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~~~OLIVIA - five years later~~~
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"Kelsey Jennifer Smith, you really need to get up now or you will be late!" I walked into my baby's room, a spatula in hand to find that my baby girl who had to leave for kindergarten in half an hour was still in bed and with the blanket over her head.
"I don't want to go to school!" She whined from under her space blanket.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and placed my hand on where I saw the bump of her head. "And why is that, monkey?" I asked her, lighting tapping on what I assumed to be her forehead.
Kelsey threw the blanket off her face and pouted. "I will go to school if you give me something that I am going to ask you!"
Oh boy. This was never fun.
My baby girl, no matter how much I hated to admit it, was a product where the sperm won the gene battle. My genes didn't even try. Except for hair color and face shape.
So she was stubborn as an ox, like her biological father.
And she always got what she wanted, like her biological father.
And that never went well for me, like it was with her biological father.
"And that is? A kiss? More chocolate syrup on the waffles? Don't say a puppy." I grinned at her, hoping she would not grab onto the puppy that I had let slip from my tongue.
"A Daddy."
I froze.
"Huh?"
Kelsey sat up on her bed. "I want a Daddy, Mommy. Everyone at school has a Daddy, except me. Why is that?"
Maybe, the puppy was a better option.
"Uh... Jasmine has two Mommies." I tried, squirming uncomfortably in my seat.
Kelsey was only four. And she had never mentioned her father before and I never brought it up. I thought that when she was older, I would be able to make her understand. But now? At four years? This was going to be a task.
"Then get me one more Mommy." Kelsey scoffed.
"Am I not enough?" I pouted.
Kelsey narrowed her eyes.
I know I know. I should not be emotionally blackmailing my own child but what else was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to get her a Mommy or Daddy when my last relationship had ruined relationships for me?
But hey, another Mommy. The idea wasn't too bad. If only, I developed an attraction towards women.
"Mommy!" My kid brought me out of my useless train of thought.
"Yes, monkey?" I smiled sweetly at her.
"I want a Daddy. You suck at running." She said.
I gaped at her. "I run faster than you."
I know I know. I should not be comparing myself with a four-year-old but what else was I supposed to do?
"You don't run faster than other Mommies and Daddies at the parent sports meet!" She pointed out.
Should I just spend more time at the gym because her need for a Daddy seemed to be rooted in being good at athletics?
My heart stung. Her biological father really was good at sports though. Except, he could never be her Daddy.
"Honey..." I started but sighed. What was I supposed to tell a four-year-old? "It's complicated okay? You are too small to know and understand."
"I want a Daddy." She said stubbornly. "And I want a brother."
"Where did that come from?" I spluttered.
"Mommy, please?"
"Monkey, I won't say it again. Get out of bed and brush your teeth. Then we will get you ready for school."
"But I want a Daddy!" She screamed.
"I will get you a Daddy for Christmas," I said. Wow, Liv, nice going!
"Really?" She grinned. That look of victory that she got copy-pasted from her biological father.
"Yes really."
"That is, in two weeks?"
Oh shit.
"Bad word Mommy!"
Did I say that out loud?
"So in two weeks?" She held up two fingers, up on her feet, and bounced on her bed.
"I meant next Christmas!" I tried to placate the situation. Where was I supposed to find a Daddy in two weeks?
"Nooo!!"
"Fine! Two weeks." I sighed. I sucked at this parenting business.
Leaving Kelsey to brush, I walked back to the kitchen, massaging my temple with my free hand.
What had I done?
What was wrong with me?
I was going to disappoint my daughter in the worst way possible in two weeks. Unless I put an advertisement in my newspaper for a Daddy for rent or something!
Huh. That ain't a bad idea! Maybe I should do just that!
I smacked my head.
That was a terrible idea.
A horrible idea.
One that would inevitably blow up in my own face in the worst way possible.
Where do I come up with such stupid shit? This is because of this dumb brain that I got the many heartbreaks of my life!
I paused.
Let's not go into details of all that because it is far too depressing.
"Monkey! Do you want waffles or pancakes?" I called instead.
"Monkey waffles!" I got the reply.
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A lump formed in my throat as I read the headline.
Fashion mogul dies at 56.
Lily Reign was dead.
My ex-mother-in-law who was like a mother to me, my baby's grandmother, was dead.
A lone tear trickled down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away.
No, Liv. Don't cry. These are people of your past! They don't hold any importance to you!
She had not once tried to contact me after the divorce. She was on her cheating son's side. There was nothing for me to feel sorry or sad about.
Or so I told myself all morning.
My head hurt like a bitch and I had no choice but to take my afternoon off.
I walked into the apartment, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed on the couch. I needed a good cry. A hard cry. The kind of cry that would rip my soul apart. But, no, I shouldn't do that. I promised myself that I would not do that.
Tears streamed down my face.
Ugh, when will my eyes ever listen to me?
Instead, I decided I needed a bath. And a nap before it was time to pick Kelsey up from kindergarten.
But before I could even do that, the doorbell rang.
I groaned. Who could it be?
Dragging myself off the couch, I walked to the door, peeking through the peephole.
My heart stopped.
Jackson Reign.
The man who had crushed my heart into a million pieces was standing outside my door.
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_______________...~~~OLIVIA~~~.I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I could do this.But did I want to do this?He would leave if he thought I was not here, right?What did he want from me?I swiped at my cheeks and took another deep breath. I had to be strong.I unlocked the door and pulled it open.Jackson stood there, looking as handsome as ever, but his eyes were filled with something unreadable. Regret? Pity? I couldn't tell. I could never tell."Liv." He said, his voice thick.I raised a brow. Liv? LIV?Jackson's gaze searched my face, looking for something.I kept my face a mask. "What do you want, Jackson?"He stepped closer, and the scent of his cologne hit me like a tidal wave of memories. "Can I come in?""Umm... No." I said blankly.Jackson's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Liv, I need to talk to you."I smiled at him."I don't want to listen to a word you say." I shot back.Jackson looked taken aback, his eyes widening for a moment before he regained his composur
_____________.. .~~~OLIVIA~~~."Mommy, Mommy!" My angel ran towards me. "I told all my friends you will get me a Daddy for Christmas!"I mentally face-palmed.Why did I think it was a good idea?I smiled at her nevertheless. "Did you, now?""Yes!" She fell into my arms and I picked her up."Maybe you should have kept it as a surprise."What was the use of telling her that now?My darling thought for a moment. "Oh, I should have!"I patted her head as I walked to the car. "That's okay. No need to fret over it now.""Okay. Mommy, will you get me ice cream today?" She asked as I buckled her into her car seat."Hmm..." I pretended to think about it. This was my chance. "Do you want ice cream now or Daddy in two weeks? You can only choose one."I waited for Kelsey to choose the former. Come on, it was such an easy choice. Who would choose Daddy over ice cream?"Daddy!" She threw her hands up in the air.Apparently, my daughter would choose Daddy over ice cream.Sigh.I was hopeless."
_____________...~~~OLIVIA~~~."I am so drained." I confided in my best friend, Sarah Hopkins. "I just can't handle all this nonsense anymore, Sarah.""What's up, Liv?" She replied, "Your stupid Dad dumped more work on you again? Or did your Mom want you to meet her socialite friends to show off her perfect daughter?"I fidgeted with my phone, balancing it between my ear and shoulder as I worked on the day's never-ending report. "Neither, though I think those might have been better. My parents are pushing me to get married. Again. They have found another suitor.""Not another round of this," she sighed. I could hear her typing away on her computer as well. "Which one is it now? Someone filthy rich and famous, I suppose?""Not famous." I leaned back in my chair, the leather feeling cool against my neck. I could really use a neck massage. "Some guy named Jackson Reign."Sarah's voice grew animated. "Jackson Reign? Oh my god, you are sure it's him?""Wait, what?" I paused my typing.
_______________...~~~OLIVIA - seven months later~~~."I am pregnant," I said, tears running down my face. How I wished these were tears of joy. But no, they were not. Because I had not uttered these words to the man I loved, but to the man who had cheated on me with his first love and had thrown divorce papers in my face a month ago.Jackson's smile was cruel and wicked like he enjoyed my pain. "So what? You think that's gonna change anything?"My voice wobbled with anger and hurt. "Jack, this is our baby we're talking about."He leaned against the couch, his expression unreadable. I had known the man for seven months and loved him for six and I still could not decipher the emotions in his eyes. "It's your bastard." He said coldly. "I don't want anything to do with it, Olivia."I was horrified by his words, and the way he said 'bastard' and 'it'. He had used such a vile word to address his own child.And he was calling me by my name, something he hadn't done since our wedding