The Final Chapter
A week had passed since the horrible day at the Douglas house, and Charlotte was still sleeping later each day and feeling worse than she had the week before. She had originally thought that it was just due to her being depressed, but as nausea began to set in, she wondered if she had caught a cold or something worse, and she went to the doctor for a checkup.
She sat in the examination room, tired, sad, and frustrated with her life. She was glad that Evelyn and Darren had been found out and that if Brady should need it, she had evidence against them, but it not detract from the sickness she felt in knowing that she had been fooled by a swindler, a liar, and a cheat. Darren, or David to her, was a horrible man, masquerading as a nice guy. He was only out for himself; for money and sex, and he had never had any real interest in her. She couldn’t believe that she had been such a sucker, and she hated that she was duped by him.
She hated worse that Evelyn knew about it, or at least some of it, and that she was a party to it. She and her lover had worked together to split Brady and Charlotte up, and their only intention was to do it so that they could steal from Brady. She was livid about it.
None of that changed the fact that Brady had ended their lover’s contract before she was even living in the house. He had stopped wanting her before his wife was moved in. She knew that he had been just using her and that it was over. There was no fixing or undoing what had been done. He was finished with her, and she was gone, and it was over for them.
She was alone, and it was going to stay that way. Rita had tried to cheer her up and encourage her to get back into school full time in physical classes rather than online classes, at least at spring semester which was starting up in January. She could be registered for them before Christmas and be ready to go.
Charlotte had considered it. It would be the smart thing to do. Save the money that she had earned from Brady and get back to her education. It would give her something to do with her time, it would give her a foundation for her future, and she could refocus her life again. She had decided to do it, though it felt as if her heart wasn’t truly in it, not as much as it had been into the Douglas household.
Her mind was a tangle of all of those thoughts and feelings, and her body had been suffering because of it. She knew that she was going to have to change her life and find some happiness if she wanted to feel better.
The doctor came in with her charts and stood near her, looking at her carefully. “Well, you don’t have a cold and your blood work all came back as normal except for one thing.”
She frowned at her. “What thing? Did I contract a disease?” She asked worriedly.
Her doctor smiled a little at her. “Not quite. You contracted a baby. You’re pregnant.”
Charlotte stared at her and had to grab the table she was sitting on to keep from falling off of it. “I’m... what?” she barely whispered.
“You’re pregnant. Two months, I’d guess.” The woman gave her a kindly smile. “I take it you weren’t trying for a baby?”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears and she closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
The doctor reached over and patted her shoulder. “Well, if you want to keep the baby, there are agencies all over the city which can help you get any kind of aid that you need so that it’s a successful pregnancy and birth. If you don’t want to keep the baby, there are other agencies that can assist you with giving the baby up for adoption or terminating the pregnancy. I am here to help you no matter what path you decide is best for you. It’s your body and your choice. Take your time and think about it, and please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you.”
The doctor hesitated then, and spoke more gently. “Is there a father involved, or would you be taking this one on by yourself?”
Charlotte opened her eyes and sighed, staring at the floor. “I’m on my own for this one.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s okay. Lots of women do this every day. You are not alone. In fact, there are support groups out there to help you, no matter what you choose to do. Again, I’m here for you to help you no matter what you choose to do.”
“Thank you, doctor.” Charlotte replied. The doctor left, and Charlotte dressed and drove away from the doctor’s office almost in a trance. She went straight to Rita’s house and knocked on the front door of her brownstone. It was a beautiful place west of Central Park, which she had inherited from her father.
Rita answered it with a smile, but the smile fell away immediately. “Oh no. What is it, honey?”
Charlotte closed her eyes and dropped her head. “I’m pregnant.” She barely managed to speak, before the tears and sobs poured from her and she buried her face in her hands. Rita’s hand flew to her mouth.
“Oh, my dear god.” She went outside and wrapped Charlotte in a hug, bringing her into the home and closing her door behind them. She walked Charlotte to the sofa in the living room and sat her down, only leaving her long enough to bring her a glass of water.
“Honey, are you sure?” She asked, rubbing Charlotte’s back as Charlotte held the glass of water in her hand.
“Yes.” She wept almost uncontrollably. “I just left the doctor’s. She said she thinks I’m two months along.”
Rita looked heavenward and shook her head. “What on earth…” she mumbled, but then she looked back at Charlotte and held a steady hand on her. “Honey, we’ll work through this. You’ve got to calm down. Just take a few deep breaths and we’ll work it out. Come on now.”
Charlotte did as she was bidden, and she felt her body beginning to calm.
“Now then, the first question is, are you going to tell Brady about this baby?” Rita asked, looking at her pointedly.
Charlotte shook her head. “No, no I’m not going to tell him.”
Rita frowned. “Honey! Why ever not? That baby is half his too, you know.”
Looking back up at Rita, Charlotte took a deep breath and explained it. “I’ve thought about him so many times. I never stop thinking of him and Abbie. I miss them so much every single day, but he has never contacted me. Not once. Not even after he found out about Evelyn and Darren! It’s so obvious that he doesn’t want me around. Now, if I go to him and tell him I’m pregnant, knowing that he doesn’t want me, then really, I’m trapping him, aren’t I? Forcing him into a morally obligated situation that he doesn’t want to be in!”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Rita furrowed her brow at Charlotte.
Charlotte sighed in frustration and shook her head. “Think about this. If he wanted me around, he would have contacted me. He hasn’t. If he doesn’t want me, he sure isn’t going to want this baby, is he? We’re a package deal, this baby and me. He can’t have one without the other. Evelyn might have given her own baby up, but not me. No way. This is my baby, and he would have to take both of us or neither of us.”
“Well, suppose there is some bit of logic in that, though I truly think it would be a heck of a lot easier and not to mention smarter if you just get in touch with him and tell him. Then you could work out visitation; he could have the baby sometimes and you could have it sometimes, and the two of you could share the cost of it. Or he could pay for all of it. The man is a billionaire, after all. I know he can afford it.” Rita rolled her eyes and then looked back at her best friend. “I just think you’re giving up way too easily on this. Give it some thought.
Even if you went to him to help you with the baby, he’s going to know that you aren’t coming after him for his money. It’s not like you’re asking him for a mint, you’d just be getting some help for the baby that you both have a financial responsibility to. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Charlotte let out a long slow breath and shook her head. “Rita, it’s not about that. It isn’t about the money. It’s about the fact that he doesn’t want me. If he doesn’t want me, he isn’t going to want this baby, and I’m not about to put any child of mine through the pain of not being wanted.”
Rita shook her head again. “Well honey, it’s your baby. I guess you should do what you want to. I still think you should tell him. Give him a chance.”
Charlotte was not going to change her mind, and Rita could see that. She wisely let it go for the time being, and they talked of other aspects of the pregnancy, of school, and of what Charlotte’s options and choices for her road ahead might be.
A long while later, Charlotte hugged her goodbye and left her, heading for her little apartment. She had settled into it a bit more, thought even that wasn’t much at all. She still had no real sense of home there, but it was almost a relief to her really, because with a baby on the way, she was going to need a bigger place. They wouldn’t both fit into a one bedroom flat for very long. She hoped, in the back of her mind, that she could find a cute home to live in where she could raise her baby, finish school, and plant some roots. She wanted a real home for her baby, and the flat wasn’t going to be it.
She stepped off of the elevator and stopped in her tracks. Brady Douglas was sitting on the bench near the elevator door. He looked up at her and stood, and she could tell that he had been sitting there a long while.
“Brady!” She gasped in surprise.
A look of relief and happiness and something like love spread all over his face. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. “There you are. Finally, there you are.”
She blinked in surprise, but then hugged him back for a long moment before letting him go. “What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?”
He gave her a warm smile. “Truthfully? I had a private investigator locate you. Is there somewhere that we can we talk?”
Charlotte nodded in surprise and led him into her apartment. He looked around and frowned. “You’re living here?” He asked, though it was obvious.
She closed the door and nodded. “Yes, this is what works for me right now. I am looking for another place soon, though.”
He raised his eyebrows slightly. “Are you?” He took a step toward her. “Because, I wanted to ask you if you would consider returning to the house.”
Her heart swelled to hear it, but it broke at the same time. Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I could. I really do, but I’m afraid that I can’t.”
Brady knit his brow. “Why not? Why couldn’t you come back?”
She lowered her eyes and sighed. “Because I’m in love with you and it would be a conflict of interest. I love Abbie too, and she means everything to me, but that doesn’t cause any problems. Being in love with you causes a lot of problems. I can’t do it. I can’t have you, so I can’t stay. It would hurt too much.”
Brady grinned and reached his hand to her face, tucking his finger beneath her chin and lifting it so that she could look at him. “That’s the best news I’ve ever heard. You see, I’m in love with you, too. I don’t want you to come back as a nanny. I want you to come back as my wife and Abbie’s mother.”
She stared at him in utter amazement. Struggling to find her voice again, she reached for his hand and took it in hers. “Do you really mean that?”
He nodded. “I mean it so much that I’ll ask you on my knees.” He knelt down. “Charlotte Knight, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife and being the mother of my daughter?”
Charlotte thought her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. “I didn’t think you wanted me at all!”
“I have never wanted you more in every way; as my friend, as my lover, as the mother of my child, as my wife and life companion… all of it. I want you for all of it.” He stood up and took her hands in his.
“Before I answer, there’s one more thing you should know.” She bit at her lower lip.
He gave his head a shake. “Okay. What is it?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m pregnant.”
Brady stared at her and then blinked. “You’re… you’re…”
“We’re pregnant.” She corrected herself.
He blinked again and then laughed, a grin forming wide over his face. Grabbing her in his arms, he held her close and then closed his mouth over hers, kissing her gently. When he let her loose, he reached for her face, holding it in his hands.
“Then you better give me the answer I’m hoping for, because we have work to do.”
“Yes. My answer is yes. I would love to be your wife, and the mother of your children, forever.” She grinned blissfully at him.
“Always and forever.” He replied, kissing her again.
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