Chapter 100 100
Richard's POV
"You proposed to the snake?" Matthew yelled.
"What am I supposed to do? Leave her and her baby there without a father?" I rolled my eyes
"Have you even confirmed if she's pregnant? We're fucking talking about Paula who went AWOL and suddenly reappears?" Matthew scoffed before shaking his head.
"Can y'all stop pointing fingers at the innocent girl. It's enough." I raised my voice. "I think God is giving me a second chance to right my wrong. Matthew, I lost out on our child's life once"
"Bullshit! Do you just take any news they throw to you without doing a proper investigation?" Matthew yelled.
What was even his problem this morning?
"Proper investigation? Okay, fine. Have you, as my friend, helped me to do a proper investigation?" I glared at him scornfully
I suspended all the investigation after hearing that she was pregnant. I just wanted to take care of my child.
"How about Vanessa's child?"
At the mention of the name Vanessa, my heart squeezed. I couldn't believe she could do such to me.
"I don't want to talk about Vanessa." I spat out, my voice stern.
"Why? Because you -"
"Didn't you see the fucking pictures, bro? I didn't touch her for a month so how did she get pregnant?" I screamed at him
He was just adding to my frustration.
"You could've had sex with her but didn't know" Matthew said calmly
"What? You're accusing me of having selective amnesia?" I scoffed in disbelief. "You think I'd just forget about some part of my life or something?"
"I mean -"
"That's enough from you, Matthew. You either talk about something else or get out of my house" I warned, relaxing back on the chair.
"The duty of a best friend is to correct and reprimand a friend if you feel he's doing something wrong." Matthew stood up, staring at me in disgust.
"Until you have solid contrary evidence, don't talk to me about this matter. Currently, everything makes sense to me." I shrugged.
"Don't call me when everything stops making sense to you because I wouldn't be a part of it" Matthew said before walking past me.
"Go! You'd regret not believing me." I yelled in anger.
"And Richard?" Matthew called out to me. "You already lost"
Before I could reply to him, I heard the door bang shut. I yelled out in frustration. Why was everybody taking her side? Including my own family. My parents and sisters have refused to talk to me or pick up my call.
"You all are going to beg to be part of my child's life but it'll be too -"
"Boss" A voice interrupted.
Alert, I shot my face to the direction of the voice. "Mateo"
"I was asked to bring this to you" He held out a carton to me.
Looking at it skeptically, I took it from him. "What's this?" I opened it.
"It came from Miss Rebecca. It seems as though they're relocating" Mateo said.
My eyes were fixated on the ultrasound scan in front of me. I wasn't really seeing anything clearly but I knew I could see an embryo.
"What the fuck is this for?" I scoffed, picking up the letter. It was written in bold letters. "I've given you your child to hold and probably frame but then after this, never you come back to look for MY child"
I laughed after reading it, looking at the scan again. "Boss..."
"She thinks I'll call her back? Nah, she can go wherever she wants. I don't give a damn!" My heart kept on squeezing as I spewed out those things to Mateo. He had this look on his face that I couldn't decipher.
"I don't think -"
"You also support her?" I scoffed, dumping the scan inside the box, closing the box and chucking it in Mateo's hand
"Burn it" I said.
"But..."
"Are you sure you still want to work for me or do you want to go with Vanessa so you could tap too?" I yelled at him. I was being too stupid right now and I knew it but I just couldn't control it
I was too pained.
"With due respect, Boss. Vanessa is not that kind of person and it hurts me to see that you could actually not trust her." Mateo spoke up to me. That's a first.
Because of one girl?
"And who is that kind of person? Me?" A feminine voice spoke, followed by click of heels.
Tiredly, I looked at Paula who looked like she was about to put Mateo 6 feet under.
"I didn't say anything like that. However, I'm just saying that Vanessa isn't that kind of person." Mateo, without any ounce of fear, replied her.
Hmm
He really didn't like this one. I can't remember Mateo being this rude to Vanessa.
Vanessa this. Vanessa that.
What does she have anyway that Paula didn't have?
"Just go burn that shit" I nodded at Mateo to leave.
"You just allowed him walk away after talking rudely to the mother of your child?" Paula said, her voice small
"He's just pissed that I chose you over Vanessa. They all don't get it. She has so deceived them that they do not want to see the other bad part of her" I said, shaking my head.
"Hmm" Paula said, pouring a glass of alcohol for herself. She downed the content at a go. "Why.. why are you looking at me like that?"
"Are you not supposed to abstain from alcohols?" I raised my eyebrow at her
"Why?" She chuckled, downing another shot. I snatched the bottle from her, keeping it in my possession. "Richard?"
"Paula."
"I'm going through a lot of tension right now with the marriage proposal and pregnancy and - oh!"
"You get it now, yeah?" I shook my head
"Pregnant women don't drink alcohol." Paula scratched the back of her neck. "One last one?"
"No!" I eyed her irritatedly.
"Fine. Kill joy!" She pushed me playfully. Yeah, it was playful but it irked me.
"Don't... Paula." I started, taking a deep breath. "Let's have a discussion"
"Okay.." She gave me her listening ear.
"This child is a mistake and I want you to -" My teeth clashed with my tongue, due to the event that just took place.
My hand slowly raised to my face, feeling it. "You slapped me?"
"And I'll do it again if you try to complete that shitty statement." Paula said, her voice low. Her eyes pierced through mine, fury evident in them. "Tell me to walk away from your life but don't you ever call my child a mistake or tell me to .. to remove it"
Shit.
Tears began to stream down her eyes. Guilt gnawed in my chest as I stared at her. What was I thinking tell her to removing it.
Fuck
"Paula" I called out to her, moving closer. "I'm.. I'm sorry, okay?" I pulled her into my body, rubbing on her shoulder. I didn't feel so well when our body connected - it felt wrong. Too wrong. "We're going to take care of this child together"
"As a family?" She sniffed.
I opened my mouth to say 'Yes' but it wouldn't come out so I settled for "Hmm"
"Thank you for believing me and for loving me. I knew we were just meant to be" Paula smiled at me, peeling herself off my body
I swallowed hard. I didn't feel same way. My heart felt dark and empty.
Vanessa was leaving town. Was she such a scared coward? So because I caught her she's running?
Pathetic
I should be happy she was leaving but my heart was squeezing inside my chest. It was as though something was leaving me.
Then I got a text from anonymous. It said:
"You just made a big mistake. I'm going to embarrass you."
Attached was a picture of me and Paula in a compromising position, coupled with dirty pictures of me and other girls. My phone almost slipped out of my hand.
Vanessa. It can only be her who would do this.
Then messages and news headlines began to troop in. My phone pinged uncontrollably.
'Richard Blackwood: A cheater or a Playboy?'
This was too bad for my reputation
I was ruined.