Chapter 7
Marcus grimaced as a repeated knocking at the door distracted him from knotting his tie. He needed to be at work, missing the previous day hadn't been the best idea but he had been way too excited to go anywhere.
It was day three of knowing he had a child and it still seemed like a miracle to him, he went over to the door and opened it.
Caroline stood there, fully clad in work attire and a look of confused wonder passed through Marcus's usual frowning face
"What?" He asked and folded his hands against his shirt and Caroline swallowed, meeting his gaze with a faux hauteur.
"We're late for the office, I wondered if you weren't planning on going," she responded and Marcus looked like she had just said the sun was purple.
"What office? You are not going anywhere, moon," he told her and a flickering of emotions passed through Caroline's eyes.
"What do you mean? I'm okay, I can make it to work!" She argued and he scoffed leaning on the door frame, his blue eye glinting with something feral.
"You have five seconds to give me a good reason. Five, four, three…."
"Who is going to do my job at work? I mean I'm alright I've not begun antenatal! Oh my goodness this is so awkward," Caroline sighed and he stared at her unflinchingly.
"I'm not changing my mind. Return to your room and try not to get in harm's way, you need to be safe for the chidk," Marcus said without any warmth in his voice and Caroline's heart broke a thousand times over.
She knew he was holding her back because of the child but her delusions had motivated her to expect a little more care and attention from him. It didn't seem so though.
"I hate you," she muttered and ran up to her room, Marcus watched her go and then run his hands through his hair before returning to his room.
"I'm used to that."
Caroline would come out later again a little after 12, she cried for five hours and her face was puffy and red.
Her delusions had led her into this god awful marriage after she had forgotten most fragments of her childhood and had been forced to start life over again.
Jason offered her employment and unwillingly formed an attraction and great fondness for her new boss. Like now Marcus had been cold and aloof but then he still would pin her to the corner of the office and kiss her senseless. There was grounds for delusions but when he married her and wouldn't spare her a glance
Gina stood on the other side beaming from eye to eye. "Someone is looking for you outside. You won't believe who, newsflash she even sounds kind!"
"Who?" Caroline asked and slipped her sandals on.
"Come and see for yourself,"
Caroline straightened her dress, she changed into a body com after Marcus informed her of her quarantine. She took the stairs Gina trailing behind her.
Voices seeped in from the living room and she looked over in uncertainty and Gina nodded her head in approval. Staying back in the hallway.
"Oh there she is!" Nina's voice screeched as Caroline stepped into the living area, Emily lay on the couch with an ice pack on her shoulder.
"Hello," she said under her breath, wary and self conscious. As usual, Nina looked breathtaking in a trouser and top, her hair was perfectly done and a supermarket cart stood next to her.
Caroline noticed it and saw it was filled with baby things, she was curious.
"Nina got the child some things from the Gucci store, isn't she nice?" Emily asked, standing up from her laying down position.
She had been baking a cake -that turned out bad- when she dislocated her shoulders thus the ice pack.
"Wow, that is so thoughtful of you Nina, I'm grateful but we don't even know the gender yet," Caroline responded with the warmth of a woman who knew her husband was in love with the person she was addressing.
"That is why I bought outfits for both genders! I thought you would love it," she added, playing the victim card and expectedly it worked.
"I do love it thank you very much," Caroline quickly said and the faces of both parties brightened up.
She planned to have her revenge on Gina, she could have given her a heads up.
Surely the women from the club would hear of it that the almighty and perfect Nina had been the first to gift the unborn baby presents.
Caroline was already tired.
"In that case, I guess you won't mind coming with me for a walk in the park. Marcus said you were going to be bored at home and I don't mind taking you round town, you're the wife of my ex boyfriend you know," she chatted away and the door opened.
Jason walked in looking handsome as always, Caroline's gaze lingered on him as he came towards them.
"Say something!" Nina snapped at her almost dropping her act.
"Yeah sure," she said and smiled at her.
Caroline and Jason had what some may call a friends with benefits relationship, at least to her. She had no great love for him but he had become her friend and even rendezvous partner.
When she had discovered she was pregnant she cut all ties with him and began planning how to leave the mayhem that came with the Robert house.
They still talked but she stopped all contact exceeding a chaste hug.
She could sense he was angry with her and now Nina was pushing her out of the door. She turned one last time to look at him before picking up one of Marcus extra large coat from the rack by the door.
"This would be fun!" Nina shrieked and Caroline had to increase her pace to catch up with her.
Caroline said nothing.
"Listen I know you don't like me and you're not my favorite person too. But we can make a truce, until you give birth to that child and leave finally, we can try to be friends." Nina said and Caroline was suspicious but accepted her outstretched hands.
They didn't see where they were going and as her hands met Caroline's, Nina stumbled over a rock and fell on the ground.
She was already bleeding and Caroline was dumbfounded.
"Why did you have to do that?" Nina cried out with pure pain and accusation in her tone. Caroline was even more confused; she had nothing to do with her fall.
Why did she have that look in her eyes?
A car stopped, a familiar one at that and Caroline was even more alarmed as Marcus stepped out.
"What is going on here?" He asked and hurried to Nina, she was already crying and Caroline was still not able to muster a word.
"We were just talking and she pushed me. I was trying to make peace and it was all a daze, but my legs hurt so bad. Why did she have to do that to me?" Nina cried, holding her hands around Marcus' neck as he carried her up.
His gaze landed on her and Caroline could see the pure look of disdain in his eyes, she couldn't even defend herself.
"You disgust me. Get in the car!"