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.

GIANNA

~•~

I woke up even more tired and when my eyes fluttered open, I realized I was in a strange place. It looked like a hotel room, which was weird.

Did I get drugged? But the last person I was with was Bernice. She had no reason to drug me, did she?

I quickly peeked under the covers to see that my clothes were still intact. The jeans I'd been wearing were tight and my top was still on my body. It meant nobody took advantage of me, so what was I doing here?

I looked around to find my phone sitting on one of the nightstands. When I turned it on, there were various phone calls from Brandon, my mother, my friends, and my sister. However, my eyes zeroed in on the time and date. It was eight am in the morning. I blinked in surprise. I had come to the hotel around noon yesterday. I remembered falling over when I tried to walk away but how could I sleep for over twenty hours?

The first person I called was my sister. Thankfully, she wasn't busy and answered almost immediately. "Gianna!" She exclaimed. "Where the hell have you been? Everyone is worried?"

"Everyone? What do you mean?"

"Brandon was worried you weren't home so he called Mom to check if you're with her since you said you'd be visiting us. You can understand what happened after that."

"Shit." I cursed, holding my head. I had lied to Brandon that I was visiting my parents. They must be worried as fuck. What could I even tell them? I didn't know exactly what happened to me. "I was with Bernice and passed out. I don't know what happened after."

"Bernice? What the hell were you doing alone with that bitch?"

Sheila hated Bernice even more than I did. Whenever I complained to her, she hated Bernice even more. "I don't know," I confessed, but I needed to find out what happened. Why did she leave me alone in the room? Or was she around somewhere? "I'll call you back later. I need to get back home. Just tell Mom and Dad I crashed at Emily's house."

Emily was one of the only two friends I had so that was believable.

"Well, mom called Emily and she covered for you already so don't worry about that."

I loved that girl. "Then I'll call you later. I need to call someone else."

"Alright then."

After I hung up, I called Bernice next. She was the only one who could give me the answers I was looking for.

As I waited for her to answer, I sat up on the bed and starched. My muscles were weak. Was it because I was pregnant? A lot of women complained about pregnancy but I didn't know it was that bad. It was crazy.

She didn't answer the first call but when I called her again, she picked up. "Hey, Gianna." Her voice was awfully cheery. "You're finally up!"

"Finally?" I was confused. "What happened? Why am I in a hotel room?"

"You remember passing out, right? It's probably from all the stress. I just checked you into the hotel there so you can have some rest."

It sounded fishy as fuck, but then again, this was Bernice we were talking about.

"And you just left me here?" I questioned.

"I waited with you for a few hours but there was no sign of waking up. You seemed really tired and I didn't want to disturb you."

"You could have taken me home instead."

"You're currently fighting with my brother. I didn't think you'd like that."

She made a good point there but I still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. If it wasn't already wrong, it was about to be. Emily was acting too nice and polite. It wasn't who she was.

Brandon had called me like five times. It meant he was worried. I would have preferred for her to take me home. I didn't want him to think I was hiding away or something even if he definitely deserved the silent treatment. The very least she could do was take me to the hospital, at least. What if something was wrong with me or my baby?

I sucked on my teeth, not knowing what to do. I slept for eight hours every day. I didn't do much housework. I didn't do any office work. Nothing was overworking me to cause me to sleep for more than twenty hours at a stretch. Maybe something was actually wrong and I needed to visit the hospital again.

That would have to be after I showed my face to Brandon though to let him know that I was alive and well.

"You've paid for the room, right?"

"Of course. It's the least I can do right now. I hope you had a good rest."

I didn't but I didn't let her know that. I just hung up and picked up my bag. I checked inside to make sure everything was intact. Thankfully, the brat didn't touch anything, and my test results were still folded neatly inside. I put my phone in, wore my shoes, and left the room:

I didn't even bother to tell the receptionist I was leaving. They would get the memo soon. I just went to the parking lot to get my car and started driving home.

I didn't know why my delusional ass still called Brandon's house my home. I had already made up my mind to divorce him and I kept reminding myself of that throughout the previous day. Why was I still acting like he had a right to know what was going on with me? I didn't have to go back there. I could pack my things and go back to my parent's place. Or better yet, I could rent my apartment and live by myself.

Even as I told myself all these, I still drove straight to what used to be my matrimonial home before Bailey ruined it for me. The men at the gate opened it when they saw my car and I was surprised to see that Brandon's car was still in front of the house.

He had several cars but he had a favorite and since he was outside, it meant he hadn't gone to work yet.

I parked the car, took a deep breath, and went inside the house.

As though he was waiting for me, Brandon was sitting inside the living room. He didn't acknowledge my presence when I went in but just as I was about to pass by him and go up the stairs, he extended a file to me.

The same file I had given to him yesterday before I left the house.

I eyed him warily as I took it from him and opened it to see that he had signed the divorce papers.