Chapter 21 - Clashing authorities

Nora tried opening her eyes but they were blurry. She stretched, and yawned.

"Nora? Nora?" She heard strange voices but couldn't fathom who the owner of the voice was.

She sighed, and tried opening her eyes properly. She felt water sprinkling on her face, and she creased her brows.

"Hm?"

She opened her eyes properly this time, and blinked. She tried sitting up, and Jimmy's blank face came into view.

She flinched as soon as she saw him, then relaxed.

"You passed out," he scratched his neck, "Are you okay?"

She squinted her eyes, and frowned, "How long have I been out?"

He shrugged, "An hour maybe."

Abs bit her lips, how did he not even worry? She rolled her eyes, and sighed deeply. He didn't love her anyway, what was she expecting.

"I'm.. thirsty."

He nodded, and gave her a glass of water, "here you go," he handed it to her.

She took it from him, and gulped it down all at once.

"Are you okay now?"

"I should be," she held her head, and shook it, "Uh.. I think I'm hungry," she looked at him with puppy eyes.

He stared back at her unsure of what to do, "Did you hear me?" She waved her hands in front of him.

As if being woken up from a dream, he nodded, and stood up, "Let me go get you something," he left the room.

She looked around, "He's being somehow soft, probably because of the pregnancy. I have to find a way to get out of here, he can't claim this child as his," she clenched her fists, while talking to herself.

A few minutes later, he came in with Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and whole grain crackers. Her eyes widened.

"You're now eating for yourself, and the child, of course you have to eat well," he set the plate before her.

Did he make this when she had passed out? This man was unbelievable!

"Did you make this when I passed out?"

He nodded, "Yes."

She held her head, feeling tired, "Oh my God," she whispered.

"What is it? Eat the food."

She threw her head backwards, and tried so hard to keep together her quivering lips.

She began to eat slowly hoping she would get appetite from eating so much, but she just couldn't. She had completely lost appetite.

"What is the matter with you? Come on, finish this up," he groaned.

She forced the fooddown her throat in despair, feeling so tired already, and blaming herself for having an unprotected sex with someone she didn't know.

But he was just so good!

She forced another spoon of food down her throat, but it wasn't helping at all.

"I'm done. I can't take in anymore," she shook her head.

He frowned, "Well, the baby can. Finish it," he clenched his fists.

"What?"

"If you can't take it in anymore, the baby can. Finish it all up."

She grimaced, "I'm the one who's carrying the baby here. I can't take it in anymore," she tried getting down from the bed, but jimmy would have none of it.

"Stop being so stubborn!"

She arched her brows, "Stubborn? You've never been pregnant before, you don't know how it works!" She snapped at him.

"Did you just.."

"I don't want you killing my baby because of your very selfish interests!"

He drew backwards in surprise, somehow touched by her words.

"Even if you don't mean well for me, let me carry this baby of mine in peace without any disturbance from you. Please," she clasped her hands together.

He kept quiet, having nothing to say. She walked past him to the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She walked through the hallways, heading towards the living room.

"How did I marry him so blindly," she thought to herself, clenching her fists.

She got to the living room, a sigh escaping her lips for the one thousandth time.

"Congratulations!" She hears a shrill voice. She whipped her head up, and saw her mother in law, who was walking towards her with her arms wide open.

Jimmy had told her already?

She pouted her lips, wondering what she was going to do.

"Mother.."

"Finally! My son will become a father soon!"

Nora's face flushed with embarrassment, what was she supposed to do now?

She heaved deeply, thinking of what to tell her mother in law.

"Is this my son's child?" Mrs. Robinwood asked, squinting her eyes at her.

Nora's heart skipped a beat, and she gulped, "Mother.. I.."

"It's not.. is it?" She smirked, "My son's gay, so there's no way he would have had real sex with you."

Nora was hurt by her words, but decided not to show it, she closed her eyes, and tried to breathe in.

"That doesn't matter anyways. It's my grandchild anyway," she chuckled, and held her hand, leading her to a couch.

They both sat down, Nora's hand still in Mrs. Robinwood's hands.

"You do know that, right?" She tilted her head to the side.

Nora nodded faintly, not knowing what to answer her.

"Good," she patted her head, "You should be obedient. That's what you're supposed to do, that's why my son married you," she let out another evil chuckle.

Nora's eyes watered. She wriggled her hand from Mrs. Robinwood's grip, and stood up.

"If you'll excuse me mother, I would like to leave."

"Leave? Where to? Your mother in law comes visiting, and you just want to leave? Show some respect!"

"I'm being polite mother, you're the one who's raising a voice her," she replies calmly.

Mrs. Robinwood's face went red with anger, "Excuse me?! What are you trying to call me?. Abusive?!"

As If that was not what she was.

"I didn't say that," she dropped her gaze, and played with her fingers.

"You ungrateful being! I picked you from the trenches, and now you have the guts to talk back at me?"

'What in the Lord's name?!'

Mrs. Robinwood raised her hand to hit her.

"Don't even dare raise your hand on her!"