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It’s Sunday and I’m at home, eating chips and reading pet articles online. I know it’s still early in my pregnancy, but I’m excited to plan ahead for my baby. I want to give this child the best of everything. I love seeing families with little babies and baby pets, so I’m thinking of adopting a little pup to grow with my kid. I may not have a perfect home with a white picket fence or a loving husband, but at least, the dog will bring a lot of the brightness to the picture.
Speaking of perfection, my story certainly isn’t the most ideal one, but I think things might actually be looking up for me. Harrison has been so supportive lately. After that talk we had in the office, he’s come with me to my last doctor’s appointment and he’s literally always a phone call away. I try not to bother him, but then he shows up at my door uninvited with a variety of edibles and tells me to deselect the ones making me nauseous. He wants to be involved in everything and honestly, I’m enjoying the attention.
Maybe this is the start of something that could eventually become a dream come true. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but a girl can dream.
The last time I saw him was on Friday, at lunch with Tess and Roscoe. We’d made some huge breaks in the case and I can imagine it’s all keeping him super-busy. It seems we are closer than ever to nailing this Hayes or Gallagher person, and when it happens, I’ll be here to watch the weight get lifted off Harrison’s shoulders. The man has endured so much.
I’m about to move over to photos of Burmese Mountain pups when my doorbell rings.
My heart does a double take.
Maybe Harrison found the time, after all. He has this habit of showing up unannounced bearing tons of gifts, and while I would normally be annoyed, I don’t mind one bit.
Slipping into my comfy home slides, I dust chip crumbs off my oversized shirt, adjust my baggy sweat pants and pad to the door. I’m glad I’ve at least showered.
Peeping through the door, my heart nearly flies into my mouth.
It’s not who I want to see.
No, this is the last person I would want to see at my door in a million years.
Bryce Bridges.
My hands are shaking as I unlock the door and pull it open.
“Heh… Hello, Sir,” I say, standing there, confused, disliking my scared teenage-girl reaction to this giant man and wondering if I should invite him inside. This feels like a bad dream. This man has an aura like a terrible nightmare.
He’s standing alone at my door, but down the hallway, I can see a strange, huge man wearing a suit and dark shades, a very obvious earpiece stuck in his left ear.
“So, it’s you, Charlee,” Bryce says, his voice shrill and cold. “After so many years of doing great work at Bridges, you decide to ruin everything by taking advantage of my vulnerable son. I hear you’re pregnant with his child.”
The urge to run inside my house, shut the door, and hide is strong.
I know if I could see my face right now, it’ll be stripped of all blood. I thought Harrison hadn’t wanted to tell him about the baby yet? Or did Roscoe spill? And what is he talking about?
“Sir, I don’t know what you heard, but I didn’t take advantage of Harrison. He’s my friend and I…”
“Quiet!” he yells and I jump back a little. We’re still in the hallway and I’m worried my neighbors will hear the commotion.
“You don’t have to explain yourself. I already know your type and what you plan to get out of this shameful situation. However, no matter how dumb and foolish my son is, he’s still my responsibility. You have to cut yourself out of his life. The two of you can’t be together. For your own good, tell him you don’t want his assistance with this pregnancy. You’re not getting a dime out of my family!”
His words are like a relentless needle to my heart. I’m suddenly feeling a lot of physical pain. My hand goes instinctively to my stomach. I shouldn’t be under any stress right now. I can’t afford to compromise my baby’s wellbeing.
“With all due respect, Mr. Bridges, Harrison is a fully grown man,” I say, meeting his eyes with tears welling up in mine. “We are both attracted to each other, and I never planned to get pregnant. It just happened. I would never be with anyone to get money. I make enough money on my own. This is a terrible defamation of my character.”
Bryce cackles dryly.
“Look at you, thinking you’re all special,” he says, his brows creasing menacingly. “Harrison is not even honest with you and you think you have trapped him with a pregnancy.”
Pausing for a moment, I can see him thinking. He starts to say something, then stops, but then starts again.
“Have you noticed something about my son? His restless behavior, how he’s constantly fidgeting and on edge, always forgetting to coordinate himself? I’m sure you’ve noticed. There’s something about Harrison that he hasn’t told you, and trust me, he’s not going to tell you because he doesn’t trust you one bit. No matter how ambitious or intelligent you claim to be, you’ll never be good enough for my son to trust you. You’ll never be welcomed into our family.”
As his words continue to stab at my heart, my mind flashes back to that day, over five years ago when I first came to BB27. This man reduced me to a pile of tears and weak bones with mere words. The tears are streaming down my face now and I’m clutching onto the door. I wish I could hold them back.
Suddenly, I’ve had enough. Lifting myself off the door, I try to head back into my apartment when he starts speaking again.
“You have till the start of work next week to cut all ties with my son, otherwise, I’ll fire him. He’ll lose his job and lose prospects of any other job for bringing such shame to the family. If you continue to insist on this nonsense, I’ll cut him out of his inheritance entirely. Mark my words, because of you, Harrison will lose everything.”
