GIANNA

~•~

The last three weeks have been awkward. Brandon was much more affectionate than he had ever been since we got married. I knew it was out of guilt, but it made me think I made the right choice by choosing to ignore the affair.

It was like the setback made our relationship much stronger. I hated that I had to live with the fact that my husband knew how it felt to be inside his best friend, but I couldn't say that I hated the outcome of their affair.

He complimented me regularly, ate breakfast with me every day, came back from work early, and ate dinner with me as well. Sometimes, he even bought presents on his way back from work.

A pair of hands settled on my shoulders and before I could turn around, Brandon placed a kiss on my neck. "Are you coming to bed anytime soon?"

Heat rose to my cheeks, knowing exactly why he wanted me in bed. It was just nine o'clock in the evening and Brandon usually slept late because he was always busy with work.

"There'll be articles about the news later." He kissed my cheek, then turned my face so he could kiss my lips. "You can read them tomorrow."

"I have a conference tomorrow. I won't have time."

Brandon sighed and leaned back, but instead of giving up, he rounded the couch and stood in front of me. I didn't have the time to react before he placed his hands under my legs and back and lifted me from the couch.

I let out a squeal, wrapping my arms around his neck for balance. "Brandon!"

Brandon ignored me, but before he could take a step forward, the doorbell rang. My eyebrows furrowed. Even if it wasn't very late, it was still night and we weren't expecting any visitors.

I made a move to escape his hold and check who was at the door but Allison, who had been in the kitchen, beat me to it. Brandon kept me in his arms as we waited.

"It's Ms. Johnson," Allison announced and Bailey appeared from behind her.

I glanced at Brandon and he shrugged, letting me know that he also had no idea why she was here. Brandon had promised me that he would take a step back from their friendship. He also said she wasn't allowed in the house anymore and that they would only come in contact if they met at events. I appreciated that, but it made me wonder why she was here and at night as well.

I tapped on Brandon's arm and he gently let go of me.

"What are you doing here?" Brandon asked, sounding curious. "I thought I told you we should limit our visits?"

I hadn't seen Bailey since the day she announced that she slept with Brandon and the three weeks apart hadn't changed my feelings for her.

"I'm sorry for showing up unannounced." Her voice was smaller than usual and it made me suspicious. However, I didn't say anything. I just watched the exchange with keen interest.

"Well, why are you here?"

"I have something to tell you." She told him, sparing a glance at me.

Brandon followed her gaze. "She's my wife. I'm sure she's allowed to hear whatever you have to tell me."

"Fair enough." She sucked in a deep breath. "I only just found out this morning, but I'm pregnant."

My heart stopped.

Brandon, the oblivious fool, was confused. "Congratulations?"

"The child is yours, Brand. We'll be having a baby together."

My tongue poked the inside of my cheek. This was it. My marriage was officially ruined and there was nothing that could save it.

Brandon's eyebrows were still scrunched together. "What? What do you mean?"

"It means on the day we fucked, you got me pregnant. I just thought to tell you because it won't be right to keep it from you. You don't have to take responsibility for the child, but I knew it wouldn't be fair if you didn't know about it."

I was ready to throw hands, but it would be considered an assault. Besides, she was now a pregnant woman. I'd be harming both the mother and the child. I couldn't listen any longer. If I did, my intrusive thoughts would win.

"I'll leave you two to your conversation," I told both of them before I trudged up the stairs.

Brandon knew better than to stop me. I wasn't feeling sleepy earlier, but as soon as I lay on the bed, I wanted to sleep and wake up to find out that this part of my life was a nightmare.

I made a phone call before I eventually drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I realized that my husband impregnating another woman was truly my reality.

Brandon was still sleeping when I went downstairs to get the document I'd told my lawyer to prepare the night prior. He was fast and efficient. When I went back into the room, Brandon had woken up.

He looked at me warily as though he was afraid I'd snap. "You slept pretty early last night."

The elephant in the room was huge as fuck, but I didn't want to talk about it. There was nothing to talk about. Brandon was a responsible man and he wasn't going to abandon his child no matter what.

It was best I removed myself from the equation. I was protecting my peace. I was in love with Brandon, but he was going to be a father and not to my kid.

Staying silent, I handed him the document.

"What is this?" He stared at me but my expression was blank. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the file. His eyebrows shot up. "Divorce papers?"

BRANDON

~•~

"You don't mean this, do you?" I stood up from the bed and approached her slowly. "You're just venting, right?"

"Brandon..." she sighed.

"I am not signing these papers, Gianna. Absolutely not."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest, unintentionally drawing my attention there.

"Let's sit down and talk about this first, then we can come to a conclusion. We can't just part ways like this." I knew I fucked up. I admitted that, but I didn't know how to show her my sincerity. I never wanted to sleep with Bailey. We were just friends, nothing more.

Bailey and I had been friends since we were born because our parents were friends. While growing up, there were talks that we were going to get married, but I didn't see her in that light. She also didn't like me and later on, my father had a bright idea to use my marriage as a collaboration between two companies which was how I ended up with Gianna.

I didn't know Gianna before we got engaged, but I quickly warmed up to the idea. She was a nice woman and she had a kind heart. Her only fault was her insecurity and my stupid *ss self just played into it, proving her suspicions right.

"What else do you expect me to do, Brandon!" She cried out. "Sit at home with you while you raise another woman's child?"

It was crazy. I knew that, but that didn't mean I could let her go just like that. "You should have at least spoken to me before you prepared these."

"Yeah, the way you did before you fucked another woman and got her pregnant."

I gritted my teeth. I knew it wouldn't be easy but I thought we were past that already. She had agreed to forget about it. Why was she still bringing it up? I didn't do it on purpose. Why was that so hard to understand?

"Gianna–"

"Don't." She shook her head, stopping me from saying anything. It wasn't like I had an excuse anyway.

The facts were there, laid bare in front of us. I disrespected our marriage and got another woman pregnant. It was normal for her to want to leave, but the problem was I didn't want her to leave. I couldn't let her leave.

"What about our reputation?" Everything we did was scrutinized by the public and it would only take one event without her presence for them to know that something was wrong. The bad publicity was going to affect our stock prices and our parents were going to scold us for it. My company was just a branch of my father's but it was going to get affected anyway.

"It's going to be ruined anyway when they find out there's another woman." She sounded resigned, like she was tired of dealing with me. I didn't know how to feel about that. I had been good to her for the past two years. I didn't expect one mistake to ruin all that we had built together. "It's better to get it over with and leave with a clean cut."

"I'm not signing them," I concluded, shaking my head. I didn't know where we would go from here, but I wasn't signing the damn papers.

"I've already signed them." She informed me. "I just need your signature for this to be over."

I opened the next page of the file and truly, her signature was already there. I felt my chest tighten and I took a step back. Gianna was the sweetest woman on earth, but this action told me that she was truly done with me.

"It's not going to be over anytime soon." I closed the file and placed it on the bed. "I'll figure something out but we're not separating."

I didn't know exactly why I was adamant about not leaving her, but I knew I didn't want to so I wouldn't. It was that easy.

"Brandon, don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"No." That was final. "I'm not signing them. I'm going to shower and go to work. When I come back, we'll sit down like adults and talk about this issue. Then, we'll figure something out. Something that doesn't include you leaving this house."

She opened her mouth to oppose me but I didn't wait to hear what she had to say before I went into the bathroom.

My shower was longer than it usually was because I was thinking a lot even if none of my thoughts were making sense. Bailey, the woman I grew up with, was pregnant for me. Gianna, my wife, wanted to leave me even if I didn't cheat on her on purpose.

I knew I wanted Gianna to stay, but I didn't know what to do about Bailey. Telling her to abort the child would be outrageous, but that was the only way Gianna was going to stay. Then again, I didn't have the heart to suggest that. A life was growing inside of her and she wouldn't want to kill it neither would I.

I didn't want a child just yet, which was why Gianna hadn't conceived yet. We had planned to wait a few more years before bringing a child into this world. I never expected to have a child sooner than I wanted and that left me confused.

When I came out of the bathroom, the divorce papers had been placed on the nightstand, along with a note.

'I'm going to visit my parents. Sign them before I get back. Thank you'

I sucked on my teeth. She was pushing for a divorce. I wanted us to stay together. How the hell were we going to find a middle ground?

GIANNA

~•~

I lied about visiting my parents.

I felt sick and was going to the hospital. I was still mad at Brandon so I didn't feel like telling him the truth. He would fuss over me and make me forget that I currently hated him for getting his best friend pregnant while we were married.

Brandon's family was very high profile so I had to wear a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses to avert attention from me. It was very easy for them to make up a story when they saw me entering the hospital.

I pulled over at the parking lot and came down from the car, heading straight inside the building. I didn't have an appointment so I had to wait in line for the available doctor for diagnosis.

I spent almost an hour waiting and throughout then, I was wondering what my life would look like after I divorced Brandon. Definitely, the media would take the news but where would I go from there? I didn't have a job. I had only two friends who were busy with work. How would I even start over? Brandon and I got married immediately after I graduated college. I didn't know how to be a regular adult without him.

I couldn't deny that I still loved him, but he also knew that which was why he was taking advantage of it. In what world did he think it would be okay to get another woman pregnant and I wouldn't be furious? Even worse, it was the woman he kept telling me not to worry about.

I hated Bailey. I hated Brandon. I hated Bernice. I hated that their names all started with B. I felt like the odd one out. They had so many childhood memories together and always made me feel left out. Now I was going to erase myself from the equation completely. I was only twenty-four. I was still young. I could definitely get my life together.

When the person in front of me finally came out from the doctor's office, it was my turn to go in.

I recited all my symptoms to the doctor and the lady stared at me with thin lips.

"Is something very wrong with me?" I panicked when she didn't say anything else.

"When last did you get your period?"

I frowned and tried to think back. We were in the middle of May and I could only remember getting my period in the early days of April. I gasped as I realized I was late.

"Mmhmm," the doctor nodded. "But we have to do a scan to be certain if you're pregnant."

I couldn't be pregnant. Brandon and I weren't trying for a baby. I couldn't be pregnant when I just served him divorce papers. It was impossible!

"Are you sure, doctor? It's not just a fever?"

"We'll find out after the test."

I nodded, scared to do the test. If I was truly pregnant, I didn't know what to do or how to act. Would I tell Brandon even if we would get divorced anyway? Would he beg me to stay? Would he have to be a father to my and Bailey's children? Will my kid be a sibling to Bailey's?

As I contemplated all these and the doctor prepared for a scan, I got a call and was surprised to see that it was from Bernice. Why the hell was she calling me? Did she just find out about me and her brother? What did she have to say? I didn't even want to know. She was one of the primary causes of my problems with her brother. She knew what she was doing whenever she invited Bailey into Brandon's place. She was trying to get them closer. She tried her best to ruin our marriage. Was she calling to gloat?

I ignored the call and put my phone on silent. She called one more time before she resorted to texting.

[Bernice: It's me, Bernice. I'm calling because I know I've caused a strain on you and Brandon's relationship. I don't want to be the reason you leave my brother. Can we meet up?]

I couldn't stop myself from replying.

[Me: meet up for what?]

My words were harsh, but I didn't care. I wouldn't be part of her family anymore so I had no reason to be nice to her, especially when she was usually a bitch to me.

[Bernice: I want us to talk. I don't want you to misunderstand me. Brandon said you aren't home or I would have come over. I'm at the Liberty Hotel, we can meet in the dining area if you want]

I didn't want to go but I was curious to know what she wanted to say. My tongue poked the inside of my cheek as I contemplated my decision. It wouldn't be bad to give her a piece of my mind after all.

[Me: be there in an hour]

[Bernice: alright, I'll be waiting]

"Mrs. Baker, come lie on the bed."

I almost laughed at the name, Mrs. Baker. I'd be going back to Windsor in a few months. It was crazy how my life was about to change. Adding a baby to the mix would be insane.

I held my breath as she raised my top and applied gel to my stomach. The procedure didn't take long and in a few minutes, I was able to find out the results.

"Our suspicions are correct, Ma'am. You're five weeks pregnant."

I gasped even if I already expected that. Life was so fucking cruel! I had two whole years to get pregnant but I didn't. Now that I was about to get divorced... fuck, this was crazy.

I took my test results and left the hospital, going straight to the hotel. I didn't want to go back home. I didn't want to see Brandon. I didn't know how I would face him. I didn't intend to tell him about our child. I wanted him to focus on raising Bailey's child. He couldn't focus on two women at once, could he?

When I got to the dining area of The Liberty Hotel, I saw Bernice already sitting at a table. Clutching my bag that contained my test results, I went to the table.

Her lips quickly formed a smile when she saw me but I didn't bother to return it. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Can we get something to drink first? Is wine okay with you?"

I subconsciously touched my stomach. Even if I never planned for a child at the moment, I wasn't going to kill them with alcohol. Besides, alcohol was the same reason Brandon was going to be a dad to another woman's child. I was going to avoid that shit for the rest of my life. "Juice is fine."

She nodded. "I'll go get it."

I watched her as she went to the counter, ordered a jug of orange juice and two glasses, and set them in front of me. She poured the juice into both glasses and allowed me to take a sip before she started speaking.

"I know things have been weird between you and Brandon, especially after the bomb Bailey dropped."

I rolled my eyes. Was that what she called me to talk about?

"Hear me out, hear me out." She pleaded when she saw my expression. "Things have been weird between both of you and I've been adding to it. I wanted to apologize for that. I know you're insecure about Bailey but I still bring her around. I'm sorry."

Insecure? She was acting like I complained for nothing. I felt like blowing up on her but I didn't want to cause a scene so I just took a gulp of my juice to calm myself down. "What am I supposed to do with your apology? The deed has been done already."

"But that doesn't have to affect your marriage. A lot of women are single moms these days. There's no shame in that. I'm sure Bailey wouldn't mind being a single mom. Brandon can provide for the child but he'll still be with you."

I bit the inside of my cheek as I stared at her. I was already tired and I wanted to leave. "Did Brandon send you here?" He was reluctant to sign the papers so I wouldn't put it past him. Besides, Bernice wasn't the type to apologize without being pressured to do so.

"Of course not. He's mad at me at the moment, but I just thought of helping him by speaking with you."

I shook my head. There was no need to come here. It was a complete waste of time. "It's too late to help," I said as I stood up, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. "Like I said, the damage has already been done."

I tried to walk away but my legs gave out beneath me and soon, I found myself falling over.