Branch One Hundred and Forty Two
“If I’m the father should I not have a say over this?” Burke asked.
The shock of what he had just heard could not leave his face. How could she think of doing something like this?
“Maybe you can make decisions like that when you are the one who carries the baby”
“Okay here’s what we will do, give birth to the baby and give it to me. I’ll take care of the baby” he said.
If he did not know about the baby he wouldn’t have cared but now that he knew he had to make sure the baby received as much love as he lacked growing up.
“I won’t carry this baby,” she said tapping the table.
“Why?” he said almost crying.
“Because carrying this baby means I would devote at least a year of my life to tending to it and at least six months to get back into my shape. That’s a long time” she said in a tone that suggests that he should know this and not ask her such questions.
“And?” he asked confusion at what she was driving at.
“And I don’t have that time. No man would approach me if I am pregnant and then how would I meet someone?” she asked frustrated that she had to explain everything to him.
“Is that your logic? Because you want to meet a man you decide to kill an innocent life?” he asked.
The disgust on his face was seen visibly by her but she did not mind. She did not care what he thought about her. She would be the one carrying the baby. If she was a single mom no man would want her company.
How then was she to enter the high society as she wished to? Was she continue to live beneath Jessica? Just because he wanted the baby to live?
“If you want a child so much, get yourself a wife who would be okay with your poverty and knock her up. I only told you out of respect for being the father. I did not expect you to give me this bullshit” she said angrily as she stood up.
“I will pay for the coffee. Consider it as my last treat to you. Good Bye Burke” she said as she walked away.
Burke was confused. What could he do to stop her? He needed to do it. He hated the law at that moment. How could they license taking the life of a baby?
He looked around him and closed his eyes briefly before he stood up and went after her.
“Wait Emma,” he said as he jogged towards her.
“What? I have said what I wanted to say and you have said your piece too. What else could you want to say? There’s nothing you can say that would make me change my mind” she rambled on. Her mind was made up after all.
“Hear me out first”
“What is it?”
“Let’s get married. That way I can protect the baby”
“What?” Emma said.
“Marry me, let’s give the child a proper home,” he said again.
Emma took a step backward and then burst into laughter. “Nice prank,” she said as she could not control her laughter.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only
“I am serious”
“Oh no way, it must be a prank,” she said as she wiped the corners of her eyes.
“I am very serious,” he said again. “The child does not need to die or grow up in a broken home. We love each other and can be together”
“Burke there is no way I would think of marrying a pauper like you. Love? I love you. There was never a moment like that”
“So you chased me around for years and you did not like me?” he asked perplexed that he took a step back.
“I only chased you around because Jessica liked you and I hated Jessica. She was always too happy even though there was nothing joyful about our situation. It also seemed like people naturally liked her. I had to put in effort so others like me and it always did not end up well”
“What?”
“It was always so frustrating. Remember our history teacher in high school? He liked Jessica and faced her good grades and extra workload to boost her GPA. He never did the same for me” she said with a dark expression on her face.
“How could I overlook her? I needed to teach her a lesson”
“So are you now going to go after Xavier Delgado too?” he asked in amusement.
“That’s my goal”
“Even after you were embarrassed the last time?” he asked.
“How did you get to hear about that?” she asked looking around. “It actually does not matter how you heard it. I don’t care the method I use as long as I achieve my goal then I’m good” she snapped at him.
“Emma snap out of your madness. There is absolutely no way Xavier would come to you. He would leave Jessica and come to you? Come on”
“Burke, how do you think I made you think you loved me? You were delusional when you loved Jessica thinking you loved me? I am doing it as long as I put my mind to it. I will make sure Jessica leaves that mansion and that I take her place as the lady of the Delgado family. The only child I will be bearing is that of the Delgado family”
“Wake up Emma. This is just a wild dream. What do you think this is? A movie or a book? There is no way that is happening. So just come to me ill give you a comfortable life. I already began to apply for jobs”
“I don’t care what you do with your life anymore”
“Emma”
“I don’t need to stand here and listen to you downplay what I am about to achieve. Why don’t you sit back and watch” she said cutting him before he could say anything more.
She tapped his shoulder gently before she proceeded to walk away. As she walked away she tapped on her phone trying to call a cab. Burke watched her retreating figure as he shook his head. What did she have going on in her mind?
“I pity her”