THE CHILD HE REJECTED
ASHER'S POV
What!!!!! ??? ….. I shouted…
Just like that…????
Four years reduced to a command??
What's the offense??? But no one was answering, including Fred….
Immediately, the guard dragged my last suitcase toward the gate. Another pushed me when I didn't move fast enough.
I fell to my knees right at Fred's feet….
My hands clutched his trousers desperately.
"Please… just explain to me."
He looked down at me with irritation.
And shook my hand off like I disgusted him and pushed me out…
I felt the shove, the hands gripping my arms, dragging me past the discarded luggage, past the shattered symbols of my life.
And the door slammed shut.
The sound echoed louder than the slap, and I looked back with tears streaming down my cheeks…. And said….
This was my home. My life. My marriage. And yet… Suddenly, it was not mine.
An hour later, I was still outside, soaked, shivering, and alone as if I were invisible. That's exactly how it felt. Four years of love, of loyalty, of sacrifice… discarded in an instant.
My hands trembled violently as I reached for my phone; the screen flickered weakly as I scrolled to the only person who had ever told me, "Asher, that man will break you one day."
The only person who had never failed me; only she could understand. Only she could help me feel human again.
The call connected instantly.
"Asher?" Her voice was calm, steady, and full of warmth. "Where are you?"
"I… I can't stay here; come and pick me from my home," my voice breaking. "She… they…" I could barely choke out the words.
"I'm coming. Don't move," she said, determination threading through every syllable.
Minutes later, her car pulled up, headlights cutting through the storm. She stepped out and rushed towards me with her coat in her hand, and without a word, she wrapped it around my shivering shoulders. "Let's get you out of this," she said softly, guiding me toward the vehicle, and helped me gather what was left of my dignity.
As we drove down the road, though rain was pelting the windshield, I stared at her quietly. I saw the warm comfort in her, the pains she would want to express but preferred to be quiet, unwavering, a lifeline in the chaos. I shook my head and said to myself, "Who wouldn't want to have Cecelia as a best friend?" With a small, fragile smile breaking through the despair.
The drive to her apartment was quiet. I held her hand the entire way, clinging to the only piece of kindness left in my world. When we arrived, she quietly opened the door for me and assisted me in getting my things down.
I was already heading to the entrance of her humble home, feeling like I could grasp the fresh air of this empty world.
Her apartment was small, convenient, and
Safe.
Nothing like the mansion I had just lost.
I stepped quietly and went straight to my room, just like I always did whenever I stayed over. My legs felt heavy, like they were dragging the weight of the entire day behind them.
Inside the room, I changed into my shower clothes and stepped under the shower. Hot water poured over my skin, steaming the small bathroom. I stood there for a long time. Longer than necessary.
The heat burned against my cold skin, but I didn't move.
...Pregnant."
The word echoed inside my head like a cruel joke. Carrying the child of the man who had just replaced me.
The man who had thrown me out.
The man who now belonged to Sandra.
A hollow laugh almost escaped my throat, but it died before it could form.
Every drop of water that rolled down my body reminded me of the events of the day.
Fred's cold eyes, Sandra, who was standing beside him as if she had always belonged there,...
The humiliation and the dismissal.
How had everything collapsed so quickly?
No. Not quickly.
Sandra's confidence replayed in my mind. Her calm smile, her certainty.
This hadn't happened overnight. This had been building for a long time. And I had been too blind… too trusting… too foolish to see it.
After several minutes, I finally turned off the shower. The silence that followed felt heavy.
I changed into my night clothes slowly and walked to the bed.
The soft pillows looked inviting, like they were ready to absorb every tear I had left. All I wanted was to bury my face in them and disappear. Just for one night. Just long enough to forget.
But before my head could touch the pillow…
"ASHER!"
Cecilia's voice rang through the house.
I closed my eyes; maybe if I ignored it, she would think I was asleep. But that was wishful thinking.
"ASHER!"
This time it was louder; I sighed quietly.
"I'm coming," I replied softly. I stepped out of the room and joined her at the small dining table.
Cecilia had prepared soup, my favorite. She always made it whenever I came visiting.
Her eyes studied my face carefully as I sat down. I picked up the spoon and moved the food around in the bowl without actually eating.
"How is it?" she asked gently.
"It's nice," I replied. I lied, a terrible one.
The moment the smell reached my nose, my stomach twisted violently.
The warm, comforting aroma suddenly turned sour.
My throat tightened. I dropped the spoon and rushed toward the bathroom; I barely made it before the nausea exploded out of me.
Footsteps hurried behind me.
"Asher?" Cecilia's voice was filled with concern.
I rinsed my mouth slowly, gripping the sink for balance before turning around. She stood at the doorway, watching me; her eyes scanned my pale face. Then dropped to my shaking hands. And slowly lower to my stomach.
Something shifted in her expression. Understanding, suspicion, and fear
She stepped closer.
"Asher…" her voice softened. "Don't tell me…" pointing at my belly,
Silence filled the bathroom. My throat tightened, her eyes widened.
"Are you pregnant?"...
Tears flooded my eyes again.
I closed my eyes, and
nodded.
Cecilia froze. For a moment, she just stared at me like she was trying to decide whether to scream or cry first.
Then her voice came out in a whisper filled with disbelief.
"…Fred threw you out…" Her gaze dropped to my stomach again. "…while you're pregnant?"
The air in the room went completely still, and Cecilia slowly raised her head, "With his child?"