Chapter 4 You have to be my wife
Roger gazed at the petite woman before him, her eyeglasses a slight deterrent. Her age and stature made it difficult for him to feel any attraction towards her.
This was the first time in his life that he had felt drawn to someone, Tonia, but everything seemed to be going awry. Despite Tonia's questionable taste in men, he believed his love could make a difference in her life.
However, last night felt like a curse, shattering all his carefully laid plans. Karen seemed too young in his eyes.
Approaching thirty after waiting for the love of his life, he couldn't settle for someone like Karen. Even his younger sister, Delanie, was Twenty-three, making Tonia, at Twenty-six, a more suitable match in terms of age.
Then there was appearance. Karen was the type of woman he would typically overlook, but Tonia exuded a captivating presence.
Coming from a family known for their wealth, beauty, and influence, Roger couldn't bring himself to settle for anything less.
"I only assisted you because of your sister, Tonia, and in return, you have been helping her with her studies,” Roger revealed, bile filled Karen's mouth as she heard Tonia's voice.
"Karen, are you talking to someone?"
Roger had never liked her, and the pain in her heart was unbearable. So, all those times she thought he cared a little, it was all because of Tonia.
Roger jumped out of the window.
Despite her feelings towards him, Karen still cared about his well-being. Worried that he might get hurt, she went to check on him, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Karen? Who were you talking to?" Tonia entered the room and asked, Karen swallowed the pain in her heart and shook her head. "I was on the phone," she lied, rushing to the bathroom to throw up the pill.
Weeks later, she felt nauseous after Tonia brought her favorite mocha to her room.
Things were returning to normal until she took the pregnancy test.
Roger didn't love her, and Karen didn't have the capacity to love again.
However, the idea of having his child provided her with some solace. It felt like all her unreciprocated affection was now being directed towards the unborn child.
Although what had happened was a mistake, she now had comfort and her parents were suggesting she does what? Abort the baby? Not a chance.
She desperately wanted this child and kept checking for confirmation. It was only after the doctor confirmed it that reality set in. Was this the life she truly wanted?
At Nineteen, will she be able to survive if her parents cut ties with her?
Three days after her father's order to abort the fetus, he came to her room early in the morning.
"Karen, I'm taking you out to dinner. If you want to keep the baby after this date, I will support you," he said.
Sounding like a good deal, she didn't refuse. Luxury meant nothing to her, and her father kept his word. It was just the two of them in the private room.
"Karen, Hector is desperate to meet you. He has been secretly in love with you, and I think you should give him a chance," her father proposed, more like a plea than a force.
Her fingers balled, but there was something about the way her father said it. He wasn't pushy like before, and it wasn't like a business deal. He wanted what was best for her.
If only Roger loved her, she would have a reason to fight, but there was no such thing. No one heard from him again after he left her room that day. "Okay, I will see him," she finally agreed, but her father was not as happy as she expected.
"Well, he can't find out you are pregnant and..."
"It's okay," she cut him off. Roger had already forced the pill down her throat, but she refused to swallow it. He didn't want this, so it would be better for her to be with someone who loves her, even if she can't reciprocate. "I'll get rid of it."
Her father was stunned, standing from his chair and wrapping his arms tightly around her petite frame. "You have no idea how happy you made me, and trust me, Hector will make you happy. His whole family is desperate to meet you."
The next day after school, a chauffeur came to pick her up to take her to the Dawson's hospital to arrange for the procedure.
After today, everything about Roger would be a thing of the past. There would be nothing binding them, so even if they were to meet, she would walk with her head held high and try to make things work with Hector.
The intense love that once burned so fiercely was now extinguished for good.
Upon arriving at the hospital, she instinctively hid when she saw only Roger there, but he was not alone.
A delicate yet sophisticated woman stood beside him, their hands intertwined, suggesting a romantic connection.
The woman's stunning beauty outshone Tonia, and Roger appeared happier in her presence than Karen had ever seen him.
Just as she thought she could slip away unnoticed, she emerged from hiding and headed towards the doctor's office, but she was intercepted.
A strong hand grabbed her, the familiar scent of cologne filling her nostrils as she was forcibly ushered into an elevator. Despite her struggles, she was overpowered until the elevator doors chimed. Karen was pushed into an office-like room that appeared empty.
"What are you doing here?" Roger asked sternly, his gaze fixed on her flat stomach. The sense of freedom washed over her as she decided to let go of her fear of him, even though her racing heart betrayed her true feelings.
"This is Dawson's hospital, open to the public. I should be asking you what you're doing here and with..." Her voice caught in her throat.
"Is she your girlfriend? What about Tonia?" Karen's confidence grew as she confronted him, sensing his anger. She took a step back, trying to avoid his wrath.
Her infatuation with him had led her into trouble, and now all she wanted was to steer clear of him. Roger seemed intent on directing his anger towards her, especially when Tonia was mentioned.
"What does it matter? You ruined my chances with Tonia, so don't pretend to care. Now, tell me, what are you doing here?"
“I..." her throat felt dry and she couldn't bring herself to tell him she was pregnant with his child, especially since he despised her.
Even if he were willing to take responsibility, she didn't want to be just a baby mama. "It's none of your business."
Her response caught him off guard, but before he could say anything, his phone rang, so he let her go, though it wasn't enough.
Making her way back to the doctor’s office, he asked casually, "are you considering the adoption? For as long as I can remember, your appointment is a month from now.”
Karen pondered deeply. Her future hung in the balance, and as much as she wanted to keep the baby, she lacked the courage to do so.
"I want to have an abortion," she finally said.
The doctor's expression soured as he typed something on his phone. "I think you should reconsider."
Recalling her father's heartfelt advice and the mysterious woman she had seen with Roger, Karen made up her mind. If she had to face Hector, she needed to resolve this first.
"I have made my decision. I want an abortion."
“Did I hear you mention abortion?" Roger's voice echoed through the office as the door swung open. Karen felt a surge of fear, but the doctor remained composed.
She suddenly recalled that Roger was just a bodyguard, and she wondered how he could be with such a stunning and sophisticated woman.
Karen wasn't a fashion expert, but she estimated that the Hermes handbag the woman carried must have cost at least two hundred thousand dollars. How could Roger afford such luxury?
"This doesn't concern you, Roger. You forced the emergency pill down my throat," Karen said, trying to dismiss his concern.
Confusion clouded Roger's face. “If it’s not me, then who?” He was convinced that Karen had not been with anyone else due to his extensive network.
It was so powerful that the doctor had informed him as soon as Karen mentioned the word ‘abortion.’
"Karen was sweating bullets, but strangely, the doctor, instead of sending them out, excused himself. If Karen was right in her judgment of character, then she was certain that the doctor was afraid of Roger.
Roger did not pay the doctor any attention, his angry face close to hers. “How dare you try to abort my child?”
His words stabbed her like daggers, and the pain in her heart was indescribable.
It was completely hypocritical of him to pretend to care for the unborn child. She angrily retorted, “You don’t want it, and neither do I.”
Roger stiffened for a moment, taking a step back. After seeing him with that girl, his obsession with Tonia, and all the mystery surrounding him, she didn't want a loveless marriage, so she decided to calm her racing heart.
Adjusting her eyeglasses, she held his gaze before he said something that made her heart stop.
“Since you are still pregnant with my child, you have to be my wife.”