MATILDA’S POV.
I stepped into my office and took a deep deep breath but it didn’t feel like relief, rather I felt so overwhelmed.
“She doesn’t want him,” I whispered to myself, the words barely loud enough to reach my own ears. “That’s good. That’s… good.”
My heart wanted to celebrate, wanted to feel triumphant, but the hollow ache in my chest wasn’t budging.
“Why does I feel so… empty?” I muttered placing my hand on my chest. My thoughts jumped back to Arlan, his worried and sorry face, the way his voice softened every time he said her name. Saraya. The name twisted in my mind like a thorn.
And then it came back to me… ‘Butterfly’.
I stopped dead in my tracks, few steps away from swirling chair. “Wait… butterfly?” The word tumbled out of my mouth, I could feel my mouth go bitter as another wave of disgust washed over me. “Seriously? Butterfly?” I scoffed, a small laugh escaped from my lips. “He has known her for long? And she gets a nickname?”
The sting of the realization hit me square in the chest. Six years. Six long, loyal years, and what did I get?
“What am I to him? Just… Matilda?” My voice cracked on the last word, and I swallowed hard. “Six years, and I couldn’t even earn a nickname from him. But her? Oh no, she is his butterfly.”
I shook my head and started pacing, I felt my head spinning.
“Tell me another joke, Arlan,” I muttered under my breath. “Because this one’s hilarious. Really.”
My throat tightened, and I hated the heat pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Why her?” I whispered, clutching my bag like it could ground me. “What does she have that I don’t? What did I do so wrong?”
But deep down, I knew the answer. It wasn’t about what she had or didn’t have. It was about him. He saw her, really saw her, in a way he never looked at me.
And that realization hit harder than anything Arlan could’ve said to me. It broke my heart and I needed someone to talk to. I thought of Tessy and the way our last conversation had ended.
I slumped into my chair, staring blankly at the screen of my phone. I pressed the contact icon and scrolled until I got to her name, her number glaring back at me and my pride.
“Should I call her?” I muttered under my breath. My fingers hovered over the screen, hesitating. “No, she might laugh at me or worse, she’ll remind me I was wrong like the last time.”
Still, my thumb danced dangerously close to her name. The urge to hear her voice, even if she’d tease me, was overwhelming. Just as I was about to set the phone down, it vibrated in my hand.
Tessy.
My eyes widened, and for a moment, I just stared at the screen in shock.
“What? How does she …?” My voice trailed off as I tried to make sense of it. “Is she psychic now? How does she know I was thinking about her?”
The phone buzzed again, snapping me out of my thoughts. Swallowing my surprise, I answered, feigning annoyance. “What do you want, Tessy?”
Her laughter filtered through the phone. “Still mad at me, huh?”
I leaned back in my chair, fighting the smile threatening to tug at my lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmured, my tone as nonchalant but I was going wild with excitement bubbling through me.
“Oh, please,” she said with a scoff. “I just wanted to check on my godchild. How’s my little munchkin doing?”
I rolled my eyes, though her question did pull a reluctant smirk from me. “Unfortunately, your godchild can’t talk for now. You’ll have to wait for your godchild to grow up.”
Tessy’s laughter filled the line, and I could imagine her shaking her head. “You’re impossible, Matilda.”
“So I’ve been told,” I replied, my voice softening. There was a pause, and I exhaled. “Listen, Tessy… about the last time …”
“Don’t,” she interrupted gently. “You don’t have to apologize. I understand. I shouldn’t have been more gentler in my approach. I mean, only you know how you truly feel.”
Her words were like a balm, soothing and unwelcome at the same time. I didn’t want her pity, but I needed her understanding. “Still,” I murmured, “I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
“I know you are,” Tessy said. “And I’m not holding it against you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, fiddling with the corner of my desk.
“Good,” she said simply. “And remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. You’ve got me, okay?”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Okay.”
“I’ll stop by and see you as soon as I can, girl.” She said. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
And for the first time in hours, the ache in my chest eased just a little.
ARLAN’S POV.
I sat across from Felix in his spacious office, hands clasped tightly together as he flipped through a file.
Felix finally looked up, adjusting his glasses as he rested his elbows on the desk. “Let me get this straight,” he began, “Matilda outrightly told you that if you don’t marry her, she’ll keep your child away from you?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “Those were her exact words. If I don’t marry her, I can forget about being a father.”
Felix leaned back in his chair, tapping a pen against the desk brooding over what I’ve said. “And you’re sure she wasn’t speaking out of anger? People say things they don’t mean when they’re upset, you know?”
“She meant it,” I said firmly, leaning forward. “This isn’t just one of her passing threat, Felix. She is dead serious, I know Matilda very well. She doesn’t bluff.”
He nodded slowly. “Alright,” he said, his voice calm but serious. “Here’s what you need to know. First, she can’t legally keep you from your child, married or not. The law is clear on this. The court prioritize the best interests of the child, and unless there’s evidence that you’re unfit, she has no grounds to deny you access.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “That’s easier said than done. You don’t know Matilda. She’s stubborn, manipulative, and she’ll make this as difficult as possible.”
“I believe you,” Felix said, nodding. “But we can take steps to protect your rights as a father. The first thing we need to do is establish paternity. It doesn’t matter if she’s admitted the child is yours or not, you’ll need a legal document to back that up. A DNA test, once the baby is born, will solidify your rights.”
I nodded, though the idea of waiting until after the birth made my stomach churn. “What about now?” I asked. “She’s pregnant, Felix. I want to be involved in the prenatal care too. I don’t want to wait until the baby is born to start being a father.”
Felix raised an eyebrow. “That’s a bit trickier,” he admitted. “Legally, the courts won’t enforce anything until the child is born. But you can still assert your intentions now. Send her messages, emails … anything that shows you’re making an effort to be involved during the pregnancy. Offer to go to doctor’s appointments with her, provide financial support for prenatal care, and keep records of everything.”
“And if she refuses?” I asked, knowing how difficult and cunning Matilda could be.
“Then it’ll work in your favor later,” Felix said simply. “If this goes to court, we can present that as evidences and show you made every effort to be involved, and she shut you out. Judges don’t look kindly on one parent trying to alienate the other.”
I exhaled, the knot in my chest loosening slightly. “Okay. And after the baby is born?”
“After the baby is born, we file for joint custody or, at the very least, visitation rights,” Felix explained. “The courts generally favor shared parenting unless one parent can prove the other is unfit. And you, my friend is more than capable of providing a stable environment.”
I nodded, his words giving me a glimmer of hope. “But what if she keeps pushing for marriage?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. “She’s obsessed with the idea of us being a family.”
Felix tilted his head, studying me. “Do you want to marry her?”
“No,” I said almost like I was expecting the question. “I care about her, but not like that. I can’t marry someone just because she’s threatening me. It’s not fair to either of us or the child.”
“Good,” Felix said, his tone firm. “Because the courts won’t care about whether you’re married or not. Your rights as a father don’t depend on your relationship with her. Focus on being a good parent, and let me handle the legal side.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Felix. I just want to do what’s right for my child. I want to be there every step of the way.”
“And you will,” Felix said, his voice reassuring. “But be prepared for a fight. If she’s as determined as you say, this won’t be easy. Stay calm, document everything, and follow my advice. We’ll make sure you’re a part of your child’s journey.”
“Thank you so much, Felix.” I stretched my hands towards him and he took it. “This means a lot to me.”
“Come on, man.” Felix replied. “I only did what is expected of me.” Looking at me straight in the eyes. “Since we are done with what you came for, let’s talk about you. I think you need to sleep more and worry less. Look at how pale you’ve grown from the last time I saw you.”
“Matilda is bent on frustrating my life.” I answered. “How can I even sleep well when I don’t know her line of crazy action.”
“Give her some time, I’m sure, everything will work out well.” Felix assured me.
“I hope so too.” I murmured.