The apartment was a tomb of silence as Kimberly slumped onto the plush cushions of her sofa, the weight of the doctor's words pressing down on her like a physical burden.
Tears welled up in her eyes blurring the countless articles about fibroids and pregnancy displayed on her laptop screen.
Her fingers grazed her stomach, a hollowness resonating within her. Eight weeks. A life growing inside her, unplanned and unwanted.
The stark reality of her situation left her feeling numb. Keeping the baby meant jeopardizing her career, her dreams. She'd clawed her way to the top, sacrificing her personal life for the sake of ambition.
The thought of starting over, of the whispers and judgment that would follow an unmarried woman with a child, was suffocating.
She knew that people liked to pretend that gone were the days when women were shamed for being single mothers, but she knew better than to believe in all that.
An abortion was the only logical solution she could think of, and every fiber of her being screamed at her to terminate the pregnancy, to reclaim the life she'd meticulously built, but the doctor's words echoed in her mind, a grim reminder of the risks involved. A medical abortion, a surgical abortion - both options seemed laced with peril, threatening her fragile health further.
What could she do? What choice did she have now? She really didn't want to keep the child of an obnoxious man like Nicholas Vice— a man who didn't have common sense.
Suddenly, the shrill ring of her phone pierced the silence, jolting her out of her despair. A glance at the screen revealed it was Mr. Vice.
A name that once made her smile, now made her scowl when she remembered the other bearer of the name.
How did Richard ever birth such an unpleasant human? She mused as she received the call from her boss.
She had planned on calling to find out why he did not show up at the office but had been sidetracked by all the drama going on in her life.
"Hello, Richard…"
"Kimberly," his voice, devoid of its usual booming confidence, carried a tremor of worry. "Thank goodness you picked up. Can you come over to the hospital? I'm at Central Memorial…"
"What are you doing there? Are you alright?" Kimberly asked, her brows creased with worry.
Was he ill? Was that the reason his annoying son had been at his office? She mused.
There was a long pause before he spoke again. "It's nothing serious. I'm an old man after all. I need to talk to you about something important. Is it alright if you come to the hospital?" He asked hopefully.
Kimberly hesitated. A part of her wanted to remain in her house and figure out the solution to her own problem, but another part of her yearned to use this opportunity to confront him and ask him about what his stupid son had been talking about.
"Alright, Richard," she finally said, her voice firm. "I will be there."
With a sigh, she rose from the sofa and went in to dress up and fix her makeup before leaving for Central Memorial.
On getting there, she was directed to the VIP room where he was admitted, and immediately she saw him, she rushed to his side.
"What happened to you? Why are you here alone?" She asked with a concerned frown.
"I dismissed the girls because I wanted to be alone with you. How are you? You don't look so well," he observed as he looked at her face.
"You're not in any position to worry about me. You are the one who is lying on a hospital bed, not me," she said dryly and he chuckled softly.
"How was work today?" He asked, watching her closely.
"By work, are you asking me if I met your son? Honestly, Richard, I've been asking myself how a sweet soul like you could have begotten someone like that," she said, and he chuckled.
"Someone like that? How was he?" He asked curiously.
"No offense to you, or your incredible genes, as I know your daughters are great. But that son of yours is the most annoying, stupid and obstinate man I've ever met in my life. Once again, no offense," she said and he chuckled.
"Can you tell me what transpired between you two and how you arrived at that conclusion?" Richard asked and although Kimberly wanted to tell him everything, she refrained from doing so, since that would mean admitting to him that she had been involved with his son.
"I'd rather not. Why don't you tell me why you are lying down here instead? And you can also tell me what you said you needed to say," Kimberly said as she sat on the empty chair beside his bed.
"I already told you it is nothing serious. I hope he didn't annoy you too much? Nicholas can be bullheaded a times," he admitted.
"Yet you made him out to look like an Angel when you painted him to me. You forgot to state that he was an Angel of darkness not of light," she said dryly and he hooted with laughter.
"I'm glad to see that you have an excellent sense of humor," Nicholas said from the doorway, and Richard turned to him, while Kimberly ignored him.
A surge of anger flared within her at the sound of his voice. As far as she was concerned, he was the root of all her problems. He was the arrogant, entitled man who'd shattered her sense of security with a single, careless night.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Ms Campbell," Nicholas said as he stopped beside her.
"I'm sorry I can't say the same, Mr. Vice," she answered, her voice laced with ice.
Richard chuckled weakly at his son's entrance. He could swear that he could see the sparks flying all over the place, even though they were not exactly romantic sparks at the moment.
"What did you do to get on her bad side, Nicholas?" Richard asked, his voice weak but laced with concern.
Before Nicholas could answer, Kimberly cut in, her voice sharp. "Actually, Mr. Vice, I have something to ask you." Her gaze narrowed as she locked eyes with Richard. "Did you tell Nicholas anything... about wanting him to marry me?"
Richard looked at Nicholas and before he speak, Nicholas shook his head, "We may have started out on the wrong foot. If you don't mind, please excuse us for a moment, dad," Nicholas interjected, his tone clipped. "We need to talk in private."
Kimberly bristled. "There's nothing private to discuss, Mr Vice. Whatever you have to say, you can say it here."
"Are you sure about that?" Nicholas countered, his gaze meeting hers with a challenge. "Because if you're not, I have no qualms about saying EVERYTHING right here, right now in front of him."
The words hung heavy in the air and Richard looked from one to the other, wondering what Nicholas meant by that.
Kimberly on the other hand couldn't be too sure if he was bluffing or not, and since she didn't want him exposing their past, and potentially jeopardizing her career and reputation, she relented.
"Fine," she conceded through gritted teeth, "let's talk," she said as she rose.
With a curt nod, Nicholas gestured towards the door. Kimberly hesitated briefly, then with a deep breath, she marched out of the room, leaving a bewildered Richard in her wake.
The hospital hallway stretched before them, an unwelcome stage for their confrontation. They walked in silence, the tension crackling between them like electricity.
Finally, they reached the hospital canteen, a starkly bright room filled with the clinking of silverware and hushed conversations.
Kimberly found a seat at a corner table, and Nicholas sat down opposite her, his face unreadable.
"What do you want to talk about?" Kimberly asked with displeasure.
"Us…" Kimberly's laughter cut him off.
"Us? What do you mean us? Cause there is definitely no Us. Not now and not ever," Kimberly said and he held her gaze.
"I have a proposal for you," he said calmly.
"I'm not interested in anything from someone who isn't courteous enough to apologize when he is at fault. If that is why you called me here, forget it. I'm not interested in…"
Before Kimberly could finish, he leaned across the table, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Marry me."