Chapter seven

Stephanie sighed as she glanced around the room which was much bigger than her previous apartment entirely. It was beautiful and everything was pink and fresh,with the smell of daises overwhelming her senses.

It was either he had decorated the room for her,or this used to be a woman’s room. She was very sure it was the former as she would have known if a woman lived with him.

“It’s your room. Make yourself at home” Paul said and turned to leave.

“Thanks,I’ll be sure to lock myself in it for the next few months” she quipped sardonically,noting that indeed her things had been arranged in the room.

“I brought all your things.And bought a few more” he said before leaving,ignoring her statement.

True to his words,she opened the wardrobe to find it filled with all kind of dresses!. They were designer and she gasped in surprise. She found her own dress among them,looking like it belonged anywhere else but this room.

She believed that indeed he had arranged the room for her and the clothes were just part of the payment for her child. She closed her eyes as she clenched her fist in pain,wishing she was powerful enough to face Paul,to keep her child with her.

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The shrill ring of the phone made Stephanie open her eyes slowly before jolting up in confusion. She glanced at the door,realizing where she was and muttered a curse.

She picked up the phone,sighing when she saw Ciara’s picture and name pop up on the screen.

“Hello” she called out.

“Where the hell are you?!. I’ve been banging on your door and you aren’t answering! And they said you got discharged from the hospital earlier this evening!!. Are you okay?,where are you!”

“Calm down Cy!,i’m fine” she said,closing the door and sitting down on the bed.

“I’m about to lose my mind right now!,where are you!” Ciara yelled out again.

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you—“ she began.

“Tell me what?!!” Ciara cut in quickly.

Stephanie exhaled,wondering how her friend would react to the news.

“I signed the contract” she said,almost in a whisper.

“Well finally!,you can’t waste your time hoping to win this matter!,but that doesn’t answer my question. Where the hell are you!” Ciara yelled out.

Stephanie removed the phone from her ear and exhaled loudly. Ciara was a good friend but sometimes—,sometimes she was just too much.

“I —just meet me at the playground in thirty minutes ” she said finally,putting the phone back on her ear and hoping that Ciara doesn’t yell again.

“What is going on Steph?,please talk to me!” Ciara ‘s voice was laced with concern,hoping that her friend hadn't done something stupid.

“You'll find out as soon as we meet” she said, ending the call.

She glanced down at her attire and contemplated on going out with it or changing to something more appropriate.

She decided to go with something else even though it was already late and the playground will be empty by this time. She rummaged through the closet and pulled out a pair of tight fitted jeans and a purple off shoulder blouse.

A dress caught her eyes,she recognized it as a limited edition Sophie wang’s dress that Ciara was always talking about as she daydreamed of being rich. Apparently that dress cost a fortune and she was tempted to wear it to show Ciara but she refused to touch any of the clothes he bought for her. She wanted nothing to do with his money. Her child wasn’t for sale and she hoped that if it grew up,it’ll understand that she never took a dime from him,she was only manipulated into signing a contract. She wiped a tear from her eyes and looked at herself In the mirror,trying out different smiles and voicing out words of encouragement to herself.

“Where the hell are you going to at this time of the night?” Paul asked as Stephanie was about to go outside.

She didn’t even see him standing by the wine cellar. She wanted to leave as quietly as possible and be back before he notices her absence.

“Out”

“It’s 10:30” he said,his gaze unwavering.

“I’m going out” she huffed in annoyance and made to leave.

“Where!!!” His voice boomed as he stared daggers at her.

“I’m going to meet a friend!!!” She exclaimed in frustration.

“You can’t!. It’s late” he said firmly and she snorted.

“Am I a hostage here?”, “You manipulated me into signing an evil contract and now you want to hold me hostage?,” she chuckled in disbelief.

“You have to think of the baby..” he was still saying when she cut in.

“The baby?” She exhaled. “The baby is all I think about all day!!,the baby is what brought me into this mess. So don’t you dare talk to me about the baby!!” She yelled in rage and Paul looked at her,wondering how his gentle personal assistant suddenly transformed into something he was unable to define.

“You won’t leave this house tonight” he said firmly,his eyes daring her.

“Try stopping me”she snarled and went through the door,shutting it loudly,leaving Paul looking belwildered.

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“I’ve been here for almost an hour” Ciara huffed in annoyance as Stephanie made to sit beside her.

She was expecting Paul to chase her down to the playground and was glad when he didn’t. Just because she signed the contract does not mean that he could order her around. She doesn’t work for him anymore anyways.

“Hey” she said as she sat down.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ciara asked as she took a sip of her milkshake. “Want some?” She asked, offering it to Stephanie who declined.

“The thing is….”

Ciara cut in again, “why weren’t you at your apartment?”

“I..er…well you see….” She trailed off,feeling like a child explaining bad deeds to her parents.

“I moved in with Paul” she said quickly after a while as Ciara looked at her intently.

“You….what??!!!!” She yelled.almost choking on her milkshake. “You’re joking right?”

“I wish I was!!. You know I didn’t want to sign that contract!. He manipulated me into doing that!. He knows I can’t say no to him after being so kind to me” Stephanie said,her voice depicting how sad she was.

“So..one of the contract clauses was you moving in with him?”

“Yes!. And not working anywhere,even at Costa inc. until the baby is born. Cy,I feel like I sold myself and my baby to this man” she said in regret.

“Damn!!! And you absolutely cannot do anything about it!. People like us dare not challenge people like him else they’ll use their money to crush us” Ciara said and Stephanie nodded silently.

“But the house is beautiful at least” ciara quipped and Stephanie smiled sadly. It was only the bed and her baby that brought her joy.

“You know I’ve been there several times,but not into any of the rooms…” Stephanie began and then proceeded to tell Ciara everything about the room,including the clothes and the Sophie wang’s dress and Ciara gushed about how at least she was being held hostage in a mansion.

“I don’t mind being held hostage for a Sophie wang dress” she had said.

They talked for a while with Ciara promising to visit next time before they both left.

Unknown to Stephanie,as she entered the house,someone in a car by the corner saw her and looked on in surprise,noting that it was late and the gate was opened for her as if she lived there. The onlooker sighed sadly and stepped out of the car.