Why do bad things happen to good people?

Emily was overwhelmed, she had stupidly thought her encounter with Aiden baker was nothing more than a one night stand and that even if she ever came in contact with him, he would not even spare her a second glance not to talk of recognizing her. It was for this reason that she had confidently submitted her job application to Baker’s group the week after their encounter.

Staring at the mail inviting her for a physical interview at the company’s headquarters, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed at herself. There was no way Baker’s group was going to employ her if they found out that she was pregnant. Although a bump wasn’t obvious yet, she knew that a company like the Baker’s group would ask for all their prospective employees to go for a general wellness test before their employment is finalized and knowing how thorough these wellness tests were, Emily knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her pregnancy.

“This is bad” she groaned, brokenhearted “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” she cried.

Deciding to take the bull by the horn, or maybe just relying on pure luck, Emily decided right there and then, while staring at the email inviting her for the interview that she was indeed going to go for the interview and at least try to get Aiden’s audience, maybe if he saw her, he was going to remember their brief encounter and maybe, just maybe he was going to assume responsibility for her pregnancy. She had hopes, she was going to rely on that hope until there wasn’t hope any more.

It was a bright Tuesday afternoon, the sun was out in its full glory but Aiden was in a very terrible mood. He was angry, distraught and frustrated. He had heard good-news early that morning and was very excited, his dreams were coming through, he felt like things were finally falling in line for him. He had worked so hard, graduating with flying colors during his undergraduate day at the tender age of 19, he had gone ahead to get a masters and doctorate degree in business management and administration, all these because he had a dream to take over his grandfather’s business empire, Aiden had worked his way up the ladder just like his grandfather had wanted and now that the old man was finally retiring and stepping away from managerial duties, the company needed a new chairman and all and sundry were well aware that no one deserved the position more than the man’s loyal grandson, Aiden himself. Even his grandfather wasn’t oblivious to that fact, the man was just mischievous in his ways and didn’t like to make things seem easy for people especially for his grandson, Aiden.

Aiden’s parents were well alive, his mother, Vanessa, however had refused to get involved with the family business and would rather spend her days traveling the world and taking magazine worthy pictures. It was what she lived for, the spontaneity of waking up and catching a flight across the continent without prior preparations. She had Aiden when she was nineteen, Aiden’s father, James, was the love of her life and together they did all the traveling, leaving Aiden in care of his grandfather ever since he could distinguish left and right.

Aiden didn’t hate his parents, they were his favorite people alive and he was glad they were living the life of their dreams but sometimes he wishes they would take his side against his strict grandfather.

That morning he had received news that his grandfather was indeed retiring from his position as chairman of the group and he had indeed put down Aiden’s name as his successor, overwhelmed with joy that he was finally going to achieve his dreams, Aiden had put a call across to his grandfather to let the man know how happy he was, but he was met by a let down.

“Grand-pops…” he had started to say when the old man had picked up the call but he was cut off by the man’s usually gruff voice which sounded unusually cheery today.

“Congratulations my boy” His grandfather had said.

Thinking that his old man was thanking him with regards to the new position he was going to take on soon, Aiden smiled, a wide toothed grin, which was a rare sight away from his usual stern demeanor.

“Thanks sir, I heard the news from my secretary this morning. I’m happy you finally took my advice that it was time for you to resign” Aiden says, with a chuckle and an air of playfulness. There was silence on the other end of the call, listening keenly, Aiden was sure he heard someone else in the background.

“I am not congratulating you with regards to that” Aiden’s grandfather said. “Joan is here with me, she was telling me the news about her pregnancy. I always knew you had it in you” The old man continued with a slight chuckle, “We need to start planning the wedding before she starts to show”

Stunned to silence, Aiden couldn’t believe what his grandfather had said, ‘How on earth was Joan pregnant?’ he questioned himself. He knew he would never go close to her even if he were a blind man.

“It can't be…” He said to his grandfather but the man rebuffed him almost immediately.

“She is pregnant and you’re going to marry her. If you don’t do that then you can kiss your dreams of being chairman goodbye.” With a loud grunt, the old man ended the call,

Aiden kept on staring at the blank screen of his phone in utter disbelief. Even to the point of his retirement, his grandfather just had to make his becoming chairman seem like a difficult hurdle.

“But I worked so hard to come this far. I can lose this position due to a pregnancy I know nothing about.” He said, to nobody as he was alone in his office.

Joan Mayers, was a brilliant woman, there was no doubt, being the only daughter of Mayers group, a telecommunication company had its perks, one of which was being closely knitted family friends with the Bakers. Joan had not missed the chance to let Aiden know of the feelings she had for him. But he didn’t have the same feelings for her, to him she was a malicious and calculative woman who would go through corners just to get whatever it was that she wanted, be it a business project or a person. She was a villain in the business and people always knew they had lost when they were trying to get the same contract as Joan Mayers. She was the Maleficent of the business world at the young age of twenty five.

There was one thing she had always wanted but hadn't gotten and that was Adrian’s love, she had tried every trick in her books but all had proved abortive. Well until recently when she had suddenly gotten the genius idea to involve Aiden’s grandfather in her ploys

Her 25th birthday had been a few weeks ago and with the assistance of his grandfather, she had managed to get Aiden to attend her party for the first time in over a decade since she had known him. Aiden had attended the party but after one drink, he had no idea where he was or what had happened until he had woken up in Joan’s bed the morning after, she had assured him that nothing had happened between them and she had even swore that she slept in a different bedroom so what now was this story she was pulling about being pregnant for him.

Aiden knew his grandfather was blinded by the knowledge that their marriage was good for business so he could not see through Joan’s ploys.

Annoyed that the pregnancy could sabotage his chances of being chairman, He spent the remainder of the day in a sour mood thinking of ways to stop Joan from ruining his chances of being chairman.

It also didn’t help that later that afternoon, he could hear a lady screaming outside his office and trying to get through to his secretary.

“Please, I need to see him.”

”Please, he’s the father of my child”

“He knows me…. I swear”

Wanting to know the source of the voice and annoyed that yet another was trying to pin a pregnancy on him, he stormed out of his office, angry. He even got angrier when he came face to face with the college student from weeks ago who had assured him that she was definitely on contraceptives and very safe. He felt betrayed, ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’