by Andromeda
"She's bleeding," Lucille says. "We need to get her to a hospital."
The bloody pants are all that she sees before she blacks out.
When she awakens, bright lights hang above her and for a moment, she believes she is in heaven. Could she have died as did her baby?
"Rose..." a gentle voice says at her side.
Rosalinda looks in that direction and sees Lucille, along with Alphonse and Pascal. "W...what happened?" she asks softly
"You were bleeding and we brought you to the hospital," Lucille says, taking her hand. "They gave you some things and got you stable."
Rosalinda wants to ask about her baby, but Alphonse is in the room and she can see right now isn't the time to ask for such a thing. The door opens and the doctor walks.
"You're awake, Ms. Domínguez," he says nodding. "Good. Good." He looks at Pascal and Lucille. "If you don't mind, might I have a word with Ms. Domínguez and her...partner?”
Lucille huffs; Rosalinda can tell she doesn't want to leave, but she nods in agreement with the doctor and obliges his request, pulling Pascal with her out of the room and closing the door. The doctor then turns to Alphonse and Rosalinda.
"You are very lucky, Ms. Domínguez,” she says. “That fall didn't do much damage, but playing football is very dangerous for a woman in your condition. You are still in the tender stages."
"What tender stages?" Alphonse demands, and then he looks to Rosalinda. "What is he talking about?"
Rosalinda bites her lip and turns her head away...she doesn’t want to tell him but the way he's looking at her makes the words tumble out in a mess.
"I'm pregnant."
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The car ride home from the hospital is a quiet as a grave. Rosalinda sits in the passenger seat, gazing out the window and not saying a word to Alphonse; not so much as even glancing. Meanwhile, he is fuming.
How could she? How in the hell could she? He rages in his mind. There was one main agreement in this contract and it was if she ever got pregnant, she's to take care of it; get rid of it. But no, she kept it and she's almost nearing her third month. Once she does, then she can barely legally get an abortion. And if she nears her sixth month, then she can't get it at all!
His hands clench the steering wheel with all his might, knuckles turning white as he struggles to keep herself from screaming at her. She is just like Georgianna; how could I be so stupid and blind as of to not see it?
Pulling up to her apartment's garage, Rosalinda gets out without a word to him. Alphonse frowns and turns off the car before getting out and following her.
She must be out of her damn mind if she thinks I'm going to just up and let this go, he says to himself.
"Rosalinda," he snaps. No answer. "Rosalinda!" he repeats, louder this time. Still no answer. Rosalinda ignores him and instead, walks to her door and goes inside. Sticking his foot inside to keep from it closing in his face, he goes in before grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn around and look at him.
"Rosalinda, we have to talk about this."
"Talk about what?" she snaps. "I already know what you are going to say and the answer is no! I'm not going to do it."
Alphonse scowl. "Why not?"
"Because it's alive!” Rosalinda says. “I can never kill a baby; it's wrong and immoral!"
Alphonse can’t help but laugh bitterly. "That's the kettle calling the pot black coming from you. Seeing as you've done nothing but live an immoral life. You have what, two illegitimate children by two different men? What's the matter, they didn't work out so you think third time’s the charm?"
Rosalinda’s face goes white in shock, then red with fury. Yanking her arm from his grasp, she turns around and slaps him so hard in the face that he knows he’s going to have both a hand print and black eye in the morning.
"You know nothing about me," she hisses. "Nothing! You think you're important, you think the world is all black and white but it's not! There are grey areas in this world, Alphonse, and you are just too blind to see them!" She glares at him, tears in her eyes. "You want to know how I got my children? My daughter, I got when my boyfriend raped me; my son, when I became a mistress to a much older man who said he loved me and I was only with him because I was doing right for my daughter. You know nothing about me, Alphonse. Nothing!"
"I've made up my mind, Rosalinda," Alphonse says tightly. "You are going to get rid of that…that fetus quickly. I will set up an appointment for you and you can go get it done. End of discussion."
"As if you have a say-so over what I do with my body," she spits.
"I might not," Alphonse says. "But I do have say-so over the money that I give you." For some reason, it gives him satisfaction to see her pale with shock.
"You wouldn't..." she whispers.
"Try me," Alphonse says through gritted teeth. "You either get rid of it, or I'm withdrawing my financial support of you and your children. The choice is up to you."
Rosalinda pulls away and shoves him back, though it's rather weak coming from her. "Get out," she hisses. "Get out now!"
Alphonse gladly leaves, driving to his own house. He falls back on his bed and looks up at the ceiling. I refuse to get trapped again, I refuse it. But...
With a sigh, he digs around in his pocket and takes out the ultrasound picture that the nurse had given them. She printed off two: one for Rosalinda and one for him. He looks at the small life form on the picture. Though it's kind of hard to tell because Rosalinda is only seven or eight weeks, he can see the small blueberry-sized thing.
This little thing...this little thing is mine and Rosalinda's. We created it together and as much as I try to not feel anything toward it, I can't help but feel a connection.
When he first heard her tell him she was pregnant, his heart did a strange flutter of joy at her words before his mind beat it down and screamed that she had broken his sacred rule of not greeting pregnant.
Is it even mine? his subconscious asks. He frowns at those blasphemous words. Of course it's mine; monogamy is in the contract and she's never broken a rule. Until now...
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighs, wishing with all his heart that his mother was here to help him. She was a single mother, she too having three children by three different fathers. She worked hard to provide for them; his empire started with her and when she died, Alphonse made sure she was given the funeral of a queen. She would know what to do at this point; she would know if he should force Rosalinda into this...or let the child be born.
Chapter Eleven
Rosalinda was always taught from an early age that all life is sacred, most importantly human life. It's amazing how so many people take their lives for granted in this world. They believe that just because you have money that you can rule the world. They believe that money is what makes this world and the more you have of it, the better person you are. She believes this is to be 100% bullshit. Money might be the root of all evil but it's a necessary evil, she guesses, seeing as people can't really live without it.
Yesterday, Alphonse sent her some money as well as the address to the abortion clinic. He told her that once she was done to return to his home, where he wished to take her out on a date. She tried to not throw up in his face. A date set after he wanted her to kill his child? He is 100% insane if he thinks she’d ever agree to such a thing, so she went to the clinic—only to truthfully say she went. She didn't kill her baby, though—she is never killing her baby. Alphonse will have to drag her that abortion clinic himself if he wants this child to die.
After leaving the clinic, she went to the bank and quickly went to work. It won't be long until she starts showing, a month or two, and she knows he plans to cut her off as soon as he sees it. She still has the $250,000 in her account as she’s mainly been living off the $15,000 allowance he's been giving her. She doesn’t use it all; $5,000 is the most that she spends every month, so that leaves $10,000 for her to do with as she wants. With the help of Georgia, she has been moving the
money from this account to a separate one that Alphonse knows nothing about.
Also, she has all her jewelry and expensive things in safety deposit boxes that he knows nothing about. Taking the jewels to the jeweler, though, Rosalinda found out that all together, they are worth $500,000. She has pieces from diamond necklaces to sapphire and emerald earnings and more. She also has pure gold and silver. One thing she can give Alphonse is that he doesn't do things cheap or fake.
Altogether, she sees that she has virtually $750,000 plus the allowance that keeps coming in from him...for now. She will be able to pay her tuition at Parson and get those paid internships that will keep the money rolling in. All of this she’s done under his nose and he cannot touch it.
Afterward, she returned home and fell into a deep sleep; only to be awakened today by a knocking on her door. Groaning softly, she gets up and walks to it, looking out the peephole. She sees Alphonse with...a little boy? She has to do a double take and frown slightly, looking at him and the little boy.
"Rosalinda, I know you are in there," Alphonse says. "Open the door, please."
Slowly she does, and looks at them both. The boy looks like he could pass as his twin, and his eyes widen when he sees her. This is his son.
"Good morning," Alphonse says.
Rosalinda looks up at him. "Good morning."
"This is Lukas," he says, putting his hand on the boy's head. "Lukas, this is my...girlfriend, Rosalinda."
Lukas looks up at Rosalinda and she instantly goes into motherly mode. Slowly, she kneels down and smiles at him. "Hello, Lukas; you can call me Rose.”
Lukas flushes crimson and smiles shyly at her. "Hello Rose, I'm Lukas."
"It's very nice to meet you, Lukas; how old are you?" she says, smiling.
"I'm seven," he says proudly. "How old are you?"
Rosalinda tries to not laugh, and instead she smiles wider. "You're not supposed to ask a lady her age," she says, tapping his nose playfully. "But I am a little bit older than you. Want to come inside? I was about to make breakfast."
Lukas looks to his father who gives him a stiff nod before they enter the apartment place. Lukas gasps with amazement. "You have a very pretty home," he says. "So colorful."
"I'm from Miami," Rosalinda says proudly. "It's very colorful. Now, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Can you make chocolate chip pancakes?" he asks. "I love them, but Georgianna doesn't like me to have them."
"Who is Georgianna?" Rosalinda asks as they walk to the kitchen.
"His mother," Alphonse says abruptly. "She doesn't like him caller her...mother."
Rosalinda looks sadly at Lukas, who is oohing and ahhing over the tropical fish tank. "That's so sad..." she whispers.
Alphonse walks over to her before glancing at Lukas, and then looking back. "Look Rosalinda, did you...handle the problem?"
Rosalinda flinches at his crassness of talking about their child and looks at him coldly. "Everything has been handled."
Something flashes behind his eyes something like...regret, but as soon as it's there it disappears and he blinks, nodding. "Good, you've done well. I will reward you for this," he says.
She stiffens as he presses a kiss to her temple before leaving. How can he be so uncaring? she thinks as she watches him. So insensitive to something this delicate? It shows he truly has no heart.
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A couple of days later, she lays in bed next to Alphonse watching him sleep. She wants so badly to smother him with the pillow in her hands, but then again she might go to jail and she can't have that. She needs to be here for her children. Besides, someone might notice if he goes missing. For the last couple of days, he has been staying the night and they have a basic routine: she makes dinner, they watch a movie or two, take a shower together, and then retire to bed. Nothing changes but there isn't any...feeling in it on either of their parts.
Last night was just like any other and after it was over, he went to sleep but she stayed up for hours. She couldn't go to sleep as the only thing on my mind was her baby. She’s officially three months and while her stomach is still kind of flat, she can see the curve beginning to form and she bites her lip in nervousness.
Sooner or later, he is going to find out that she kept the baby and she knows he will be furious and will cut her off. Well, she doesn’t need his money, not at all but...dare she admit she feels something for this man? She’s been closely guarding her heart since the birth of Antonio and yet...there is something about this man. He makes her hot all over; a single kiss makes her toes tingle and her head spin.
She can't say she loves him yet, but there is something there. One thing she has noticed is that he isn't that warm toward Lukas and she finds this strange. If he's his son, then why doesn't he love and cherish him? She loves Antonio with her whole soul and she knows he loves her back. Rosalinda can see Lukas loves his father, but...Alphonse must not feel the same way. It makes her wonder if he loves anyone.
Her phone suddenly begins to vibrate on the dresser and she rolls over to answer it. "Hello?
"Rose?" a voice croaks. "Rose, it's me Georgia. I need your help."
"Gigi, can it wait? It's three in the morning," Rosalinda groans.
"No Rose, please, I need you," Georgia chokes. says. "Please come here. I...I'm bleeding."
"Bleeding how?" Rosalinda asks, her attention caught up now.
"D...down there," Georgia whispers.
"Gigi,” Rosalinda says slowly. “What's going on?"
"Please Rose, just come here, I need help...it hurts so much..."
The call disconnects and Rosalinda gets up from the bed quickly, not caring if she wakes up Alphonse or not. Pulling on sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt, she gets her keys and drives quickly to Georgia's apartment. The door is unlocked and slowly she walks in.
"Gigi?" she calls out. "Gigi, are you here?"
"I...in here," a weak voice calls out.
A light appears at the end of the hallway and Rosalinda quickly walks to it; rounding the corner, she stops dead in her tracks, her eyes widening with horror. Georgia lays in a pool of her own blood, her lower half bare. A bundled up bloody towel sits huddled in a corner and Rosalinda looks to her in shock.
"Georgia, what happened?" she asks.
"H...he said if I didn't get rid of it then he'd leave me," Georgia whispers. "I...I had no choice."
Her skin is deathly pale and Rosalinda rushes over; she is a nursing assistant and puts a finger to her throat to test her pulse. It’s there, very light, but there nonetheless.
"Georgia, I'm going to call 911," Rosalinda says, standing up. "Hold on please, chica."
Taking out her phone, she calls EMS and they come quickly. Getting into the ambulance with Georgia, they speed off to the hospital where they take her into the back. Rosalinda pace furiously, texting and calling her family and friends that she knows of. A couple hours later, a nurse comes out of the room and she stops her.
"What happened to her?" she asks. "Why was she covered so much in blood?"
The nurse looks to her. "She took home abortion pills," she says in disgust. "You young people today, if...if you don't want it then wrap it up."
Rosalinda glares at her. "You have no idea what she has been through," she spits. "For all you know, she could have been raped, or that baby was forced on her. Stay in your own damn lane.”
Shoving past her, she goes into Georgia's room and finds that she's asleep and walks over, gently caressing her cheek.
"Poor Gigi..." she whispers softly. Her phone begins to ring and then she sees that it's Alphonse's number. No doubt, he woke up and saw she wasn't there. Exhaling deeply, she answers.
"Hello?"
"Where the hell are you?" Alphonse barks. "I woke up and you were gone."
"I had to help a friend," Rosalinda says, trying to keep her temper in check.
"Oh, this friend thing again?" he scoffs. "Look, you could have woken me up or something. Where are you?"
>
"The hospital," she spits, my temper rising. "My friend took abortion pills."
There is silence on the other line and then Alphonse sighs. "And? What's that have to do with you?"
Rosalinda blinks. "Are you serious right now?"
"Very," he says. "Rosalinda, this has nothing to do with you."
"Like hell it does!" she yells; so much for keeping her temper down. "This is my friend and she could have died! She almost bled out because her boyfriend told her to give up the child!"
"And this concerns you how?" he asks calmly.
Rosalinda pinches the bridge of her nose, unable to believe this man.
"You know what, Alphonse? I can't take this anymore. We are through; take your shit and by the time I get home, you better be gone! Oh, and by the way I kept the baby! I don't want your money, but what you can do is get the hell out of my life!"
Chapter Twelve
"So...she's pregnant?" Pascal asks Alphonse.
Alphonse sits in his house talking to his brother and sister over dinner. It’s been a couple of weeks since he and Rosalinda broke up, and he has been telling them all that’s happened between them. Sparing no details, he’s just gotten done telling them about the child, how he told her to get rid of it, and how she had lied to him and didn’t get the procedure.
"Yeah, she is," Alphonse says, spreading some butter on a piece of bread. "And I'm going to do what I said, cut her off completely."
"That's a load of bull shit," Lucille snaps. "You need to take care of this."
"I tried," Alphonse grumbles. "I told her to get rid of it and she didn't."
"I don't mean that," Lucille snaps. "I mean taking care of the child. Treat Rosalinda the way you didn't treat Georgianna."
"All she wants is my money," Alphonse says, though for some reason he doesn’t exactly believe it.
"Alphonse," Lucille sighs. "Think about it; has she ever once asked you for anything besides what you've given her?"
Alphonse frowns as he thinks over it. "Well...no..."
"And what about Lukas? How has she been acting around him?" she asks.
"As if he's her own…” he says slowly.