Chapter 1: A child to wipe my tears

Lisa’s POV

Two weeks after my wedding, I discovered I had been carrying a dead child inside of me. I didn’t even know I was pregnant to begin with.

It all started with that dream.

First off I do not believe in dreams but certain things have happened and I am beginning to think otherwise. I had dreamt of attending a funeral with my husband. I didn’t know who had died or why I was there. All I knew was that someone was dead. Only for me to go to the hospital and just like that, I was immediately operated on.

It’s been three years since that incident and I have never been pregnant.

Now all I want is simple; a normal life. I didn’t want to control a business or be famous. All I wanted was a happy home, a loving husband and little versions of me and Andre running around the house, but then the last part of my wishes are yet to come to pass.

You know, they say a child is a gift from God but here I am staring at a woman named Sarah, asking the nurse, places she could go to get a baby aborted legally. She said, he has two children and she doesn’t want another but here I am seated with none of my own.

“Lisa Kay,” a nurse called out my name and I stood.

“You may go in now.” She said and continued going through the computer. I gathered my bags and gave one last look at the woman who was going to abort a baby I badly needed, and sighed. I walked briskly to the doctor’s office. Just before I opened the door, I took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come on Lisa, I know it’s you,” the female voice from inside said. Though I was going to open it anyway.

“Good morning Doctor,” I gave her my brightest smile as I walked in. I wasn’t ready for her pep talk on being gloomy.

She gestured to the seat in front of her. “Please have a seat.”

I sat and looked up at her. Kept my smile. She smiled back at me.

“You said you haven’t seen your period?”

“Yes.”

“When was the last time you had your period?” She asked as she went through some papers.

“Last month,” I replied. “It’s just that I haven’t seen it, so I decided to come last week and get myself checked.”

She smiled. “All that stress, you could have used a pregnancy strip.”

I returned her smile. “I just wanted to be sure. My last pregnancy was a cryptic one, remember.”

The doctor nodded and continued shuffling through files. Finally she took out a file and suddenly her countenance changed. I knew she was unto my case. She flipped through the papers. She smiled. Her face glowered. My heart raced and my hands went cold. This could be it. No more checking my calendar for my ovulation. Finally, I would take care of this baby. I will never lose it and—

“Mrs. Luster,” immediately I looked up” Lisa, you are not pregnant,” she said quietly. It felt like I had been smacked hard in the face.

“What?” I gasped. I felt queasy in the mornings. I was always sleeping.

“— the thing is,” the doctor continued. The next set of things she began to say didn’t make it past my eyes. All I saw was her lips moving. I didn’t hear a word. I walked out of her office with my head bowed low like a dying flower.

*******

Plush curtains. Priceless work of art, antique furnishings and vast space surrounded me. My home was beautiful. Thanks to my billionaire husband, Andre Luster. Andre had taste and it reflected in everything around him. I had married my college sweetheart, even though my father let me, I could still hear the notes of reluctance in his voice. He had asked me not to settle and I told him I didn’t settle. Andre loved me. He was fuckingly rich and I had everything I needed, well except for a baby.

Even though my house was all this, the heaviness in my heart has rid me of the act of looking around. All I wanted was to give Andre a child. I wanted to call out to the maid to ask what’s for dinner when my phone began to ring. On seeing the caller, my heart skipped a beat.

“Hello Mum,” I said cheerfully.

“Andre said you went to hospital,” she ignored my greeting.

My mother in law had been all over my neck all through the year. She wanted grand babies and had forbidden me and Andre to adopt. Andre is the heir to the Luster holdings. She wanted an heir from Andre loins.

“Lisa?” she asked.

“Yes mum”

“What did the doctor say?” her voice was cold and blunt.

A tear slipped down my cheeks. The previous month she had made me undergo several tests. My body was poked left, right and center in a bid to know what was wrong with me since the second failed IVF. It felt like I was some lab guinea pig. I took a deep breath. “She said I wasn’t pregnant.”

My mother in law hissed loudly. She didn’t care that I would hear. “Why go to the hospital then? Do you want to give us false hope?” Then she went on about my bad diet and how I wasn’t helping her son. After she hung up, I walked into my room and bawled into my pillow. I didn’t know when I slept off.

“Baby,” someone tapped me. I dragged myself to a seating position and there was Andre. He was still dressed in a suit and tie.

“How are you?” He asked. I looked from the tear stained pillow to his face. I couldn’t lie. I knew he knew. I leaned in and hugged him as I began to cry.

“Lisa baby,” he kissed me and wiped my tears away. He kissed me again and again. His kisses became heated, intense, and sensual. The next thing I knew we were buck naked in bed. Andre turned my cries to moans. I couldn’t stop screaming his name.

******

One month later, I began to feel dizzy and lightheaded again but the only discouragement was that I had seen my period.