"I figured it was worth me putting up with his shit. I'm not like you honey. You've always been noble and besides, your guy is way different than that asshole."
"He is." A sad smile played around her lips as she came and sat back down. "No wonder I fell in love with him."
Chapter 12
"I wish you'd stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" Eloise demanded.
Going back to her dough, she pressed a fist in to make the shape. "Like you've gone off your rockers?" She hissed, careful not to let her voice carry out to the living room where David was raging war with an online friend.
"There's nothing you can think or say that I haven't thought and said to myself." Melanie picked up the cup of tea and wondered if it was finally going to soothe her stomach.
Eloise punched down on the dough and cast her a look that spoke volumes. "What's the plan now?"
Melanie put the cup down. Her hands were shaking so much, she was afraid of spilling the tea.
"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."
"Which we know is going to just confirm that you're breeding." Shaking her head at the stark look of misery on the girl's face, Eloise tamped down her distress.
"You must be so ashamed of me."
The despair was so thick in the girl's voice it cut right to the heart of her. Dusting off the flour on her apron, she came around and sat next to her granddaughter.
"You can never do anything that would make me ashamed of you." Slinging a hand around her shoulder, Eloise rocked her. "You fell prey to that worthless son of a bitch and I'm going to ask the good Lord for forgiveness for that hateful remark, but not now. You had just lost your parents and were in a terrible spot. You overcame obstacles and managed to stand up and be a good mother to your son. I'm proud of you." She rubbed the girl's shoulder.
"But this is huge, baby girl." She continued in a solemn voice. "This man is one of the movers and shakers in this world. He's very powerful and has the resources to crush you like a bug. You're going to have to tell him. He has a right to know."
"Yes." Fear skittered through her like sharp knives. "He hates me."
"And I cannot say I blame him." Turning sideways, she cradled Melanie's face between her hands. "You said he proposed and told you he loved you. On top of that, you also said he went through something similar where a woman tried to use him for his money. Honey, just imagine what he must be going through right now."
"I love him." She sighed dismally. "I would give anything to take back what I did. But I can't. I'm sending back the stuff he brought me."
Her grandmother nodded in approval. "That's the right thing to do." She wiped the tears away and kissed the damp cheeks. "God has a way of working things out, even when we mess up royally. I strongly believe that he will again. Now." Keeping her voice brisk, she reached for a napkin and handed it over. "Mop up your tears. We don't want David to come in here and see you like this. Children are very sensitive and as close as you both are, he will know in a second that you're in distress."
Melanie wiped her face quickly and rose. "I think I will go to the bathroom to freshen up." She reached the doorway and turned around, her smile watery and sad. "Thanks, Grams, for always being there for me. No matter what."
"And that will never change. Go. I have some soup that will help to soothe your stomach."
With a nod, she slipped through the doorway.
Eloise sat there for a minute, her thoughts troubled. She was gravely afraid that her granddaughter had bitten off much more than she could chew. Whispering a prayer for help, she rose creakily, her arthritis making itself felt just then.
*****
Carrie sat outside the lofty high rise building, staring at it for several minutes. She had seen pictures of it in the papers, of course, and passed by it several times. Lancashire Development took up several blocks, the building spearing towards the sky in a chrome and glass magnificence. The sun was just going down, glinting on the windows that looked as if someone had just polished them to a high gloss.
The parking lot still had several cars parked into designated areas, including the one that clearly said CEO on the curb. He was here. She had called, pretending to be an associate, and was told that he would be here for a while.
Her palms were sweating. She had not told her friend about this impromptu visit, because she knew very well what the response would be.
But she could not bear the suffering she saw every time she looked at her. On top of that, that awful bitch Jessica had fired her because Melanie had been absent from work due to her condition. Now her friend was pregnant and out of a job.
And she had too much pride to let the man know he had knocked her up. Well, she was going to do something about it. She was just going to have to find a way to get upstairs into his office. Men like Rodney Lancashire did not allow any Jane or Mary to just wander in and have an audience. She was going to have to go through reception and then an assistant who was no doubt going to be a dragon.
Easing out a breath, she shoved open the door of her brand new Nissan. She had managed to gouge that out of that bigoted bastard by giving him the best sex he ever had, or so he claimed. In any case, she had gotten plenty out of him before telling him to take a hike. Smoothing down the beautiful cashmere jacket, another gift, she marched towards the glass doors, portraying a confidence she was far from feeling. The reception area was empty, except for a burly man who looked up from the monitors he was watching.
