Órion Fantone
My head was about to explode. I never thought I could be blackmailed by my own daughter and that it would make my wife consider leaving me. It was a real joke, and I wouldn’t accept the end of our relationship. I would do anything to stay by her side. I opened the drawer of my office desk; Melissa was standing in front of me with a cynical smile on her face. I took out my Black card and handed it to her. I crossed my arms, watching my daughter put it in her purse as she skipped away happily.
"Wait," I said before she left. "I want you at my flat this afternoon; we’ll have lunch together."
"Dad, you gave me your card. I’m going to spend the day at the mall."
"No, you’re not. I want you here for lunch, at my flat."
"Alright, I’ll be there," she said, leaving my office.
I was at the mansion, planning to work from home and have lunch with Melissa and Abigail. They didn’t know yet, but I would bring them together and make them make peace. I didn’t want to continue with this bad atmosphere, and especially not with my daughter’s blackmail. I looked at my phone; no message from my wife had arrived, which worried me. She wasn’t well and didn’t want to see a doctor. I picked up the phone, unlocked it, and typed a message to her. I needed to invite her to lunch and ask if her nausea had passed.
Good morning, curls, how are you feeling?
It took almost half an hour for her to reply, and even though I was trying to focus on work, I was getting more and more worried.
We need to talk.
I read what she had typed, feeling a chill in my stomach. I had never been afraid of anything, but the small possibility of losing her terrified me.
Did something happen? Has the nausea passed?
I vomited this morning, but I already found out the reason for my discomfort.
I got up from the chair, feeling even more nervous. Was she sick? I needed to hear her voice; messages wouldn’t be enough. I searched for her number in my contacts, pressed the button to call, and it didn’t take long for her to answer.
"What’s wrong? Is it serious? I can take you to the best doctor in this country."
"Calm down, Orion, we’ll talk in person later, and I’ll explain everything."
"Do you really think I’m going to wait that long? Let’s go to my flat right now."
"I’m heading to college now..."
I cut her off; I wouldn’t wait any longer to be sure my wife was okay.
"No, one of my security guards will pick you up. We’re going now."
I heard her breathing on the other side of the line, and from her voice tone, I could feel her sadness.
"Alright, governor."
"See you soon."
I ended the call and shouted for the head of security, giving the order to go get her. I sent a message to my assistant, letting her know I wouldn’t have time to review some contracts and that I’d be out all afternoon. She wasn’t happy at all, but Abigail was more important. I needed to be sure she was okay and that we would stay together.
When I got into my flat, I lit a cigarette, trying to keep calm. Nicotine helped me relax. It wasn’t long before my wife appeared, accompanied by one of my security guards. Her eyes were red, showing she had cried before coming to me.
"Curls." I stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray next to the sofa where I was sitting, straightened my suit, walked over to her, and hugged her, kissing the top of her head. "I’m here. Tell me what’s going on."
"Orion, I don’t know how to start." She hid her face in my chest. I stroked her hair, afraid. What could be so serious to leave her so shaken?
"Look at me." I held her face in my hands, making Abigail look at me. "No matter what happens, we’ll stay together."
"You don’t understand, Orion, it’s very serious. I don’t know what to do."
"Come here." I took her hand and led her to the sofa. We both sat down. She was trembling, which made me even more worried. "Take a deep breath and tell me."
"I’ve been nauseous for days. Nothing I ate stayed in my stomach." She wiped the tears falling down her face. "Yesterday, my aunt asked if I was protecting myself."
"Protecting yourself from what?" I asked, too anxious to know the real reason for her despair.
"Let me finish." She held my hands. "If I was using any kind of contraceptive."
I jumped up from the sofa, feeling even more lost. I smiled bitterly, putting my hands on my hips.
"You took the morning-after pill," I said, staring into her eyes.
"I did, but the next day I had a bad cold. The doctor gave me some antibiotics, and from what I read, they might have canceled the effect."
I blinked a few times, running my hand through my hair. This couldn’t be happening. My heart was racing, almost piercing my chest, and my hands were sweating. When Abigail pulled a pregnancy test out of her bag, I relived the same story from years ago when I was in college and Mary showed me the two pink lines that meant positive.
"I didn’t want this, I swear." She got up and came toward me, but I took a few steps back, too lost, not knowing what would come next.
"This is going to be a big scandal, it’ll be all over the headlines, and the media will come down on me. And I’ll probably lose the elections," I thought aloud while pacing back and forth.
"You care more about the damn elections than about me? I’m only twenty-three, and I’m expecting the governor of California’s child," she shouted, making me stop in the middle of the room.
I was terrified and needed some fresh air to try to understand all this and think about the next steps.
"I need to think a little. I hadn’t planned to be a father again, and now you tell me you’re pregnant. I’m going out for some air."
I passed by her, heading outside the flat. I didn’t want to leave her alone, especially now when she couldn’t go through any nervousness, but I had to calm down to convey calmness to Abigail. My wife wasn’t just pregnant with my child now; she would also be in the crosshairs of my enemies. That fear made the air vanish from my lungs. I couldn’t lose her. I loosened my tie, bent down, and punched the wall in despair. It wasn’t just the damn elections at stake—it was my wife’s safety. Keeping her hidden was a way to keep Abigail out of my enemies’ sights, but now, with the pregnancy, everything would change.
"Sir, are you okay?" The head of security placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, still stunned.
"Yes, I’m fine." I took a deep breath. "Take Abigail home and have some guards keep an eye on her. I don’t want my wife to be without protection for a single second."
"Of course, sir, but did something serious happen?"
Before I could answer, my daughter appeared. I had forgotten about this small detail, and I knew this wasn’t the best moment for the two of them to meet.
"Dad, just so you know, I can only stay for half an hour. I have a party to go to and—"
"Melissa, come on, I made a reservation at your favorite restaurant." I grabbed my daughter by the arm, pulling her away from the flat. I didn’t want Abigail to get even more nervous.
"Calm down, I thought we were going to eat at your flat."
"No, it’s nicer at the restaurant. Now let’s go."
We both walked to the elevator. I knew this would make Abigail sad. I wanted to stay by her side, but I was trying to avoid a confrontation between them at that moment, especially since my wife was in a delicate condition and whatever she felt would affect the baby.