Chapter Nine

Paul sat at the counter of the dimly lit bar, fiddling with the drink in his hand. He had been sitting and waiting for Kenneth for almost thirty minutes and was really losing his patience. 

The two women at his home really bothered him. Victoria had tried to get him to lay with her so many times that he believed she got tired and stopped. He saw the hurt in her face each time he rejected her and it bothered him, leaving him feeling awful about deceiving her, but it had to be done. He had to marry her or risk losing the company to his cousin, whom he absolutely despised. But he was happy that she was making an effort to be close to Stephanie, who has avoided him ever since Victoria showed up.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and began to dial Kenneth’s number when he felt a pat on his shoulder.

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, sighing as he saw the familiar face. It was Kenneth.

‘I thought I was going to grow grey hairs here waiting for you, ’ He said and Kenneth chuckled lightly.

‘Whiskey’ He told the bartender,before levelling his gaze at Paul. ‘You look stressed,what’s up’ he asked.

‘I am stressed’ he blurted out firmly and Jason sighed as he took the glass from the bartender,taking a sip.

‘Victoria stress?’ he questioned 

‘Women stress’, Paul confessed,remembering all the women and how they each troubled him. Victoria,Stephanie,his mother and his recently hired personal assistant who was dumb and incompetent and who he is beginning to regret hiring.

‘Women trouble?,that’s funny”,he remarked,oblivious to the gravity of Paul’s situation. “I thought you said there wasn’t another woman” he said and burst out laughing.

‘It’s not funny man’

‘Of course it is. You have women trouble,that is funny’ he pointed out and burst out laughing again. ‘talking of women,what happened with Stephanie,you promised to tell me’

Paul sighed and braced himself for his friends reaction to the news he was about to drop.

‘She’s carrying my child and she now lives with me’ he said finally after a long silence.

Kenneth stared at him unblinkingly for some passing seconds before he burst out laughing.

Very funny man,’ he said grinning.

Paul sighed in frustration, ‘does it look like I’m joking here?’he sneered.

Kenneth snorted and chuckled again, ‘you’re either joking or insane’ he quipped,taking another sip of his drink as he wondered whether his friend was on drugs.

Paul raked his hand through his hair in aggravation and downed his drink in one shot as he proceeded to narrate everything to Kenneth,from when Stephanie  told him about her pregnancy to Victoria finding out,stressing on how dire the situation was.

Kenneth gaped intently at his friend as his laughter faded into disbelief.

‘Man!,you fucked up big time!,Stephanie...she’s hot,I myself just noticed ,but you don’t plant your seeds in women like her!,they aren’t to be kept,they’re just for the moment’ he exclaimed,feeling extremely sorry for his friend’s situation.

‘I know that,but I have to keep her in my house because of the baby,I can’t let anything happen to her or the baby!’ he said and Kenneth sighed.

“By keeping her in your house?!” He exclaimed incredulously.

“Have you seen where she lives?,in a dump!,you’d wonder what she does with all the money she’s been paid. And I can’t let a child of mine grow up in that filth” he exclaimed.

‘I really don’t know what to say,just don’t let Victoria get angry,she’s your ticket to keeping your company, ‘he advised . Just then his phone rang and he glanced at the caller id before muttering a curse. ‘I have to go man,I’m sorry,let’s catch up later’ he said and dropped some bills on the table before leaving Paul pondering on his complicated situation.

Paul sighed before he too got up,dropped some bills and left.

      =================

Stephanie was sitting in the living room watching a soap opera when the door opened,it was Victoria and upon seeing her,she muttered a greeting and made to leave for her room when Victoria stopped her.

‘Are you leaving because of me?’,she questioned softly and Stephanie shook her head in denial. 

‘Then let’s go shopping’ she said as she literally dragged Stephanie out to her car.

‘I don’t like your outfits,they’re tasteless,” she said on the way ‘and you are fat!’ she added with a smile and chuckled. ‘don’t worry, we’ll find your fit,you’ll love it. I want you to look beautiful that day’

‘What day?’ Stephanie asked and Victoria laughed again and whispered ‘My engagement party’ she chuckled again 

‘Y…your..engagement’, she stuttered,she had been dumbfounded when Victoria had introduced herself as paul’s fiancée,and now engagement?. Her heart clenched in her chest,she knew she could never be with him but him being with another woman in front of her would really hurt her. He was an assshole,but she still liked him.

‘He’s going to propose on the day of my family’s fundraising event,he wants it to be a surprise,but I already know,don’t tell him though. Anyways I would love it if you could be there for us’ she rambled on and Stephanie totally blocked out her voice as she felt her heart shatter to pieces.

She felt a hand waving at her face and then she realised it was a smiling Victoria. Victoria who had been acting kind towards her since she came to the house. Who was she to even have feelings for him?,A lowly woman like her?.She glanced down at her belly,remembering that this had happened because she wanted to fulfil her fantasy,but of course it wasn’t enough.She smiled back at Victoria and even with the painful revelation,she replied calmly,masking her true feelings.

‘Yes,why not,i’ll be there’

‘perfect!’ Victoria beamed in happiness,everything would fall into place very soon,she thought.

They soon finished shopping and stopped by a restaurant for lunch before heading home.

‘Why don’t you tell me about yourself,I want to get to know you’ Victoria asked on the way home.

‘Well,there’s nothing much to know about me,I’m an only child and I lost my father before I was born....’ she was still saying when Victoria suddenly cut in.

‘You never had a father growing up?’ she gasped in surprise and shook her head in pity. ‘That must be why you got pregnant for paul!’ she exclaimed  and Stephanie looked at her in surprise,suddenly getting angry.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Well you see,according to research,girls who grow up without fathers tend to become females who become attached to someone stable,most times—someone’s man and in this case,paul. He must be the most stable man in your life’ she said as she pulled into the driveway.

Upon stepping out of the car,she turned to Stephanie who was still in daze, 

‘Was that insultive?” She questioned,peering at Stephanie’s face before continuing, “The thing is that I don’t want you to have false hopes when it comes to paul,he is too soft,you shouldn’t think you’re special because you’re carrying his child,he just loves things that are way beneath him,things he can’t have’ she said the last part with disgust and Stephanie looked on in shock,how dare this woman talk to her like this. It wasn’t her choice staying in the house,if possible she would leave quickly,she wanted nothing more than to leave.

Victoria made to leave but as if on second thought,she stopped and turned to Stephanie, ‘I’m not mean sweetheart,you seem like a nice person so i’m being kind to you too,but if you don’t trust me,ask him who Helena walters is’ she said coolly and went inside,leaving Stephanie still in a trance.