Chapter 3

OLIVIA CABELLO

Kneeling near the toilet bowl most mornings and nights wasn’t a good sign.

Then again not eating for weeks and crying yourself to sleep for weeks might have brought the puking but I knew better.

“You’ve gotta take this, Liv. You have avoided this for so long and maybe it’s time we confirmed what we already knew.”

I wash my mouth, taking a gulp of mouthwash and gazing myself at the mirror.

My hair is in a messy bun, my eyes are sunken, I look like I lost five pounds in a week but the look in my eyes is what frightens me.

“No.”

Jules pushes the small box across the marble counter to meet my right hand.

I look at the box then my eyes are back to the mirror.

No. I can’t be…

“It won’t hurt to try, will it? You’ve got nothing to lose anyway so try it.”

I take the box, the one that has the words ‘pregnancy’ written on it in bold.

“He always ensured I was on birth control. He always said he didn’t want any kids”, Yet my heart gasps for breath in my chest at the prospect of me being…

“Try it, Olivia.”

With shaking hands, I take the box, I remove the fat white stick lodged inside.

Ten minutes later, I’m peeing on it, my legs shaking, my thoughts all scrambled.

I can’t be pregnant.

Not for him.

Not when I just vowed to stay away and nurse my heartbreak, not when he is marrying another woman and the media is calling me a slut for thinking I could be with a man like him.

I can’t be pregnant.

“You are pregnant”, Jules says, her voice full of surprise and a surge of happiness.

I gaze at the two parallel lines on the stick again and again, my eyes welling with tears and my heart throbbing painfully.

“I’m… pregnant?”

The words tumble out of my mouth clawing something deep inside me.

“Liv, this is… this is great news! Are you going to tell him? He is the father, right? This could change everything. He wouldn’t marry another woman if he knew you were pregnant.”

The chuckle that erupts from my lips jabs a sharp pain in my heart as I hold my tummy, rubbing it to feel the new life growing inside of me.

“Ryat doesn’t love me. To him, I’m an object for sex, that’s why he insisted on birth control. He will reject my child and I will never allow that. I will never allow my child to be born a bastard. Ryat Winchester will never find out he has a child because my baby is mine. Mine, Jules.”

---

“Hey little mama, how about you give us a taste?” the man with the disgusting mullet taunts, the minute I place the burger on top of their table.

His friends laugh along with him as they all stick their eyes to my pink waitress’ uniform.

I have always been curvy and I blame my Latina roots for it. I also blame my roots for the anger boiling inside me that wants me to punch these men or insult them.

I can’t insult them though. This job is the only thing that will help Jules pay the bills and plus the manager here was gracious enough not to ask about my pregnancy that can be seen a little if you look hard enough.

“Can I get you anything else?” I ask with a pen and paper in my hand and an even faker smile plastering my lips.

Mullet guy speaks again and I know from his smile that shows tobacco-stained teeth that I won’t like the next words he has to say.

“You, spread out for us on this table would be great, little mama. Come on, we’ll even give you a generous tip.”

This guy is asking for a punch in the teeth but I let his words slide.

I won’t risk a fight ensuing in here and my baby and I getting hurt.

“If that’s all, thank you for dining at Jill’s and I hope the food is to your satisfaction.”

I hope you choke on it. That’s what I wish for most.

I turn around and leave but I don’t miss the laughs and the sexist comments.

“Are you okay, girl? I know Mason and his bros can be a lot”, my co-worker, Sasha shoots me a concerned look as soon as I reach the counter.

“I honestly don’t give a fuck about them as long as I keep my job.”

She smiles, “I wish I had your spirit. So, remember when you told me if anyone came asking for you, I tell you as soon as possible? Well, this lady came here last night but you were done with your shift and today well, take a look at her yourself. Right there, table number seven, she has been waiting to talk to you.”

My field of vision locks on table number seven and the woman’s jewelry glows all the way to where I’m standing.

My teeth grit.

I know her.

I have never seen her in person but I know her.

And I have an inkling as to what she’s doing here.

I make my way to table number seven, pen and paper in hand.

The minute I stand in front of her, her wrinkled face comes to sight and so does her judgy eyes.

“Welcome to Jill’s, what can I get you?”

“Olivia Cabello? No need to be so formal. How about you sit down and we can have a proper chat?”

“I’m working as you can see, ma’am. I don’t really have the time to sit and chat with customers.”

Not customers who’ll piss me off anyway.

Her eyes linger down to my tummy.

I’m four weeks pregnant, basically a month and not many people noticed it that much.

Not even the father of the baby has been able to find me or find out I’m carrying his child but why does this woman look at me and see right through me?

“I’m here to discuss the future of my grandchild.”

That has me pausing then with concealed fury, I take a seat opposite Gisell Winchester, Ryat’s mother and utter the words,

“My baby is not your anything, ma’am.”

“I will get straight to the point, Olivia. You are poor, you have no money to support that child, your own mother disowned you and you are living a lie telling yourself you can raise that baby on your own.”

“Why are you here because I have to say, your ‘I’m rich, you are poor’ insults are getting a little bit outdated.”

“No matter the circumstances that baby has Winchester blood running through it so I’m here to propose a solution that will benefit both of us.

I will give you a fully furnished house, a car if you want, money and resources for the pregnancy but when my grandchild is born, I want you to disappear and leave him with us, his rightful family.”

I gasp before my eyes widen and bitter bile rises up my throat.

“His rightful family? You are crazy if you think I’ll give up my baby-.”

“Twenty million dollars.”

“My baby is not for sale.”

How could she?

“Fifty million.”

“This conversation is over.”

“This deal is to save you and your child.”

“I don’t need any saving. I have saved myself well enough for twenty-one years.”

Her hands interlock on the table, the patience she had minutes ago falling like a house of cards to a gust of wind.

“My son doesn’t know you are pregnant. He doesn’t need to know you are pregnant when he is getting married soon either.”

“You can keep your son and your money to yourself. Ryat and I were over since a month ago. I don’t want his help. I don’t want him near my child.”

“Is that what you think? That you are over? Believe me Olivia, if there’s one thing my sons are stubborn about is their mistresses. He is going to get married but he is still going to hunt you wherever you run to and chain you to him. Is that what you want? The life of a mistress?”

“Your son. And. I. Are. Over. I will never get back with him.”

Gisell Winchester stands up and takes her handbag with her. She towers over me and a sneer mars her face.

“Then run, Olivia. Take all your things and run before my son finds you.”