Since that day, things have developed into a comfortable and tranquil routine. Melody was managing her bakery with remarkable aptitude and from time to time. Damian would drop by and offer a hand even though his assistance might not be substantial.
Her bakery had become a well-liked destination for purchasing delectable treats.
Not only that…
Damian observed a subtle change in Melody’s behaviour. Her request for another plate didn’t go unnoticed.
“Can I have another plate?” she requested.
“Certainly, ma’am,” the butler responded, taking her plate to the kitchen.
Damian commented, “You’ve been eating quite a bit lately.”
“Perhaps it’s due to the stress of managing the bakery,” Melody replied and smiled.
He raised an eyebrow, querying, “Are you certain? You’ve been having unusual cravings lately.”
With a defiant pout, Melody retorted, “I’m not!”
“Mel, you’ve been craving some quite peculiar things, like ice with chilli sauce,” Damian pointed out.
“Well, you can’t blame me. That’s just how it’s been,” she huffed.
“You even woke me up at 3 a. m., demanding Chinese food,” Damian’s gaze narrowed on her as he added.
“I can’t help it! I don’t know why, but I start to crave it,” she crossed her arms on her chest.
Damian sighed deeply, sensing something was amiss but unable to pinpoint the exact issue. His gaze travels from her head to her feet, noting her weight gain.
She had always been mindful of her eating habits but now she seemed to eat at every opportunity.
“What are you looking at?” she frowns.
As he blurted out, “Have you noticed you’re gaining weight?”
Melody gasped and slammed the table, indignantly declaring, “I am not!”
Damian gently reminded her, “Mel, you’ve been eating a lot and you’re starting to gain weight. It’s evident. You’ve always managed your eating time.”
“Are you saying I’m fat?” she snapped, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Mel, I didn’t mean to offend you,” he assured her.
Before he could finish, she abruptly stood up, crying and announcing. “You called me fat!”
Damian stared at her, baffled. He couldn’t understand why she was so sensitive. Melody puffed her cheeks and grabbed a fork, hurling it at him.
“I hate you!” She yelled, running off in tears.
He dodged the fork, still perplexed by the unexpected outburst. The guards in the room shrugged, equally confused.
Damian rubbed his face, mumbling, “Ugh, it’s too early to deal with this. I just said the fact,”
He turned to the guards and said, “Why didn’t you stop her? You were right there!”
The guards shrugged again, unable to provide a satisfactory answer. Damian let out an exasperated sigh, realizing he was on his own to deal with Melody’s emotional state.
___
Matthew and Victor exchanged glances, noticing Damian’s absentminded state as he stared at the paperwork. They knew something was on his mind-something related to Melody. When Damian was like this, nothing else could be the issue.
Of course, it is about Melody.
Nothing can make him like that other than that woman.
Matthew asked, a grin playing on his lips, “Is something troubling you, pal?”
“Not really…” he mumbles in response.
“Yeah, right. You look like you’re deep in thought. Are you and Melody having another argument?” Matthew chuckles.
“I just don’t understand her. I never called her fat. I simply stated that she’s gaining weight and her appetite is growing.”
Matthew and Victor exchanged a look of confusion as Damian vented his frustration.
Damian grumbled, “In recent days, Melody has been constantly eating,” Damian explained. “Constantly eating and she’s been craving unusual things. She even woke me up in the middle of the night to satisfy her cravings.”
“When I casually mentioned that she appeared to be gaining weight, she assumed I called her fat! For crying out loud, I never even said anything about being fat!”
“Sounds like a typical argument to me. Girls are always sensitive about their weight.” Matthew commented, leaning back on the couch.
“I never understand her…” Damian sighs.
“It’s not normal,” Victor’s voice filled the room with seriousness.
Damian looked at him quizzically.
With a thoughtful expression, Victor added, “Could there be something else going on, something besides her weight?”
They look at him with confusion. “What do you mean by that?” Damian frowns.
“You mentioned that she craves odd things, always early in the morning or late at night. Don’t you find that just a little strange?”
Matthew and Damian shook their head, but Victor raised an eyebrow, exasperated by their obliviousness. He couldn’t understand how they were so clueless about women.
With an expression of frustration, he continued, ‘Seriously? You two don’t have any idea what could be going on?”
“She’s craving food, gaining weight, her appetite is increasing and she’s become sensitive. Can’t you figure out what that means?”
“And that thing is?” Matthew asks.
He sighs deeply and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Gosh. I’m not sure but don’t you think it might be…”
“…. pregnant?”
A heavy silence filled the room as Damian and Matthew absorbed the information. Victor’s stoic expression indicated he was waiting for their response.
“Pregnant? Melody? That’s not possible,” Matthew chuckles.
Victor rolled his eyes, “I’m not joking, Mat. All the symptoms are there.”
“I mean, it’s out of the blue, don’t you think?” he smirks.
“It’s impossible. We’ve only had sex once,” Damian firmly declared.
Victor reminded him, “But some women can get pregnant from a single instance of sex. The symptoms were right in front of you. Why deny the possibility?”
Damian got up and slammed his fist on the desk, “It just wouldn’t happened! We only had sex once!!”
“Dam, some women can get pregnant at one time. Besides, the symptoms are there, right in front of your eyes. Do you still want to deny it?” Victor continues with a stern glare.
“No… There’s no way…” he clenched his fist.
The thought of Melody being pregnant stirred something within him. They never talked about their feelings or building a family. In his mind, it was just a mistake.
“Just… forget about this. It might be something with her period or something else…” he sighs.
Victor rolled his eyes again. “Fine. If you’re still convinced, then do me a favour. Go and ask Melody if she’s experiencing morning sickness or frequently throwing up. Even better, buy a pregnancy test for her.”
Victor smirks at him.
___
Damian gazed out the car window as it came to a stop at a red light. Victor’s words echoed in his mind, causing him to let out a sigh. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to believe it, it just wasn’t what he had expected to happen.
If Victor’s words were true, then he had to think about what to do next. What if Melody didn’t want to have the baby? What if she didn’t want the responsibility? He couldn’t be that heartless to let her have a miscarriage or discard the responsibility.
The baby is just an innocent one.
The thought alone was causing him to headache.
Damian suddenly barked an order to his driver, “Go to the nearest pharmacy now!”
“Of course, sir,” the driver responded.
They arrived at the nearby pharmacy and Damian walked inside. He scanned the shelves until his gaze landed on the women’s section. His eyes stopped at the pregnancy test kits.
He clenched his jaw and muttered, “Fuck… This is so stressful…”
He picked one up and headed towards the counter to pay for it.