Abigail Lacoste
My heart was in pieces. I had been so foolish to think that a man as powerful as Órion Fantone could love me, but he only wanted to win that game of seduction and take me to bed. Now I was alone, pregnant, and directionless. Damn fate was punishing me for being so naive.
I wiped away the tears that kept falling down my face, my hands trembling and my legs weak, but even so, I walked slowly to the door and looked around, seeing that Órion wasn’t there—he had left me alone.
"Miss, the governor sent me to take you home." I smiled bitterly, bringing my hand to my flat belly. He had abandoned me.
"No need, I can take the bus just fine." I walked past him. "Oh, and tell your boss that I don’t need anything from him and that he should forget about me and never contact me again."
"I can’t leave you alone, those are the governor’s orders," he said, following me.
"Leave me alone, send him to hell and—"
I was shouting at Órion’s head of security when I felt a slight dizziness. I grabbed the wall so I wouldn’t fall and, before darkness took me, I felt the arms of another guard behind me. I didn’t know how long I had been unconscious, but as soon as I opened my eyes, I looked around and saw I was lying on the sofa in the flat, and one of the guards was on the phone—probably informing the governor about my fainting.
Quickly, I got up, already feeling a little better. I grabbed my bag and slipped out quietly. If he thought the elections were more important than me and the baby, then I would leave his life, and Órion would never hear from us again.
Sitting on the bus seat, I let myself cry as I massaged my belly. My baby was growing inside me, and even if it hadn’t been planned, I loved him so much. For him, I would even give up my scholarship and go back to Texas.
"Dear, where have you been? I called so many times and you didn’t answer." I ran into my aunt’s arms, feeling exhausted. I still hadn’t told her about the governor, and I wouldn’t—no one would know the father’s name.
"Aunt, it’s over. The baby’s father didn’t take the news well, and now I’ll have to handle everything on my own."
"Calm down, dear." My aunt held my hand. "Our family has always been very close, and I’m sure your parents will be happy to hear there’s another Lacoste in the world."
I smiled bitterly, feeling protected in her arms. My aunt was right—my parents would be disappointed at first with my carelessness, but in the end, they would embrace me and love my baby dearly.
"I’m going back. I’ll give up the scholarship and return to my old college. I need my parents right now."
"Abigail, think carefully. I’ll be here to help you. I can change my work hours and take care of the baby while you study, but don’t give up on your dreams." I lowered my head, staring at my flat belly. "You fought so hard for that scholarship. Don’t give it up so easily."
"I don’t know what to do. I’m so lost."
"Listen, stay a few days at your parents’ house, talk to them, explain the situation, and think it over." She held my face, making me look at her. "I’m here for whatever you need. I know you don’t want to say the baby’s father’s name, but sooner or later, you’ll have to reveal it, and I’ll gladly go after him to get some answers."
I hugged my aunt again. She was right in a way—I had fought so hard to get that scholarship, and because of one mistake, I would lose everything. But I would stay far from the governor, and he would win his election. That’s what he wanted, and that’s all he really cared about.
After a long warm shower, I started packing my bags because the next day I would travel to my parents’ house and tell them everything. I needed my mother’s hug and my father’s care, but I feared my brothers—they would kill the governor if they found out he was the baby’s father.
"Daughter, my baby." As soon as my mother saw me at the bus station, she hugged me. I had a backpack on my back and a small suitcase in my hands. "You’re so beautiful, I missed you so much!"
"Let her go, Mom," Ítalo, my older brother, said smiling. He had just become a police chief, and everyone was proud, including me.
"It’s so good to see you all." I hugged my brother. My father was watching from afar, as if petrified—I knew how hard it had been for him to stay away from me. "Dad, if you want, you can hug me."
He smiled, came over, and opened his arms, giving me the best hug in the world. I was finally home, feeling protected, far from all the problems the governor had given me—except for the little baby in my womb, who was no longer a problem but a blessing I would care for with all my love.
At first, I wouldn’t tell my parents about the pregnancy; I just wanted to enjoy my home, cook with my mother, play a game of chess with my father, and laugh at my brothers’ failed dates.
"And you, didn’t you find anyone in California?" Sebastian asked, sitting beside me on the bed.
"No." I got up from the bed, leaving his side. "And you? You opened a gym, got all buff, haven’t found a girlfriend?" I dodged the question to avoid crying—it wasn’t the right time to talk about the baby yet.
"That one?" Ítalo laughed out loud. "I’ve caught him at my house with one of his students, and the next day, he was with her cousin."
"Yuck, don’t you have any shame?" I threw a pillow at him. "What if they did that to me?" I asked nervously, knowing his answer.
"Abigail, you’re my sister. Of course, I’d kill the guy."
He shrugged, smiling. I closed my eyes, praying to heaven they’d never find out who the baby’s father was—otherwise, the governor would be a dead man. We talked a little more until Ítalo had to go back to the police station.
Our oldest brother is the most sensible of the three—a man who believes in love but never found someone who could love him with the same intensity, as he always ended up hurt in his relationships. So, in the end, he decided to stay alone and focus on his career.
Lying on my bed, I looked once more at the phone screen. Órion had called for the fifteenth time, but I didn’t want to talk to him or listen to his complaints about the elections. I didn’t care anymore; I wanted to stay away and take care of my baby.
"Don’t worry, baby, Mommy will face everything to take care of you, and it’ll be just the two of us."
I hung up the phone, closing my eyes with my hand on my flat belly. Even though I knew that relationship was doomed to fail, I still wanted to believe we could be a happy family and that he would love our baby. But I had been wrong. It was all a fairy tale that ended in the worst possible way, and now I had to be strong to face my parents.