Chapter 4 04

Elliott's POV

God knows I'd always wanted to divorce Vanessa. l never wanted to marry her in the first place. I mean, I wasn't even interested in the idea of marriage at all.

Marriage was just a stupid union that tied people down and cut their ambition short. It wasn't worth my time at all.

I preferred the feeling that came with being able to be with any woman of my choice. You see, that's all women are worth. They were just tools to satisfy a man's desires.

Once you throw a chump change at them, they'd die at the chance to sleep with you.

Well, except Vanessa.

When she'd been hired as my secretary. She'd been so disciplined, hardworking and obedient that I had admired her so much.

Most of the female staff members had all been interested in crawling into my bed, but it seemed as though she didn't find me attractive at all.

Only if I knew all a ploy to fool me.

My parents suddenly told me I'd be getting married to my secretary. According to them, it was an urgent business plan between some major stakeholders.

But I had disagreed nevertheless. Not until they told me it had something to do with that bastard, Asher's past mishap.

You see, after Asher got himself involved in some high-profile crime, my father had to jump different heights just so he wouldn't go to prison.

Because, not only would it soil our reputation, but it would also affect the company's stock.

I also didn't want the stocks to plummet, so I had reluctantly agreed to marry Vanessa.

But even then, I couldn't warm up to her. It was hard seeing her as my wife when I'd always known her as my secretary.

Speaking about her, it'd been three weeks since I served her divorce papers. And to my surprise, she hadn't reached out to me.

Not even once.

It wasn't like I wanted her to, but at the very least, I expected her to make an effort— like, beg me to take her back or something.

I mean, she blackmailed my parents so she could marry me in the first place, so why was she so eager to leave me?

It infuriated me beyond measures. Was I really not enough for her that she had to whore around with other men?

I could still picture her face in my head. That sinister look she had given me just before she signed the divorce paper.

Then she had the gut to shred the check I gave her like my money meant nothing to her, making me doubt if I'd had the wrong idea about her all these while.

Maybe that was why I didn't feel the relief that I thought I would feel after divorcing her.

Because It felt like it was her who served me the divorce papers and not the other way round.

I forced my mind off her as I pulled my car to the driveway of the Villa, then stepped inside. The meeting with the investors earlier had gone by poorly.

Even as much as I hated to admit, Vanessa was better at her secretarial functions than Bernice. Bernice, well, she was new, so she was still clueless about certain stuff.

And that cluelessness had made us lose the deal.

I hated losing with everything in me. And to be honest, since Vanessa had been working as my secretary, I'd never lost a deal.

Shit! I was thinking about her again.

"You're back." A voice cut into my thought as I entered the living room.

I whipped my head up, immediately surprised to see Bernice seated on my sofa, wearing nothing but a bikini. A frown framed my face as I approached her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked sharply..

She widened her eyes in unbelief. "You told me to come over this weekend."

Well, yeah. Maybe I had absentmindedly made some plans with her, but I wasn't in the mood for fun right now.

No doubt, Bernice had her charms. She had even helped me find out that Vanessa was cheating on me and also that her parents had been blackmailing my parents. For that I was thankful to her.

And maybe that was why I had given in to her seduction during the previous weekends and had gone down a steamy lane with her.

But that was as far as it could go. it was just a casual thing, no strings attached. Perhaps it was high time I made that clear to her.

"Look, Bernice. I appreciate your effort, but don't think too much to what we've done together. It's just a casual fling."

I paused, shrugging.

"Besides, today didn't go exactly well with the investors, so I'd appreciate my space." I finished, my tone flat.

"What does that even mean??" She sounded offended. "You definitely—"

"Get dressed and leave, Bernice!" My voice brooked no further arguments.

But Bernice was too stubborn

"I'll leave, but not until you've heard what I came here to say." She said.

I could feel my patience on the end of a straining leash, but I had to hold myself.

"What do you have to say?"

She took a paper form her purse and rose to meet my gaze.

"Here," she handed it to me. "I'm two weeks pregnant."

I didn't even let the words sink in. I just wanted her out of my personal space.

"Alright, good to hear. You can—"

"I said I'm fucking pregnant!" She cut me off, her voice an octave high. "I'm pregnant with your child!"

I could've sworn I misheard.

"What did you just say?"

"I am pregnant with your child!" She repeated.

I scoffed at how ridiculous she sounded. These women just don't get it that Elliot Hayes wasn't interested in commitment.

A child? Maybe she could do better.

"You're not pregnant with my child," I enunciated, "except you're out of your mind because what we had was a brief fling that lasted two to three days and I surely used protection!"

Her face fell. "Why would I even want to lie? Do you think I'm also happy to find out I'll become a mother at this stage?"

"Don't give me that!" I retorted sharply. "You're not carrying my child!"

Her jaws clenched and the inocent facade she always wore faded out.

"Alright then, I'll just reach out to your parents and they can think of the best damage control. Or maybe I could hold a press release."

She grabbed her purse and started towards the door.

Shit! She was seriously threatening me! The last thing I needed was the public getting a whiff of a scandal.

Especially now that my divorce was stiill fresh. It could jeopardize the company's stocks.

I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You won't tell this to anyone!" The threat in my voice was so cleaar that she shuddered..

"I'll have my doctor carry out a prenatal paternity test on you to know if the child in your stomach belongs to me!"

One hour later, I paced the corridor of the Obstetrics department as different thoughts competed for attention in my brain.

Staying at the doctor's office with Bernice had made me feel so choked up.

How did I let this happen at all? All my life, I'd always avoided scandals like this. I could only just pray that the result came out as negative.

"Mr. Hayes?" A voice called behind me.

My stomach tightened. Was the result ready?

I turned only to see the familiar face of my family doctor.

"It's really you. What brings you here?"

Right! He worked here.

I shrugged. "Nothing much, just this and that."

He nodded smiling. "What a pleasant coincidence. I was just about to send you congratulatory message as regards your wife's pregnancy."

I guess news spread faster here. Uneasiness shimmered through me and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Well, she isn't my wife."

A look of confusion passed over his face, then he pursed his lips.

"I guess I'm a bit too forward. I also figured you wanted to keep it a secret when she had the test carried out in Australia. But I just thought I should congratulate you still."

I frowned. "Australia? What are you talking about?"

"Well, my colleague at Australia told me that your wife, Mrs. Vanessa Hayes did a pregnancy test at their hospital three weeks ago and that she was two months pregnant as of then."

My mind emptied.