THE NEXT MORNING
My phone rang loudly from the lamp stool on the bedside and I couldn’t help but frown and groan in pain.
My head was banging and I knew it must have been as a result of my drinking yesterday.
Groaning in pain, I took the phone from the lamp table and placed it on my ear without uttering a word.
“Have you checked the news? There’s so much chaos and reporters are at your office” I heard Anthony’s sharp voice from the other end of the room.
“Reporters? News? Why do I need to check the_” I halted my words as everything began to finally fall into place in my head. My eyes widened at the sudden realization that Ethan must have said the truth already “Does the media. know now?”
“Yes, they do Nicholas. Ethan has finally revealed everything ” Anthony said, his voice low “Are you going to be all right? I advise you not to leave home today because every reporter in the state is looking for a way to speak with you and ask questions so for that not to happen, don’t go out today, please. I will try to do what I have to do”
“Thank you, Anthony. I appreciated your help so far” I said, feeling grateful that I had someone like him around me in this hard time of my life.
“Honey” I heard Monica’s voice echo from the hallway and my gaze landed on the door, waiting for her to push it open. “Honey good morning” she greeted as she opened the door and walked into the room
“Good morning,” I said with a smile but hissed in pain when I felt my eyes sting and my head spinning
“I brought you this. It will help put you back in shape. You drank a lot yesterday” she uttered, placing a pill on my hand. “Let me go and get water,” she said and left the room.
A few minutes later, she came back and handed me an already-opened bottle of water which I drank.
“How do you feel?” she asked as she placed the bottle of water on the lamp stool but our bedside
” Scared” I responded honestly and she halted in her tracks. Ethan had already gone to tell the press everything and I’m scared of what might happen next.
“You don’t need to be scared. We are on this together” Monica said as she engulfed me in a warm embrace that managed to take away some fear and panic I had.
“I’m sorry to disturb you sir Mr Karl is downstairs and has ordered that you come down now” one of the maids uttered as she stood by the door, her head bowed slightly.
“Mr Karl?” I asked again in disbelief and the maid nodded her head. My hands began to tremble because I knew exactly why he was there. The news about Monica and I would have gotten to him already and that makes me very nervous.
“Let’s go downstairs,” I said.
“Are you sure? I can just tell him you aren’t home” Monica suggested an impressive way of escaping but I wanted to see him.
“Yes Monica I’m sure” she sighed deeply as she stared at me, her eyes filled with fear, love, and sadness.
It was very obvious that this situation was a huge weight pressed on our shoulders and we couldn’t avoid it.
We walked hand in hand out of the room and took the stairs to the living room “Uncle what brings you to my house?” I said, my once low voice, sharp and filled with fake excitement
“Is it true? Did you sign a contract with Monica just so you could retain your position in the company?” Uncle Karl asked, placing his two hands on each side of his waist and he always does this when he is angry.
I swallowed hard as I hesitated to speak. This was going to upset him and I never expected him to show up in my house this morning.
“Say something, Nicholas”
“Yes uncle it’s true” I responded, my gaze on the floor as I found it hard to look at Uncle Karl. I don’t think I was ready to see whatever emotion he had in his eyes.
“What? So that also means that Ethan Knight is right about the kids not being yours” I nodded my head again to this statement and before I could comprehend what was happening, I felt a sharp pain on my jaw and I raised my head to see that uncle’s Karl had just hit punched me.
“How could you do this Nicholas? What were you thinking?” He asked, staring at me in rage.
“I’m sorry uncle. I just did it because I didn’t want to lose my position to Greg” I answered, my hands on my jaw as I tried to soothe the pain with my hand.
“You’re sorry? Being sorry right now isn’t helping Nicholas. It’s unbelievable that you had gone this far just to retain your position as CEO. You were wrong for claiming those babies and making this poor choiceless lady sign a contract with you”
“I wasn’t forced, uncle. I did it willingly. I and Nicholas are no longer in the contract. We’ve ended the contract a long time again” Monica said, trying to pacify my uncle who stared at her in pity
“It wasn’t my fault that all this happened. You all wanted to take my inheritance from me and I had to do something urgently. You pressured me into this situation and now I did something bad, you all are blaming me” I said, slightly pissed by Uncle Karl.
If I wasn’t forced to have a child to retain my position, I wouldn’t have met Monica in the first place. I wouldn’t have even signed a contract with her talk more of claiming her babies as mine.
“How is that our fault huh? We asked you to get someone to have a child, your child, but you went to take another man’s child. You deceived us, Nicholas. The director is pissed and is calling me right, left, and center. They want to remove you from the position and put Greg up”
“What!” I exclaimed in shock as I froze, staring at Uncle Karl.
“Yes, Nicholas. They say you aren’t capable of leading the company. A leader who deceives his people isn’t fit to be a leader, Nicholas. You deceived us with a contact marriage and a good leader would never do that” Uncle Karl’s words were laced with sadness and disappointment as he
“I’ve got bad news”. I heard Anthony’s rough voice behind me and I turned to face him “Ethan has taken this issue to court and the court requested that you show up tomorrow with Monica and the kids”
“Tomorrow? That’s too soon” Monica yelled in shock, clearly not pleased but the sudden news.
“I’m sorry Monica, but my hands are tied. Reporters are at my office, at the company, and even at the house here. This issue is bigger than we had imagined”, Anthony said, and I sighed deeply in exhaustion. The day was only starting, yet it seemed like it had long started.