CHAPTER 42
BRENDA'S POV
For the past few weeks, I had been feeling like absolute shit.
I felt everything a person never wanted to feel. I had the strangest cravings—ridiculous, confusing ones. One moment I looked radiant and glowing, the next I looked like a ghost who hadn't slept in days.
I had invited Nella over to my house. She was comfortably drinking my wine while I sat there sipping a glass of milk.
"So," she said, swirling the wine in her glass, "what are you going to do about Kai's decision? You know that lunatic will show up any time, just like he said he would."
I stretched my legs out in front of me. I was sitting on the floor because, strangely enough, it felt more comfortable than the couch.
I shook my head slowly.
"I honestly don't know, Nella. But one thing is certain—I'm not going to let Kai destroy my company. I built that company. I poured my sweat, tears, and blood into making sure I became known for what I do. If that company ever goes down, it'll be because I decided to shut it down—not because someone else forced me to."
Nella got up and continued what she had been doing in the kitchen.
The moment she lifted the lid off the pot of curry oxtail she was cooking, my stomach twisted violently.
The smell hit me like a wave.
Bile rushed up my throat.
I jumped to my feet and ran straight to the downstairs bathroom.
After emptying my stomach completely, I turned on the faucet and rinsed my mouth. When I finished, I sank onto the cold bathroom floor. My body felt weak… like jelly.
"Are you okay?" Nella asked from the doorway.
She was holding a piece of oxtail in her hand.
I quickly nodded.
"Yeah… just take that thing away from me!"
Nella frowned and looked at the meat in her hand.
"This?" she asked, holding it up.
"But you're the one who told me you were craving oxtail."
"I changed my mind!" I said quickly, covering my nose from the smell.
"Well then," she shrugged, "you're going to have to cook for yourself."
She turned to walk away but suddenly stopped.
Then she turned back to me and slowly knelt down in front of me.
"Girl… when was the last time you had your period?" she asked seriously.
My brows knitted together.
What was she getting at?
"I don't know… it's late though. But you know my periods are irregular. It might still come later this month."
Nella reached over and opened a drawer beside the bathroom door. She pulled something out and handed it to me.
A pregnancy test.
"What's this?" I asked, staring at it.
"It's a spatula," she replied sarcastically.
"You can clearly see it's a test. Take it and check yourself. The way you're acting already screams pregnant. Let's just confirm it."
I chuckled nervously and took the test from her hand.
"So… what's the result?" Nella asked when I walked out of the bathroom.
The truth was… I hadn't even looked at it yet.
I was too scared.
"Let's find out, shall we?" I whispered, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
Why was I acting like a high school girl terrified of the result?
Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked down at the test.
My eyes locked onto the result.
"Well?" Nella pressed impatiently.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
I was too stunned.
Finally, fed up with the suspense, Nella snatched the test from my hand.
Her mouth slowly fell open.
Then tears began streaming down her face.
"You're… you're pregnant, Brenda!" she cried, laughing through her tears.
I began crying too.
Sadness. Happiness. Fear. Fulfillment.
I couldn't tell which emotion was stronger.
Slowly, I placed my hand on my abdomen and smiled through my tears.
"So…" Nella said after we both calmed down, "who's the father?"
Oh crap.
I hadn't told her about Christian.
About how I had practically humiliated myself begging for love from a man who didn't care about me the same way.
Feeling obligated, I told her everything.
The whole story.
"Wow…" Nella said when I finished. "That was… intense."
"Tell me about it," I said with a weak smile.
"So are you going to tell him?"
I shook my head immediately.
I didn't want Christian's unpredictable appearances to become part of my child's life.
"He deserves to know, Brenda," Nella said gently. "It takes two people to make a baby. That's his child too."
I sighed heavily.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Nella. I'm capable of raising this child by myself."
"Okay," she said slowly. "Let's say you raise the baby alone. What will you tell him when he asks where his father is? Or when he asks you to take him to meet him?"
She gave me the most soul-searching look I had ever seen.
She was right.
Her point hit me hard.
I couldn't help imagining Christian's reaction to the news.
Would he be happy?
Yes… he would.
I knew that much.
He didn't have a biological child of his own—only Elijah, who was adopted.
And I knew one thing about Christian.
He wanted a son of his own blood.