Chapter 5

~Gabriella‘s POV~

When Xander turned a year old, I went back to school. I was freelancing and active with my photography. I was studying part-time, and finally, I graduated, and I couldn't find a job. I also wanted to improve my photography and videography skills. Xander and I agreed to go visit one of the shelters every Saturday morning. Xander was now four years old, and he was such a sweet little boy. Because I didn't have a car, I leased a studio near his school to take him to pre-school every morning and pick him up every day. Alex and Chloe married last year and bought a house. On Saturday, Chloe and Alex were hosting a barbecue, and we were invited. We took a cab to Alex and Chloe's home after visiting the shelter with Xander. We were the only ones there, with the exception of a few of Alex's friends. Since we were always looked down on as orphans, Chloe and I have never been very good at making friends. Due to the inclement weather outside, we chose to stay indoors and watch television. Xander was outside with Alex and his friends. We weren't paying attention to what was on TV or what was being said as we were busy talking about work, but I heard it.

It has now been confirmed that Javier Hills, the zillionaire businessman, is no longer reachable. Sandra Williams, his seven-year-old girlfriend, is now engaged to him.

When I saw Javier's photos on TV, my jaw dropped wide. I wasn't in the mood. About 5 years ago, he was dating someone when he slept with me. So that's why he abandoned me and left me in that manner. I screamed. I couldn't control myself any longer. It was as though I'd seen a ghost. Then it dawned on me what had happened. I was just supposed to be a one-night stand for him. Why did I make such a big deal out of it? I wiped my tears. I know he's alive, at the very least. If Xander enquired about his father, I would tell him that he is alive but is unable to join us. That's better than telling him I'm not sure whether he's alive or not. After the barbecue, we came home. I bathed and put Xander to bed. As soon as I walked inside my room, I started crying. What drove him to do such a thing to me? He had prior experience. He could have pulled out or used a condom at the very least. I appeared to be well throughout the day, but I knew I was drained. He had a girlfriend, so he should have been responsible. At the very least, I now accept and acknowledge my unimportance. I'm not going to bother him in any way. His absence has been beneficial to my son and me in many ways. We've been able to get by without him. He is completely unaware that he is a father. I dropped my son off at school the following day and went to work. Due to the increasing demand for studio photographs, my studio was recently filled.

With time, the studio became busier, so I added two additional employees, Logan and John, who were both outstanding. I was editing at my office when I received a call from Xander's school, who said he was experiencing an allergic reaction. I dashed to school to pick him up. I was terrified since my son had never been hospitalized before. When we arrived at the hospital, Xander was in bad shape; his body was swelled, and he was frantically scratching his whole body; he began crying, and everyone stared at me as I raced in. I accidentally bumped into someone and dropped my belongings while apologizing to her. I had to put Xander down and gather the items I dropped. Xander couldn't stop crying and I was terrified; he'd never been sick before. To my amazement, the lady made a fast phone call and ordered me to follow her, which I did. We entered the ward, which was equipped with everything. I shifted my gaze to the doctor.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't make a reservation for the VIP ward."

"Don't worry, ma'am; everything has been taken care of."

"By whom," I inquired of the doctor.

"I did," said the elderly lady I'd met earlier.

"Ma'am, you didn't have to."

" It's okay child, what matters is that your son should get treated. If you want to pay me, just take him to visit me. I live alone, and a child may transform a house into a home."

" Thank you very much, I'll definitely bring him." The doctor interrupted our conversation and asked

" What caused the reaction is pretty bad"

"They ate brinjals and chickpea curry, according to his teacher. I have never cooked that at home. Chickpeas and brinjals are two foods that I despise. That's why I was completely unaware that Xandar was allergic to it."

"Assist me with removing his t-shirt," the doctor said. I observe Xander's birthmark being assessed by an elderly woman. Then I heard her enquire.

" Do you have a birthmark like his?"

"No, I'm not afflicted with a birthmark. I think it's from his father or someone in his family, or maybe even mine, but I'm not sure." She smiled as she glanced at me, and I smiled back.

" Do you mind bringing him to me this weekend?"

" Sure, I can bring him."

"If it's okay with you, I'd appreciate it if you could bring him to me every weekend. My home may be monotonous at times."

"It's not a problem at all; it's difficult to get someone to babysit on weekends, so if you don't mind, I'll bring him and pick him up later."

We swapped phone numbers.

"Well, it's settled then. They gave him sedatives. He should be OK when he wakes up.” I thanked her, and she left, not sure why, but I feel like I can trust her with my son.