“Lily , Lily! Let me be the first to congratulate you—big congratulations! I’ll be the godmother!” Big Sister Violet said excitedly on the line.
“But sis…” I couldn’t finish what I was about to say.
“What ‘but’? Don’t give me any buts, Lily. What are you waiting for? Go buy a pregnancy test now. I might not be able to sleep thinking about you! And make sure to tell Arlo the truth. If you don’t, I’ll strangle you myself. If you still don’t tell him, I might just go and tell him myself,” she warned me.
“I’ll tell him. But for now, who knows? Maybe I’m not pregnant, and my period is just delayed, like before.”
“That was a long time ago, Lily . It’s completely different now because you have Arlo sleeping beside you,” Big Sister Violet insisted.
We ended the call when Ethan started crying. I was about to tell her about what was happening with Arlo, but I didn’t get the chance.
I thought about calling Arlo, but I decided against it. I don’t think Arlo is lying to me, and I feel that in my heart. I trust him a lot, and I don’t want to overthink.
I’ll only overthink if I don’t hear an explanation from him.
For now, I need to calm myself, even though the truth is that I’m hurt.
When I got outside the park gate, I was just in time to see a taxi passing by, and I quickly flagged it down.
“To the pharmacy, please,” I told the driver.
It wasn’t long before I was inside the pharmacy. A woman greeted me and asked what I needed.
I felt nervous as I told her I needed three pregnancy tests.
“Do you need anything else, ma’am?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” I replied.
I left the pharmacy and put the pregnancy tests in my sling bag. As I left, I saw a man on a bicycle selling coconut juice, fried plantains, and other snacks. I called out to him.
The vendor looked surprised as I devoured a lot of fish balls and fried plantains.
“Thank you, ma’am,” the vendor said with a smile as he thanked me. After the vendor left, I waited for a taxi. Suddenly, two luxurious cars stopped in front of me. I nearly stumbled backward in surprise. Two men stepped out of the cars and grabbed my arms.
“Who are you, and what do you want from me?” I asked them, my voice shaking.
“Ma’am, we apologize, but you need to explain yourself to the man inside the car,” one of the men said. I dropped the fried plantain I had just bought.
When one of the men opened the car door, it felt like cold water was pouring over me when I saw what my eyes were witnessing.
“Grandpa Williams,” I muttered when I saw my grandfather sitting seriously inside the car.
I was speechless and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“Grandchild!” my grandfather said with authority.
He extended his hand for me to take and kiss as a sign of respect.
“To the hotel,” Grandpa instructed his driver. I could only stare at him, silent and unable to utter a word. His eyes looked angry.
ARLO
When I arrived at Jones Hospital, owned by my friend Nathan, I was met by Abraham, Claire’s only brother.
“Uncle Arlo, it’s my sister…”
“Abraham, how is your sister?” I asked.
“You’ll see her condition for yourself, Uncle,” he replied.
Claire—she’s my ex-girlfriend. We were in a relationship for almost three years. After our breakup, I stayed single for another three years. She left me without explaining why—she just disappeared. I’ve always asked myself what the reason was.
Maybe I lacked time for her. Back then, I was busy with my own business, trying to grow my Mega Winery Bonde’s Company, and at the same time managing Grandpa and Dad’s company as well. I neglected to make time for Claire, even though I loved her deeply during that period. I just didn’t have enough time for her.
“Where is your sister?” I asked Abraham again.
I followed Abraham until we stopped at Room 45.
I saw Paul step out of the room, his face somber. I didn’t know why I was even here. After what Paul and Claire did, I thought they were just best friends. Then I found out that the reason Claire left me was because of him.
What the heck!?
My jaw clenched—not out of jealousy, but because I questioned why I was even here.
“Arlo,” Paul called out to me, but I didn’t respond immediately.
I couldn’t speak. Then Claire’s mother, who was crying as she stepped out of the room, saw me and hugged me tightly.
“Thank goodness you came, my son. My daughter needs your help to live longer,” Claire’s mother said in a hoarse voice.
