EIGHT. Bras and Jeans
Riley couldn't bear to flop down on her new bed, then let her body bounce up and down constantly. She spread her arms wide to the right and left, her legs dangling on the edge of her bed, her head turned to face the ceiling of her room, which was lit up with beautiful neon lights. This room was very bright and perfect for a cowardly girl like her. She didn't like the dark. She never turned off the lights in her room when she slept. It was because she always had nightmares when sleeping with the light on. She had tried to sleep like a girl her age, but she couldn't. She had been having those nightmares since she first slept alone in her room when she was four years old. Her mother was even annoyed to see her always turning on the light when she slept. But she really couldn't sleep in the dark.
Exhaling hard, Riley tried to process all the things that had happened in her life lately. Everything was so unexpected. At first, she was just a pathetic, ordinary girl, then suddenly she turned into a mother-to-be living in a very luxurious and amazing house. She had never thought that she would live in such a beautiful house.
Riley suddenly got up to sit down. But she paused for a moment to feel a stinging pain in her belly. She suddenly hugged her belly and lowered her head slightly to relieve the pain that was slowly fading away. Maybe the sudden movement she made had hurt the baby.
Riley frowned. She walked to the large mirror beside her wardrobe, then she took off her sweater to see the reflection of her flat-pale belly. Everything seemed nothing had changed. She didn't look like a pregnant woman at all.
Riley gently rubbed her belly, where she had felt pain a few seconds ago. When she stroked it gently, she felt a relief and comfort that she had never felt before. Like she got the softest caresses in the right places from the most delicate hands. She missed her mother's soft and gentle caresses.
While imagining that the touch came from her mother, Riley closed her eyes. She imagined what if her mother knew that she would have a grandson. She would probably be gentle with her, showering her with lots of love and affection, and then her mother would rub her baby with the gentle caress she was feeling right now.
Her heart warmed, and she felt relieved at the thought of all that. She felt better and stayed like that for a while longer, but a voice suddenly interrupted her and made her shriek in hysterical surprise.
"Kyaa! What are you doing here?"
Riley quickly grabbed her sweater which was lying on the floor, then she covered her exposed body carelessly.
Logan stood in the doorway with a strange look as he looked at her breasts that were only covered in a bra. Riley didn't know how long Logan had been standing there, but his eyes were dark and scary.
"Time for lunch. The maid will come to bring you lunch."
"Ssi-since when were you there?"
"Long enough to watch you rub your belly. Is there any problem?"
"No. I'm fine," Riley replied stiffly.
Her cheeks were blushing very red now. The first time a man looked at her half naked. She may have worn a bikini before, but it felt different when she was wearing a bikini at the beach or when a man saw her wearing only a bra and jeans in her bedroom. She's like a btch.
"Good. The maid will be here in a moment. You had better get dressed."
Riley nodded stiffly and waited for Logan to slowly close the door. After the bedroom door was completely closed, Riley quickly put on her sweater and walked breathlessly toward her bed. She threw her ss on the bed, then inhaled and exhaled really hard, as if she had just run a marathon. But Logan's appearance really surprised her. Logan's eyes darkened, and it made her feel afraid.
A knock on the door startled Riley and alerted her. She stared at the door like it was a ghost. Her face was pale, imagining the person behind the door was Logan.
"Yes?"
"I brought you lunch, miss."
"Oh, come on in."
A maid in a black knee-length skirt and a white short-sleeved blouse stepped into her room. She brought a tray of three kinds of plates and a glass of milk which made Riley's stomach growl loudly.
"Hello, I'm Betty Crook, I'm a maid and nutritionist specially assigned to prepare healthy meals for you."
"Oh hi, I'm Riley Harlow. Nice to meet you, Ms. Crook."
"Call me Betty. Don't hesitate to ask me anything," she said as she placed the tray on the nightstand beside Riley's bed.
"Thanks very much."
Riley was happy to find there was one woman in the house who treated her kindly and treated her like she was a girl. A real girl, not a thing.
"Are you the only woman who works here?"
"Me and Kaella. You'll probably meet her at dinner tonight."
"It's good to know there's another woman in this house."
"Well, you're the first. Mr. Hatcher never brought women into this house. He does all the things outside the house."
"Oh. Good," replied Riley shortly. She didn't know what to comment on Logan's activities so far. It was none of her business anyway.
"By the way, congratulations on your pregnancy. You're the lucky woman that Mr. Hatcher to bear his offspring."
Betty suddenly grabbed her hand. She smiled widely and looked so grateful for the wonderful news. Riley could see the sincerity and real affection in Betty's eyes that made her chest feel warm.
"Well, thank you. Honestly I'm not happy with this pregnancy. It wasn't my intention to get pregnant with his baby. He forced me."
"I understand. Mr. Hatcher has taken away your freedom as a young girl. But you will get used to it with time. Pregnancy isn't a bad thing."
"Have you ever been pregnant? I heard that getting pregnant is very troublesome. Morning sickness is the worst thing during pregnancy."
"Of course, I have. I have two sons who are now twenty-seven and twenty-five. They have worked in LA as assistant financial managers and accountants."
"That is cool. Why don't you live with your children?"
"Because my life is here. I'm more needed here than where my children live."
"You are lucky to have kids from the man you love. Logan forced me to conceive his child when I was in the most difficult phase of my life. I had no choice but to comply with his wishes. I hope I miscarry."
"Ssshh... Don't ever say that to your baby. It can hear you."
Riley stared at Betty's sullen face lazily. She couldn't believe that her baby could hear her words. How could a clot of blood that had not grown into anything be able to hear her words? The baby wasn't even formed yet. Betty was absolutely ridiculous to think her baby could hear her words.
"If the baby could hear me, he would know that he had a cruel father. His father had taken away his mother's freedom and forced his birth in this world."
"I hope you can accept your baby's presence once he grows bigger. He needs your love as his mother."
"I never wanted this baby, Betty. I can't love it," Riley exclaimed coldly. It was impossible for her to love the baby if she hated the baby's father so much.
"I know this is all forced on you, but look on the bright side. You are treated like a princess."
Well... Betty's words didn't impress her at all. She was even more fed up with all of Logan's attitude. He treated her like she was a btch who was willing to trade anything to get all those luxuries.
"Thanks for the food, Betty. I'll eat it after this."
Riley kicked Betty out of her room. She was sick of Betty constantly praising Logan around her. Everyone in the house was clearly on Logan's side. She better not get too close to anyone because it would hurt her.
"Hope you like the smoked salmon with mushroom sauce, salad of fresh vegetables and mashed pottato with extra cream and cheese. Mr. Hatcher wants you to gain at least eight pounds before your fourth month of pregnancy. You're too skinny for a girl your age."
Riley was annoyed by Betty's words. She gestured to Betty to leave her room and left her alone to eat. She didn't need anyone to comment on her body. After all, that was normal for her, who had rarely eaten good nutrition since her father was seriously ill and their family's financial condition was in disarray.