woman save yourself would be a much better choice for Dylan.” She quipped with as much venom as she could. By then, Savannah, who had been trying hard not to get involved seeing as tempers had risen to very high altitudes struggled to get to her feet. “This is a whole level of low, Ma… even for you. Just get out. Leave, now.”
The older woman grabbed her bag and headed to the door without another word.
“You know, Patricia…” I called out softly, stopping her in her tracks just as she opened the door. “You seem so hell bent on hating me, even after I’ve clarified everything to you.” I shifted on my foot. “I really wish you all the best with your choice of a daughter-in-law, and I’ve got only a few words of advice for you; always make sure you remain on her good side, because who knows, the next time she does threaten someone, she might use an actual gun for real.”
Patricia opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came out.
“Brielle, explain to me what that means this very instant!” Dylan’s voice rang angry and true as he fully opened the door and stood at the entrance, looking every bit like an angel of vengeance.
Oh, shit.