"Shall I make our rules then?" Ivan's confident tone cut through the silence in the air.
Sharmaine's brow arched up as she stared into his features. A confused expression flooded her face, infiltrating her mind. She asked what's all of this about, yet she received an underwhelming reply. Ivan smirked as he unclasped his hands around her, scooting over the couch, and landing beside Sharmaine in a quick and smooth transition.
He stared into her beautiful eyes intently as he spoke. "You're pregnant. You need to be careful."
It was just like a broken record—you're pregnant this, you're pregnant that. Now, Sharmaine had just realized the consequences of living with Ivan—being locked up in a cage until she gave birth. She sighed as she had no choice but to listen to the man who she needed to make business with.
First rule: Ivan would be the head of the household, meaning that Sharmaine had to follow every order Ivan made. Second rule: Ivan would have to guide and help Sharmaine around. Third rule: Sharmaine will have no right to step one foot outside of Ivan's apartment unless he's with her. Fourth rule: Ivan will cover all expenses. Fifth rule: No working until the baby reached its second year.
"Wait, so basically I am a useless piece of meat until I give birth?" Sharmaine asked, cutting Ivan.
Ivan nodded at her and continued to add more rules. Ridiculous as they all sounded, it was very practical and needed for Sharmaine, except the last rule which was 'I could kiss Sharmaine whenever I wanted to'. Undoubtedly, it was absurd.
Sharmaine crossed her arms and pouted. "Hey, I compromised with all of those except the last one."
"Everything is final. None can be changed," he teased.
"Hey!"
In the end, Sharmaine just gave a sigh as she put her weight on the back of the couch. She closed her eyes, remembering the time when she was working multiple jobs. She questioned herself if her life would be the same if she hadn't had the guts to do crime, and the fact that she was living in plain luxury because of an unborn fetus.
She imagined a life filled with smiling faces and warm hug. Had not her parent died, would she be able to live life with no struggles and shame? In the first place, she did not even know why she just chose to live with Ivan, though it might just be because of Denzel's unknown circumstances.
Thoughts swirled around her head. It ate her alive. There was so many what-ifs in her life that she wished she could just change with one snap from her fingers. And now, being pregnant out of wedlock, would her parents be happy? Probably not, she thought.
Now, the incoming days were just a cycle of thoughts and shenanigans. The rooms were filled with laughter and joy, far from what Sharmaine had grown up from. But still, her heart ached for no reason at all because even she knew that not a day went by where it was silent.