Chapter 87: Nina


    I rolled off the bed as soon I heard my phone rang and stood up to go pick it up. I had been pretending


    all morning because I couldn''t bring myself to look into Michael''s face without blotting out the truth.


    I can''t believe he doesn''t want children __ well, for now as he said. What am I to do now? I can''t


    possibly have an abortion, this was my first baby...


    My God, Nina, you''re so naive. Why didn''t I think of his feelings and maybe ask him to use protection


    but s no, I had to get pregnant almost immediately after the wedding. Who does that?


    “ Nina Miller, the stupid girl ” My subconscious replied as she dropped her drink on the table and turned


    to re at me.


    I returned the stare and growled at her. “ Thank you for stating the obvious, ” I told her. She scoffed at


    me while I stuck my tongue out at her.


    I saw a note Michael had left me on the bedside table, it was simple and rushly written. He was telling


    me not to go to work but rest to recover my strength.


    I smile sadly at his gentle gesture. He would have made a good father to our baby. I always thought he


    wanted a baby anytime he looked at me whenever I was carrying Joey but I guessed I had interpreted


    the gesture wrongly


    The phone ringing the third time pulled me out of my thoughts as I went to pick it up. Seeing the caller''s


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ID didn''t serve to reduce my pain any bit.


    “Hello, baby!!” Lillian''s excited voice greeted me on the other side of the phone. I sigh heavily as I sat


    back down on the bed, sad and tired. I wish I could share her enthusiasm. But I can''t do that. Every


    time I saw the envelope lying in the drawer, I keep remembering Michael''s words to mest night...


    “ Hey, girl. How are you?”  I called silently into the phone. I tried to force back the tears that threatened


    to fall. I had kept them awayst night at dinner because I didn''t want Michael to be worried about me


    but now hearing Lillian''s excited voice. I couldn''t help tears that stream down my face.


    “ Are you okay? What''s wrong ?” I heard Lillian''s voice across the phone but I couldn''t bring myself to


    speak. What do I tell her? That Michael doesn''t want children? No, she will be so devastated.


    “ Nina Miller, talk to me!!” Lillian''s loud scream jolted me out of my thoughts as I gulped nervously


    before bloating out the truth.


    “ Michael doesn''t want children ”


    “ He did what?” Lillian screamed across the phone. I could hear Danny telling her to calm down and


    that Joey was sleeping.


    “ That selfish bastard. How can he say that? Did you tell him about the result?” Lillian asked me after


    she had scowled profanities at Michael. I wanted to tell her not to swear at him that it was my fault but I


    let it go, seeing that he had hurt me badly.


    “ No. I couldn''t bring myself to tell him not after he had told me that he doesn''t want children ” I told


    Lillian gently, repeating Michael''s words to mest night to her.


    “ That bastard ” Lillian cursed loudly. I could imagine her pacing through her sitting room, chewing her


    bottom lips when she''s angry.


    “ He doesn''t want children at all or is there a time frame for this?” Lillian asked me. I could hear


    Danny''s voice in the background asking her “ Who doesn''t want children?”


    “ Your friend, Michael ” Was Lillian''s loud reply to him.


    “ There is, he said maybe in five years or more ” I replied gently as I stood up from the bed. I needed to


    bathe and go downstairs for breakfast else Emma will be in my room any moment from now.


    “ Five years? That''s such a long time. '''' Lillian eximed bitterly across the phone. I couldn''t help


    sighing in anger. I wish there was anything I could do to change Michael''s mind but there''s nothing.


    “ When is your club bonding with Michael, today?” I heard Lillian ask Danny, I guess they were both in


    the sitting room. Though I don''t know why she was asking him that but I was curious to see where this


    was going.


    “ Around 2 pm. Why?” I heard Danny''s response over the phone. I remember Michael telling me


    something like that at dinner yesterday. He told me that he, Danny, and Andrea will be going over to the


    club today.


    “ Don''t worry, I''ll tell you,ter ” I heard Lillian tell him before turning to the phone in her hands “ Are you


    still there, Nina?” She asked me.


    “ Yes, what was all that about?” I asked her because I was curious to see what she wanted to do about


    all of these.


    “ I''m going to go give that son of bitch a piece of my mind ” Lillian eximed bitterly as she shouted into


    the phone in anger.


    “ Lillian, please can you stop with the swear words already. That''s my husband you are cursing ” I told


    her gently. I know she was angry and I love the fact that she''s always defending me but it really needs


    to stop.


    “ Fine ” Lillian replied reluctantly as she mumbled across the phone, but I could hear her saying ‘


    Husband my foot!!’ I decided to ignore that as I didn''t want to get on her bad side seeing that she was


    helping me resolve my issues with Michael.


    “ Are youing over to the club, today?” Lillian asked me after some time as she waited silently for


    my response.


    “ No, I would love to but I''m meeting my parents for lunch, ” I told her, shrugging as I refused her


    invitation. Michael had also asked me the same thing at dinner yesterday and I had refused. Initially, I


    had wanted to go but after his words to mest night I couldn''t bring myself to be with him.


    “ I have to go. Thank you for lending me a listening ear, ” I told Lillian with a ddened heart. Talking to


    her has helped alleviate my sadness.


    “ Sure. Anything for a sister like you ” Lillian replied as I walked over to my wardrobe to pick out my


    dress for lunch with my parents.


    “ Say hello to your parents for me, ”  Lillian told me over the phone.


    “ Sure, I will. Bye,” I called into the phone as I pulled out a yellow off-shoulder gown. The price tag


    causes me to shrink in fear. I still can''t believe the amount of money Michael''s spent on my dresses


    alone.


    “ Bye ” Lillian replied as we both hung up and I walked into the bathroom to shower and prepare for my


    outing.


    ***


    “ So, how have you been?” Mom asked meing over to the sitting room with a tray of juice and


    sses.


    “ I''m okay, Mom” I replied as I stared around the ce I''vee to know as home. A lot hasn''t


    changed since I got married except for the cushion chairs and dining which have been reced.


    “ Are you sure there are no issues in your marriage?” Mom asked me as she handed me a ss of


    juice. I gulped as I nodded at her, I kept forgetting that I was in a ce where they all know me more


    than I know myself.


    “ I''m fine mom, Michael has been taking care of me” I replied as I avoided her eyes. It was the truth,


    Michael does take care of me, it is just that he doesn''t want kids yet.


    “ That''s good. I just want you to feel free, talk to me about anything. Everyone knows that marriage isn''t


    a bed of roses, there are bound to be problems. You just have to be patient and solve them gradually”


    “ Thank you, mom,” I told her, smiling at her. I love talking to her because she always knows what to


    say to lift my spirits just like right now.


    My phone ringing pulled out of my thoughts as I turned to search for it in my bag after excusing myself


    from my mother who sat watching me with a knowing gaze.


    Immediately, I saw the caller''s ID, I dropped it back in my bag as I wasn''t in the mood to talk to him.


    What do I say to him? I know he just wanted to check up on me but I can''t bring myself to listen to him


    right now__ the same voice that had told me that he wasn''t interested in having kids now...


    “ Are you okay?” Mom asked me pulling me out of my inner struggle. I nodded at her while forcing a


    smile on my face but mom wasn''t buying any of that“ Then, why didn''t you pick up your call?”


    “ I___ It''s__ not ___impor_____”


    I was saved from answering as I heard the gate opening to usher in a car which I assume to be my


    dad“ Is that dad?” I asked mom, feigning ignorance.


    “ Good job on trying to change the topic, Nina but you know, I''m not done with you yet” Mom red at


    me as I shivered under her watch. I''ve forgotten how angry she could be when one tried to y smart


    with her.


    “ Linda! Linda!!!” Mom screamed, shouting their housekeeper''s name who rushed out of the kitchen


    with a towel in her hands, obviously trying to wipe her wet hands dry.


    “ You call me, ma''am” Linda replied as she turned to smile at me across the room. It has been a while


    since Ist saw her and I could see that she had changed, she had added weight, evidence that my


    parents were feeding her well.


    “ Set the table for lunch,” Mom told her, waving her off into the kitchen just as the door opened,


    ushering in Shane and my dad. Mom stood up to go greet him while I smiled up at Shane.


    “ Look who''s here, dad?” Shane called excitedly to my dad who smiled at me. I miss him and his


    enthusiasm. I wish I had that in me right now.


    “ Nina, how are you?” Dad greeted me as he came around to hug me.


    “ I''m fine, dad. How''s thepany?” I asked him, I still couldn''t help feeling guilty that I had left him to


    handle Pandora alone. I wish there was anything I could do to help him.


    “ Everything is fine and with Shane''s help, we are good to go?” Dad replied, shrugging as he settled


    himself into the chair beside mom while Shane sat beside me.


    “ Shane?” I asked him a bit surprised. Shane was still too young for thepany''s issues. He needed


    to focus on his study, not business.


    “ Yes, sis. I love working at Pandora. It''s fun there” Shane replied excitedly, clearing my doubt that


    maybe Dad was forcing the responsibility on him.


    “ You''re working at Pandora now?” I asked him in shock before turning to stare at my father. Dad wasn''t


    wasting time in trying to make sure that his second child would inherit hispany when he retired but


    does he not think it''s too soon?


    “ Just during the holidays,” Dad replied with a smile on his face as he gazes at Shane with love on his


    face. I could see that whatever Shane was doing at thepany, dad was obviously proud of it.


    “ I''m having him start at the basic which is at the factory, then he will work his way up to being the CEO.


    I don''t want everything handed to him easily, he must work for it and earn the board''s trust. So far, he


    has been doing a good job” Dad told me as he continued his exnation. I couldn''t help nodding at his


    exnation, it was a good idea.


    “ I love working at the factory. I''m already having ideas for the new productunch of Pandora. I''m


    thinking that we could make a female sandal with sequins and it will be for young girls since they like


    fancy and shiny things. There''s a girl in my ss, she loves wearing shiny shoes and would never


    ept in things from her parents. I think_______”


    “ Wow!! Slow down, Shane. It''s okay, I could feel the passion oozing out of you, okay?” I told him as my


    brain was already turning fuzzy from his bbering but I was happy for my father that he was finally


    going to get his wish that one of his children take over hispany.


    “ Whatever? I don''t like journalism either.”  Shane counter back sticking his tongue out at me while I


    reciprocated back at him.


    “ That''s enough. Let''s go for lunch” Mom shouted at us trying to keep us from tearing each other''s hair


    off as she rushed us off to the dining room which had already been served.


    We all sat down and began to eat, no talking was allowed during meals, one of my parent''s long-


    standing rules which Shane and I break often but I wasn''t in the mood to talk, I ate quietly while


    thinking of my problem.


    ***


    Mom and I were rxing in the garden and haven''t been through with lunch. Dad and Shane had gone


    back to the office as he had a lot of work to do.


    My phone rang again, this time I didn''t bother checking the caller''s ID since I knew it was Michael. He


    has been calling me throughout lunch but I had ignored it with the excuse of my parent''s long-standing


    rule.


    “ Don''t tell me you are not going to pick that up again? We are not eating right now” Mom pointed out


    when she saw my reluctance to pick the call.


    “ I''m not in the mood. Moreover, it''s not important” I told her, it was partially true since I knew Michael


    only wanted to check up on me and ask about my health.


    “ What''s really going on, Nina?” Mom asked me gently as she reached out across the table to hold my


    hands.


    I couldn''t help the tears that stream down my face from that simple gesture of hers. Was it the


    pregnancy hormone already working? I don''t know but I told her the truth. I couldn''t keep it in me


    anymore “ I''m pregnant”


    “ What? Did I just hear that right?” Mom asked me again, trying to be sure. I nodded since I couldn''t


    speak because of the lump in my throat.


    “ Oh My God!! Congrattions, Nina. I''m going to be a grandmother. Wow! I need to call your father, he


    will be so excited. Just the other day, he was saying how nice it would be if you got pregnant on your


    honeymoon. I can''t believe his wish came true” Mom bbered on as she reached across the table to


    pick up her phone, preparing to dial dad''s number.


    “ Mom, you don''t understand” I screamed at her in frustration as she didn''t even give me time to exin


    myself.


    “ Understand what, Nina? Don''t you want the child?” Mom asked me in shock, her voice already taking


    in the angry edge which I don''t like.


    “ It''s not that, mom. I____”


    “ Then what?” Mom shouted at me as she stood up and paced around the garden with sadness on her


    face.


    “ I know you are scared but it''s a privilege all women want. Why don''t you want the baby? Michael is


    rich and _______”


    “ Michael isn''t ready yet. He said maybe in the next five years or so?” I blotted out cutting her off from


    her assumption that I wasn''t interested in my baby. Of course, I want my baby!!


    “ He said what? That bastard?” Mom eximed in shock just as my phone rang again. Mom collected it


    from me and switched it off in anger.


    “ You are not going back to that house. I want him toe here and tell me to my face that he doesn''t


    want that baby in your womb right now” Mom shouted at me before she turned into the main building


    and screamed Linda''s name.


    “ You call me, ma''am” Linda replied as she rushed into the garden with her head bow on the floor


    immediately she saw the anger in mom''s face


    “ Prepare Nina''s room, she will be spending the night here,” Mom told Linda, waving her off to bid her


    request.


    “ But Mom____” I tried to protest but Mom being mom was ready to shut me off with her excuse.


    “ No, but___ and I''m seizing your phone. I don''t want you calling him in the night to apologize” Mom


    replied, taking her stand as she dragged the phone from my hands.


    And just like that, I spent the night in my parent''s house, with a smile on my face knowing fully well that


    I''m going to keep my baby. I rub my hands on my stomach lovingly as I sumbed to sleep.