She shrugs. “Your father owns the company. I’m sure he’d have a place for you when we come back.” I’m surprised and a little annoyed by her dismissive attitude.
“But I’m slated to take over as the marketing director pretty soon. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Beatrice’s smooth forehead crinkles. “This is important to me, Phoenix. I don’t think you realize what a huge deal this is for my family.”
“My family is important too,” I retort.
Her lip curls up in a sneer. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, feeling defensive, and she swishes her hand through the air.
“Nothing. Look, I could set you up so you can do your job remotely. It will be just like you’re actually there.”
Except I won’t be.Closing my eyes, I take several deep breaths and remind myself this is what happens when you get married. You focus on your partner and make sure they have everything they need, even if you have to sacrifice your own goals and family. Or at least put them on hold for a while.
“Okay,” I sigh, opening my eyes again. “It’s July now, so we have a while to figure all this out, right?”
Beatrice bobs her head up and down. “I don’t have to be in Japan until March, but…” I wait for her to continue, and she exhales a long breath before blurting. “But I’m also pregnant.”
I blink my eyelashes like the rapid wings of a hummingbird. She’s pregnant. I’m going to be a father. A smile curls my lips upward, and I pull her into a tight hug.
“Sweetheart, I’m so excited.” My entire life shifts in a split second, and I pull back and take her hand, kissing the back of it over and over. “I can stay at home with the baby for a few years since we don’t exactly have to worry about finances.”
I’m surprised to see her scowl at that idea, though this is the perfect solution. I’ll be away from my home and job anyway, so I can care for our new bundle of joy and won’t have to hire a nanny.
She pulls her hand away and stands, turning her back to me and taking a few steps away before swiveling back to face me. “That’s not what I want, Phoenix. First of all, Father doesn’t believe in abortion due to his religion.”
My emotions sway back and forth between annoyance that, once again, her father seems to be calling the shots and panic over the thought of losing the baby. Because I already feel protective of that tiny life growing inside her. As soon as she said “pregnant,” my heart started thrumming a new beat.Dad-dy. Dad-dy. Dad-dy.
“The baby should be here in January,” she continues, “so I plan to give it up for adoption, and then we can move to Japan in late February. We can do a private adoption and have everything set up before we have to leave.”
“A-adoption?” I stutter, not understanding the words she’s speaking. “But why would we give up our baby? I just told you I could be a stay-at-home dad.”
“Because,” she explodes, “my father already thinks I’m weaker because I’m a woman. Having the distraction of a baby only reinforces that. Father indicated that after my time is up in Japan, I would be taking over The Bettencourt Corporation. I can’t do that if I’m always preoccupied with a kid.” My fiancée shakes her head so hard a few curls come loose from her updo. “Children are so needy, and I just won’t have time for ballgames and first days of school and all that shit.”
Fucking hell, I’ve always known Beatrice was ambitious, but she sounds so cold. I’m not even sure who she is right now.
I stride toward her, trying to keep the panic from seeping into my voice as I take her shoulders. Because as soon as she said the wordpregnant, my entire world changed. I have to make her understand.
“I will handle all that while you focus on your career, Beatrice. I’ll take care of everything so you can?—”
She cuts me off, yanking out of my hold and glaring.
“You’re not getting what I’m saying. I don’t want to be a mother. Ever,” she yells, her jaw tightening as my knees struggle to hold me upright. It feels like the earth is trembling beneath my feet. “Get this through your thick skull, Phoenix. I. Do. Not. Want. This. Baby.”
Her words are delivered with so much venom, I stumble back a few steps.
“But…” I’m not even sure what to say, so I sink onto the couch and thread my fingers through my hair, staring at the leg of the coffee table. “But we made this baby together, Beatrice. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
When I finally look up at her, she has her arms crossed over her middle and her shoulders are slumped forward. “My father thinks I should give the baby up for adoption. Otherwise he’s sending Justin to Japan in my place.”
“Then let him send your douchey cousin,” I snap. “Fuck your father. He’s not allowed to tell you what to do with your body.”
“Neither are you,” she replies quietly, cutting me in half as effectively as if she had swung a giant sword at me.
But I stand and go to her anyway, brushing the backs of my fingers down her perfect cheek. “Baby, is he forcing you into this?”
She looks away and doesn’t speak for a long moment. “Not really. He’s simply giving me a choice, and I choose my career.”
