Alexander stared at the photographs forwarded to his phone in disbelief. He hadn’t expected Maxwell to really work so fast. Maybe he had underestimated the guy! Despite Maxwell’s capabilities, what surprised Alexander was how Eva fell into his trap so easily. Or did she willingly go out with Maxwell? Maybe she had given up hope on him? Ever since they returned from the Paris trip, he hadn’t once found an opportunity to talk to her.
Now the time had come to confront her. He couldn’t sit back and watch Maxwell whisk her away from right under his nose. He hadn’t given his final decision to Beatrix yet. With his dad still unwell, he was delaying it purposely. While Beatrix bothered her all day, he refused to give in to the pressure. He had no wish to father Fairfield’s illegitimate child.
The doorbell rang, and he glanced at the clock. Who could be here so late in the night?
“Alex, are you awake?” asked his mom from her room.
“Yes, mom. I’ll get it.” He got up from his bed and went to open the door. The moment he opened the door, Beatrix walked in, her face pale and her hair disheveled.
“What happened to you? Shouldn’t you be at home, resting?” asked Alexander with annoyance. He hated the way she disturbed him at odd hours, not caring that his dad was unwell.
“I’m sick and I can’t stay all alone at home. I needed you,” she whined, walking into his bedroom. Alexander massaged his temples, knowing that she was taking advantage of her condition. No one can throw a pregnant woman out at night!
“You have a battalion of staff to take care of you. How are you alone? Dad’s unwell, so please go home, Beatrix. I don’t have the patience to tolerate your shit,” he said impatiently, picking up his pillow, phone, and duvet and walking out.
“Where are you going, Alexander? I came to you all the way in this condition. I need you, please.”
Alexander turned a deaf ear to her pleas. He wouldn’t sleep with her at all!
“Expect nothing from me,” he said over his shoulder.
“I’m sick, can’t you see? How can you be so difficult all the time? It’s your responsibility to look after me.” At the door, Alexander whirled around to face her, hatred clear in his eyes.
“Go to sleep if you’re that sick. I would have taken care of you if it would be my child you were carrying, but it’s not. You went ahead and slept with others while still being engaged to me. So don’t expect any sympathy from my side. Good night.” He went to Alyssa’s room and fell asleep without giving Beatrix a thought.
Beatrix twisted and turned on the bed, her whole body burning with insult. All her plans to trap Alexander somehow and force him to commit to her had failed. He still hadn’t answered her. Being five months pregnant already, she had little time to convince him. If she didn’t marry him on the date fixed, it would be difficult to get another date before her delivery. So she had two and a half months to convince him but Alexander was headstrong and stubborn. It wasn’t so easy to get him to agree. More so, now when he knew about Sean’s baby in her womb.
She checked her phone for the last time for Sean’s reply to her message. When her other threats hadn’t worked, she had given him an ultimatum, stating she would end her life if he didn’t take responsibility of the baby within a fortnight. It had been ten days already and yet, there had been no response from him. Did he not take her seriously? Did he think she was bluffing him? Tears of helplessness pricked at her eyes. Abortion wasn’t an option as her pregnancy progressed. She had never expected Sean to betray her trust and waited uselessly for him to accept her and her baby. In another month, her pregnancy would show. How would she explain her condition to the world if Alexander didn’t agree to marry her?
The next morning, Beatrix feigned sickness and stayed back at his parents’ house hoping Alexander would see the genuineness of her condition and agree to marry her out of sympathy, if not anything else. However, it didn’t affect Alexander, and he went to work as usual and then spent the night at Ashton’s place, much to her frustration.
“He hasn’t given me an answer, aunt Jodie. It only means that he won’t marry me,” she wept bitterly. Jodie Van Every sighed, not knowing how to comfort her. Beatrix was evil and could harm them if she uttered one wrong word in front of her.
“Give him time, dear. I’m sure he will marry you. He isn’t what he portrays. He is a very caring boy!”
“But he doesn’t at all care about me.”
“Have you tried apologizing to him genuinely from your heart for betraying his trust? He can’t tolerate betrayal.” Beatrix shook her head, realizing that aunt Jodie knew who the father of her baby was.
“Then try it. I’m sure he will come around.” Beatrix wiped the tears away and cheered up.
Alexander returned the next morning, but to his horror, Beatrix was still there at his parents’ house.
“Go home, Beatrix, or I’ll go back to my apartment,” he gritted out when she refused to budge out of his room.
“I’ll follow you there. Please, I want to apologize for betraying your trust, Alexander. I fell in love with Sean without knowing that he was married. He was playing with my feelings all along to take advantage of me. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize and got carried away, but that’s the last time. I promise to be true to you from now on.”
“It’s too late, Beatrix. I can understand about Sean, but what about the other men? I can’t forgive you. I love someone with my whole heart, but I haven’t betrayed you. While being engaged to you, I did not have any physical intimacy with anyone, to date.”
“Is it Eva?”
“I’m not answerable to you.”
“You have to answer me, Alexander. At least give me your decision. With only two and a half months left for our wedding, we have to start the preparations.”
“I’m not marrying you, Beatrix. Do whatever you feel like, but I won’t father Fairfield’s child,” he stated, loud and clear. A sob escaped Beatrix, and she stood up agitatedly, grabbing his hand to stop him from leaving the room.
“Is that your final decision?” she asked in a state of shock.
“Yes.” Alexander refused to budge from his decision. He was ready to face the consequences.
“I’ll destroy you, Alexander!” She released his hand and glared at him with hatred in her eyes. “I’ll take revenge for every insult you’ve thrown my way. Don’t forget, you’re just an employee of mine. I will snatch Rotterdams from you and ensure that you don’t get a job anywhere in the entire world.”
“Fine. I’ll email you my resignation by evening.” Beatrix gaped at him in disbelief, her face pale and her eyes wild with desperation.
“You can’t do this to me, Alexander. Where will I get someone at such short notice to handle the business? My condition isn’t stable with this damn pregnancy. I need you,” she pleaded with tears in her eyes.
“Fine, I will continue till the board members find someone to replace me as CEO of Rotterdams.”
“What about me and my baby?” she asked in a state of panic.
“Ask the father of the child. Abort it, do whatever you want with it. Did you think twice before sleeping with Fairfield while still being engaged to me? You deserve this.” He stormed out of his room to spend the night at Stefan’s house. Beatrix left in a state of daze, her entire world-shattering completely. Alexander’s words rang in her ears.
Abort it, do whatever you want with it.
Even with all her riches, she couldn’t find a father for her child. She had believed the fake promises Sean had made to get into her pants. She hadn’t known about his marriage and had fallen in love with him. Now, with the man she loved being a traitor, her fiance not loving her, and her father already leaving her, she had no other option than to end her wretched life!
It was dinnertime and Alexander returned home since Stefan had to go on a work tour to Sydney. “Mom, has Beatrix left?” he asked, looking around as they sat down to dinner.
“Yes, immediately after you did. She looked very upset. Did you two fight again?” asked his mom while his dad groaned.
“No, just the usual.”
“Patch up with her if you want some peace in your life, son. She will destroy your life,” warned his dad.
“If you knew she was this bad, why did you and uncle Desmond dump her on me?” asked Alexander with an eye roll.
“I didn’t know she was this evil. I was just looking out for her since my friend is no more,” said his dad with remorse.
Alexander sighed and finished his meal, not telling his parents about his decision to not marry her. He didn’t want them to get unnecessarily worked up. He trudged towards his room, Beatrix’s threats echoing in her head. His phone buzzed with an incoming call from Columbia Hospital, and he frowned in confusion. Why were they calling him?